For the 2026 edition of the Car Design Award, ERRE Design Studio has reinterpreted the Traccia trophy, building on last year’s design with a strong focus on sustainability. While preserving the distinctive design and established formal values, the new trophy introduces significant advancements in processes and materials, placing responsible innovation at the center, with particular attention to production processes and material selection, and adopting technologies and solutions capable of minimizing environmental impact.
The trophy’s base was created by SIB using filament-based 3D printing techniques, which enable production without manufacturing waste—a concrete step toward a more mindful and sustainable design. Furthermore, thanks to the partnership with Lavazza, it was possible to incorporate used coffee grounds into the base, transforming them into a resource and integrating them into the design as a distinctive material element—a choice that reinforces the message of the circular economy and the valorization of waste, transforming a byproduct into a component of high symbolic and aesthetic value.
photo credit: Ornella Gallo
The use of Alcantara remains central, as its characteristics lend the trophy a strong sensory and aesthetic appeal, highlighting its sophistication and connection to Italian craftsmanship. For the 2026 edition, ERRE’s designers have developed a new color palette and created a parametric pattern, printed directly onto the material, that echoes the soft curves of the French curve.
photo credit: Ornella Gallo
Finally, the “trace” is the trophy’s defining feature, inspired by the curved tool that every designer has used and which represents a true extension of the design process. This year, it is presented in a brand-new transparent design, also created using 3D printing technology. The result is a trophy that evolves its own language, maintaining consistency with the past, yet at the same time offering an authentic and contemporary interpretation of the challenges of today’s design, where aesthetics, innovation, and sustainability coexist in harmony.
