A car, inside out
Oh, the magical effect of stimulating advertising. Thanks, Volkswagon.
[Via IBelieveInAdvertising; InspireMeNow; Gizmodo]
Porsche 918 Spyder super-hybrid concept gets the green light for production
I wasn’t so sure this day would come but here it is. The gorgeous, green Porsche 918 Spyder is being upgraded from a concept model to production series. The 918 Spyder made its debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show and made waves in the car industry due to its conventional hybrid nature. It’s powered by a 500HP V8 engine and a pair of 109HP electric motors. This hybrid powertrain promises to provide 78-mpg efficiency. Note that these numbers match up with the Geneva concept model; they may change slightly when the production model makes its way to the dealership. Release date and price has not been made official yet, but whispers say the green machine will cost around €500,000 (or $650,000 USD). If the car makes its way to the States, it will be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit, if that helps any. Look in the gallery below (warning: you may drool) and peek after the break for the official PR.
Coke & Mentos Rocket Car
We all know what happens when you combine Coke with Mentos candies (a fizzy explosion). But have you ever imagined if the force from such an explosion could power a vehicle (of sorts) to move forward in space? Well wonder no more, people! Using 108 bottles of Coke Zero and 648 Mentos mints, the “Coke & Mentos guys” have created a rocket car.
The Coke Zero & Mentos Rocket Car uses a piston mechanism: a six-foot long rod sits inside a six-foot long tube attached to each bottle of Coke Zero. When the Mentos drop into the soda, the pressure tries to push the rod out of the tube. With 108 rods all pushing at once, that gives us a lot of power. All that power is pushing against a wall braced with 3,600 pounds of cement blocks. So all the force is directed into moving the Coke Zero & Mentos Rocket Car forward. We get one big push for six feet, and then it’s all coasting from there.
Watch their successful test run in the video above. Ah, the power of science.
[Via Deadspin]
Ferris Bueller’s Ferrari up for auction
So remember in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when Cam accidently pushed the car out his father’s enclosed glass garage and destroyed it? Well, that didn’t really happen. See (above)? It’s fine. It was all movie magic. On April 19 the same Ferrari 250GT Spyder California will go up for auction at Bonhams Collectors’ Motor Cars and Automobilia. Besides being an awesome collectors item from a classic American film, what also makes this car special is that “only around one hundred genuine 250GT Spyder California’s were created by Ferrari between 1958 and 1963.” It’s rare. So rare in fact that director John Hughes and Paramount had to commission this special replica model. In other words, the buyer won’t be getting one of the original 250GT Spyder California’s…but it’s looks just like it and it was used in the movie! The car is “ready to drive” and estimated to go for £30,000-£40,000 (or about $46,000-$61,400). Happy bidding.
Porsche 918 Spyder Concept is one hell of a hybrid
The Porsche 918 Spyder Concept is the most handsome hybrid vehicle I have ever laid my eyes on. Set to replace the aging Carrera GT, the 918 Spyder Concept is powered by a 3.4-liter V-8 engine and a hybrid drive system that can crank out 500-horses (9200 rpm) while maintaining a 78-mpg efficiency. Surprisingly the hybrid system does not affect this car’s superspeed; it can go 0-62 in 3.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 198mph. It’s being previewed at this year’s Geneva Motor Show and likely won’t hit the production lines until a year or two. Style and speed with an interior painted bright green. Now that’s what I call good economical sense. Can’t wait to see the price tag, though.
[Via MotorAuthority; Engadget]
Peugeot Concept vehicle
Peugeot Concept, personal mobility car, designed by Yuji Fujimura. Bubble cars of the future, where are you?
[Via Likecool]
Ferrari F1 lounge chair
Molded by Hungarian designer Alexander Christoff, this lounge chair is inspired by the Ferrari Formula 1 racecar. It’s made out of fiberglass and features chrome legs and an adjustable headrest. Me likey. Check out additional images (and a shot of it next to its inspiration) in the gallery below.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG wins the ‘iF product design award 2010′
This year the gorgeous Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG will be handed one of the most prestrigious design awards, the “iF product design award.” The 24-member jury chose 778 entries from around 2500 candidates in 16 categories. The SLS AMG took the top crown in the “Transportation Design” category. Prof. Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz: “This sought-after award for the new SLS AMG is a great honour for us. It also reflects the extremely positive feedback on the design of the SLS that we have been receiving since the September world premiere at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main.” The SLS AMG is the first Mercedes vehicle to be built in-house by AMG. It’s expected to ship in Europe mid-2010 and later in the US for less than $200,000. Additional shots after the break.
[Via KanyeBlog; InfiBeam; Wiki]
Most realistic DeLorean is up for grabs on eBay
I’m sure you are all familiar with the DeLorean of Back to the Future fame. BTTF enthusiast Gary Weaver has built the most realistic recreation of the time-machine car with a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12. Six years of research results in what you see in the gallery below. (Fun fact: The location where this photo shoot was taken place is at the Gamble House in Pasadena, the very house that served as Doc Brown’s residence.)
- Built on a beautiful, super-clean, stock 1981 5-speed DMC-12 with over $16,000 of mechanical work and upgrades performed at DMC California in September of 2008. Approx. 78K miles on vehicle.
