Imagine yourself in a vehicle no larger then 9-feet long and 36-inches wide. You would be imagining this year’s Volvo Extreme Gravity Car. Volvo will be showcasing this vehicle at the Extreme Gravity Race, now in its fifth year. On Aug. 18, 2005 at Jack’s Peak in Monterey, CA, the Volvo Gravity Car will head down the mountain at speeds upwards of 70 mph. Participating for the second year, the Volvo Extreme Gravity Car will compete head to head against designs from other major car manufacturers.
The Extreme Gravity Race, founded by Don MacAllister, is a charitable event that raises money for foster children to help them become independent young men and women in their communities. Furthermore, through Gravity Series, Inc., the foster children gain paid work experience engaging in all the aspects of the event. Whether the child is checking racers in, recording race times or even racing the vehicle, they are constantly keeping busy throughout race day.
Last year, Volvo brought home first place in car design. This year, plans have changed slightly. Volvo plans on taking first place for car design as well as being first to the finish line. Penning this year’s look is Volvo designer, Blair Taylor. "We paired a cost-effective fiberglass body with a steel-frame chassis and space-age high performance ceramic components, orchestrated with the latest sophisticated computer modeling and test techniques, yielding a design that reflects and harnesses Volvo’s brand and Scandinavian soul."
