ConceptCar
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Honda's P-NUT concept is big on puns, short on realism
We get it, Honda, you got some of your crack acronymists on the job and hobbled together Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) to vaguely describe this new concept car. But the car itself? It's interesting, we'll give it that. The primary idea seems to be the single seat in front for the driver, with two rear seats in the leg-room optimized "flanking" positions. There's also a modular rear engine bay for working with a regular internal combustion engine, hybrid setup or pure electric power, along with a heads up display in the front windshield. It seems fun, and we like all the legroom, but we won't start building any locomotion dreams upon the thin, salty shell of P-NUT just yet. Video is after the break.
Three-wheeled eRinGo car concept: no thanks
It's hard to hold the designers of concept cars accountable -- so few ever come close to seeing the light of day, and they are, after all -- concepts. That said, the eRinGo car is one design we seriously hope never comes to fruition. A two-seater that's capable of converting back and forth between one and three-wheeled driving, depending on the curves of the road ahead, the eRinGo looks like a half-crushed can of Heineken. Not a good thing, in our opinion. That said, we like the two steering wheel concept -- wherein the passenger on either side can take over driving duties -- great if your friends are the agreeable sort willing to hand over the keys at any moment. There isn't much more meat as to how this dude would work, but that's what your imagination is for, right? There's one more shot of this bad, bad boy after the break.
Volkswagen L1 concept is crazy efficient, could ship in 2013
Look, it's a well-known fact that the world is ending in either 2012 or when the Large Hadron Collider starts back up (whichever comes first). But, assuming neither of those scenarios actually cause planet Earth to fold in on itself, you should have some pretty swank Volkswagens to choose from in 2013. Just days after hearing that the highly-anticipated E-Up! concept would be landing in around four years, VW is now proclaiming that the L1 concept you see above could also hit production at the same time. What's odd, however, is that the automaker is already calling this the "most fuel-efficient automobile in the world," but at 170MPG, you'd think the suits at Chevy would have a thing or two to say about it. At least in theory, the hybrid TDI vehicle can cruise 100 kilometers on just 1.38 liters of diesel, but we'll wait until the EPA gets a go before buying in completely.
Lexus LF-Ch concept wants to bring Prius hybrid utility to sporty hatchbacks
Feast your eyeballs on this little beauty. Lexus, Toyota's luxury arm, has stopped teasing and gone fully official with the LF-Ch concept you see before you, which is being billed as a "BMW 1 series, but hybrid." All we know so far is that it'll run on some version of the Hybrid Synergy Drive found in the Prius, with the concordant ability to be run exclusively in EV mode. Well okay, we also know that it's damn gorgeous and heading toward production next year, but the all-important price point remains a mystery. Look for the prototype to make its first appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show coming up later this month.
BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics concept won't look a tenth this wild when it hits the streets
We hate concept cars. Year after year we see new concept cars more fantastical and amazing than the last, and year after year we see cars hit the market that have had all the magic ripped out of them by safety regulations and market realities. The newly unveiled Vision EfficientDynamics car from BMW is mainly here to show us BMW's new diesel-based plug-in hybrid drive system. But it's also here to annoy us. Video is after the break.
Johnson Controls rolls out re3 plug-in concept vehicle
You may not be seeing the car itself roll off an assembly line anytime soon, but Johnson Controls is hoping that some of parts in its new plug-in concept vehicle will eventually find their way into a few production vehicles. The car, dubbed the re3, made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show this week, and packs a whole slew of gadgetry, including an "extended cluster" with a 7-inch touchscreen, a seat-wing armrest and controller that moves some of the controls away from the dash, and a lithium-ion battery pack that makes use of "active cooling" and is able to be tucked in between the two front seats. Johnson Controls also says that the car makes use of renewable materials throughout and, supposedly, it can seat five people relatively comfortably. No word on any interest from automakers just yet, but you can get a closer look at it courtesy of Autoblog at the link below.
