Need a DIY project? Build a Hyundai concept car for the kids (or you)

The Hyundai soapbox ride was designed at the company’s Europe centre. Photos: Hyundai.

Got nothing planned for the weekend? Then how about make a soapbox trolley version of Hyundai’s 45 concept car – and there are even plans for you to use.

The soapbox was developed by engineers and designers from the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre (HMETC) using affordable and easily-available materials.

“In recent months, spending time together as a family has become more valuable to people. We wanted to create a fun project that would give families and friends an enjoyable project that brings them together,” says Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Vice President of Marketing & Product at Hyundai Motor Europe. 

“Of course, the Hyundai Soapbox had to stay affordable, so our designers developed it using materials that can be easily found in a local DIY store.”

The soapbox ride is made out of wood, metal rods, and connecting materials such as brackets and screws. The wheels are from a wheelbarrow. It has joysticks for steering and a simple mechanism for braking.

Hyundai Europe’s design and engineering departments want a simple soapbox trolley.

Designers and engineers at HMETC conceived the model in the company’s workshop, and built a prototype to ensure the feasibility of the design.

They also paid attention to the total cost of materials to make sure the design stayed affordable.

According to the responsible team, it was an interesting project for the Hyundai engineers and designers. It gave them a chance to be creative on a different type of development than usual.

The Hyundai Soapbox was designed just like a regular car. First, a team of engineers built the chassis. Then, a team of designers sketched ideas, first on paper and then as 3D computer models. They came up with different designs, chose one, and started building. Lastly, another team worked on colour and trim.

During the building process, the body design team realised that their original design was not very feasible for people to re-create. It involved double-curved surfaces that would have been difficult to replicate using regular tools and regular building materials. So they went back to the drawing board.

When looking at other Hyundai models for inspiration, the 45 concept stood out for its straight lines and geometric shapes, as well as the Hyundai design identity “Sensuous Sportiness”. Aspects of 45 can be seen in the surface treatment of the soapbox body, such as the flat panels and wedge-shaped silhouette.

The Hyundai 45 concept car is the inspiration behind the soapbox trolley.

The development team wanted the soapbox ride to be simple yet demonstrating advanced thinking. So instead of using a conventional steering wheel, they adapted the joystick steering concept from Prophecy show car. However, to allow homemade build, the joysticks were made of purchased screwdrivers.

When fully assembled, the Hyundai Soapbox is 1 meter wide and 1,76m long. It was important that the soapbox could fit into a regular passenger car, so that families could transport it to different locations as they look for hills to roll it down. The final soapbox design fits into a Hyundai i30 Wagon.

And if you don’t have kids, the good news is that due to clever engineering, it can also carry an adult’s weight.

The finished product is made out of materials found at a hardware store.