[@Delta44]
Well back when I had Malachy, I had been looking around for alternate ideas and something that hit on me was the idea of using a space rover as a racer, seeing as most of the cars in the competition are very standard and usual affair.
I took a bit of inspiration from space based characters like Captain Vladimir from No more heroes 2 and The Fury from Metal Gear Solid 3. generally liking the idea of the spaceman aesthetic that comes with the suit. Making Anastasia female just seemed a bit more interesting. 
Plus, biggest inspiration was just being a sci-fi nerd.