Each year for the past seven years, a topical theme is chosen and the major Southern California automotive design studios are invited to compete in the Design Challenge. This year's theme addresses society's shift toward minimizing consumption of the earth's resources. The objective is to conceive a four passenger vehicle that's efficient and lightweight, without compromising comfort, safety and driving performance. The winner will be presented on November 18 at 7 pm local time at the Designers Night Party at the Conga Rooms.
Tipping the scales at under 1,000 pounds (453 kg), the Volvo Air Motion Concept is lighter than a Formula One car and employs a similar open-wheel configuration. Its beautiful Scandinavian body is designed like a clam shell and sculptured from ultra light carbon fiber.
The car was developed around the idea that minimizing the weight and complexity means maximizing driving enjoyment. Volvo built the car with fewer components and replaced the heavy internal combustion engine with powerful, yet simple, compressed air motors. The motors cool down with increased load, instead of heating up, which eliminates the need for cooling systems. The chassis, interior and suspension employ an integrated design which brings a notable contribution to the lowered weight.
To compress the air needed for the centrally mounted air tank, Volvo came up with a design for Air Replenishment Sites. They are powered by air turbines floating 1,000 ft in the air, which harness the power of the wind, turning it into electricity to provide the compression.
The Volvo Air Motion Concept is aimed at the driving enthusiast and delivers a clean-handed, unaltered driving experience.
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