Photo: United Nude
Usually, when designers cross fields and begin working on products they’re not familiar with, two things can happen: they either screw up monumentally, proving once again why you can’t just jump into something and expect to do a good job, or their lack of background in the new field helps them come up with a whole new take that’s bold, revolutionary and memorable.
Depending on whom you’re asking, this electric car drawn up by the United Nude designers probably falls into both categories. People who expect certain things from a car and aren’t happy with a vague shape and four wheels will slam it as a poor, lazy effort, arguing that given a ruler and a pencil, they too could come up with something similar.
On the other hand, those who can appreciate simplicity for what it is - stripping things down to their essence, so that it becomes more obvious - will stop and admire the wedge-like vehicle. Some diehard petrolheads might even feel it’s a bit familiar, even though they won’t quite be able to put their finger on it.
A clue towards the designers’ inspiration lies in the project’s name. The two-seater is called Lo Res, and it’s the automotive application of a principle the company has been using for a while. As the name suggests, the procedure requires redesigning an already existing object by gradually reducing its 3D resolution.
If you’ve played computer games back when true 3D graphics were emerging, you’ll remember something called “polygon count” when referring to an modeled object. The Lo Res principle means reducing the number of polygons to a minimum, while also maintaining the original overall shape.
Back to that familiarity of the Lo Res car’s shape: can you guess the model used to come up with this low-resolution look? It’s definitely a supercar, but apart from that, it would be anybody’s guess, frankly, if United Nude didn’t provide the answer. It’s a Lamborghini Countach, the legendary ‘70s supercar designed by Marcello Gandini (working for Bertone at the time).
The Lo Res car has absolutely no doors, but instead uses a polycarbonate canopy that hinges up to allow the two occupants access (not a very simple one). The interior continues the minimalist theme, with the battery packs in plain view and only a few more important details finished in polished stainless steel, contrasting with the rest of the elements that receive a matt black coating.
It uses an electric powertrain that’s good for up to 50 km/h (roughly 30 mph), but don’t expect a full list of technical details as it would be completely irrelevant. This car is a design project, so the fact that it can actually move on its own is just a bonus. Currently, it is on its way to Los Angeles where it will be exhibited.
On the other hand, those who can appreciate simplicity for what it is - stripping things down to their essence, so that it becomes more obvious - will stop and admire the wedge-like vehicle. Some diehard petrolheads might even feel it’s a bit familiar, even though they won’t quite be able to put their finger on it.
A clue towards the designers’ inspiration lies in the project’s name. The two-seater is called Lo Res, and it’s the automotive application of a principle the company has been using for a while. As the name suggests, the procedure requires redesigning an already existing object by gradually reducing its 3D resolution.
If you’ve played computer games back when true 3D graphics were emerging, you’ll remember something called “polygon count” when referring to an modeled object. The Lo Res principle means reducing the number of polygons to a minimum, while also maintaining the original overall shape.
Back to that familiarity of the Lo Res car’s shape: can you guess the model used to come up with this low-resolution look? It’s definitely a supercar, but apart from that, it would be anybody’s guess, frankly, if United Nude didn’t provide the answer. It’s a Lamborghini Countach, the legendary ‘70s supercar designed by Marcello Gandini (working for Bertone at the time).
The Lo Res car has absolutely no doors, but instead uses a polycarbonate canopy that hinges up to allow the two occupants access (not a very simple one). The interior continues the minimalist theme, with the battery packs in plain view and only a few more important details finished in polished stainless steel, contrasting with the rest of the elements that receive a matt black coating.
It uses an electric powertrain that’s good for up to 50 km/h (roughly 30 mph), but don’t expect a full list of technical details as it would be completely irrelevant. This car is a design project, so the fact that it can actually move on its own is just a bonus. Currently, it is on its way to Los Angeles where it will be exhibited.
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