The Ford RS2.00 is a virtual concept car created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the legendary 1984 Ford RS200, a renowned legend of Group B rallying.
The name “RS2.00” refers to 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 of the original car and video games, this concept showcases the creative spirit of the design team at Ford of Europe and their ability to embrace future challenges in automotive design.
This group of designers took it upon themselves to further explore the project by creating additional sketches of the design theme and developing a virtual 3D model of the car – all in their spare time.
The design team worked in that unique, collaborative way, with volunteers gradually joining the project. All decisions were made by the designers themselves, ensuring that the final product is truly the result of their collective vision and creativity. This approach allowed them to experiment with new tools and software, maintain agility and nurture unexpected ideas. Traditional methods, such as clay modeling, were also used to ensure that the RS2.00 concept remained a visually appealing machine. The final outcome is a pure design exercise that aims to showcase the creative potential of the Ford Europe design team.
The goal of the RS2.00 Concept was to bring the challenging spirit of the RS200 into a whole new realm: video games. Ford has a strong presence in the gaming world with extensive representation in various video game franchises. The RS2.00 concept targets a completely different audience than the original car, with the goal of educating them about Ford’s remarkable heritage. This car is carefully designed to be the ultimate gaming companion, adaptable to different types of video games and environments.
The overarching design theme of the RS2.00 Concept is called the “friendly monster”. In the original design brief Ford gave Ghia for the 1984 RS200, it was explicitly stated that the car should not look like an “aggressive looking machine”. Indeed, during the Group B era, the RS200 stood out as less brutal and raw compared to its competitors, but still delivered monstrous performance. The Ford team tried to capture that spirit by designing a vehicle with an accessible appearance, aligned with the optimistic philosophy of current Ford products. The design deliberately avoids menacing expressions and aggressive lines, favoring an almost playful overall aesthetic despite being a truly capable machine.
Another key aspect of the design is the transparent front of the car, which emphasizes the visual connection between the interior and the exterior. This feature is directly derived from the toy nature of the car, aiming to share the feeling of speed with the player. From the cockpit view, it connects the driver to the road with more visual touch points, removing many of the typical obstructive elements like a-pillars. From a third-person perspective, it shows 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 merges the internal physical components with the external graphic 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 parts that adapt to the occupants’ body shapes and use their fixation systems to simulate different levels of driving sensation, filtering or emphasizing the car’s movements. The steering column serves as the brain of the RS2.00 Concept, housing all the settings and preferences of the driver. Potentially, this component can be transferred from one car to another, eliminating the need for the user to readjust every time they change vehicles. The single screen is located in the middle of the steering wheel and includes all the primary interface elements.
Visual entertainment for the player is not neglected, with features such as an active spoiler that adapts to driving conditions, a transparent diffuser that shows the rear suspension system in action, or slots in the bonnet that show the available power boost in real time.
The Ford RS2.00 Concept’s mission is unmistakable: to revive memories of the original 1984 RS200 on its 40th anniversary, while enthralling a new generation of potential Ford enthusiasts. He envisages an alternative scenario where the RS brand ventures into uncharted territory but remains true to its core philosophy: delivering performance and excitement to a wide audience. Accordingly, this initial version of the “Apex Hero” marks only the beginning of the story, inviting Ford enthusiasts to follow the journey of the RS2.00 concept as it evolves through unexpected territories.
Prepared by: Ivan Mitić – Autoblog.rs
Source: autoblog.rs
