The Lo-Res Car has to be one of the strangest automobiles out there, even as far as concept cars go. It’s no wonder that it eventually made it to the Petersen Automotive Museum in L.A. They acquired this extremely rare vehicle three years ago, and the car is now being auctioned for no reserve at BringATrailer.com. It is being offered on a bill of sale and does not have a title or registration for use on the street.

Overview

The Lo-Res car, to be honest, is more art than car and definitely belongs in a gallery. I recently got a chance to check it out in-depth, on YouTube of course, thanks in part to Doug DeMuro, who went over its quirks and features. United Nude, a footwear manufacturer, commissioned this unique concept car and it was the brand's creator, Rem D. Koolhaas who designed the "Lo-Res Car," which is based on an abstract, low-resolution interpretation of the Lamborghini Countach. The example seen here is just one of four prototypes that were mainly used for promotional purposes.

The Lo-Res Car

This car, chassis #03, has a body made up of 12 tinted clear polycarbonate panels, as well as light bars and lit United Nude insignia on the front and rear. It has a steel frame with translucent tinted polycarbonate body panels. The cabin can be accessed via an electrically controlled clamshell-opening body. Step inside and you’ll find a pair of fixed tandem seats made of polished metal and trimmed in ribbed black fabric, which can be reached by using the remote control actuated clamshell bodywork.

A polished instrument panel with two digital display screens, one of which is a metric speedometer, lies in front of a chrome hexagonal steering wheel. On either side are two rows of light bars, and to the driver's right is a control panel with an ignition button, a battery charge level indicator, and toggle switches for vehicle operations. Do note that one of the light bars has stopped working.

Over the years, the prototypes of the car have been featured in several music videos. Back in 2016, the Lo-Res car won the Wallpaper Magazine Design Award. It was also shown at the Grand Basel automotive design showcase in 2018 and at the Petersen Automotive Museum's Disruptors exhibition, the following year in 2019.

Performance

While the Lo-Res car doesn’t look like anything else on the road, let alone a car, the thing actually moves. It is powered by a KDS 5-kilowatt electric motor that employs a toggle switch-activated single-speed transmission. Disc brakes up front, offer stopping power. While the car does move, the total distance traveled by it is unknown. However, my guess is that it won't be much, given the car's limited range and speed.

Conclusion

The current bid for the Lo-Res car, at the time of writing this article, stands at $45,000, with bidding ending in three days. I’m curious to see how much that number climbs and what does this truly unique car eventually goes for. According to the seller, half of the earnings from the sale will go toward the museum's collection preservation and care, while the other half will be offered as a donation to Energy Independence Now, which is an environmental non-profit.

You can place your bid for the Lo-Res Car Here.

Watch Doug DeMuro take us around the Lo-Res car in the video below