The Apple IndyCar concept by designer Daniel Rodriguez applies Apple's historic visual identity to a Dallara IR-18 through a livery that blends branding from multiple decades. The render combines the six-color rainbow stripes introduced in 1977 with contemporary Apple Pay, Apple TV+ and Apple Podcasts logos, alongside vintage "Apple Computer" typography in the Motter Tektura typeface. Flat rainbow graphics cover the nose, front wing and endplates, while the sidepods and engine cover transition into softer gradient color treatments. Real-world supplier logos including Bosch, BBS, Sachs and Firestone complete the fictional race car.
The design references Apple's 1980 Porsche 935 K3 motorsport sponsorship, which featured the company's original rainbow branding and returned this year on a commemorative Porsche livery. Symmetrical striping extends across the upper bodywork, with mirrored graphics flowing from the sidepod intakes toward the engine cover. The concept adapts the current IndyCar chassis rather than a future platform, presenting a speculative motorsport identity that merges archival typography, historical graphics and modern digital service branding into a single racing livery.
Image Credit: Daniel Rodriguez
What's Driving This Trend
- Retro Brand Racing
- Archival logos, vintage typography and heritage color systems are becoming high-impact visual assets for modern motorsport concepts and experiential brand storytelling.
- Speculative Livery Design
- Conceptual race car graphics provide brands with a low-risk format for testing fan engagement, cultural nostalgia and cross-platform identity systems.
- Heritage-digital Hybrids
- Blending legacy design cues with contemporary service branding creates new space for companies to connect physical spectacle with digital ecosystem promotion.
Who This Affects Most
- Motorsports
- Racing teams and sponsors can use heritage-inspired liveries to transform vehicle surfaces into collectible media moments and fan-driven brand extensions.
- Consumer Technology
- Technology brands gain visibility by translating software, payment and entertainment identities into tangible cultural formats beyond screens and devices.
- Automotive Design
- Vehicle designers are exploring nostalgia-led graphics and branded exterior treatments as differentiators for concept visualization, sponsorship packaging and limited-edition collaborations.
