Art Center graduate Eric Kim’s ‘Project Airomorph’ was sponsored by Audi AG and assembled by Design Center California. The concept aims to exploit the fundamentals of catamaran racing for a four-wheeled Le Mans car.
Kim sought to mimic the structure of a catamaran by suspending the body over a solid chassis-like foundation supported by cables, “so the body would have the ability to have a continuous motion to achieve the best driving conditions possible,” he says.
A single sheet of cloth is layered over the concept’s frame, cocooning the driver in the ultra-modern cabin. This ‘skin’ is made of a silver expansion resistant textile, which has the capability to stretch across movable metal wires controlled by modern hydraulics.
Each wheel pod placement features a specialized cable, which is both highly durable and has the ability to increase as well as decrease in size, much like a coiled spring. With the morphing capability of this mechanism, numerous adjustments are possible.
“Having the great opportunity to collaborate with Jenns Mooler in the Aerodynamics/Engineering department, we worked together to create the best possible solution of a blown diffuser that is not only functional but aesthetically pleasing as well,” Kim cites.
The end result speaks for itself.
