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2011
Ferrari World Design Contest reaches second stage
- News
The first part of Ferrari’s 2011 World Design Contest
is now history. The contest, a collaboration between Ferrari
and Autodesk, asked 50 of the world’s leading design schools
to imagine a Ferrari for the future. Out of those 50,
only 7 have made it though to the second round. The finalists
are: IED and IAAD from Turin (Italy), the London Royal
College of Arts (UK), the European Design Institute Barcelona
(Spain), Seoul’s Hong-ik College (Korea), the DSK Supinfocom
from Pune (India) and the College For Creative Studies
in Detroit (USA).
In the second part of the 2011 Ferrari World Design Contest,
each school can create up to three distinct designs, and
present them as 3D Autodesk Alias computer models and
1:4 scale models. The brief is to design a Ferrari hypercar
of the future which uses the latest and greatest materials
and technology. Continue
A
day in the life of a New York City intersection
- Videos
Ron Gabriel, a student of the School of Visual Arts in
New York, decided that for his thesis project he would
create a stylised video which highlighted the number of
near misses and minor incidents that occur on just one
NYC intersection on a daily basis.
After capturing the incidents on film, Gabriel then added
graphics which identify and track the movements of the
various parties involved, whether they’re pedestrians,
cyclists or drivers. The result is something that looks
like an augmented reality display from the future. But
it isn't. It's idiots doing what they do best. Continue
Where
is the safest place to sit on a...
- News
If you're unfortunate enough to be a passenger involved
in a serious accident, whether it's on public transport
or in a car, where you choose to sit could literally make
the difference between life and death. Continue
Ryan
X-13 Vertijet -
Aircraft
The Ryan X-13 Vertijet was an experimental aircraft designed
to further explore the idea of VTOL (Vertical Take-Off
and Landing) flight. The Ryan X-13 Vertijet was born out
of a previous project conducted by Ryan at the behest
of the United States Navy. Just after WWII the Navy had
been studying the feasibility of submarine-based aircraft,
and from 1947 to 1951 Ryan conducted a series of tethered
flight tests with unmanned VTOL aircraft. Based on that
project, in 1953, the company was awarded a USAAF contract
to develop two prototypes of a full-size, manned VTOL
aircraft – these aircraft were designated the X-13 Vertifan.
The chubby dimensions of the Ryan X-13 Vertijet meant
it wasn’t the most beautiful aircraft the world had ever
seen. It’s compact dimensions were necessary to keep the
weight to a minimum. There was just enough room within
the aircraft’s fuselage for a single seat cockpit, and
a 10,000 lbf (45kN) Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine.
The wings were mounted at the very peak of the fuselage,
and they had a pronounced Delta-wing shape. The high position
of the wings was intended to improve stability in horizontal
flight. Continue
Triango
Revelation -
Sports Cars
The Triango Revelation is an all-new sports car which
is being developed in Hungary. The preliminary design
phase of the Revelation began in 2008, when designer Tamas
Jakus ‘Jakusa’ started sketching out his vision for a
radical super car which would be built by a different
Hungarian company with the slightly confusing name of
Urban Motorsport England.
The ‘Triango’ part of the Revalation’s name is derived
from the word triangle, as the car’s lines are
punctuated by a series of triangular shapes and surfaces.
Jakusa has done a good job of making sure the car doesn’t
have a dull generic supercar appearance, or styling which
is copied from another manufacturer. The Triango Revelation’s
styling is bold and futuristic, while also being within
the realms of possibility for a small volume manufacturer.
Continue
Megane
Renaultsport 265 Trophy -
Hot Hatches
The fastest roadgoing Renault ever is not some super-expensive
halo car, or a homologation special from the past, it’s
this, the Megane Renaultsport 265 Trophy. It’s got an
extra 15 horsepower over the current Megane Renaultsport
250, taking the total to 265 horsepower – see what they
did with the name there? The extra power now means the
car can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in exactly 6 seconds,
and the top speed has been increased to 158 mph.
