Wind Explorer, Wind Powered Car
Wind Explorer, a lightweight carbon fiber car powered by Li batteries and a portable wind turbine, recently traveled a whopping 3,000 miles across Australia with the assistance of wind power. The car used a portable wind turbine, Li-ion batteries and a giant kite that pulled the car when the wind is strong enough. The Li-ion batteries charged at night produces enough energy to travel 175 to 225 miles. The carbon fiber body with batteries and portable turbine weighs around 470 Lbs. With two average sized people,the Wind Explorer weights around 1,000 Lbs.
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“Audi Electric Life,” by Jae Min, Automotive Designer
This is a video from Audi of America featuring Jae Min, Head of Design at the Audi Design Center in Santa Monica. It’s part of a three-video series entitled “Audi Electric Life,” which gives a glimpse into daily life with the Audi A3 e-tron, a new prototype battery electric vehicle that is currently being tested by Audi employees across the country as part of the company’s pilot program.
In this episode, The Future in Motion, you’ll see Jae Min – a 16-year veteran automotive designer – sharing his ideas about the future of transportation, the unique design of the A3 e-tron, and the refinement and elegance of electric drive.
Inner City Vehicle Concept Design by Sean Seongjun Ko
This antique look vehicle is actually a new concept Inner City Vehicle concept design by Sean Seongjun Ko. The retro-looking is a zero emission vehicle for a green future. The 4 seater car has been designed for a greener tomorrow and runs on hydrogen fuel cells and thus emits just water vapor from its exhaust pipe.
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PAL-V, Flying Car
Like the Terrafugia Transition flying car, the PAL-V ONE also sports a push propeller, which it uses for forward speed.
The PAL-V One has finished its maiden flight and is now working to secure investors for the commercialization phase – the company hopes to start delivering production models in 2014.It will cost $279,000 and the company said it has already accepted 100 orders.
The PAL-V flies in the air like a gyrocopter with lift generated by an auto-rotating rotor and forward speed produced by a foldable push propeller in the back. It has three wheels, a narrow base, but a high center of gravity and on the ground it drives sort of like a motorcycle thanks to a patented “tilting” system. Read More…
Disco Volante Concept
Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera Disco Volante 2012 concept have surfaced online.Set to debut in Geneva, the model celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante. Touring has reinterpreted the fender skirting, too, revealing the rear wheels entirely and creating a hard, straight cut above the fronts; the character line that forms to top of the front wheel opening is a traditional Alfa cue, and this treatment brings to mind the Pininfarina-designed Alfa GTV/Spider of the late 1990s/early 2000s.
Aptera 2E, Three-Wheeled Electric Car
Aptera has developed an electric three-wheeled car called the Aptera 2e that goes zero to 60 in 10 seconds and can hit a top speed of 90 miles per hour. The all-electric version gets an equivalent of 200 miles per gallon and the company has discussed developing hybrid too.
The New Jensen Interceptor Iconic Car
A new version of the Jensen Interceptor sports car is to be built in Coventry, the former home of British car manufacturing. A team of Coventry-based designers have completed the design of the new Interceptor for the Jensen brand owners, Healey Sports Cars Switzerland Ltd. On the picture above you can see how a modern interpretation of the elegant GT will look when it gets its public unveiling in late 2012, before going on sale in 2014. Read More…
Citroen Tubik Concept
Citroen has developed Tubik, a high-tech executive shuttle based on one key idea: travel should be fun.It’s inspired by the Type H, Citroen’s famous corrugated van – same piggy nose, similar all-round squareness. Citroen says the Citroen Tubik Concept was designed as a modern take on early Citroen vans of the 1930s and 1940s, showcasing similar design traits to the Citroen TUB and in particular, the Type H, with its extended nose. Citroen says the new MPV was created as an executive shuttle with an emphasis on being comfortable and fun. Read More…
2011 BMW 328 Homage
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the original BMW 328 classic of the late 1930s auto brand BMW has unveiled their unique 328 Homage Concept car. The 328 Homage is a modern interpretation of the classic sports car from the 1930s. Bathed in that distinctive diagonal carbon fiber weave, the 328 Homage focuses on lightweight construction through carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The result is a gross vehicle weight of only 780 kilograms (1720 lbs).
Audi A7, 2012 – Papercraft Version
At the New York Auto Show this week, Audi will display the first-ever papercraft version of the all-new 2012 A7. The large-scale, anatomically correct paper model is 4 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft and is the largest papercraft model of an automobile ever.
