Hot rods have a special place in the hearts of every car fanatic.
Recently, Dodge and Chrysler (the parent company of Dodge) teamed up with thirteen students from the Art Center College of Design California to come up with a concept vehicle. The concept car that came out of it blends the spirit of the hot rod with some cutting edge design.
The resulting car is the Dodge Osis.
The Dodge Osis at first glance looks like it is a modern day “prowler” styled hot rod. The Osis took inspiration from the Mazda Miata MX-5 roadster. The designers also took some design cues from American muscle cars.
The chassis of the Dodge Osis is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) with the passenger monoque being strengthened for crash safety. The front and rear subframes along with the floating and removable panels can be customised and fitted into the main structure. The panels and subframes can be 3D printed and modifications are encouraged. If this concept ever reaches production, we will surely see some very unique mods for this vehicle.
If you are thinking the engine in this futuristic hot rod is a powerful V8 then you would be wrong. The engine will not be a loud V8 but rather a quiet electric one. There are still no performance figures for the engine as the car is still just a scale model of the actual vehicle. The engine and batteries will be housed in the passenger cell while the wheels spread out like an open wheel race car.
Another interesting feature is the floating LED light bar at the rear of the car which looks like it is hovering in mid air. The same design has been incorporated into the one piece head rests. The wrap around running boards looks cool too.
The Dodge Osis is in the early concept stage.
We hope to see a full sized vehicle in the near future and pray that it does make it into production. With the advancements in 3D printing and electric engines, the future seems so near.
And yes, the designers were trying their best not to make it look like a futuristic 1995 Plymouth Prowler. Stay tuned for more news on this car and other exiting concept vehicles.
Photos via Top Gear
Photo credits: Thomas Belhacene
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