- Programmable time circuits which function just like those in the film.
- Functioning digital speedometer on the dashboard (reads actual vehicle speed).
- Main Time Circuit switch functions just like in the film, with all sound effects.
- All interior indicators and switches light up, just like in the film.
- Sound effects upon door opening.
- Screen-accurate “OUTATIME” metal-stamped license plate with 1986 registration tag.
- Eagle Goodyear GT tires, as seen in the film (not pictured).
It’s up for grabs on eBay right now. You can “buy it now” for 90K; or the current bid stands at $60, 301.03 (there’s been ten bids placed on it). The auction ends in about two hours!
Prevent car theft with Tesla coils
What happens when you stretch out a Batmobile?
You get a BatLimo, of course. The Batmobile turned limousine is inspired by the Batmobile featured in the 1989 and 1992 Batman films. Don’t think you’ll ever catch me riding in one of these, but still! Check out the BatLimo in all its glory in the gallery below.
Now this makes sense…
Attach a camera to the front side of all large trucks, have the recorded image projected onto the back of the trucks, and viola!–now we can all see what’s lying ahead beyond the giant truck stuck in front of us. That is the conceptual thinking behind Art Lebedev’s Transperentius. This system will allow for large trucks to become seemingly transparent, providing additional road safety and assurance. Bear in mind that this is an Art Lebedev project (uber-expensive), so don’t hold your breath for its near existence to suddenly spring about. Why he places a tank in his visual recreation is beyond me.
[Via Engadget]
Lamborghini concept car has me drooling at the mouth
Lamborghini Ankonian concept. Designed by Slavche Tanevski.
The mid-engined supercar has a narrow and rather complex-looking body, with a garnishing of GT proportions. Thin OLEDs embedded between the surfaces function as headlights, and while all those lines may look weird, the Ankonian supposedly makes the best use of it all. The concept was named after a bull type famous for black hair, and since the designer had some help from professional designers at Lamborghini and Audi, the finished model has impressive looks.
Sure, it looks like a futuristic Bat-mobile, but come on! Personally, I am a big fan of the Lamborghini Murcielago and Gallardo plus the Audi R8. From the looks of these images this concept car takes the best of these supercars and manages to create beautifully designed and shaped super-super vehicle of my dreams. Though it will likely never see the light of day as a real car, one can sit and stare at all its glory, can’t he?
[Via KanyeBlog]
‘Magic Highway USA’ paints the future that was supposed to be
From a 1958 Disneyland TV Show.
[Via KanyeBlog]
Inflatable seat belts are coming
Have you ever wondered how our protective friend the seat belt could get any safer (and more annoying)? Ford is answering the call with the introduction of inflatable seat belts:
Ford Motor Company is bringing to market the worlds first automotive inflatable seat belts, combining attributes of traditional seat belts and air bags to provide an added level of crash safety protection for rear seat occupants. The advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries.
Ford will introduce inflatable rear seat belts on the next-generation Ford Explorer, which goes into production next year for the North American market. Over time, Ford plans to offer the technology in vehicles globally.
Lexus LF-A Crystallised Wind is out of this world
At this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Lexus showed off its Lexus LF-A Crystallised Wind, an illuminated acrylic glass model of a real car.
Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto explains: ”The term ‘wind’ addresses not only the flow of wind, but also symbolises a flow or current in a greater sense. It is a new horizon where the natural and the artificial co-exist in space.”
Check out a few more images of this beauty in the gallery below.
World’s fastest amphibious vehicle
The WaterCar Python goes from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds on land andin water. It is built on a Dodge Ram base and it has a custom fiberglass body. On land it uses an aluminium Corvette LS engine and in water it’s powered by a Dominator jet. The Python is on sale now and is available to the general public for $200,000. Check out additional images below and peek after the break for a video of it in action.
[Via Gizmodo]
Concept: BMW’s Simple
Simple is the acronym for sustainable and innovative mobility product for low energy consumption, a vehicle concept combining features and advantages of both motorcars and motorcycles. The concept owes its protective passenger compartment to motorcars whereas the streamline shape, the two occupants seated one behind the other and the uniquely driving experience are naturally owed to motorcycles. Whilst researching ideas for futuristic urban mobility combined with the prerequisite of reduced consumption (less than 2l /100 km eqals more than 120mpg) and emission values (50g CO2 /100 km), the BMW Group spawned this concept vehicle featuring the extremely low weight of 450 kg and aerodynamic drag properties (0,18 drag coefficient), which of course also fulfilled all the BMW Group premium brand demands: sheer driving pleasure, innovative vehicle configuration, technology integration and a sense of comfort and spaciousness.
Google-mobiles catpure strange car accidents
Lexus concept car accomodates your iPhone
The Lexus LF-Ch concept car sports headrest mounts for iPhones.
According to the press release:
“The LF-Ch has four sport seats that feature trim lighting along the cushion’s edge for cabin illumination. Rear passengers can enjoy headrest-mounted iPhone® docking capability for audio and video entertainment. In addition, the LF-Ch has storage in the rear seat armrests for small items such as iPods®, PDAs and cell phones.”
Very cool indeed.