In order to coax an 15 extra horsepower and 20Nm (14.7
lb-ft) of torque from the car’s 2.0 litre turbocharged
four-cylinder engine, Renaultsport have raised the maximum
turbo boost pressure slightly, while also redesigning
the air intake tract to compliment the higher pressure
and operating temperatures. Continue
Australian-built
Hoverbike -
Strange Vehicles
The lure to join Darth Vader’s evil Imperial Empire must
have been strong for riders of the Imperial Speeder Bike.
Not only did these guys get the coolest helmets, they
also got the coolest mode of transport. That’s almost
enough to make you forget that your boss was an evil megalomaniac
with respiratory problems.
An Australian inventor called Chris Malloy has spent the
last two and a half years building his very own Imperial
Speeder bike-like hoverbike in his garage at home. Oddly,
the seed idea for his creation came from his helicopter
instructor, who had likened the R22 helicopter to an airborne
motorbike. Disagreeing with his instructors analogy, Malloy
set about creating something that really was like an airborne
motorcycle. Continue
Race
Car Technical Illustrations -
News
The man responsible for these amazing technical drawings
of race cars is Roy Scorer, a technical illustrator whose
nine-to-five involves creating detailed technical illustrations
for the MOD. In his spare time he creates finely crafted
images of a variety of different race cars. We’ve
covered some of his previous works in the past, including
the Anatomy
of a National Hot Rod, and the Anatomy
of a V8 Stock Car. This time around we've been
sent five images, showing five different race cars in
all their HD glory.
Continue
MSV
Explorer semi-submersible -
Submersibles
GRP Laminates, a company based in the Isle of Wight (a
small island just off the southern coast of England),
have just unveiled their latest product. The MSV Explorer
is a semi-submersible vessel - just like the EGO
semi-submersible we covered last week - but the MSV
Explorer also comes with its own dedicated 42.6 foot (13
meter) catamaran, the SP02. The SP02 catamaran can transport
the MSV Explorer quickly and safely to the area to be
explored, and then lift it into and out of the water.
Continue
RSC
Predator GT -
News
RSC (Rotary Super Cars) of Germany have decided to have
another go at designing a rotary-engined super car. Their
first effort, the RSC Raptor GT, rightly came in for some
heavy criticism for basically being a Ferrari 599 clone.
The new car, which is completely different in design also
gets a new name, the Predator GT. It might not be the
most beautiful supercar in the world, in fact it’s fairly
ugly. But at least it’s more original – although this
time there seems to be a hint of lamborghini.
RSC is planning on offering four different versions of
the Predator GT. The models will include the 500 horsepower
Predator GT-S, the 800 horsepower Predator GT-RS, the
1,200 horsepower Predator GT-RSR, and a race-spec version
called the Predator GT-Clubsport which has an unspecified
power output. Continue
Video:
look who's driving -
Videos
This video is considerably better than you might initially
think. It's also nice to see that even drug dealers in
the favela's of Rio de Janeiro have a sense of humor.
Continue
EDWARD
- Electric Diwheel -
Strange Vehicles
Engineering students at the University of Adelaide on
the southern coast of Australia have developed an electric
powered diwheel called EDWARD. This is the first diwheel
we've featured on diseno-art. We've seen a couple of monowheels
in the past, namely the Wheelsurf
and the insane McLean
V8 monowheel. Diwheels like EDWARD have the obvious
advantage of being far more stable, but as an added bonus
they can turn 360 degrees on the spot, whereas a monowheel
requires a large turning circle.
The EDWARD project was started in 2009 when the mechanical
components and electric drive system were put together
to create a fun but slightly uncontrollable single person
vehicle. Then in 2010 EDWARD was upgraded with a computerised
system which could not only keep the seat level at all
times (a feature called slosh control), but also a clever
system that meant the driver could go inverted while the
machine automatically balanced itself and provided accurate
guidance control at the same time. Continue
TrakRok
Concept -
Strange Vehicles
The TrakRok Concept from Canadian designer Alexei Mikhailov
is so many different shades of awesome it's difficult
to know where to start. The TrakRok Concept fuses design
elements from snowmobiles and quad bikes in order to produce
a radical vehicle which can tackle, snow, mud, gravel
and other off-road surfaces with ease.
