FERDINAND GT3 RS
- A Mobile Mimicry Art Object

On the outside, Ferdinand is a 1:1 copy of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
What is hidden under this cover, however, is a true to scale bicycle
construction. The car body is built on this construction using conduits
and adhesive tape. The construction is fabricated using the ULC (Ultra Light
Construction) technique, thus making in tremendously lighter in weight than
a “normal” car.
No original vehicle parts are used.
A motor is left out for ecological reasons.
The vehicle is fully functional and legal to use (in Austria) in public street traffic.

What is especially interesting about the vehicle is that it is not perceived as
an art object at first glance. Its true nature usually only becomes evident at a
closer look, for instance due to its extreme slowness in traffic, or due to the
absence of a motor, which is obvious with a glimpse through the windows.
This kind of appearance can be compared with the principle of false signals
– mimicry – that also occurs in nature (e.g. a fly mimics a wasp to scare away
competitors for food). It is a strategy to increase the chances of survival for the
mimicking species.
Ferdinand involves so-called Peckhamian mimicry (after G. W. and
E. G. Peckham, 1889), also called aggressive mimicry. It does not result in
driving attackers away, but rather lures other species instead.

A video shot with Ferdinand at the Salzburg Ring was posted to the Internet
platform YouTube and received a million clicks within a month. This
led to Ferdinand being invited to the BBC “Top Gear”, according to insiders
one of the most famous motor sport programs.
There Ferdinand met it`s new friend, the Bugatti Veyron - World Record
Edition with 1200 HP, currently the fastest production vehicle in the world.