Photo: Opel/ Stellantis
Last year, Opel challenged creative designers and design students to showcase their own original take on a Rocks Electric-based lifestyle vehicle as part of the "Rocks-e Design Hack" competition, whose prize was the promise to turn the winning project into reality.
From hundreds of submissions, one crazy design stood out - the Opel Rocks e-Xtreme created by design student Lukas Wenzhöfer. The winner was announced at the beginning of December 2022, and now the German automaker lives up to its promise by bringing the crazy electric buggy to life.
Some of you might remember that the claim of the contest was "You design it, we build it," and the engineers at Open took it literally, as the just-revealed one-off build of the winning project is as radical as the original digital renderings.
Lukas Wenzhöfer is a design student hailing from Hünfelden, Germany, and studying at the Pforzheim University of Design. His interpretation of the Opel Rocks-e is a unique electric vehicle designed with off-road driving pleasure in mind. Though still recognizable as being based on the pint-sized Opel quadricycle, the winning project is much more fun than the donor car. It looks like a rally-cross-inspired vehicle that takes design cues from both Grand Prix-style road racers and hardcore off-road vehicles.
Wenzhöfer envisioned the Rocks Electric e-Xtreme with outward-facing wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires that give the car a significantly wider stance and ensure better stability, coupled with double wishbone suspensions up front for increased ground clearance.
The concept also boasts an exo-skeleton-style roll cage and roof rack that serve as a base for the roof-mounted LEDs, along with a massive wing out back borrowed from the Vectra GTS V8 DTM touring race car that looks a bit oversized for the pint-sized Rocks-e. The aero item features a custom "e-Xtreme" inscription and the number "001." 3D-printed flared fenders, a pair of sleek LED lights on the front fascia, and a turquoise Opel logo complete the design.
Talking about his creation, Wenzhöfer explained that "The off-road capability promotes the feeling of freedom to be able to reach any destination. And the increased sportiness promises extra driving fun to show that electromobility is more than just a sensible solution."
When building the one-off battery-electric two-seater, the team at Open stayed true to the 3D model, paying attention to each of the above mentioned details and turning them into reality with the help of 3D printing.
Interestingly, even though the Opel Rocks Electric e-Xtreme boasts some radical visual and chassis modifications, the engineering team doesn't mention power upgrades compared to the Rocks-e, which is equipped with a single electric motor delivering 8 hp (8 ps) and a 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. Maybe the reason behind this is that this is a one-off build not meant for production.
Some of you might remember that the claim of the contest was "You design it, we build it," and the engineers at Open took it literally, as the just-revealed one-off build of the winning project is as radical as the original digital renderings.
Lukas Wenzhöfer is a design student hailing from Hünfelden, Germany, and studying at the Pforzheim University of Design. His interpretation of the Opel Rocks-e is a unique electric vehicle designed with off-road driving pleasure in mind. Though still recognizable as being based on the pint-sized Opel quadricycle, the winning project is much more fun than the donor car. It looks like a rally-cross-inspired vehicle that takes design cues from both Grand Prix-style road racers and hardcore off-road vehicles.
Wenzhöfer envisioned the Rocks Electric e-Xtreme with outward-facing wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires that give the car a significantly wider stance and ensure better stability, coupled with double wishbone suspensions up front for increased ground clearance.
The concept also boasts an exo-skeleton-style roll cage and roof rack that serve as a base for the roof-mounted LEDs, along with a massive wing out back borrowed from the Vectra GTS V8 DTM touring race car that looks a bit oversized for the pint-sized Rocks-e. The aero item features a custom "e-Xtreme" inscription and the number "001." 3D-printed flared fenders, a pair of sleek LED lights on the front fascia, and a turquoise Opel logo complete the design.
Talking about his creation, Wenzhöfer explained that "The off-road capability promotes the feeling of freedom to be able to reach any destination. And the increased sportiness promises extra driving fun to show that electromobility is more than just a sensible solution."
When building the one-off battery-electric two-seater, the team at Open stayed true to the 3D model, paying attention to each of the above mentioned details and turning them into reality with the help of 3D printing.
Interestingly, even though the Opel Rocks Electric e-Xtreme boasts some radical visual and chassis modifications, the engineering team doesn't mention power upgrades compared to the Rocks-e, which is equipped with a single electric motor delivering 8 hp (8 ps) and a 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. Maybe the reason behind this is that this is a one-off build not meant for production.
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