As the automotive industry undergoes significant transformations towards electrification, autonomy, and connectivity, Anant undertook an in-depth exploration into how emotive driver’s cars, such as hot hatches, could remain relevant in 2040 while preserving the raw engagement that automotive enthusiasts value. His focus was on maintaining the primal human-machine connection amid high-tech advancements.
Anant’s detailed ethnographic and survey research revealed a lasting desire among young “Generation Alpha” enthusiasts for ownership, customisation, and tangible driving freedom, despite their immersion in virtual worlds from a young age. Studies indicate that this generation still values skill progression, thrill-seeking, and the emotional appeal of sports cars as symbols of maturity and status. He believes that hot hatches can continue to meet these needs in the future by integrating augmentation technologies that enhance rather than isolate drivers.
In his design process, Anant drew inspiration from the sleek elegance of Italian sports cars from the 1950s and 60s and the bold, angular forms of Brutalist architecture. His exterior mood boards featured architectural negative space, flowing curves, and backlit structures to reinterpret mid-century Italian sports car aesthetics in a modern context. He used sweeping contours to evoke graceful aesthetics while exposed pillars and components suggested technical sophistication suitable for an electrified future. Architectural mood boards combined Brutalist shapes, flowing forms, and backlit accents to create a distinctive, athletic style. Exposed functional elements highlighted the advanced electric powertrain and autonomous driving technology.
Anant aimed for an avant-garde exterior that blended Brutalist strength with Italian finesse through exaggerated geometric forms and refined surface transitions. This approach was designed to create a bold, unique hot hatch identity that communicates genuine performance capabilities suitable for the electric era. He also developed ideation sketches exploring innovative seating arrangements and UI integrations.
Inside, Anant envisioned a three-seat asymmetric cockpit layout to optimise ergonomics and foster peer-to-peer collaboration. Rear seats angled inward to create an immersive environment focused on team-based driving performance. Clear sightlines allowed for visible holographic augmented reality projections on the dashboard, enhancing interactive engagement for all occupants.
Interior mood boards presented a cohesive stylistic vision for a focused, ergonomic atmosphere that promotes concentration. Cyberpunk-inspired colours matched the exterior livery and reflected gaming influences. Dynamic ambient lighting, based on biometric feedback, indicated the vehicle’s mood and emotional connection with its occupants. Sustainably sourced materials were chosen to echo the mechanical elements of racing chassis while integrating seamlessly with digital interfaces in a minimalist style appealing to next-generation tastes.
The centrepiece of Anant’s design is the “ACI” system, which integrates AI co-pilots, emotion detection, and hyper-realistic augmented reality to enhance human capabilities rather than replace them. Virtual coaching assistants help optimise driving techniques, while biofeedback sensors adapt the driving experience to the occupants’ emotions. Wide-angle projected AR provides comprehensive data visualisation without overwhelming the driver.
The system is built on three key pillars: the Virtual AI Co-Pilot, which analyses sensor data to offer personalized real-time guidance; Artificially Connected Emotions, which uses biometrics to interpret driver states and adjust responses accordingly; and Real-Time Augmented Reality Projections, which deliver immersive, heads-up data displays. Together, these elements create a unique symbiotic experience between human and machine, focusing on enhancing enjoyment while preserving driver agency.
By merging cutting-edge interactive technologies with enduring passions, Anant’s 2040 hot hatch concept aims to maintain the essence of purist driving enthusiasm amidst industry disruption. The combination of digital innovations and traditional performance principles is reflected in a coherent avant-garde design that emphasizes genuine athletic capabilities rather than gimmicks. This approach appeals to next-generation preferences for augmentation while retaining the emotive freedom of driving, ensuring that such vehicles can continue to engage enthusiasts as mobility evolves globally.
In summary, Anant’s comprehensive conceptualisation process explores how driver-centric vehicles can stay relevant in an era of unprecedented change by focusing on user-centricity. By blending top-down demographic and ethnographic research with creative future visions, his proposal champions customisation, progress, and passion, using technology to enhance connections rather than diminish them. The result is a well-rounded hot hatch design that balances cutting-edge features with enduring enthusiasm through empathetic and forward-thinking design.
About the designer
Anant Sharma has loved cars since he was a child, starting with drawing anything that had wheels. He is about to graduate with a master’s degree in Transportation Design from Coventry University and is proud to be the 2023 Student Ambassador there. Lately, he has also become interested in creating 3D visuals using Unreal Engine, finding it amazing to build entire worlds around cars. He won an award for Best CGI in 2023 from the Domble Symttrey organization. Anant enjoys working with technology and sketching car designs, though it’s been challenging at times. Tools like Gravity Sketch have helped him a lot, and he’s also an avid motorsports fan who loves working directly with cars.
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