The world’s most famous endurance
race, Le Mans, will soon be overhauled with the introduction of a road
car-based hypercar class to replace LMP1. However, what will the top of
endurance racing look like in the year 2040? This concept from a Behance
designer provides us with an intriguing glimpse.
Dubbed the Mercedes Vision Mantilla Concept, the
racer has been conceived to support an all-electric powertrain and has a body
so sleek and aerodynamically efficient that it makes current endurance
prototypes look like trucks.
The entire car looks to be extraordinarily long and
features a huge rear overhang and an elongated decklid. This would inevitably
aid in aerodynamics and help the car achieve a phenomenal top speed. Both the
McLaren Speedtail and the recent record-breaking Bugatti Chiron top speed
prototype have shown how stretched rears can be used in the pursuit of high top
speeds.
There is no visible driver cockpit leading us to
believe that the concept could be fully-autonomous and free of a human
operator. The questionable future of the Roborace championship has left us with
many doubts about how driverless car racing can attract fans, but we’d
certainly be tempted to tune in if the vehicles looked as sleek as the Vision
Mantilla Concept.
The designer’s choice to finish the front of the car
in silver while the rear half is painted in a deep shade of blue only adds to
the car’s flair. It looks simply sensational.