Honda's FC Sport fuel-cell hybrid debuts in a puff of conceptual smoke
If the Tesla Roadster has proven anything other than the disruptive effects of a hyper-inflated ego, it's that well designed eco-vehicles will sell... at any price. Yet the general design theme amongst hybrid builders appears to be your grandfather's loafer. Honda too, just look at the FCX Clarity. So we're pretty stoked to see Honda roll out its FC Sport concept three-seater (driver front-and-center) at the LA Auto Show using the same V-Flow fuel cell stack and electric drivetrain found in the FCX Clarity. Only thing is, it's a non-functional concept with little hope of hitting the market anytime soon if history serves. Good news for GM but bad news for consumers. As a wise man of consumer electronics once said: "You know how you see a show car, and it's really cool, and then four years later you see the production car, and it sucks? And you go, What happened? They had it! They had it in the palm of their hands! They grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory! What happened was, the designers came up with this really great idea. Then they take it to the engineers, and the engineers go, 'Nah, we can't do that. That's impossible.' And so it gets a lot worse. Then they take it to the manufacturing people, and they go, 'We can't build that!' And it gets a lot worse." Or to paraphrase: It's like asking for a Big Mac and getting a fish sandwich.Read -- Parable of the Concept Car Read -- FC Sport
Helios solar concept car is bird-like in that it evolved from lizards, has wings
We'd stick out if we were to drive the Helios concept car down the Long Island Expressway or the 405, but almost every other solar-powered car we've seen looked like an old Trabant cursed with further ugliness by a wicked witch, so considering the circumstances we're impressed. The sadly-only-on-paper vehicle netted designer Kim Gu-Han the Best Use of Technology award at the 2008 Interior Motives Design Awards for its frill-neck lizard-inspired solar fan, which unfolds when the car is immobile. If the renders are any indication, though, it's meant only for Martians -- please tell Marvin we're jealous, cause the eco-friendly cars we get now generally look like they were designed by someone with all the exuberance and colorful panache of Al Gore.
Nissan's Nuvu: electric, cartoonish
Nissan's Nuvu is making its debut this week at the Paris motor show, and while it isn't the all-electric vehicle that the company has promised for 2010, it's a step in the right direction. Resembling something from a Pixar movie, the Nuvu has that special mix of "vaguely futuristic" and "somewhat impractical" that we look for in a concept car: it's less than ten feet long, seats three (un)comfortably and the space behind the driver is claimed by what looks like an end table with a conduit extending to the ceiling. Many of the cabin materials are either recycled or made from organic materials and since the vehicle is electric, it should be whisper quiet -- offering maximum clarity for your Medeski, Martin and Wood CDs. More photos at the read link.
Volvo's ReCharge plug-in hybrid concept: this time it's for serious
We were totally digging Volvo's ReCharge plug-in hybrid concept when they were showing it off last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but unfortunately it wasn't much more than a cutaway demonstration model at that point. Lucky for us, Volvo decided to take it legit, and built a full-on working concept model of the Volvo C30-based car. The company is teamed up with Saab in a five-year plan to develop plug-in hybrids, and they're currently planning a fleet of 10 cars to be tested in Sweden. Volvo plans to announce a hybrid version of one or more existing models within the next five years, but they're certainly playing it safe -- though the lithium-polymer batteries and in-wheel electric motors might prove them otherwise.[Via Crave]
Wiperless windshields in your future? Thanks, nanotech.
