Photo: Jordan Zigang-Divet
NASA, as many people on the globe probably know already, stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. OK, maybe not that many people know that. A lot of us just call it "those guys who go out in space looking for aliens."
So why would NASA, a federal agency that only deals with the things here on Earth that can help it leave the planet and go as far away from it as possible, be interested in designing a car? You know, a relatively simple vehicle that never leaves the Earth's surface save for the brief moment when you fail to slow down for a speed bump?
The simple answer is that it wouldn't be, not in a million years. Sure, PC- and gadget-maker Apple wanted to design a car, as did vacuum cleaner and hand dryer specialist Dyson, so it looks like it's open season out there for branching out from various fields into making road-going vehicles. Then again, look at how those two projects ended up and you'll conclude that it's best to stick to what you're good at and leave the automotive mirage alone.
However, that kind of practical thinking only applies to this practical world, leaving those dealing with the virtual one free to explore every corner of their imagination. Jordan Zigang-Divet did just that when he came up with the NASA Vision Concept, a sporty-looking shooting brake vehicle that has no reason to exist other than looking very, very good.
Jordan built a mood board consisting exclusively of NASA's now-defunct shuttle program, and you can see some of the space-bound vehicle's design cues carried over on his creation. The most obvious ones are the two fins at the back which, we venture to guess, serve no other purpose than to link the Vision Concept with its source of inspiration.
The black nose of the space shuttle is carried over on the concept, with the golden accent line somewhat reminding us of the large disposable rocket fuel tank used by NASA. One very cool feature of Jordan's model is the wheel design which is very much in line with the aerospace theme with its turbine feel, but also consistent with the EV nature of the vehicle (closed wheels offer better efficiency).
Overall, the NASA Vision Concept looks like a high-tech, high-performance vehicle which should be worthy of its name. We would have liked it to be a little more detailed - for instance, how does one get inside? - but when people have questions to ask, that means they're interested, which is a good thing. It may not bring us any closer to meeting ET, but it would sure be a nice addition to the global car park here on Earth.
The simple answer is that it wouldn't be, not in a million years. Sure, PC- and gadget-maker Apple wanted to design a car, as did vacuum cleaner and hand dryer specialist Dyson, so it looks like it's open season out there for branching out from various fields into making road-going vehicles. Then again, look at how those two projects ended up and you'll conclude that it's best to stick to what you're good at and leave the automotive mirage alone.
However, that kind of practical thinking only applies to this practical world, leaving those dealing with the virtual one free to explore every corner of their imagination. Jordan Zigang-Divet did just that when he came up with the NASA Vision Concept, a sporty-looking shooting brake vehicle that has no reason to exist other than looking very, very good.
Jordan built a mood board consisting exclusively of NASA's now-defunct shuttle program, and you can see some of the space-bound vehicle's design cues carried over on his creation. The most obvious ones are the two fins at the back which, we venture to guess, serve no other purpose than to link the Vision Concept with its source of inspiration.
The black nose of the space shuttle is carried over on the concept, with the golden accent line somewhat reminding us of the large disposable rocket fuel tank used by NASA. One very cool feature of Jordan's model is the wheel design which is very much in line with the aerospace theme with its turbine feel, but also consistent with the EV nature of the vehicle (closed wheels offer better efficiency).
Overall, the NASA Vision Concept looks like a high-tech, high-performance vehicle which should be worthy of its name. We would have liked it to be a little more detailed - for instance, how does one get inside? - but when people have questions to ask, that means they're interested, which is a good thing. It may not bring us any closer to meeting ET, but it would sure be a nice addition to the global car park here on Earth.
Google News