X

Winning cars of the 3D Printed Car Design Challenge (pictures)

Winners of the inaugural 3D Printed Car Design Challenge have been announced, with the winning car to be 3D printed later this year.

Michelle Starr
Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and she hopes to get you as enthralled with the wonders of the universe as she is. When she's not daydreaming about flying through space, she's daydreaming about bats.
Michelle Starr
car1.jpg
1 of 7 Local Motors

Strati by Michele Anoé

The winning car has a sporty body and an accordion-pleated retractable roof. Its body is a single block 3D printed in ABS around an aluminium frame and roll cage, with carbon fibre supports on the front and rear.

Click here to see more images of Strati.

car2.jpg
2 of 7 Local Motors

ISF -- Internal Strut Frame by Greg Thomson

Greg Thomson's ISF is inspired by the bone structure of birds' wings, and its frame is printed in a single piece, offering lightness, durability and an aerodynamic form. "The ISF is a study in creating a new generation of automobile that relies not on forms found within the conventional manufacturing processes but is rather a design that results solely from shapes that can only be created and produced through means of additive manufacturing and 3D printing technologies," Thomson wrote.

Click here to see more images of ISF.

car3.jpg
3 of 7 Local Motors

Aeroblade by iMAN Maghsoudi

Based on the concepts of aerodynamics, safety and aesthetics, Aeroblade is 3D printed in one piece with a unique blade structure that conducts the airflow through and around the vehicle. For an advanced safety feature, designer Maghsoudi said, parallel sandwich blades are wrapped around the cockpit to absorb impact.

Click here to see more images of Aeroblade.

car4.jpg
4 of 7 Local Motors

3DPCX by Sasank Gopinathan

This doorless sports vehicle was designed around the idea of one swooping structure surrounding the car's occupants, with a central spine to support the car. 3D printed ribs provide additional support, and the rest of the car's body is intended to be 3D printed in separate pieces.

Click here to see more images of 3DPCX.

car5.jpg
5 of 7 Local Motors

Supernova by Sebastian Dib

Smooth and sleek, this luxury car has no angles greater than 45 degrees -- with the exception of the wheelhouse. Creator Sebastian Dib even printed up a scale prototype all of one piece, showing how the car provides easy access to battery and engine through the wheelhouses and underneath. "I got inspired from the supernovas, from one moment to another they explode in a very aggressive way creating all the elements in the universe, the gravity makes its work forming solar systems, and at the end everything find its order," Dib wrote of his design.

Click here to see more images of Supernova.

car6.jpg
6 of 7

Mirage by Kai Y

Mirage is so named because, while it looks smooth and sleek, beneath the surface of its body are complex structures that provide support, only achievable through 3D printing, including 3D printed crumple zones. "Utilising multi-material printing, we are able to layer soft rubber-like material on top of hard plastics to provide comfort and safety," designer Kai Y wrote. "We looked toward nature for inspiration, by applying synthetic sharkskin texture onto vital areas, aerodynamics is greatly improved. The MIRAGE is a culmination of elements that work to provide not just technical performance, but also elicits an emotional response from the user."

Click here to see more images of Mirage.

car7.jpg
7 of 7 Local Motors

E-spider by Xavier Gordillo

This tough little off-roader has been designed, creator Xavier Gordillo said, to minimise material use while maximising strength. Its frame is inspired by bones, with space in between. These holes -- as well as a roof -- can be added to the vehicle when conditions demand, with other detachable elements, such as the windshield and roof struts, inspired by children's toys.

Click here to see more images of E-spider.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos