Home / Cars / Concept Cars (Page 8)

  • Smart 454 WWT – built by granny robots!

    In Cars, Concept Cars, International News / By / / 2 comments

    smart 454 1

    There’s no doubting that the annual Los Angeles Design Challenge – which runs in conjuction with the LA show – comes up with some really novel futuristic vehicle designs, and this year has been no different. The 2010 winner happens to be two designs – the end result was that the judges decided both General Motors Advanced Design California’s Cadillac Aera entry and Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design’s Smart 454 WWT were even stevens for novelty and ingenuity.

    The theme for the challenge this year was to envision an efficient, light-weight, four passenger vehicle that’s stylish, drives well and is comfortable and safe, while not exceeding 1,000 lbs (454 kg) – the Volvo Air Motion was one of the entries this year.

    A bit about the winsome twosome, with the Smart 454 WWt having first dibs. The concept gets its number from the weight in kilograms, and the WWT stands for Weight Watch Technologies, for the “company” that has come up with the design. Now, if the name suggests a playful take on things, well, it all is, every last bit of it.

    smart 454 3

    The Smart 454 WWT is manufactured by incredibly high-tech robots that look as friendly and cuddly as grandmothers – the Tridion-frame chassis is knit by WWT’s Smart Granny Robots (otherwise know as SGRs) out of carbon fibre, and the knitting can create complex shapes and forms, enabling the geometry to be optimised in strength and weight.

    Different materials are used for each individual part, so every piece of the car has its own specific properties and look, and it’s all pretty precise – only the exact amount of material necessary is used, for an optimal balance between weight and function (Colin Chapman would undoubtedly have been proud).

    smart 454 2

    Material-wise, the windows, fenders and bumpers are all made of recyclable plastics with ingrained colors, and the roof is made up of a thin, but highly durable recycled textile that comes with different prints and weavings. The modular “clip-on” construction principal allows easy and endless customising – the doors, roof, engine and drive-train are very easy to remove or exchange, allowing for perfect functionality, looks, fun and the best tuning for any occasion.

    The 454 WWT features lightweight carbon fibre wheels with integrated suspension, and proprietary SGR technology allows for truly unique looking rims, not to mention the lightest ones too. It’s powered by two 15 kW electric engines, with juice provided by an exchangeable Li-Ion battery pack, located between the two rear wheels to effect the shortest transfer path possible.

    Gallery after the jump.
    Read more ›

     

  • BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept to spawn production sports car in 2013!

    In BMW, Cars, Concept Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News / By / / 11 comments

    It’s official – the 2+2 seater BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept hybrid sports car will go into series production. The concept was powered by a 1.5 litre inline-3 turbodiesel engine, a synchronous hybrid motor at the front axle and a full hybrid engine at the rear axle to produce a total output of 328 horsepower, taking the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept up to 100km/h in a rapid 4.8 seconds.

    The car’s lithium polymer battery packs allows it to run on battery power alone for up to 50km and can be charged to full capacity in about 2 and a half hours via a conventional power socket. Otherwise, the diesel engine’s fuel tank is 24 litres in size, which is said to be able to boost range up to a maximum of 700km, of course I’m assuming if all that is done is hard driving, range will be significantly less.

    I wonder what series the production version will be called, or perhaps it will just be called the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics? How much will it cost? The car will roll out in 2013, about 3 years from now.
    Read more ›

     

  • Lamborghini Sixth Element concept leaked ahead of Paris

    In 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Concept Cars, Lamborghini / By / / 37 comments

    This is believed to be Lamborghini’s Sixth Element concept, the car that the company has been teasing about for the past few weeks. It does seem genuine as the vehicle here has the things that were shown in the teaser images, such as the red interior and the wheels.

    The concept is believed to be made entirely out of carbon fiber, except for the mechanical bits. Weight is figured at about 999 kilograms and power is rumored to come from a V10 engine which can help propel the concept to the 100km/h mark in 2.5 seconds, up to a top speed of 350km/h.

    Why the Sixth Element designation? Apparently the name was inspired by the periodic table of chemical elements, were carbon has an atomic number of six. Official information and images should be coming up real soon, stay tuned!

    Source

     

  • Lamborghini releases 4th Paris Motorshow teaser – your guess is as good as mine!

    In Cars, Concept Cars, International News, Lamborghini / By / / 13 comments

    The Paris Motorshow is only a few days away and Lamborghini has released a fourth teaser of a possible concept. Early speculation pointed towards it being the Murcielago replacement, but it is more likely to be a new concept model. This is starting to feel like a game show where you guess the picture.

    We’ll let you decide what it is but it looks as if it is pointing to the back area of the cabin, right behind the front seats. If you look closely, you can notice the Lamborghini logo as well as loads of carbon fibre. UPDATE: Some readers have pointed out it looks like a wheel rim, looks like that as well! Look after the jump for a high-res version of the picture and the rest of the teasers.
    Read more ›

     

  • Paris-bound Opel GTC Concept pumps out 290hp

    In Cars, Concept Cars, International News, Opel / By / / 12 comments

    Opel has released more information and pictures of the GTC Concept ahead of the Paris Motor Show. The German-based company, who sell their cars in the UK under the Vauxhall brand, has revealed details about the car’s power figures. The GTC Concept’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-pot engine is able to generate 290hp. This is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that complements its power with a limited slip differential.

    Help keeping the car stable is Opel’s FlexRide suspension and a crank rear axle with a Watt’s link. The GTC show car for Paris sits on 21-inch wheels, optimized with carbon-fiber inserts which enclose the center caps. This is finished off in a liquid metal red exterior colour scheme.

    A picture gallery with interior images is available after the jump.

    Read more ›

     

  • Production Bugatti 16C Galibier to arrive in 2013, Bugatti Veyron production to end soon!

    In Bugatti, Cars, Concept Cars, International News / By / / 17 comments

    Say what you will about the current economic climate, but if you make it, they will buy it. Bugatti in particular has been quite successful in those terms. Now comes news that Bugatti will be adding a new model to their inventory.

    According to certain sources, the Bugatti 16C Galibier concept will be put into production. It seems that the company will be ending the production of its Veyron models real soon, replacing it with the four-door sedan. Autoweek reports that Bugatti has already built 260 Veyrons, out of the 300 planned.

    The limited edition 16C Galibier will still use the Veyron’s 8.0 litre W16 engine, this time employing superchargers instead of turbos. Its horsepower figure is expected to hover over the 800 mark, compared to the Veyron’s 1000hp, or its crazy Super Sport cousin producing 1200hp.

    Design of the 16C Galibier car has been questionable right from its reveal at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 2009. But that shouldn’t stop the rich from indulging themselves. As it will be a limited edition, only 300 models will be produced and is expected to go on sale sometime in 2013, with an estimated price tag of $1.5 million.

    Source

     

  • Kia POP EV – more pictures revealed ahead of Paris debut

    In Cars, Concept Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Kia / By / / 3 comments

    Kia has released more pictures of the Kia POP electric vehicle that will be officially revealed at the Paris Motor Show which is just around the corner. As mentioned in a previous report, the city car concept features a 2+1-seating layout. The car measures three metres long, which is similar to Gordon Murray’s T.25 design. Design of the car was accomplished by letting the designers do what they do best.

    “A concept car like the POP could only have come from us, designers very rarely have the opportunity to start from a clean sheet of paper and it’s great to be in a position to operate with such freedom,” said Gregory Guillaume, Kia‘s Chief Designer in Europe.

    You can check out all the images in high-res glory after the jump.
    Read more ›

     

  • Infiniti releases teaser picture of new EV – due in 2013

    In Cars, Concept Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Infiniti, International News / By / / 1 comment

    Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti has just released an official teaser sketch of its very own electric vehicle. According to Infiniti Senior VP, Andy Palmer, the EV is expected to have its market launch sometime in 2013. This was revealed at a special ceremony during the opening of the Infiniti Centre in London. At the moment not much is known about the EV, apart from the obvious power source and the fact that it will be able to seat five passengers.

    As you can expect, the picture doesn’t even reveal if it is a sedan, hatchback or even a coupe. All they have said was that “the Infiniti EV will be a stylish, compact, high performance, five-seat luxury car with zero emissions technology”. No word on when we will get more info on this new EV, but sources speculate Paris as a good location for more beans to be spilled.

    A high-res picture is available after the jump.
    Read more ›

     

  • Lamborghini may not unveil Murcielago replacement in Paris, just a concept

    In Cars, Concept Cars, International News, Lamborghini / By / / 4 comments

    Further speculation and rumour has pointed to the fact that Lamborghini may not be introducing the Murcielago replacement in Paris, but instead just a demonstrator concept vehicle, according to publication autoguide.com. This would actually shed some light on the teaser pictures that the Italian company has been releasing recently. One indicated the possibility of a V10 engine, while another showed a dash made out of just carbon fibre and nothing else. Plus the design of the top dash looked a little too futuristic for a production model.

    Other reports seem to point to a different direction as 0-60 magazine reported that during a Lamborghini dealer’s meeting in the US, the agenda for Paris included the unveiling of the V12 Lamborghini LB715-5 and the Lamborghini 83X, which is said to be the Gallardo replacement. Is this one for the rumour mill or to be actually considered as fact? At this point, it is best for you to decide. What ever it is, we can be sure that we’ll be getting something completely new in Paris.

    Even if it is a concept car, Lamborghini will definitely make use of either the technology or design for future models. Hence it is still something to look forward to. Catch all these when our man in Paris brings you the latest at the end of this month. Teaser pictures available after the jump.

    Source

    Read more ›

     

  • Smart releases offcial pictures of their escooter concept

    In Bikes, Concept Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, smart / By / / 7 comments

    Smart has just released official pictures of their escooter concept. Looks wise, it sports LED lights, solar cells and a green/white paint scheme. The scooter uses a 48-volt lithium ion battery pack, which gives it an approximate range of 100 kilometres over a single charge. When juice does run out, a normal household socket could be used to recharge the batteries.

    In terms of performance you can expect the scooter to reach a top speed of 45km/h, as it is driven by a disc shaped wheel hub motor in the rear wheel with an output of 4kW/5.3hp. Apart from the powertrain, Smart say that the chassis structure is based on the tridion safety cell of the Smart Fortwo”, with the use of swappable plastic body panels.

    Other features available with the Smart escooter are anti lock brakes, Blind Spot Assist and an airbag that is tucked under the handle bar paneling. Just like the Mini E Scooter, the Smart escooter also has a compartment for an iPhone. It replaces the normal instrument panel and gives you speed, range, battery status and it can also act as a navigation system. An image gallery is available after the jump.
    Read more ›

     
 
1 … 6 7 8 9 10 … 61
 
 
 
 
 

Archives