A NORTH-East student who designed a car allowing drivers to have the thrills of racing while driving at safe speeds has won a top international award.

Paul Howse, 20, of Northumbria University, in Newcastle, won first prize in the Interior Motives international vehicle interior design competition, with his design of a car in which the driver is positioned head-first, lying on their front so their perception of speed is increased.

Mr Howse said: "In this position the driver receives an explosion of sensory information.

"The driver also wears a specifically-designed suit that connects the driver to the car. This is designed to give an unrivalled feeling by massaging the muscles and is achieved by the transmission of virtual digital information coming through the suit."

He said that the car was only for use on the track, not on public roads.

Mr Howse, who is about to start his third year of a transportation design degree, landed his award for best use of technology, winning £2,000.

He said: "In a world of increasing restrictions and limits, drivers need a means of getting away from the humdrum of everyday life.

"Cars today and in the future will get further removed from the driving experience due to ever-constrictive regulation.

"The idea behind this interior concept is to provoke thought into looking at a different method of receiving a thrill from driving by altering the architecture and technology of the car interior."