The creator Taras Lesko (of visualspicer.com) used 285 pages to make 750 parts; the assembly process took 245 hours.
1938 Hispano-Suiza Dubonnet Xenia
Xenia hot metallic beauty is the 1938 Hispano-Suiza Dubonnet Xenia. The car was based on the Hispano-Suiza H6, and had a custom-built suspension that was later licensed to Alfa Romeo, Simca, and finally sold to GM. Each wheel was mounted on a single arm extending forward from kingpins at the end of the axle, while sealed, oil-lubricated coil springs and shock absorbers ensured a smooth ride. Hallmark of the car of course appears to be the hand-built coachwork by Jacques Saoutchik, which makes this an absolutely droolworthy vehicle. The Xenia is currently on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum.
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RA DBR2 by Rizk Auto
Once in a while, a unique creation comes along and takes the best of both worlds and melds classic cars appeal and technology together into one beautiful, advanced machine. The RA DBR2 Auto is built around a state-of-the-art carbon-fiber tub and aluminum honeycomb monocoque chassis that weighs a feather-like 100 kgs (220 lbs), overlaid with carbon-fiber body panels lined with Nomex. Power will come from a far less exotic Jaguar straight-six or V12 engine, or a LS3 V8 engine borrowed from Corvette. Also quite earthly is the 5-speed manual box for the Jaguar engines. A 6-speed manual and automatic are on offer with the LS3 V8.
Price for the model pictured here is 180,000 US dollars, or 128,000 euros.
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Lexus CT 200h, Sculpture Installation
Created by Los Angeles-based Nondesign, the installation aimed to highlight the two seemingly opposing features of the vehicle luxury and eco-friendliness by changing colors from luxurious gold to earthy green and blue.
Made out of 2,500 half-inch anodized aluminum bars cut to the exact measurements of the map, the installation aims to highlight the two seemingly opposing features of the vehicle, luxury and eco-friendliness, by changing colors from luxurious gold to earthy green and blue.
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“Auto Residence” by Markus Voglreiter
Auto Residence has been designed by the architect Markus Voglreiter. This auto residence is located in Gnigl near Salzburg, Austria and the surrounding areas make it look even more beautiful. Transforming the structure of the house into a car was a big challenge as it was originally a 70’s style house and then the architect also had to come up with two separate dwellings to incorporate two generations of a family. Add to this the fact, that the auto residence was laden with eco-lighting solutions as well.
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Terrestrial Shrub Rover by Justin Shull
Terrestrial Shrub Rover fits easily into a number of environments ranging from suburbia to the urban forest, offering a green option for short distance travel. It is a solar-powered vehicle that looks, as you may have guessed, exactly like a large shrub.
According to Shull, “In the spirit of NASA and its forthcoming 2020 lunar expeditions in preparation for colonizing the moon, the Terrestrial Shrub Rover presents the opportunity to explore terrestrial and social environments back on Earth from within a manned, foliage bedecked, solar electric powered rover.”
Terrafugia Transition “Flying Car” Gets Go-Ahead from US Air Authorities
The Terrafugia Transition, a light aircraft that can convert into a road-legal automobile, is to go into production after being given a special weight exemption by the US Federal Aviation Administration. The Transition was designed as a ‘light sport’ aircraft, the smallest kind of private aeroplane under FAA classification.
But the manufacturers found it impossible to fit the safety features that are required for road vehicles into that weight. Uniquely, however, the FAA has granted the Terrafugia Transition an exemption – allowing it to be classified as a light sport aircraft despite being 120lb over the limit.
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Photosynthesis Car Generates Energy from Natural Photosynthesis
Conceived by designers Michal Vlcek and Klavir, the “Photosynthesis Car” is a revolutionary vehicle that is powered by nothing but pipe dreams and plants. The Photosynthesis Car would integrates a special kind of solar panels, generating energy from the natural photosynthetic process. For the vehicle concept grows its own turf and plants that not only produces sustainable energy for the car but also seat passengers in a natural environment. Running on an electric engine, the futuristic vehicle features nano plastic body and joystick controls, allowing a safe and easy driving. The design element of the car does seem great, but the technological aspects have mostly been untouched. Though photosynthesis can be used to produce sugars and later biofuel, but how will that biofuel power the vehicle is unclear.
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Lucra LC470 Sports Car
Zero to sixty in 3.4 seconds – and in style. Great classic curves on the Lucra LC470. Starting at $85,000-ish.
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