Mercedes Designs Racing Car of the Future

In 2025, an ageing Lewis Hamilton could be racing around Silverstone in something resembling this Mercedes-Benz Formula Zero concept. The futuristic vehicle is adorned with technical wizardry from bonnet to boot - all the ensure that the maximum power possible is sucked from its electric hub motors.


Energy conservation si the name of the game for this year's LA Auto Show's Design Challenge Awards, where the world's largest car makers, including Audi, BMW, Honda and VW, were asked to design an eco-conscious F1 car for the year 2025. Mercedes' effort is furnished with aero-efficient solar skin, giving the engines a boost of energy when stocks are running low. And, not altogether unsurprisingly, Mercedes has adjusted the rules of racing to fit its new-found love for sustainable sources; no longer is the fastest car the winner. In Mercedes' world, the team who has managed its energy allocation with the most efficiency lifts the trophy.


The rigid sail apparently equips the vehicle with the "grace and efficiency of yacht racing" and the track dynamics of a bobsled. A hybrid car in the purest sense of the word, and one which Hamilton may need a few more lessons to manage.


The winner of the Design Challenge Award will be announced on 20 November and will be posted here on Car Journal

UPDATE: The Mazda KAAN won the LA Auto Show's Design Challenge Awards.