Local Motors announced the winners today of the Detroit Motors Competition. Give them a look and see if any of these designs can jump start our economy. The entries for this competition were not as strong as the previous ones. Perhaps it was because of all the student designers dealing with finals and working on getting internships. I am not too sure about the winner of this one. Personally the 3rd place winner had a stronger entry.
Check them out and tell us what you think a Detroit car should be. Press release after the jump.
1st Place: Michigan by Dmytro Zyubyairov of Germany
2nd Place: PS² vehicle by Mayeul Walser of France
3rd Place: IRON by Mihai Panaitescu of Romania
Click here to see the top 10 entries.
Local Motors announces the top 3 car designs for Detroit area entrepreneurs. With enough support, these designs could be built locally in Detroit.
Local Motors challenged designers to create a vehicle to support and inspire Detroit area entrepreneurs. As the competition description dictates, it is the entrepreneurs in Detroit, the new business owners, who will rebuild the Motor City:
“Design a vehicle for the visionaries and entrepreneurs who will revitalize Detroit. These are the people who will raise Detroit from the ashes of recession. Small businesses like bakers, builders and mechanics. Creative entrepreneurs like designers, musicians and painters. As Detroiters use their ingenuity and creativity to create new enterprise, Detroit will reinvent itself and flourish once again.”
The open community voted to choose the winners. You can view all of the Detroit entries here: http://www.local-motors.com/competitionPast.php?c=12
Here are the most inspiring, most accommodating car designs for Detroit entrepreneurs:
1st Place: Michigan by Dmytro Zyubyairov of Germany
Prize: $1,500USD, Status, Props, & Local Motors “In the Studio” Shirt
Description:
“Target: Creative entrepreneurs, designers, painters, musicians, people with a sense of taste, those who appreciate beauty, style, dynamism, freedom and fun. For people who accept a car as a modern sculpture, outdoorsmen and women.
The Michigan Design is 2+2 passenger, front engine shooting brake with off-road capabilities. Compact with cargo capacity and towing ability for creative work and play.” - Dmytro Zyubyairov
2nd Place: PS² vehicle by Mayeul Walser of France
Prize: $300USD, Status, Props, & Local Motors “In the Studio” Shirt
Description:
“Maybe you don’t know that Detroit is one of the cities with the highest crime rate in America. Detroit is also one of the biggest industrial sites of America including the automotive industry and the Big-3. Unfortunately, the economic crisis has impacted the population causing idleness and desperation. Detroit is not a no-man’s land but what is sure is that Detroit’s population does not feel safe anymore.
That’s why I decided to create a vehicle for a private security company (PS², Private Security Services) in order to reassure the neighborhoods that they are protected against house break-ins, gangs and drugs.
So, about my design language: I wanted a vehicle with a strong impact in order to be intimidating, shatterproof, high-tech and also dynamic. Just like a bit scarab.
This vehicle (could be) made by Local Motors, and can be used for other purposes in order to adapt to other entrepreneurs.
The car body shell uses carbon fiber & Kevlar technology in order to be strong, safe and light. Also, the body shell covers the front wheels as a shield in order to start the vehicle in the fastest way possible: with four-wheel drive powered by an electric engine.” – Mayeul Walser
This is a 4-passenger design with customizable storage space.
3rd Place: IRON by Mihai Panaitescu of Romania
Prize: $200, Status, Props, & Local Motors “In the Studio” Shirt
Description:
“The IRON concept represents the embodiment of key Detroit values: Power – Utility – Style. The car has two different ways of transportation within ideology: work and pleasure. It can help you get the job done when you need to replace an old Hemi after you tow a car to the garish, or unleash its massive roar on a beautiful Michigan road trip.
The car is an asymmetrical 3-seater resting on an aluminum frame. The engine is located centrally, thus giving the car sporty proportions and dynamic volumes. A hydraulic suspension system allows the vehicle to change height in accordance to the needs. The outer body features a series of connections for exterior cargo transportation in different configurations.
Features:
- Hinge holes for exterior weights
- Incorporated crane arm
- Engine cooling intake with incorporated stability foot”
– Mihai Panaitescu
Local Motors is a new American car company and host to car design competitions each month at www.local-motors.com. Each competition focuses on a local region around the United States. The purpose of these competitions is to inspire designers and car enthusiasts to “Think Local”, and design for customers in local regions.
Local Motors will develop the most popular concepts in an open source process where the global community of designers helps create each vehicle through collaboration at www.local-motors.com. Customers join Local Motors experts in regional Micro-Factories, and build their own vehicles. This is a project requiring only 2 weekends.
So far one design has been developed in the open community forum: The Rally Fighter by Sangho Kim. The Rally Fighter will be available for purchase this summer, 2009.
Though Local Motors does not currently have plans to build cars in Detroit, the Detroit Motors competition is an exciting event for designers around the world and will inspire entrepreneurs in the Motor City.
About Local Motors
Local Motors is a new American car company setting an exciting and sustainable course to design, manufacture, and sell cars. Revolutionary yet simple, Local Motors creates a direct connection with customers who guide design development based on personal desires. The outcome of this open, collaborative process is meaningful, exciting cars designed specifically for car enthusiasts in local areas. Local Motors will build micro-factories in regions where demand is highest and cars are built and sold from the micro-factories on a just-in-time basis. Both the products and process are sustainable. Local Motors vehicles feature best in class fuel efficiency while the development and manufacturing process dramatically reduces waste while maintaining the flexibility to incorporate new efficient technology as it emerges. The design, manufacturing, and sales processes are sustainable and agile while creating a direct physical connection with more fully satisfied customers in each region.
The first Local Motors design concept to be designed by a community of enthusiasts and talented designers worldwide, is the Rally Fighter by Sangho Kim. You can view the Rally Fighter and contribute to the design development at www.local-motors.com.
Contact: Ariel Ferreira, aferreira@local-motors.com, (989) 600-0534
1 Response
Thanks for sharing, Dustin
Did you vote?
Posted on May 14th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
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