The Rimac C-Two is an electric hypercar that can reach 60 mph in just 1.85 seconds, and the engineers insist that it won't only be mind-blowingly fast, but fun to drive, too. As one of the most forward-thinking manufacturers around, Rimac Automobili decided to switch the focus from speed to design and run a #RumacDesignChallenge whereby participants were asked to design their vision of what a Rimac product could potentially look like in the future - to be specific, the year 2080 was chosen.
Thousands of submissions were received, so it goes without saying that the design team's winner must've come up with something special. His name is Maximilian Schneider and yes, he did come up with something that would do the year 2080 proud. It's been called the Rimac Scalaton Vision 2080.
Rimac released a video covering the finalists, before theatrically revealing Schneider as the winner at the six-minute mark - this animated reveal was part of Schneider's incredibly detailed submission.
The Scalaton Vision 2080 is imagined with a 3D-carboprinted titanium-graphite frame that is both strong and light. Its electric powertrain allegedly generates at least 3,080 horsepower and powers a body that weighs in at mere 2,072 pounds. Yes, that sounds pretty futuristic to us. Schneider's creation makes a mockery of current plug-in charge points, as this Rimac has active aerofins with induction charging.
The fins not only generate downforce but charge the car through the road. Aside from the fact that the Scalaton Vision 2080 looks like a batmobile for the future, Schneider introduced a bunch of novel ideas such as a neural interface - in fact, he imagines that the car is AI-generated based on a customer's personality. It makes the tech in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class sound primitive.
A dynamic tire patch pattern is another innovation. The tire has the ability to expand or retract depending on the grip required and the "dynamic situation". Today, suspensions and other systems can make adjustments in real time to compensate for changing conditions, but a physical tire doing the same? The possibilities are exciting.
Rimac's design team were thoroughly impressed with not only Schneider's ideas, but the sheer detail that went into his work. The winning designer will get the chance to discuss his ideas in more depth when he meets with the Rimac team. All in all, it looks like our great grandkids have a lot to look forward to.