University of Michigan Redesigns Solar Car for Australian Race

A new solar car from the University of Michigan may be the strangest-looking vehicle you've seen in a while, but its funky asymmetrical design aims to bring the school to victory at the World Solar Challenge in Australia later this year.

The University of Michigan is no stranger to the World Solar Challenge, a 1,800-mile, weeklong endurance race held each October across Australia since 2005. The team has placed in third five times over the years (among 28 worldwide participants), but with a recent change to the challenge's rules — vehicles now require four requires instead of three — the University of Michigan is hoping its new creation, the Generation, will finally make it to the top.