Each front wheel of the TrakRok gets its own dedicated
electric motor, and because the rear track is also powered,
again by an electric motor, the TrakRok should be able
to drag itself though even the most inhospitable terrain.
Continue
2012
Mercedes-Benz M-Class -
4x4s
The Mercedes-Benz M-Class is all-new for 2012, and here
it is. Replacing the previous generation, which had been
around since 2005, the 2012 M-Class has noticably sharper
lines – which is in keeping with the rest of Mercedes’
models. The 2012 M-Class retains the old model’s unique
wrap-around rear window, and also its basic profile, but
everything has been made just that little bit crisper
and sharper.
The 2012 ML will be available globally in a range of versions,
including the ML250 Bluetec, ML350 Bluetec and ML350 BlueEfficiency,
all with 4Matic all-wheel drive systems and seven-speed
automatic transmissions. Continue
World
Land Speed Record attempt needs your help*
- News
*If you happen to live near Pendine Sands in the UK.
Don Wales, grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell the habitual
World Speed Record setter, is currently planning his latest
record attempt. Wales hopes to set a new world land speed
record for an electric car in 2013. He’s aiming for 500mph,
and as part of the record attempt he needs to do lots
and lots of speed trials and preparation runs. Continue
Blast
from the past: 2001 Nissan Nails Concept
- News
The Nissan Nails concept is an odd looking pickup truck
concept which the Japanese manufacturer rolled out at
the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show. As history has shown, the Nissan
Nails concept never went any further than the show car
stage. Which is probably a good thing. It’s hard to imagine
it being a successful utility vehicle, or anything else
for that matter.
When the car was debuted 10 years ago Nissan’s press department
excitedly announced that the Nails; "suggests
new, flexible ways of using vehicles as 'a tool for communicating
with friends', rather than simply as 'a means of transportation'.
The Nails concept integrates advanced communications tools
including cellular phones."
Of course nowadays if a mainstream manufacturer brought
a concept car to an auto show which DIDN’T have an array
of communication an connectivity, eyebrows would be raised.
But just a decade ago it was still relatively new. Continue
Bahrain
F1 decision ‘shameful’ -
News
UPDATED: Proving that there is still a thimbleful
of honor left in top level politics, MPs in the Houses
of Parliment have criticised F1's governing body for rescheduling
the Bahrain race for October. The race is back on despite
the violent crackdown on democracy protesters over the
last few months, and the fact the Bahraini government
has recently detained dozens of doctors and nurses whose
only ‘crime’ was to provide medical aid to injured protesters.
In a damming indictment of the total lack of morality
on the part of the FIA, all 26 members voted in favor
of reinstating the race.
Continue
Video:
Spinning forklift fights back -
Videos
Forklift trucks and their unique capabilities, coupled
with their sometimes unpredictable handling, have provided
video sharing sites like YouTube with a plentiful bounty
of mishaps and amusing accidents all caught on tape. When
this bored forklift driver decided to document his hoonage,
he was probably expecting to be the star of a video which
showed his skill and bravery when taking his little machine
to the limits. Instead he shows what will happen when
the machines start to fight back. Because as we all know,
when the machines do rise up they won’t destroy humanity
right away, they’ll play with us first. Continue
Nissan
Juke modified by Impul -
Modified Cars
Nissan’s Juke compact suv is rarely praised for its appearance.
In fact it’s usually ridiculed. It seems odd then that
a tuning company would want to make it even more ugly.
But that’s exactly what Japan-based tuner Impul decided
to do.
