[2024] FORD RS2.00 CONCEPT

CELEBRATING A LEGEND

THE FORD RS2.00 CONCEPT IS A VIRTUAL CONCEPT CAR CREATED TO COMMEMORATE THE

40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ICONIC 1984 FORD RS200, A RENOWNED GROUP B RALLY

LEGEND. THE NAME “RS2.00” NODS TO BOTH THE ORIGINAL CAR AND THE VIRTUAL REALM,

WITH "2.00" EVOKING "V2.0" OR "VERSION 2.0". THIS DUAL REFERENCE REFLECTS THE

CAR'S VIDEO GAME-INSPIRED ESSENCE WHILE ALSO HINTING AT ITS ROLE AS THE NEXT

CHAPTER IN THE RS200 STORY. DEVELOPED BY A TEAM OF PASSIONATE DESIGNERS DRIVEN

SOLELY BY THEIR LOVE FOR THE ORIGINAL CAR AND VIDEO GAMES, THIS CONCEPT

SHOWCASES THE CREATIVE SPIRIT OF THE FORD OF EUROPE DESIGN TEAM AND THEIR

ABILITY TO EMBRACE FUTURE CHALLENGES IN AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN.

"SKUNKDESIGNWORKS"

THE RS2.00 CONCEPT WAS BORN FROM AN UNCONVENTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. IT

ALL BEGAN WHEN AMKO LEENARTS, FORD OF EUROPE DESIGN DIRECTOR, MET WITH

AUTHOR STEVE SAXTY DURING THE PREPARATION OF STEVE’S LATEST BOOK IN THE

“SECRET FORDS” SERIES. THEY DECIDED TO CONCLUDE THE BOOK WITH A

FORWARD-LOOKING DESIGN EXERCISE INSPIRED BY THE 1984 FORD RS200. THE DESIGN

TEAM INITIALLY PRODUCED SEVERAL SKETCHES AND ARTWORKS FOR INCLUSION IN THE

“RS SPECIAL”. HOWEVER, DRIVEN BY THEIR PASSION FOR THE RS200, SOME DESIGNERS

FELT THAT MORE COULD BE ACHIEVED.

THIS GROUP OF DESIGNERS TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO EXPLORE THE PROJECT

FURTHER CREATING ADDITIONAL SKETCHES TO REFINE THE DESIGN THEME, AND

DEVELOPING A VIRTUAL 3D MODEL OF THE CAR—ALL DURING THEIR SPARE TIME,

COMPLETELY OFF THE RADAR IN A TRUE "SKUNKWORKS" STYLE. WHEN AMKO LEENARTS

AND THE DESIGN LEADERSHIP TEAM EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED THIS INITIATIVE, THEY

CHOSE TO SUPPORT IT. THEY ALLOWED THE PROJECT TO CONTINUE IN THIS INFORMAL,

AUTONOMOUS MANNER THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RS2.00

CONCEPT: "SKUNKDESIGNWORKS" (SDW) WAS INFORMALLY ESTABLISHED.

THE DESIGN TEAM WORKED IN THAT UNIQUE, COLLABORATIVE WAY, WITH VOLUNTEERS

JOINING THE PROJECT PROGRESSIVELY. ALL DECISIONS WERE MADE BY THE DESIGNERS

THEMSELVES, ENSURING THAT THE FINAL PRODUCT WAS TRULY A RESULT OF THEIR

COLLECTIVE VISION AND CREATIVITY. THIS APPROACH ENABLED THEM TO EXPERIMENT

WITH NEW TOOLS AND SOFTWARES, MAINTAIN AGILITY, AND FOSTER UNEXPECTED IDEAS.

TRADITIONAL METHODS, SUCH AS CLAY MODELING, WERE EMPLOYED AS WELL TO ENSURE

THAT THE RS2.00 CONCEPT REMAINED A VISUALLY APPEALING AND HUMAN-SCALED

MACHINE. THE FINAL OUTCOME IS A PURE DESIGN EXERCISE INTENDED TO SHOWCASE THE

CREATIVE POTENTIAL OF THE FORD OF EUROPE DESIGN TEAM.

FROM RACING LEGEND TO GAMING ICON

OUR GOAL FOR THE RS2.00 CONCEPT WAS TO CARRY FORWARD THE CHALLENGING SPIRIT

OF THE RS200 INTO AN ENTIRELY NEW REALM: VIDEO GAMES. FORD HAS A STRONG

PRESENCE IN THE GAMING WORLD WITH A WIDE REPRESENTATION ACROSS VARIOUS VIDEO

GAMES FRANCHISES. THE RS2.00 CONCEPT TARGETS THEN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

AUDIENCE FROM THE ORIGINAL CAR, AIMING TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT FORD'S

REMARKABLE HERITAGE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY DESIGNED TO BE THE

ULTIMATE GAMING COMPANION, ADAPTABLE TO VARIOUS TYPES OF VIDEO GAMES AND

ENVIRONMENTS.

