Hyundai has unveiled their latest car,
which is made out of wood and requires assembly. Known as the Soapbox, the
model was created by engineers and designers from the Hyundai Motor Europe
Technical Center as a fun project which families can build together.
Despite being a soapbox racer, Hyundai
says the gravity-powered vehicle was developed just like a regular car. As they
explained, engineers first built the chassis and then designers sketched ideas
on paper before building 3D models. After a final design was selected, another
team worked on color and trim.
This wasn’t exactly a smooth process as
Hyundai admitted the car’s original design featured double-curved surfaces
which would have been hard for people to replicate at home. Given this, the
model was redesigned to be easier to build using materials that are readily
available at a typical hardware store.
While the styling draws inspiration from
the 45 concept, the company “adapted the joystick steering concept from [the]
Prophecy show car.” However, in the Soapbox, the joysticks are simply
screwdrivers. The Soapbox is constructed out of basic materials including wood,
metal rods, brackets and screws. The wheels are sourced from a wheelbarrow and
the model features a simple braking system.
The car measures 1.76m long
and 1 meter wide, which means it can fit into vehicles such as
the i30 Wagon. Hyundai also noted it can support the weight of an adult, even
though it’s built for children.
