Austéra
Free time project
2 weeks
2 weeks
Austéra (Italian for “with no frills“) is a fluently designed coupé for the future. The design is reduced to the minimal and necessary requirements for a modern car. Inspired by the lightness and fragility of a dancer, the car tries to be unobtrusive and alluringly progressive at the same time.
The electrically driven car contains some innovative components which allow reducing the design to its essentials. Innovative materials and moving parts replace the traditional air intakes of the body.
The car provides enough space for four adult passengers and includes three different state modes: a sleeping, an active and an autonomous mode.
One of the characteristics of this car is the living skin of the body. The surface adjusts itself to the various state modes. This is possible because of the smart glass and semi-transparent materials which are used. Smart glass, which is already employed in house building, can change its transparency immediately depending on your choice.
Other important features of Austéra include the air intakes. Instead of big holes to collect air, the front part of the chassis consists of a breathable membrane with a unique microstructure which lets the air in which is then used for cooling.
The rims are activated during the two driving modes. The moveable plates, which work in the same way as gills, supply the breaks with air. When the car changes into sleeping mode, the rims return automatically to their original state.
In order to achieve an entirely closed body, also the front and rear lights are completely integrated in the shell. In the sleeping mode, they are not visible. However, when the driving mode is activated, the laser lights shine through the semi-transparent surface.
