Skip to main content

What will the Ferrari of 2040 look like? These design school concepts may have the answer

For a stylistically evolutionary car brand like Porsche, predicting what the car of 2040 will look like is relatively simple. The iconic themes of today will likely live on as they’ve done for the past several years, but for a company like Ferrari, the design language is much harder to anticipate.

That’s why the automaker’s Top Design School Challenge is so much fun. Now on its third go, this year’s contest asked dozens of budding artisans from around the world to present their interpretation of a 2040 Ferrari, and the results ranged from classically-inspired supercars to futuristic creations that strain the definition of the world “automobile.”

12 finalists have been chosen by Ferrari — three from four different design schools — and they differ widely in their structure, tone, and aesthetic philosophy. “de Esfera,” hailing from Hongik University in South Korea, is arguably the most traditional of the lot, while the oddball “FL” from Germany’s Hochschule Pforzheim looks more like a Sith Lord’s leisure shuttle than an Italian supercar.

"FL" by Roman Egorov
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The winner will be selected by a special jury made up of Ferrari craftsmen, engineers, professional drivers, and even some famous collectors, with the results being announced on January 15, 2016. There will also be a second-place winner, chosen via an online poll on Ferrari’s Facebook page. As of this writing, “F247” by France’s Institut Supérieur de Design is in the lead with 545 votes.

Whatever the future of Ferrari looks like, it appears the brand will stay stay true to its roots in the mechanical sense, at least in part. Last week, the company’s VP of Marketing, Enrico Galliera, confirmed that the FF grand tourer would retain its naturally aspirated V12 instead of opting for a turbocharged or hybrid electric powertrain. Read more about the story here.

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Mercedes to trial humanoid robots for ‘low-skill, repetitive, demanding’ jobs
Apptronik's Apollo robot at work in an auto plant.

Humanoid robots have been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years, and some major companies are starting to take note.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has just entered into an agreement with Texas-based robotics specialist Apptronik to collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robots that the auto giant could deploy. The deal will involve a trial that will see Apptronik's Apollo humanoid robot work alongside Mercedes' human workers on the factory floor.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9: price, release date, range, and more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Front

Hyundai has been at the forefront of EV development for a while now, largely thanks to the success of the crossover-sized Hyundai Ioniq 5. But the company is readying another new EV that could be even more popular than the Ioniq 5 -- or at least more desirable in the U.S., the land of big cars.

The upcoming Ioniq 9, previously set to be called the Ioniq 7, will be Hyundai's take on an electric SUV. It will be to Hyundai what the Kia EV9 is to Kia. It will have three rows and carry over design elements from the Ioniq 5.

Read more
Audi Q6 e-tron ushers in the automaker’s next EV phase
2025 Audi Q6 e-tron front three quarter view.

Audi doesn’t get enough credit for getting luxury car buyers comfortable with EVs. While Tesla took care of the image-conscious types, the German brand unveiled its e-tron electric SUV in 2018 with the tagline “electric has gone Audi” in hopes of getting loyal customers excited about (or, at least, acclimated to) electric cars by pitching the e-tron as an Audi first and an EV second.

The e-tron wasn’t a one-off, either. It’s since evolved into the Q8 e-tron and has been joined by the sporty e-tron GT and entry-level Q4 e-tron. So, while some car brands are only just introducing their first electric models, Audi is ready for round two.

Read more