For those who want a brave and bold vehicle that could become the next iconic vehicle for young people all over the globe, designer Dong Tran from America has come up with the Baja 1000 Buggy. Designed for an off-road race, scheduled to take place on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, the Baja 1000 Buggy will incorporate radical new wheel and tire technology to enhance power. Featuring brushless inwheel motors and Francis turbines inspired wheels; the single rider race buggy will utilize solar cells, together with a hydrogen fuel cell power-source, to charge the electric drivetrain. The vehicle will only exhaust clean water that too could be recycled to hydrate the driver in the stretched rides. While the independent long travel suspension of the vehicle will stabilize the large bumps.
Design Status:
The Baja 1000 Buggy is a winning entry of the 2009 Michelin Challenge Design competition, claiming top position in both the vehicle design and wheel design categories.
Usability:
The Baja 1000 concept will not just be a bold and powerful vehicle but its refined technology will also ensure a safe and sustainable riding experience. Moreover, the vehicle will ensure the safety of the spectators by glowing the LEDs lights, integrated in the airless tires, during night rides.
Designer:
Dong Tran is a senior automotive design student at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
Comments
Why does the digging part of the wheel face toward the rear?
Looks uncomfortable for a 1000 mile off road race with no room for equipment and no cage.
Why does the digging part of the wheel face toward the rear?
Looks uncomfortable for a 1000 mile off road race with no room for equipment and no cage.
Wow, that thing looks wicked!
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Ryan, the ”1000” in Baja 1000 is in kilometers, so the driver would *only* be riding for ~621 miles. :o)
Good observation on the digging direction of the wheels. I’d like to read an explanation of why they face that direction.
Not true... last year, it was 1,299 MILES
It varies from year to year.
Good question on the digging. If it were rock crawling, the grappling action of a wheel turned the other way would be useful. In sand though that grappling would only dig the wheel down into the sand when the idea is to stay on top of it. So the idea would be that each new wedge of rubber would be on top of new sand, pulling you out instead of digging you deeper. Not only is the baja raced on sand, but at incredible speeds considering the surface. A wheel faced the other way would slow that speed considerably. Think about running, but instead of putting your heel down first you landed on the balls of your feet. Not comfortable.
the name Baja 1000 comes from the distance in miles (not kilometers) of the origional race from tj to la pas. the distance of each baja 1000 differs as the course is changed every year. this years was a loop course and one of the shortest ever at 634 miles, last years 1000 was over 1200 miles.
Interesting design, but that car couldn’t even dream of racing the Baja 1000. Not only does it lack anywhere to put spares. It also has no roll structure to speak of, not even close to the rather stringent standards put forth by SCORE. There’s also nowhere to put the massive number of lights used. To add insult to injury, the amount of sprung weight would most likely destabilize the car in any remotely rough patches. Also the lack of a windshield would probably kill the driver either in traffic or in one of the famous silt fields. This car is a design exercise, nothing more. There’s a reason engineers are the only ones working on high level race cars like this. Cool ideas and interesting shapes do not a race car make, only solid mechanical design and execution can give you a competitive car.
BTW, I know many of the tech inspectors from the previous few years and they would tell you the same thing.
Wow that’s interesting. I can’twait to read more.
POS wouldnt last 10 miles in baja
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I’m racing that next year!
This is great for like me as mom work for at home. to cut grass.
Wow... This is so awesome. I hope they have like this in Dubai instead of riding those 4×4’s in the dessert. This one will be more thrilling to ride on after all.
Wow best design ever.. keep it up with wonderful design.
Wow... This is uber!!
Cool btw This car is a design exercise, nothing more. There’s a reason engineers are the only ones working on high level race cars like this. Cool ideas and interesting shapes do not a race car make, only solid mechanical design and execution can give you a competitive car.
This looks like one serious off road machine! I would love to take one of these for a spin on some dunes