It's really too bad nanotechnology is so gosh darn morally unacceptable, it could do so much good for humanity! Take this new wiperless windshield, for instance. Designed by Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina, the Hidra features an aerodynamic design, and a bit of a nanotech sandwich (mmm, sandwich) to keep the front glass clear of water and debris. The first layer protects from sun and repels water, the second layer features "nano-dust" to push dirt to the edges of the windshield and is activated by the third layer which senses the dirt, while the whole kit is powered by the fourth layer which conducts electricity to keep it going. The tech could be ready for mass production within 5 years, but there's already a working prototype in the Hidra concept car.[Via Sparking Tech, thanks Nicole]
GM's Hummer HX: where Halo and E85 meet
We're guessing some nasty memos have been getting passed around at Hummer headquarters lately since consumers have been going ga-ga over fuel efficient vehicles. Something along those lines may explain a concept vehicle introduced by the company at this year's Detroit Auto Show: a smaller, lighter, and E85-capable new SUV dubbed the Hummer HX. GM CEO Rick Wagoner lauded the domestically-produced ethanol-based fuel used in the new design, which rings a number of Halo bells, not unlike the Jeep Renegade concept we've seen recently. The sport-utility rocks a slew of unique features, including an armored underbelly, customizable LED displays, removable fender flares and roof, and lack of a radio or CD player (it's only got an iPod dock). Of course, the car is just for show right now -- but maybe it's a sign that the age of fuel-guzzling Hummers is coming to a close... nah, probably not.
Chrysler's Jeep Renegade concept is pure Halo
Let's face it, car designers need to look deeper for next-generation designs these days. In a more carefree time, you could put two nasty, rectangular hunks of metal on top of one another, stick on a few over-sized tires, mount a faux-wood steering wheel to the dash, and call it a Ford. These days, it's a buyer's market -- and you need to step up your game. Enter Chrysler's Jeep Renegade 2008 concept, a design boosted directly from the collective unconscious (namely, the minds of Halo players everywhere) that looks like a tank, yet runs on a lithium ion-powered electron motor and a small Bluetec diesel generator, giving this never-to-be a combined 110 MPG range. Roof mounted gatling gun and Covenant-destroying missiles not included.
iMac design vs. Audi
We've already seen the iPhone's influence on the new iMac, but the Audi? A British ConceptCar site claims the aluminum and glass casing of the new iMac reminded them of another chrome, aluminum and glass design-- that of an Audi. As you can see in the picture above, the comparison kind of works. Kind of. I especially like the coloring on the windshield.I really doubt the iMac's design was directly inspired by the car-- I don't see Apple designers sitting around a table while one of them looks out the window and is suddenly inspired by something he sees driving past. Rather, my guess is, as ConceptCar says, that they're both headed towards the same things: form mixed with function, and grace mixed with power.But then again, who knows what inspired Apple to make that logo black? The iMac certainly costs about as much as my first car did.Thanks, Christian!
US Army trials hybrid vehicle, sports night vision / remote weaponry
This certainly doesn't mark the first case in which the US Army has fiddled with hybrid vehicles, but the Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle (MSV) that the military is currently testing out most definitely ups the ante in other areas. The diesel-electric hybrid truck touts an insanely rugged frame designed to "sustain the concussion of a roadside bomb," and after it brushes off that weak attempt to render it immobile, the remote weapons system should inflict a fair amount of vengeance on the enemy. Moreover, the highly-spec'd machines also feature night vision capabilities, touchscreen controls, swarms of video cameras, and ballistic-grade glass to boot. Unfortunately, the limited fleet of MSVs are currently being recognized as "concept vehicles" to be used for demonstration purposes alone, but we're sure there's a number of defense contractors that could piece together a slightly less vicious version for your own garage if you've got the loot to back it up.
