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.
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.
