There is an endless amount of games focused on driving and modifying cars, so why not a car for gamers? Well, SAIC Design – the London studio behind MG cars – may have the answer. It wants to take the home gaming experience into your dashboard/cockpit.
Following the MG Cyberster concept from April 2021, the MG Maze concept is a futuristic electric two seater that combines home gaming with the innovations of the auto industry. While the MG ZS and MG Marvel R are all fine models – there’s just something about the futuristic dashboard -free design of the Maze.
Instead of your home sofa, controller and screen, in the Maze you’ll find two ‘zero-gravity’ seats, a controller in lieu of steering wheel and pedals, and a ‘User Interface’ for a screen – with snacks being optional.
As can be seen with the ‘Player 1 and Player 2’ logos on the seats, MG refers to the people inside the concept as players. Players travel to treasure hunt spots by using their smartphones and the user interface that covers the front of the car with a 3D map, avatar status, and mission information – like Pokemon Go on steroids.
The polycarbonate exterior shell displays the inner electric powertrain components, the chassis houses the rear motors and ‘plug and play’ battery, while components such as the GPU, CPU and cooling are purposely visible.
In line with MG values, the design is a monospace with minimal overhangs and large wheels pushed right to the corners for maximum impact.
The cockpit, meanwhile, is accessed through an opening front canopy, which requires less space than your typical side-opener. The zero gravity seat design features high-tech fabric cushioning, taking inspiration from modern streetwear.
This MG Maze concept is not meant for production, rather it is meant to explore future tech possibilities for MG cars through gaming – so finally the inspiration goes in the other direction. Yay!
By Bill Varetimidis
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