Tyre manufacturer Kumho has been working on the world's first truly eco-friendly racing car.
Inspired by the company's success in this year's Le Mans 24 hour race, it decided to employ its unique conceptual abilities to show exactly what an environmentally friendly Le Mans car of the future could look like.
Known as the Epoch, Kumho's single-seater concept is loaded with futuristic technology and green credentials.
Its chassis is grown from bamboo, thereby providing an obvious carbon offset, while its lightweight body panels are formed from recycled tyre tread rubber.
Power comes from Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) units integral to the four-wheel hubs.
Proven in the railway industry, this advanced electromagnetic technology has the advantage of zero friction as well as maximum torque at zero rpm.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a tyre manufacturer, the Epoch also boasts cutting edge tyre technology.
Known as EAP (Electro Active Polymer), it allows the tread and even the shape of the tyres to be fundamentally altered simply by passing an electric current through the rubber.
This is achieved via the positioning of magnets on the hubs and within the wheel rims.
It effectively allows the characteristics of the tyre to be altered at will, to suit different tastes and conditions.
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