Aptera takes wraps off 200 MPG prototype car
It looks like last week's TED conference was the choice event for those jonesing for a more Jetson-like means of transportation, with Idealab company Aptera taking the opportunity to show off a prototype version of its sci-fi-inspired concept car. While it sadly remains grounded, the Aptera typ-1 does boast at least one significant innovation, promising to deliver a full 200 miles per gallon from its diesel-electric hybrid engine, keeping up a reasonable 55 mph pace all along the way. And while it's a one-off for now, Aptera apparently hopes that won't be the case for too long, with the company planning to sell these attention-grabbers for around $20,000 apiece. Exactly when, of course, they ain't sayin', but we wouldn't hold off any current car purchase plans in anticipation of driving off in one of these instead.[Via DailyTech]
Toyota, Honda, and Italdesign compete for attention in Geneva
Looks like Geneva's the place to be this week for those looking for a glimpse of a more fuel-efficient, sci fi-inspired future, with car companies doing their best to out-do one another with their respective concept vehicles on display at the Geneva Motor Show. Three of the vehicles unveiled so far are the Hybrid-X from Toyota (top left), the Small Hybrid Sports from Honda (top right), and the VAD.HO from Italdesign (bottom). Both the Toyota and Honda cars are based on advanced versions of the company's current gas/electric hybrid engines, which means that even if the concepts themselves don't make it to the assembly line, their innards could well find their way into some of the company's other vehicles. Italdesign's VAD.HO concept car, on the other hand, opts to use BMW's Hydrogen 7 engine, which is also equally capable of running on plain old gasoline. Sure to attract the most attention, however, is what's wrapped around that engine, with the car sporting a long and mean design with room for just one passenger, not to mention an interior equipped with joystick controls and a full compliment of video screens. Click on through for a couple of larger pics of each, then hit up the appropriate links below to check 'em out from every angle.Read - Autoblog Green, Toyota Hybrid-XRead - Autoblog Green, Honda Small Hybrid SportsRead - Winding Road, Italdesign VAD.HO
Suzuki Flix concept combines home theater and car -- your den is jealous
With an illegal seating configuration and that weird hump up top, we're fairly confident this Suzuki Flix concept car that was recently shown at the Detroit Auto Show won't be parked in your driveway anytime soon, but it's fun to look at all the same. Just like its SXBox cousin, the Suzuki Flix crams excessive entertainment hardware into an almost-believable vehicle configuration, but we're not positive the Flix quite pulls it off. That viewing angle through the pop-open roof looks crazy awkward, and the projector-housing hump kind of ruins the whole "theater in disguise" thing Suzuki has going on. Still, we're not going to deny the movie geek cred here, and those chairs look pretty tight, no matter what the DOT might think.
Up close with the Ford Airstream's 360-degree TV
We had an opportunity this week to spend a few minutes mesmerized by the tube (literally) television mounted prominently to the floor of the passenger compartment in Ford's Airstream concept van. Granted, the big news here is that brick-like aerodynamics and hydrogen power make for strange bedfellows, but the bizarre display comes in a close second. Inhabitants of the van's quarters are theoretically able to use it to watch movies, but the thought of kiddies scrambling around a pole to catch the action on the other side of the picture is going to be a nightmare come true for parents of the distant future hauling down the highways and bi-ways in this thing. For what it's worth, the images looked extraordinarily bright (perhaps disturbingly so for the interior of a vehicle) and plenty crisp, but we'll ditch the movies -- we think could stare at that faux lava lamp for hours.
Ford Airstream hydrogen-powered concept: automobile or space capsule?
You know how we like to get our tricked out transportation on, and if we can emit a little less carbon in the process, so much the better. Autoblog Green has the scoop and a bunch of shots of this Ford Airstream concept car unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, which switches over to a hydrogen fuel cell when its battery charge dips below 40 percent (not that this would help you much anytime soon, unless you happen to live in Iceland). Still, if we manage to outlast global warming long enough to actually see this unit in production, it'll come decked out with a 360-degree video screen viewable from all passenger seats in the vehicle that, when you're not busy watching DVDs, can enhance your trip with a lava lamp effect or a range of other "moods." There's also a Sharp dual-view screen smack dab in the middle of the instrument panel so the driver and front-seat passenger can view a feed from the onboard camera. We hope to see this concept one day turn to reality, as we're totally convinced there's a market out there for those gull-wing doors... somewhere (alas, poor De Lorean!).
