Audi sometimes come up with strange things to boast their advanced technologies. This is the R18 Ultra Chair, and it is made using the same technology employed in Audi racing cars, namely the R18. It is a racing seat for your office.

Built initially for the Milan Furniture Fair and now on display at the Design Miami/ show, the Ultra Chair is made from carbon fibre, carbon and high-strength sheet aluminium, and at 2.2 kg, it is incredibly light. The thing is, it is quite ugly, and because of the hard carbon, it must be uncomfortable to sit on as well. That said, Audi says some 1,500 testers have tried it out, and in the process informed the evolution of its design.

Dr. Karl Durst, an engineer in fibre-reinforced composites at the Audi Lightweight Construction Centre, explains the finished product: “We combine the strengths of the materials in such a way that their weaknesses are no longer important. This efficiency is the focus of our ultra lightweight construction principle.”

Guess it’s better than that Ferrari sink plunger.