The new front wing which will debut on all season three Formula E cars has been revealed.

As revealed by Current E back in May, the new wing features redesigned front fairings, which now loop up and back to the nose to form a second set of front wing surfaces. The new structure is clearly evident in these images released by Mahindra Racing team boss Dilbagh Gill via Twitter.

The form is reminiscent of the Roborace autonomous race car design (the driverless series is expected to arrive in time to support Formula E at some point during the 2016-17 season). While the carbon fibre structure has been introduced largely for aesthetic reasons, it could also serve to reinforce the fairings and make the cars more robust (although, as larger parts, they may also become more expensive to replace when damage is sustained).

The rest of the Spark chassis remains unchanged, as does the lower portion of the front wing. This remains a simple surface with two adjustable flaps the only concession to aero tweaks available to teams (at the front end, that is; the top surface of the rear wing is also available for tuning).

Our May article explained:

Spark has also been working on new front bodywork, which could make an appearance at Donington Park this summer for collective preseason testing. From what we understand, a second front wing will effectively be added above the existing plane, connected to reshaped front fairings and meeting the nose in the centre. Like the existing wing, the new addition won’t be adjustable, with the flaps on the lower front wing remaining the only way for teams to alter front end aerodynamic behaviour.

The reason for the updated kit appears to be mostly aesthetic. “It won’t really affect the aero,” says our source. “Organisers want the car to look a bit more different. They’re looking at those F1 concepts and thinking how we can make the car stand out more.”

The season five chassis is hoped to be much more radical-looking than the current car, which is built by Dallara, to help add to the visual drama of a Formula E race day. Because all teams will continue to run identical chassis, compromising overall efficiency for aesthetic flair won’t harm the racing; however, season five is also when organisers would like to move to a single car per driver, which would suggest the new aero design would have to be particularly low-drag to prolong battery life, while incorporating effective powertrain cooling.