Mazda and Clemson University create Deep Orange 3 concept car

College projects can be fun, especially if you’re the privileged ones to join hands with Mazda to create a one off concept. And that is why we envy this Mazda Deep Orange 3 Concept Car, built by Clemson University automotive engineering students. The neat piece of design was compiled by Frederick Naaman from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

The Clemson students unveiled the chassis at the 2012 SEMA show in Las Vegas, although this is the first preview of the car with the body. It sports an intelligent hybrid powertrain that can automatically switch between front, rear, and all-wheel drive. A petrol engine handles the front, while the rears are powered by an electric motor and a battery pack.

The Deep Orange 3 also has an interesting 3+3 layout, just like one of those Hindustan Motor vehicles, except that this is cooler by a light year. And we also notice that the exterior sheet metal clearly follows Mazda’s established design language, as it does project the looks of their Shinari Concept.

The Deep Orange 3 was part of Clemson’s graduate-level auto engineering program, and there is a regular partnership between the East Coast school and the Pasadena-based design college’s students. Clemson, Art Center and Mazda showcased the Deep Orange 3 at the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan, this week.