Infiniti's Synaptiq won the first-ever People's Choice Award at the Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge.
Infiniti’s take on what the car of the future might look like netted its design team the People’s Choice Award in the 11th annual Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge.
Several design teams created vehicles that sought to answer the question: how will cars interact with us in 2029?
The luxury brand’s team answered it with the Synaptiq, a race car for a vehicle triathlon called the A.R.C. Race, which includes air, rally and circuit competitions.
“Our designers loved participating in the LA Auto Show Design Challenge, conceptualizing how Infiniti drivers could interact with their vehicle in the coming decades,” said John Sahs, interior design manager at Infiniti, and leader of the Synaptiq team.
“It’s extremely gratifying for the public to also dream a bit with us and identify with such ideas that may seem a bit futuristic, but may just not be that far away from reality.”
Infiniti’s designers from its San Diego studio envisioned a future in which augmented reality, 3D hologram and wearable technologies may be a part of the “everyday driving experience, creating a seamless interaction between man and machine,” according to the release.
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The other 2014 LA Auto Show Design Challenge participants included:
- BMW Group DesignworksUSA
- Honda USA
- Honda Japan
- McLaren Automotive
- Nissan
- Peterbilt Motors
- Qoros Auto, China
- SAIC Motor MG
However, it was the Synaptiq that took the award – the first ever – in voting that took place on Facebook.
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The group not only created the vehicle, but also the race itself. The first stretch of the A.R.C. race is a Formula 1 grand prix course from LA to Las Vegas. The second portion is a desert race, which requires driving an off-road buggy to the Grand Canyon. The final leg of the race is a radical gymkhana-style jet race through virtual pylons back to Los Angeles.
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In addition to the competitors, several other studios will participate by showcasing their latest future-facing concepts in the Design Gallery, making for a total of 10 studios from around the world participating in the Show. Studios exhibiting in the gallery include: CALTY Design Research, Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center California, Nissan Design America, Inc., Subaru Global Design Team from Japan and Volkswagen Group of America Design Center California.