Car makers create virtual racing cars all the time. Mostly they're just pixels on a screen, but Ford has gone one further and created a for-real car out of its Team Fordzilla P1 online racer.
Created by Ford, designed by gamers
The P1 was created by Ford with input from Team Fordzilla, which is a group of gamers, influencers, and virtual racers who compete under the Ford banner online. The P1 has yet to be used in an actual game, but Ford decided that - Pinocchio-like - it could become a real boy, so to speak.
Back in March, nearly a quarter of a million fans voted online to help shape the P1, picking out its seating configuration, engine position and cockpit definition. The ideas and concepts were then turned over to Arturo Ariño and Robert Engelmann, both Ford designers, who worked on the exterior and interior, respectively.
The P1 gets a carbon-fibre body, that's partially covered by a huge bubble-canopy, fighter-jet style. Ford reckons that both blurs the boundary between the inside and the outside of the P1, and it also shows off the central, F1-style, driving position.
The bodywork gets twisted and floating panels at the front, as well as some Ford GT-inspired flying buttresses, while at the back, all the mechanicals and chassis are exposed for a hard-edged racing look.
In the cockpit, you'll find LED notification units, keeping the driver and co-driver up-to-date on the track status in their peripheral view. In addition, an integrated screen on the steering wheel enables live data exchange with the team at the pit wall. The whole interior is designed to help the race car driver to minimise any sort of distraction during the race and heighten the enjoyment of racing.
Designed entirely online
Interestingly, thanks to the COVID pandemic, the Team Fordzilla P1 was originally designed without any face-to-face interaction between the design team. All the works was done online (which is kinda appropriate) and this physical model was made in just seven weeks, around half the time a physical concept car would normally take. So as well as keeping online gamers happy, the P1 could well be teaching Ford some valuable corporate lessons about online working.
Needless to say, this being a gamer's car, there are some little 'easter eggs' scattered about. In front of the co-pilot's seat, there's a little AFK (Away From Keyboard) message, while #levelup and #liftoff graphics are other nods to gamers and the online community. Finally, on the front spoiler, there's a GLHF message - Good Luck, Have Fun - which is meant to epitomise the friendly spirit of online racing.
"What a stunning vehicle. I love every bit of the car. What was critical to me when we reviewed various designs earlier this year was that it needed to be unmistakably a Ford. And the Team Fordzilla P1 definitely fits that criteria: it looks both gorgeous and purposeful. And it's innovative in many ways, not least how it was born, as a co-creation between a highly passionate and knowledgeable gaming community and our super talented design team" said Stuart Rowley, President, Ford of Europe.
Enjoyment is the core
"Enjoyment is at the very core of all human centred design. Is it amazing to look at, to sit in and to drive? Well, in the case of the Team Fordzilla P1, the answer to all these questions is a resounding YES!" said Amko Leenarts, Design director, Ford of Europe.
"This project had so many firsts. It was the first fully digital project for us. It was the first car to be designed publicly with full transparency and the first we've ever designed remotely with designers located in five different countries, some of whom have never met face to face. That we completed it all in less than half of the usual time is a real testament to the team and the passion they had for the project" said Boris Ferko, Design Manager, Ford of Europe.
"Since launching Team Fordzilla in 2019 we've done things differently, playing to our strengths and our unique approach to gaming. Our innovative P1 race car is the perfect example, using our knowledge of the automotive world to bring to life a merging of the real and virtual worlds" said Emmanuel Lubrani, Team Fordzilla.