SAVANNAH, Ga. – A group of talented students from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has achieved international acclaim, winning a prestigious award for an electric vehicle they designed and built in just one year.

Driven by the surprising statistic that 75% of 16-year-olds are reluctant to obtain their driver’s license, Andrew Appezzato and his team set out to reignite the passion for driving among young people. Their mission was to create a vehicle that would inspire excitement and a desire to hit the road.

As the lead of the exterior design team, Appezzato worked closely with the leaders of the interior design and manufacturing teams. Their collaboration was intensive, with meetings occurring weekly, if not more frequently, to ensure every detail was perfected.

The result was a design that captivated car enthusiasts by drawing inspiration from iconic models like the Porsche 917 and the McLaren F1, while integrating modern elements reminiscent of video game aesthetics.

This innovative open-top three-seater roadster features a steering wheel styled like a game controller, a sleek curved exterior, and distinctive z-shaped taillights to honor all contributors to the project. Each detail was meticulously crafted to enhance the vehicle’s appeal and functionality.

The designers purposefully implemented an exposed engine to not only resemble classic race cars, but also to show off the craft of the students. They also chose to have a middle seat with two other seats on each side to make every rider feel like they are in the front.

The SCAD students couldn’t complete their vehicle without their college being honored. Thanks to 3D printing capabilities, the side paneling of the exterior is transparent and has a hidden hive design that is seen when lights light up as one walks up to the car.

Collaboration for Appezzato extended beyond the city-limits of Savannah for this project. Appezzato and another student had the opportunity to fly out to Turin, Italy to study under a car design studio.

SCAD also had the former head of McLaren car design to assist the students on the project.

After countless hours designing on the computer, many 3D printing sessions and a lot of collaboration, the Aether car was finished.

The Aether car was awarded at the Red Dot Awards in Singapore, for its design concept.