The first designs of the Roborace autonomous race car have been revealed – and it’s an amazing futuristic creation that is unlike anything ever seen on a race track before.
The design is the work of the newly-appointed Chief Design Officer Daniel Simon. Simon, who is renowned for his work on Hollywood Sci-Fi blockbusters such as Tron: Legacy and Oblivion, set out to create something that took full advantage of being the first-ever racing car that doesn’t need to accommodate a driver.
“My goal was to create a vehicle that takes full advantage of the unusual opportunities of having no driver without ever compromising on beauty,” he said. “Racing engineers and aerodynamicists have worked with me from the beginning to strike that balance. The Roborace is as much about competition as it is entertainment. Therefore – and quite unusual in today’s racing world – beauty was very high on our agenda and we work hard to merge the best performance with stunning styling.
“It was important to us that we generate substantial downforce without unnecessary parts cluttering the car to maintain a clean and iconic look. This is largely made possible by using the floor as the main aerodynamic device and we are currently developing active body parts that are more organic and seamless than solutions today.”
The first Roborace “shows” will take place during the 2016/17 Formula E season.