The visual changes include an over-the-top aero package
that comprises of a new front bumper with a very busy
looking lower lip, wide sideskirts, side window air deflectors,
plastic wheel arch trim, a rear diffuser, and a massive
rear wing that looks like it belongs on one of the cars
from the “the fast and the ludicrous”. In addition to
the new bodywork, Impul have fitted the Nissan Juke with
19-inch wheels with low profile tires, a sports suspension
kit which lowers the ride height and higher spec brakes.
Continue
Mercedes-Benz
"60 Years Mercedes-Benz Unimog" concept
- News
The Mercedes-Benz Unimog truck is one of the world's most
capable off-roaders, as it is, off-the-shelf and with
no modifications. Daimler Benz took over production of
the Unimog in 1951, five years after the first prototype
had been designed by Albert Friedrich, and built by Erhard
und Söhne (Erhard and Sons) in the southern German town
of Schwäbisch Gmünd. To celebrate the 60th anniversary
of Mercedes’ fruitful relationship with the Unimog, the
company have developed a radical concept vehicle. And
when I say radical, I mean mental.
The concept's name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
In fact the name "60 Years Mercedes-Benz Unimog"
is more of a statement than a title. Putting that aside,
the 60 Years Mercedes-Benz Unimog concept is a jaw dropping
machine. Based on a Unimog U 5000 chassis, the concept
was developed through a joint effort between the Mercedes-Benz
Special Trucks (MBS) division, the Daimler commercial
vehicle designers in Sindelfingen and an unnamed model
designing partner. Continue
2012
Vauxhall Astra GTC -
Hot Hatches
As promised, Vauxhall unloaded all the details and images
of the 2012 Vauxhall/Opel Astra GTC on June 7th 2011.
The production Astra GTC is based on the GTC
Paris Concept which debuted in September 2010.
Overall the concept and the production car are very similar
in appearance - which is a good thing. The biggest differences
are found at the front, where the bumper has been restlyed
and fitted with less stylised but more practical driving
lights. At the rear the production car gets a lightly
revised bumper with a larger black panel rising from under
the car, and a more traditional tailpipe design. Continue
2012
MINI Coupe -
News
The long awaited MINI Coupe is so very nearly here. A
production version has been on the cards since MINI
revealed the car in concept form at the 2009 Frankfurt
Motor Show. Today they released all the intimate details
of the new Coupe and what different flavors it will come
in. The only thing MINI forgot to do was take all the
camouflage off the car before getting their camera out.
clearly MINI want to slowly bleed the information out
over time in order to garner as much attention as possible.
The MINI Coupe is the first two-seater production car
to come from the company since it was reborn under BMW
ownership. Like all MINIs there is a strong focus on driver
enjoyment, although with the Coupe it’s taken up a notch.
The MINI Coupe wasn’t designed to be a practical car,
so the engine options, chassis setup, weight distribution,
packaging and aerodynamics don’t need to be compromised
by things like making sure there’s ample cargo space or
rear-seat legroom. Continue
Tesla
Model S Alpha -
News
As Tesla’s Model S inches closer and closer to production,
more and more details about the car are being released.
To accompany the extra info is a new gallery of images
which show the car in a more production ready state of
development. The car is also going by a new name; the
Tesla Model S Alpha.
From the initial Tesla Model S prototype to the current
car there aren’t any major changes to report on. However
there are a number of subtle styling differences. The
most recent photos show a sportier front bumper with extra
air intakes below the headlights, slightly larger side
mirrors (a must if the car was to enter production), smaller
side vents just aft of the front wheels, and at the rear
there are new taillights and a couple of extra lights
integrated into the diffuser. Continue
EGO
semi-submersible boat -
Strange Vehicles
The EGO semi-submersible boat is a vehicle designed and
manufactured in South Korea by a company called Raonhaje.
