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Design Brief & Deliverables: Michelin Challenge Design for 2017

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Michelin North America, Inc. (“Michelin”) is proud to announce the annual Michelin Challenge Design to celebrate, promote, publicize and give visibility to original creative thinking and innovation in vehicle design.  By embracing and supporting design, Michelin aims to establish a closer relationship with the design community, combining technical innovation with transportation design to create vehicles that consumers want to buy and will enjoy driving. Michelin challenges the international design community, individuals, small and large companies and universities, to enthusiastically create innovative and aesthetically pleasing design solutions that will meet the theme requirements of the Michelin Challenge Design 2017.

The Challenge for 2017

Le Mans 2030: Design for the Win

There is nothing like the Le Mans 24 Hours. The world’s greatest race has always been more than the pure pursuit of speed. Le Mans is the ultimate test of ideas, innovations, endurance, creativity and beauty.

Innovative historical examples of race cars include: the enclosed, aerodynamic bodywork of the 1925 Chenard and Walcker Z1 “tank”, the 1963 Rover BRM kerosene powered turbine car and the 1991 race winning Mazda 787B rotary.

In recent years, Le Mans organizers have pushed for significant reductions in fuel, energy and tire usage. The open formulas available to achieve those results have made Le Mans the most relevant and exciting form of competition for manufacturers worldwide. This approach has inspired the creation of Audi’s diesel and diesel hybrid technologies, Toyota’s ultra-capacitor hybrid, Porsche’s V4 hybrid and Nissan’s radical DeltaWing and GTR-LM concepts.

Over the past 93 years, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Maserati, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Toyota, and others have used the Le Mans 24 Hours to build international awareness. Each era’s winning cars have reflected the brand ambitions of the competing companies and represented a breakthrough in technology.

The Michelin Challenge Design 2017 – Le Mans 2030: Design for the Win – invites you to create a breakthrough race car to win the Le Mans 24 Hours in the year 2030. Entrants are encouraged to utilize future-looking technologies, innovations, and pioneering problem solving skills to design a car that reinforces the premium brand image of a company that is either famous for its historical successes, or ready to elevate its brand through a Le Mans 24 Hours win.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION:

Michelin Challenge Design 2017 Awards & Recognition: Full Detail for First, Second, Third Place

  • Roundtrip coach airfare to Detroit to attend 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS-Detroit) for the sole designer or, in the case of a team design, one team representative. Michelin will book the airfare on your behalf; any guests will be at your expense.
  • Up to Five (5*) nights hotel accommodations in Detroit for NAIAS, including hotel internet service, room rate and taxes at a Michelin-selected hotel. You will be responsible for all other incidentals, and the hotel will ask for a credit card to cover any charges other than room, internet, and taxes.**
  • Michelin-arranged transportation from Detroit Metro Airport to Detroit hotel upon arrival and from Detroit hotel to Detroit Metro Airport at departure***
  • Travel Visa: If required and you provide Michelin with your receipt, Michelin will reimburse you the expense. This does not apply to passport fees.
  • Daily per diem of $50.00 USD/day* (maximum of $250.00 USD) for meals and miscellaneous expenses, available for you at check in to your hotel in the form of a VISA® gift card.
  • Entry credentials for Press Days and Industry Preview days at NAIAS (January 9-12, 2017)
  • Invitation to attend and recognition at the private Michelin Designer’s Reception, Monday, January 9 – highlighted by the exposure to NAIAS, media, designers and other winners.
  • Private Portfolio Review with some members of the Michelin Challenge Design Jury
  • Recognition on www.michelinchallengedesign.com web site
  • Recognition on www.cardesignnews.com web site
  • Inclusion in Michelin Challenge Design promotional materials and events throughout the year
  • Invitation to join a new Michelin Challenge Design Alumni website
  • Michelin Challenge Design may also recognize a select number of entries for Honorable Mention which will be publicized on the Michelin Challenge Design and Car Design News web sites.

In addition, the 2017 Michelin Challenge Design First Place winner will be recognized at the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours race. Additional details to be announced.

PARTICIPANTS:

  1. OEM design studios
  2. Independent design studios
  3. Individual designers
  4. Academic Transportation Design students and teams
  5. Automotive suppliers

 

JURY EVALUATES ENTRIES ON FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

  • Relevance to the theme
  • Concept originality
  • Design value and quality
  • Developmental potential
  • Design displayability

 

2017 Michelin Challenge Design Registration/
Entry Form begins October 19, 2015.

Registration and Design Image Submissions

Entry Portal

Registration/Entry Form available from October 15, 2015 through August 1, 2016.
Design Image Submission available from October 15, 2015 through August 1, 2016.