Mithos Electromagnetic Concept Vehicle



The Mithos Electromagnetic Vehicle (EV) is the creation of Portuguese designer Tiago Miguel Inácio. The project was actually started way back in 2006, but in 2011 Inacio revisited the design and created a beautifully edited short video showcasing the concept.

The Mithos Electromagnetic Vehicle is a far away glimpse at what sports cars might be like in the distant future. For the styling Inacio was inspired by Tim Burton's Batmobile, as well as a variety of unspecified contemporary prototype supercars. Continue




UP Design Vittoria Prototype



At this year’s Qatar Motor Show, which runs from 25th-28th January, the Italian design studio UP Design unveiled their Vittoria concept supercar. A vehicle they previewed back in December. The car, styled by UP Design’s founder Umberto Palermo, is an intriguing mix of elegant flowing curves, and distinctive rectangular shapes at both the front and rear. Because of the two-tone color scheme, the front arches, doors and roof look as if they’re all part of the same panel, while the unusual shape of the domed windscreen and side windows are also completely unique to the car. Add to that some sleek and highly defined LED lighting, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a good looking car.

The UP Design Vittoria was developed in partnership with another company ,Vehicle Engineering & Design, who helped turn Palermo’s digital ideas into a functioning prototype. Continue




Northrop XP-79 Flying Ram



The Northrop XP-79 'Flying Ram' was a futuristic design proposal for a flying wing fighter aircraft. It was initially conceived as a rocket powered interceptor, but later the design was altered to allow for jet engines. Amazingly the USAAF briefly toyed with the idea of using XP-79s to literally ram German bombers out of the skies. It was hoped that if the aircraft was built sturdily enough it would survive the impact and be able to be used repeatedly. The idea was to use the XP-79's strong wings to slice the tails off the enemy aircraft. As it turned out the war ended before the first flight was ever made.

The XP-79 featured numerous unusual and advanced ideas and engineering solutions. Perhaps most unusual of all was the prone piloting position in which the pilot laid on his stomach with his head facing out of the canopy at the front. This layout meant he could withstand greater g-forces in the vertical axis. In addition to the odd layout, the XP-79 Flying Ram also featured a high-tech welded magnesium monocoque construction, instead of a more conventional riveted aluminium structure. Also unusual to the design was the four-wheel retractable undercarriage. Continue




PG Elektrus Electric Sports Car



The PG Elektrus is a Lotus Elise based electric sports car which will be manufactured in Germany starting later this year. The company is led by Michael Frohlich, an automotive designer with over 30 years experience. Led by the motto "Be unique!", PG have built a number of electric powered motorcycles which have a fairly funky retro vibe about them. The Elektrus is their first car, and unlike the bikes it doesn’t have a whole lot of style or extravagance about it. It looks exactly like the donor Elise, except for a few minor modifications to the bodywork. The front grille, which has been rather pleasingly described by PG as looking like a "diabolically smiling shark", is probably the best bit about the car's appearance.

Powering the PG Elektrus is a 100 percent electric drivetrain centered around a 268 horsepower (200kW) electric motor, which also produces 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque from literally zero rpm. Top speed of the Elektrus is capped at 155 mph, although without the limiter it can supposedly hit 186 mph. The 0-60 time of under 3 seconds is equally impressive. Continue

Retired GM Designer Creates a Series of Retrofuture Concepts Nelson Barros, the design studio manager at General Motors Brasil from 1969 to 2006, hasn't let retirement stop him from getting out his digital sketch pad and putting it to good use. Barros has created a series of retrofuturistic concepts which are designed to provide a glimpse of an alternative future, where cars like the Jaguar XK 120, 1950 Studebaker Commander, 1973 Ford Maverick, and 1959 Corvette, are all brought back to life. Continue Not All RC Cars Are Created Equal: Meet the Traxxas X0-1 Whoever says messing around with RC cars isn't fun, clearly has no sense of joy left in their life. There's something about the way you can live out your stuntman fantasies in 1:10 scale which makes them so appealing. Getting a few of them together, and setting up an impromptu off-road race through the back garden is one of the cheaper and more childishly enjoyable ways to kill a couple of hours on a weekend. But there’s nothing childish about the new Traxxas X0-1. Continue Infographic: Jeremy Clarkson's Most Complained About Quotes Jeremy Clarkson is quite easily the world’s best known motoring journalist. His unique way with words make him one of the most entertaining, but also controversial, public figures out there. Over the years his rants have got him into trouble more than once – usually by people with nothing better to do. But sometimes his theories on the world are a little over the top. In the wake of his most recent outburst – in which he suggested striking public sector workers should be shot – Carbuzz.co.uk have put together a selection of his all time best, or depending on how you look at it, most complained about, quotes. Continue Qu8k homemade rocket onboard video YouTube is riddled with banal videos of cats falling off stuff, wannabe celebrities and random personal rants. But there are also absolute gems on there which deserve your undivided attention. This is one of them. Continue