The unusual vessel is basically a small boat with a two-person
underwater cabin attached beneath. You access the underwater
bit via a hatch in the center of the boat, and climb down
a short ladder. In the submerged section of the EGO are
a couple of comfy looking seats, a steering wheel and
an instrument panel. Oddly it seems, the EGO can only
be controlled when you’re under the waves – which might
make solo dockings an interesting and frustrating task!
Continue
2012
BMW 1-Series -
News
BMW’s 1-Series model has proved to be a fairly successful
vehicle since it was first launched in 2004. Now at the
age of seven, it’s getting its first full makeover, which
involves an all-new platform and new engines. To go along
with its new mechanical elements, the 2012 1-Series has
also been restyled to better fit with BMW’s latest designs.
If you thought the original 1-Series had controversial
looks, then the 2012 model takes it up a notch. Viewed
from the rear there isn’t a considerable difference –
despite the fact the two cars don’t share a single body
panel or styling detail. The taillights have been redesigned,
and they now sit just below the bottom of the rear window
– instead of touching it as they did on the 1st gen model.
The rear bumper has been tweaked, and it now has an inset
strip which sits just below the license plate. Other than
that, the rear has been given slightly softer lines than
its predecessor. Continue
Audi
R8 GT Spyder - Sports
Cars
Audi has finally revealed the R8 GT Spyder in all its
glory. The top-of-the-range model combines the open air
experience of the R8
Spyder, with the phenomenal grunt of the R8
GT's 560 horsepower V10 engine.
Much of the R8 GT Spyder’s development and engineering
was concentrated on keeping the weight to a minimum. In
fact Audi have managed to trim 85 kgs (187 lbs) - or the
weight of an average man - off the bulk of the standard
R8 Spyder. As always, the use of carbon fiber was key
to keeping the weight to a minimum. The cover for the
soft top, the rear spoiler and the rear bumper are all
made of the stuff, while the shells for the lightweight
racing seats are formed from glass fiber-reinforced polymer.
Continue
Volkswagen
Golf R Cabriolet concept
- Concept
Cars
The Worthersee car show in Austria has proved itself to
be an important venue for almost all the marques under
VW's control. Audi debuted the A1
clubsport quattro at the show, Skoda did likewise
with their Fabia
vRS 2000 concept, and now Volkswagen has followed
suit with the Golf R Cabriolet concept.
The Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet concept is based on VW's
latest Golf Cabriolet, but with all the fixings to bring
it up to 'R' spec. That means its got the same turbocharged
2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine putting out 265 horsepower
@ 6,000 rpm, and the same 155 mph electronically limited
top speed. The Golf R Cabriolet concept is a fraction
slower to 62 mph (100 km/h) than its hardtop counterpart.
But it still manages to get there in under six seconds.
Continue
Skoda
Fabia vRS 2000 concept - Concept
Cars
At the Audi, VW, Skoda and Seat festival called GTI-Treffen,
that occurs each year in Wörthersee, Austria, Skoda unveiled
a brand new concept car. The Skoda Fabia vRS 2000 concept
was specially built for the event, although chances are
it’ll make an appearance at several other major auto shows
this year.
The concept uses some of the design cues from the Fabia
Super 2000 rally car. For example; the competition-like
extra-wide wheel arches and multi-spoke white-painted
wheels. The car is actually based on a Fabia Super 2000
too, so the looks aren’t just skin deep. Where the Fabia
vRS 2000 concept differs from the rally car is up top.
Skoda’s engineers have chopped the roof off and cut down
all the windows to form a stylish roadster. It can’t have
been a simple task either, as the car still retains all
four doors and seats. Continue
Porsche
911 Turbo S China Edition - News
Porsche is currently celebrating its tenth year in what
is currently the fastest growing car market in the world,
China. In order to mark their first decade in the country,
Porsche have created a special edition version of the
911 Turbo S.
The 911 Turbo S China Edition doesn’t get any mechanical
upgrades, so owners will have to make do with the standard
Turbo S’ 530 horsepower, twin turbocharged flat-six engine
and PDK (dual clutch) transmission. It’ll be hard, but
hopefully they can cope! Continue
Douglas
X-3 Stiletto - Strange
Vehicles
The x-plane programs have yielded some fairly unusual
designs over the years, and the Douglas X-3 Stiletto was
no exception. The X-3 Stiletto was a prototype aircraft
designed to help designers and engineers better understand
what sort of features an aircraft would need in order
to fly at supersonic speeds, while also being capable
of taking off and land under its own power.
