What do you get when you put four German design students in a room together with two screw drivers? An 18 MPH face-to-the-road death mobile.
The EX was designed by four German design students at HFBK University of Fine Arts Hamburg for a screwdriver race competition.
The students, Nils Ferber, Sebastian Auray, Ruben Faber, and Ludolf von Oldershausen, built the tricycle / skeleton sled / death mobile out of two Bosch 18-volt screwdrivers and a couple of spare parts.
"Eccentricity is defined as a deviation from what is ordinary or customary," said the "EX" team in a statement. "To match this definition we couln´t just modify an existing vehicle but had to start designing something new from scratch. The result is a completely new driving concept: The driver lies headlong on his three-wheeled vehicle and accelerates the "EX" with sprawled out arms up to 30 km/h."
The screwdrivers are mounted near the rear wheel and simultaneously power the chain. Upfront there are controls to brake and accelerate, but steering is a little more difficult.
Nils Ferber, one of the students who designed the EX, says that you have to wiggle your body in order to steer.
"Steering with the spine-shaped joint is very different from holding a steering wheel or handle bar," said the "EX" team. "You have to use your whole body to tilt and bend the vehicle."
The EX may not be the fastest ride available, but you'd be hard pressed to find something more extreme.
You can read more about the EX and see more photos here.
