TL;DR: We want to know your thoughts about how mutant vehicles have evolved in Black Rock City. Click here to jump right to the participatory bit.
If you’ve ever built a mutant vehicle or enjoyed the spectacle of a mobile art piece — spouting fire or not — or a mobile mutant stage bumping house music, here is your chance to help shape the future of mutant vehicles in Black Rock City!
We at Your Friendly Neighborhood Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) see the incredible heart that is poured into these rigs. Every year, we’re floored by the creativity that comes to Black Rock City, the mobile wonders that decorate the playa horizon. Mutant vehicles are more than just transportation; they are moving, interactive pieces of art that facilitate communal effort and gifting. And, we’ve started hearing some important philosophical questions from mutant vehicle builders, artists, theme campers, and Burners.
To better understand how the culture of mutant vehicles has evolved and to think about how we best set ourselves up for the future, we are launching a two-year community deep dive. We’re calling it The Wheel Deal.
Whether you’re a veteran mutant vehicle builder who’s been here since the 1990s, or a first-timer freshly inspired by an unexpected ride in something that may once have been a lawnmower — we need your brain — and participation.
>> Fill out the form
What Are We Talking About?
- The Loudness Wars: We love the bass, but we need to talk about the urge to be the biggest and loudest, and how that affects the quiet corners and intentional art of the city.
- Access vs. VIP: Are mutant vehicles still interactive gifts to the playa? We want to ensure we aren’t trending toward private parties and velvet ropes.
- Photon Phenom: Just as sound carries, mutant vehicles with lasers and spotlights can dominate the horizon. Are we washing away the stars, or bringing the vibe?
- The Little Guys: How do we make sure the whimsical, small-scale mutations (the couches, the muffins, the weird little sculptures) don’t get squeezed out by the giants?
- Policy & Support: How can the DMV better support the city’s needs? Should there be limits on size, function, or anything related to mutant vehicles?
- Civic Responsibility vs. Radical Self-expression: Where is the line? We all love the freedom in BRC, but what happens when a mutant vehicle acts in a way that isn’t civically minded — such as ignoring safety rules or blasting sound over a quiet sunrise? How many rules are too many, and how do we hold each other accountable without policing?
- Radical Decentralization: Where is the opportunity for the mutant vehicle community to participate in governance of the mutant vehicles?
The 2026 Roadmap (How We’re Doing This)
Here’s the plan for the coming year:
Spring 2026 | Community Surveys: Here is a link to a survey and participation form. Your responses will help us see what the community values, what concerns there are, and whether there are even problems that need to be solved.
May – July 2026 | Town Halls: We’ll host virtual Town Halls to discuss what we learn from the survey and explore the contours of any issues that emerge. Exact dates will be shared as soon as we finalize them. You can express interest in participating via the form. (And if you can’t make the forum, there will be a way to share your feedback online.)
August 2026 | On-Playa Vibe Check: The team will be out in the dust, talking to Black Rock citizens, conducting interviews, facilitating conversations, visiting camps, and seeing how things play out in real time. You can be part of the actual survey process by, you guessed it, using the form above.
October – November 2026 | Status Report: We’ll summarize everything we’ve learned so far and publish it for all to read.
Winter 2026 & Beyond: With your help, we’ll take all that data and consider how to move forward.
Get Involved!
We care about your voice and want this work to be people-powered — by the community, for the community. If you’re interested in sharing your perspective, take our initial survey. The form asks for your thoughts on mutant vehicles, offers a couple of options for getting more involved in the process, and provides a space to share anything vehicle-related on your mind. It’ll take about 5-10 minutes of your time.
We’ve got a lot of road ahead of us, and we’re glad you’re in the driver’s seat with us. So take the wheel, and we will take the pedals.
See you in the dust,
Your friendly neighborhood Department of Mutant Vehicles
Cover photo: Dan Adams