THIS FIRST ITERATION OF THE RS2.00 CONCEPT, DUBBED THE “APEX HERO", IS THE

CLOSEST TO THE ORIGINAL ROAD-GOING VERSION OF THE RS200. IT WAS CREATED WITH

AGILITY AND FUN AS ITS CORE VALUES, EXCELLING ON TIGHT ROADS AND DELIVERING

DRIVING EXCITEMENT EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. FLEXIBILITY IS CENTRAL TO THE RS2.00

CONCEPT'S PHILOSOPHY; ITS DESIGN ALLOWS FOR MODIFICATIONS TO CREATE NEW

VERSIONS WITH DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS AND CAN ACCOMMODATE VARIOUS

POWERTRAINS WITH VARIOUS LEVELS OF ELECTRIFICATION.

THE FRIENDLY MONSTER

THE OVERARCHING DESIGN THEME OF THE RS2.00 CONCEPT IS CALLED "THE FRIENDLY

MONSTER." IN THE ORIGINAL BRIEF GIVEN BY FORD TO GHIA FOR DESIGNING THE 1984

RS200, IT WAS EXPLICITLY STATED THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT APPEAR AS "AN

AGGRESSIVE-LOOKING MACHINE." INDEED, DURING THE GROUP B RALLY ERA, THE RS200

STOOD OUT AS LESS BRUTAL AND RAW COMPARED TO ITS COMPETITORS, YET IT STILL

DELIVERED MONSTROUS PERFORMANCE. WE SOUGHT TO CAPTURE THAT SPIRIT BY

DESIGNING AN APPROACHABLE-LOOKING VEHICLE, ALIGNED WITH THE OPTIMISTIC

PHILOSOPHY OF CURRENT FORD PRODUCTS. THE DESIGN INTENTIONALLY AVOIDS

MENACING EXPRESSIONS AND AGGRESSIVE LINES, FAVORING AN ALMOST PLAYFUL

OVERALL AESTHETIC DESPITE BEING A GENUINELY CAPABLE MACHINE.

ANOTHER KEY ASPECT OF THE DESIGN IS THE TRANSPARENT FRONT PORTION OF THE CAR,

WHICH HIGHLIGHTS AN UNPRECEDENTED INTERIOR-TO-EXTERIOR VISUAL CONNECTION.

THIS FEATURE DIRECTLY RESULTS FROM THE CAR'S GAMING NATURE, AIMING TO SHARE

THE SENSATION OF SPEED WITH THE PLAYER. FROM THE COCKPIT VIEW, IT CONNECTS THE

DRIVER TO THE ROAD WITH MULTIPLE VISUAL TOUCHPOINTS, REMOVING MANY TYPICAL

OBSTRUCTIVE ELEMENTS LIKE THE A-PILLARS. FROM A THIRD-PERSON VIEW, IT

SHOWCASES THE DRIVER IN ACTION, EMPHASIZING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MAN AND

MACHINE. FROM A PURELY DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, IT CREATES NUMEROUS STYLING

OPPORTUNITIES BY ALLOWING INTERIOR ELEMENTS TO BE VISIBLE FROM THE EXTERIOR

AND VICE VERSA. A NOTABLE EXAMPLE IS THE RACING NUMBER ON THE SIDE PANELS,

WHICH BLENDS INTERIOR PHYSICAL COMPONENTS WITH EXTERIOR GRAPHICAL ELEMENTS.

THE INTERIOR DESIGN ITSELF ADDS MANY FEATURES THAT ENHANCE THE PLAYER

EXPERIENCE. THE DESIGN IS DIRECTLY INSPIRED BY RACING SIMULATOR DEVICES, WITH

MOST ELEMENTS ORGANIZED AROUND A STRUCTURAL COMPONENT VISIBLE FROM THE

OUTSIDE. THE SEATS ARE MADE OF FLEXIBLE PIECES THAT ADAPT TO THE OCCUPANTS

BODY SHAPES AND USE THEIR FIXATION SYSTEMS TO SIMULATE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF

DRIVING SENSATIONS, BY FILTERING OR EMPHASIZING THE CAR'S MOVEMENTS. THE

STEERING COLUMN SERVES AS THE RS2.00 CONCEPT BRAIN, HOUSING ALL THE DRIVER'S

SETTINGS AND PREFERENCES. POTENTIALLY, THIS COMPONENT CAN BE TRANSFERRED

FROM ONE CAR TO ANOTHER, ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR THE USER TO READJUST EACH

TIME THEY SWITCH VEHICLES. ITS DESIGN DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM GAMING

COMPUTERS, PROUDLY DISPLAYING ITS TECHNICAL ELEMENTS. THE ONLY SCREEN IS

LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND INCLUDES ALL THE PRIMARY

