Nowadays, we get more and more examples of collaborations between fashion and automotive designs and while some of the results are nothing to write home about, others end up in our dreams.
Nowadays, the worlds of fashion and automotive designers overlap more than they used to. And while some of the results are nothing to write home about, others instill passion from the first moment they land on our screens. Case in point with the Nike electric hypercar, an independent project coming from automotive designer Gareth Culverhouse (here is his Behance page).
Just to be clear, we’re dealing with 3D work that’s not backed by Nike. Instead, this is a tribute done by the said designer, whose experience in the car field includes 4 years spent as a senior designer for McLaren and almost three years as a senior exterior designer at the London officer of SAIC Motor, China’s largest automaker.
As fans of the brand would tell you, Nike is one of the most research and development-intensive companies in the world. And the level of sophistication required by a potential real-world version of the machine portrayed here would require serious funding.
Peek through the transparent cover behind the rear pillars and you’ll notice orange hardware and warning signs hinting at the electric nature of the hypercar. Elsewhere, the design is brutalist, while the elongated silhouette of the machine is just one of the elements that recommend it as a high-speed runner.
Another asset serving the said purpose comes from the sophisticated aero, and while the front end reminds us of the Koenigsegg RAW official “entry-level” hypercar study from 2020, the small openings in the wheels serve a brake cooling function in a way that limits aerodynamic drag.
How Nike essentially kickstarted the Vision Gran Turismo world
Back in 2004 when Grand Turismo 4 was the latest thing in terms of sim racing, the fashion brand turned to designer Phil Frank, who has served Nike, but also Saleen, to create the official Nike One 2022.
This was more than just a promotional effort, as we’re looking at the first-ever concept vehicle made specifically for the Grand Turismo series by an outside brand.
And that was essentially the starting point of the current Vision Gran Turismo world, which has seen countless automakers coming up with virtual speed devils gamers can hoon.
Despite its hypothetical production year, the Nike One 2022 has yet to return or receive a spiritual successorโvirtual or real. Of course, if we are to nominate Culverhouse’s approach as such, the exponential growth of the electric vehicle segment means the designer’s hypercar form is only natural.