The Douglas X-3 Stiletto’s design was revolutionary for
its day. The stubby wings and long tapering fuselage weren’t
pretty, and it looked nothing like the beautifully proportioned
fighter aircraft of WWII. Instead, the odd shape of the
X-3 Stiletto was designed for one thing. Speed. Continue
Sentori
OPEN WATER 60 M Explorer Yacht
- News
If you’re a billionaire oceanographer in the market for
a new yacht to explore the world’s oceans, from remote
Pacific archipelagos to the deep waters of the Marianas
trench, then the naval designers at motion code: blue
would like to sit down for a chat. Their latest creation
is a 60 meter (197 foot) explorer yacht which will be
built by the Sentori Yacht Group.
The Sentori OPEN WATER 60 M is designed to offer all the
amenities of a luxury yacht, combined with the ability
to be self-sufficient during epic ocean-crossing journeys.
The high bow is a distinctive sign of an explorer yacht,
as it helps protect against the high waves of rough seas.
As a bonus it gives the vessel an impressive appearance,
especially useful when pulling into places like Monaco
where hundreds of luxury yachts constantly vie for attention.
Continue
Is
this the ugliest race car ever? - News
The annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event is
one of the most extreme motor sport competitions in the
world. Each year drivers attempt to get their car from
the start at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway, to the top
of Pikes Peak in Colorado – a distance of 12.42 miles
(19.99 km). There’s 156 twists and turns over a mixture
of gravel and paved sections, and during the run competitors
will climb 4,721 feet (1,439 meters). At the top, the
thin air will reduce power by around 30 per cent.
The most extreme cars are entered in the Unlimited group.
Last year only 3 cars competed in the Unlimited class.
One of them was driven by Paul Dallenbach. In 2010 he
had 745 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. This year,
thanks to some extensive engine modifications courtesy
of Banks Power, he’s got 1,307 horsepower and 1,206 lb-ft
of torque! Continue
Video:
Amazing car entry - News
This guy has some amazing car entry moves which makes
the Dukes standard entry method to the General Lee look
positively dull. First time around it almost looks like
he somehow accidentally falls into the car’s open window,
it’s that quick. However the hero of the video actually
performs some sort of pivoting backward controlled fall
while holding what looks like an open drink. The move
would probably have been considerably more difficult were
he intending to sit in the driver’s seat, what with the
steering wheel and everything getting in the way. But
if my next passenger can successfully get in the car using
this guy’s method, then no gas money will be required.
Continue
Audi
A1 clubsport quattro concept - News
At this year’s Wörtherseetour event in Austria (1st-4th
June), the holy grail of car shows for Audi, VW, Seat
and Skoda fans, Audi will unveil a highly modified A1
to show off what their entry level model is capable of
– if you happen to have some of the world’s best automotive
engineers and designers lounging around in your garage.
