2008 Los Angeles Auto Show: Mind-Blowing Motorsports Concepts Rev Up 2025 Design Challenge

LOS ANGELES — Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America was inspired by the track dynamics of the bobsled or luge for its Formula Zero Racer. Toyota's Calty Design Research turned to hydrogen fuel cell electric motors for its sleek Le Mans Racer. And Honda Research and Development North America envisions the Great Race 2025, a vehicle that can circumnavigate the globe in 24 hours. These are just a few of the vehicles rolled out on Monday as part of the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show's Design Challenge, which predicts the shape of auto racing in 2025.

While it's clear that designers were unlimited in their thinking in this competition, what is more intriguing is that there seems to be little consensus about just how racing cars will look in 17 years.

Volkswagen of America Design Center's BioRunner looks almost clunky next to some of the aerodynamic competition. The BioRunner positions the rider in a protective cage on a motorcycle-like saddle with controls attached to the hands and feet. "These controls manipulate all wheels via synthetic muscle-based suspension, which offers unparalleled control and traction," according to VW.

Penned by Jon Hull, senior designer at Mitsubishi Motors R & D of America, the Mitsubishi MMR25 rally racer uses an omnidirectional wheel design that consists of eight independently controlled electric motors within each wheel hub. This makes the MMR25 a highly unusual "8x4"-wheel-drive vehicle.

The GM Chaparral Volt — which appears to be a futuristic riff on a Chevrolet Volt, is said to generate its own energy from three clean, renewable resources: earth, wind and fire. GM envisions racing as an "eco-triathlon" in the future, which is a huge leap beyond this fall's much-ballyhooed Green Challenge.

Green, however, was a dominant theme with the competition cars here. BMW Group Designworks USA's Hydrogen-Powered Salt Flat Racer reuses "ordinary and mundane" materials such as old oil barrels and BBW lids, along with using goldfish as "co-pilots" to "ensure that the vehicle is running clean emissions." Presumably, this is a postmodern take on the canary in the coal mine, whose death warned workers of dangerous fumes.

Among the more traditionally inspired entries: the Audi of America Design Center California R25, which looks brawny and intimidating. The R25 is said to use "high-velocity banks and tunnels, which allow cars to race 'inverted' and the opportunity to pass anywhere with aerodynamic racing cars."

The Mazda Kaan, submitted by Mazda R&D of North America, is an electric racing car with a patented electronic tire system and a top speed of 250 mph with no emissions.

The winning design will be announced at the Design Los Angeles conference on November 20 at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show. Judges of the competition include Daniel Simon, founder of Cosmic Motors, and Tom Matano of San Francisco's Academy of Art University.

Inside Line says: Motorsports is poised to have a radical new look in the future, if these concepts are any indication. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent