This bizarre Lo-Res car is real - and really up for sale

If the Cybertruck is a little too normal in its design for you, then the chance to pick up one of only four United Nude Lo-Res Concept EVs ever made might prove more appealing. Exiting the Peterson museum collection and up for auction today, the striking prototype looks like a game glitch but is actually human-sized and ready to run. Unfortunately, as well as being a devil to keep clean of fingerprints, there's also another good reason why you might not want to make this your daily driver.

That's because, while the Lo-Res Car may be functional, it's not actually road-legal. You can drive it on private property, yes, but not on the street. It's sold without a title, and good luck trying to convince the DMV or Secretary of State in your area to rectify that.

Those with expansive estates and plenty of microfiber cloths, however, may still be tempted to put in a bid on what's certainly a very distinctive EV. The design handiwork of United Nude founder Rem D. Koolhaas, the vehicle gained its nickname because of its low polygon resemblance – supposedly – to a Lamborghini Countach. That is to say, a Countach rendered by a very old games console.

While 3D mockups of fancy concept cars aren't exactly in short supply, it's far rarer for them to get to the physical prototype stage. Here, judging by the Bring A Trailer auction photos, there's been a surprising attention to detail in the build. Underneath the crisp lines of the tinted polycarbonate body panels, the cabin has a distinctly Buck Rogers sci-fi feel.

Tandem seats look more like mid-century modern office furniture than what you'd expect in a car, flanked by simplistic chrome switchgear in high-polish instrument panels. The steering wheel is a stylized hexagon – and notably doesn't feature an airbag – and controls are fittingly minimal for the electric drivetrain.

There's a KDS 5 kW electric motor driving the rear wheels. A single-speed transmission flips it between drive and reverse, and there are front disc brakes. It's unclear how many miles the concept has driven, or how fast it would go if given an open (private) road to play with, but getting stone chips on the bodywork would seem like a strong deterrent to attempts at speed.

It's being sold by current owners, the Peterson Automotive Museum, in Los Angeles, CA. The museum acquired the car around three years ago, for its Disruptors exhibit. Now, it's being sold off to raise money both for the Peterson's running costs and Energy Independence Now, a non-profit focused on driving development and commercialization of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles as part of the transition to green transportation.

How high will the Lo-Res Car go? With seven days for the auction to run, that remains to be seen, though the Peterson has opted to sell it without a reserve so someone could get a bargain.