General Motors is taking us behind the scenes of an unorthodox new concept car – an electric single-seater race car specifically for Disney World in Florida – with a series of design sketches. All five designs, including four road and/or track-going models and an airborne pseudo-helicopter, were created as part of GM’s on-going relationship with Disney, and specifically to celebrate the re-opening of the test track (formerly ‘World of Motion’) at Florida’s Disney World Epcot theme park. Moreover, via the latest post on General Motors Design’s official Instagram account, GM explains that the inspiration behind the models were part of a “design journey” imagining “a world where everyday travel takes to road and to the skies.”
P1 ‘Single Seater’ Has Enough Room For A Passenger
Each design starts off as hand-drawn a sketch before scaled-down versions are modeled in clay (and no, sorry, none of them are rolling concepts). Among the most notable of the five are the P2 Concept, an all-electric alternative and futuristic look at road-going transportation, and the stripped-down, P1 Concept race car (each of the three remaining models thereafter are named numerically in ascending order). Designed around a narrow, low-slung monocoque, the open-top racer, ironically, looks decidedly retro, but features multiple hyper-modern elements. The large concave wheels, for example, help emphasize the vehicle’s incredibly low ground clearance, while the open rear section tapers back in a look reminiscent – well, kind of… – of Cadillac’s new Elevated Velocity.
General Motors Design. P1 Racecar Concept CarCredit: General Motors Design
Though GM has given no hints towards a theoretical propulsion system, the P1 notably features ‘Super Charged Electric Vehicle’ branding down the flanks. This suggests the lightweight model would be built on GM’s EV-spec Ultium platform. In a neat touch, as evidenced by the video below, this ‘single seater’ also has enough room for a passenger behind the driver.
P2 Roadcar Gets Pop-Up Canopy
Boasting a similarly low, long stance, the road-going P2, meanwhile, features an entirely closed cockpit with no doors or windows. This suggests, much like the original Lancia Stratos Zero and Ferrari 512 S Mondelo concepts, that the entire passenger canopy lifts up and out to allow ingress and egress. One would imagine there is enough room for at least a driver and a passenger, although GM’s design team does not show any shots of the inside, if indeed there is a completed design. Unlike the P1 racer though, the P2 dispenses with a two-tone, silver-black finish, and encloses each wheel within a rounded fender. This suggests that each wheel on a potential full-sized model would be driven an individual electric motor. At the rear meanwhile, the back wheels are partially enveloped by the rear fascia – the horizontal LED light strip is a nice touch – heavily suggesting, like the uber sleek bodywork, that aerodynamic efficiency for this EV concept was a high priority for GM’s designers. Look above the fascia, and you’ll also see an ‘A.I. Pilot X.333’ moniker, suggesting that the roadcar of the future will also lean heavily on autonomous driving technology. Though a fascinating look at the GM Design Team’s process, the timing behind these EV-only updates is somewhat ironic, as GM recently confirmed that it would be reinvesting up to $4 billion USD into the development and production of more ICE vehicles in the wake of slow sales for its electric vehicles.
