Dream becomes reality

PEUGEOT has made one budding car designer’s dream come true by building a life-size model of a sketch that won him a global automotive design competition conducted by the French car-maker.

The winning concept vehicle, a mega three-wheeler called the Peugeot RD, was designed by 27-year-old Colombian graduate Carlos Tovar for Peugeot’s fifth design contest and was presented to the public for the first time at this week’s Shanghai motor show.

More than 2500 projects were submitted from candidates of 95 different nationalities, who were asked to “Imagine the Peugeot in the Worldwide Megalopolis of Tomorrow”.

Mr Tovar’s unusual single-seat scooter is equipped with an electric motor and is said to provide the rider/driver a silent environment that combines “the sensations of a three-wheeled scooter with the driving pleasure of a saloon car, while retaining all the essential functions of both modes of transport”.

The driving position was designed to provide a feeling of freedom, thanks to its panoramic vision, voice-message driving assistance and a heads-up display system that provides required travel and driving information.

However, the main innovative operating feature of the Peugeot RD concept car is said to be an “ingenious system of articulation that provides irreproachable road-holding allied with the ability the easily thread through urban traffic”.

Peugeot commenced production of the one-off dream vehicle in October 2008.

Mr Tovar, who won €10,000 ($A18,420) for his win in addition to the thrill of seeing his idea turned into reality, recently graduated from the National University of Colombia with a degree in industrial design.

A native of a small industrial town called Tunja in the South American country, he is passionate about sculpture and has been sketching and modelling in clay since childhood, with a particular passion for cars.