INTERFACE ELEMENTS. THE LIGHT STRIP ACROSS THE HEADER ACTS AS AN ACTIVE BLIND

SPOT INDICATOR, PROVIDING REAL-TIME FEEDBACK TO THE DRIVER ABOUT OVERTAKING

ATTEMPTS.

BETWEEN REAL AND VIRTUAL

THE DESIGN FEATURES OF THE RS2.00 CONCEPT CAN BE APPROACHED FROM TWO

PERSPECTIVES. FIRSTLY, A MORE ANALOG APPROACH, HIGHLIGHTS CONNECTIONS TO THE

ORIGINAL 1984 RS200. SECONDLY, THE "VIRTUAL TWIST" LEVERAGES THE BENEFITS OF THE

DIGITAL WORLD FOR A MORE UNEXPECTED DESIGN FLAIR. THE HEADLIGHTS SERVE AS A

PRIME EXAMPLE: WHILE THEIR OVERALL FOUR-ROUND-EYE APPEARANCE DIRECTLY LINKS

TO THE ORIGINAL CAR, THE LIGHT SIGNATURE ITSELF EXHIBITS A CONSTANT GLITCHING

EFFECT USING HOLOGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGIES. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE "PIXEL CARBON,"

WHICH, WHILE APPEARING AS STANDARD FORGED CARBON, REVEALS A UNIQUE PIXELATED

PATTERN DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE RS2.00 CONCEPT.

VISUAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE PLAYER HAS NOT BEEN OVERLOOKED, WITH FEATURES

SUCH AS AN ACTIVE SPOILER THAT ADJUSTS TO DRIVING CONDITIONS, A HOLLOW DIFFUSER

THAT SHOWCASES THE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM IN ACTION, OR THE ENGINE COVER

SLOTS THAT ARE SHOWING AVAILABLE POWER BOOST IN REAL TIME.

THERE IS ALWAYS MORE THAN ONE SIDE TO A STORY

THE MISSION OF THE FORD RS2.00 CONCEPT IS UNMISTAKABLE: TO REKINDLE MEMORIES

OF THE ORIGINAL 1984 RS200 ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY

CAPTIVATING A NEW GENERATION OF POTENTIAL FORD ENTHUSIASTS. IT ENVISIONS AN

ALTERNATIVE SCENARIO WHERE THE RS BRAND VENTURES INTO UNCHARTED

TERRITORIES, YET REMAINS TRUE TO ITS CORE PHILOSOPHY: DELIVERING PERFORMANCE

AND DRIVING EXCITEMENT TO A BROAD AUDIENCE. CONSEQUENTLY, THIS INITIAL “APEX

HERO” VERSION MARKS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY, INVITING FORD ENTHUSIASTS

TO FOLLOW THE RS2.00 CONCEPT JOURNEY AS IT EVOLVES THROUGH UNEXPECTED

TERRITORIES.

CRAFTED WITH LOVE BY FORD DESIGN EUROPE

EXTERIOR DESIGN

MICHAEL BARTHLY

INTERIOR DESIGN

ROBERT ENGELMANN

DETAIL DESIGN

MARCUS CLASSEN / ANTONIN COHEN

VIRTUAL MODELING

JOERG FEDKOVIC / KARTHICK PAMISETTY / LUKASZ WOJKOWSKI / GREG WRIGHT

VISUALIZATION ARTISTS

WOON-CHUL JUNG / BO MA / ARUN SHOUAN

PHYSICAL MODELING

FABIEN BERGER / JUERGEN HOFFMANN / DAMIAN LOTTNER / KAI SCHOENE

ENGINEERING

BJOERN RAASCH

PROJECT SUPPORT

HAMZA EL HADIYIN / THOMAS KALKER / FILIP KRNJA / DAAN LEENARTS / MARCO

MERZMANN / GEORGE SARIDAKIS / STEVE SAXTY / CLAUDIA STEINAM / DANIELE TROSA /

PATRICK VERHEE