The mantra of form follows function belies the complexity which makes any response to a given design directive more a chaotic system than an orderly progression. Nowhere was this more clearly in evidence than in the more than 200 entries competing in the European round of the Shell Eco-Marathon that took place in London. The challenge asks designers to create a car that can travel the farthest on a single liter of gas (slightly less than one quarter of a gallon) and a wide variety of responses poured in from 29 countries.
The pinnacle of the competition was occupied by a car called CityJoule that was entered by a team from the University of Nantes working in conjunction with a local high school. Inspired by the shape of a drop of water and with a drag coefficient of less than 0.1, it is quite possibly the most aerodynamic car in existence. The car, complete with powertrain, wheels, and tires, weighs in at just under 80 kg (176 pounds).
An additional feature that makes this car unique among the competition is that its carbon fiber chassis is fully drivable without the body. Much of the Venture 8 was printed and the 150 separate parts where then glued together, but the team was interested in investigating more than the possibility for producing a single vehicle using 3D printing. Instead, they were also exploring the possibilities for the creation of fully customizable vehicles that could be placed onto the chassis as desired. Other teams also used 3D printing to create parts either functional or aesthetic, such as a plastic steering rack.
The winning prototype out of all of the different categories managed to travel 2,606 km (1,619 miles) on a single liter, while the best Urban Concept Car was able to travel 446 km (277 miles). Discuss further in the 3D Printed Car forum over at 3DPB.com.
[Source & Images: Car Design News]