You Could Design The 2018 MAZDA3

If you ever thought you could design a car, Mazda is giving you the opportunity.  The "Mazda Desing Challenge" just launched at Facebook.com, where you can submit your own ideas for what the 2018 MAZDA3 should look like.  The winner will work with Mazda designers at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

North America Mazda Design director Franz von Holzhausen and his team will join the winner to bring his or her concept to reality on stage at the show.  Prospective designers are asked to submit a 150-word description fo their 2018 MAZDA3 and a sketch of the car, if possible.  The design team will look each entry over, narrowing the field down to 10.  The Facebook community will pick their five favorites, each of whom will work with a Mazda designer to fine tune the concept.

These five will again present to Facebook, whose users will pick the winner.  The one caveat?  You have to reside in the United States.

The chosen one gets a flight to L.A. where they will work with the Mazda designers during the ten-day auto show.  In the end, a full-scale model will be produced to represent the winner's idea.

"Usually the design ideas come from inside our studio, but this is a rare opportunity for my team to look at design through our potential customers' eyes," von Holzhausen said in the release.  "Never before has any other automaker built a concept car on the show stand, in full view of show attendees.  The pressure's really going to be on all of us -- especially the contest winner -- to get it finished in time for the closing weekend of the show."

The winner will also get a hotel room, $1,000 in cash, and a MAZDA3 to use while they're in L.A.  The Mazda's Design Challenge began this week, and ends November 7th at just before midnight.  You must visit Facebook.com to enter.