The Audi A1 clubsport quattro (yes, no capitals for “clubsport”
or “quattro”) isn’t just a standard A1 with a fancy bodykit
either. It’s been fitted with the same 2.5 litre, 5-cylinder,
turbocharged engine normally reserved for the Audi TT
RS and RS3 Sportback. However in the A1 clubsport quattro
concept the engine’s potency has been increased dramatically
to 503 hp and 487 lb-ft (660 Nm) of torque. Continue
When
bad taste and stickers collide - News
A German company called Car Film Components (CFC), specialists
in a range of different coverings for automobile styling
and care, have just revealed their latest work. And it’s
not pretty. For 2,200 Euros ($3,140) CFC will cover your
new Volkswagen Beetle (not the new, new one for 2012)
in a vinyl wrap that makes your Bug look like it was left
unattended for a week at the local kindergarten. Just
to top it all off, and add an incredibly mismatched style
to the car, the doors, hood and trunk lid are all covered
in a black velvet. Just try keeping that clean! Continue
Saab/Nespresso
Concept - Concept
Cars
The Saab/Nespresso concept isn’t the first vehicle to
use non-automotive products and brands as part of its
design inspiration. But it is one of the more unusual
combinations – Swedish car manufacturers and Swiss coffee-machine
makers don’t usually have too much in common. The concept
was developed by Eric Leong, a final-year Transportation
Design student at the Umea Institute of Design in Sweden.
The project was sponsored by Saab. Continue
Homeowners
using cars to sell houses - News
As much of the world struggles to extricate itself from
the financial meltdown like a woolly mammoth from a prehistoric
tar pit, many homeowners around the globe are finding
it difficult to sell their property, due to a scarcity
of buyers and a glut of bargain-priced repossessed homes.
In order to make their offering stand out from the crowd,
some sellers in England have resorted to using hired supercars
and luxury marques in order to make their property more
appealing. Continue
Mercedes-Benz
SLS AMG Roadster - Sports
Cars
Mercedes have finally revealed the SLS AMG Roadster in
its full production form. The company had released a series
of images earlier this month which showed the car in very,
very thin disguise. But now the car's been officialy unveiled
to the world, a new set of pictures has been produced.
Continue
Did
cultural differences speed up the demise of Rover?
- News
An interesting article over on the BBC news website discusses
the differences between the German and English languages,
and the way in which we use words and phrases. However
there’s one particular paragraph which caught my eye,
it relates to the take over of Rover by BMW in 1994: "When
BMW bought the British car manufacturer, Rover, it took
a while for the seriousness of some of the problems at
Rover to sink in. All too often, British managers spoke
in euphemisms that their German counterparts took at face
value." Continue
Husqvarna
900cc street bike sketches - News
Up until now, Husqvarna has exclusively made dirt bikes.
But under BMW’s ownership the company is developing an
all-new 900cc street bike. The as-yet unnamed bike has
just been revealed in a series of sketches and renders,
and one thing’s for sure, Husqvarna hasn’t gone all cute
and cuddly. The bike has the sharp, minimalist lines of
a dirt bike, but with a supermoto twist. Continue
TopCar
Porsche Panamera Stingray GTR
- Modified
Cars
Porsche’s cars have always been a favorite of tuning companies.
There’s so many of them in fact, that any Porsche owner
looking to make some changes has a real buffet of modifiers
to choose from. They range from the discreetly upgraded
examples, where more time has been spent on raising performance
levels than trying to raise eyebrows. And then there’s
the bold and brash modifications which can be seen from
the orbiting ISS. The TopCar Porsche Panamera Stingray
GTR falls into the second category. Continue
Ford’s
heart monitoring driver’s seat - News
Ford’s engineers in Germany have developed a prototype
seat that can passively monitor a driver’s heat activity
while they’re behind the wheel. The researchers hope that
in time, if the system is widely adopted, the technology
could significantly reduce the number of accidents and
fatalities that occur as a result of motorists having
heart attacks behind the wheel. Continue
Volkswagen
Aqua - Strange
Vehicles
The Volkswagen Aqua is a futuristic hovercraft concept
created by Yuhan Zhang, a 21 year old designer from China.
Yuhan just graduated with honors from Xihua University
with a degree in Industrial Design. Currently she's in
the process of selecting a Transportation Design course
to further her studies.
The Volkswagen Aqua is designed to cope with the wide
variety of terrain which covers China. From the lakes,
rivers and coastal waters, to the roads, wetlands and
snow and ice. The concept was shortlisted in the CDN Car
Design Awards China, based on the brief entitled simply;
"Chinese off-road vehicle" by Volkswagen. Continue
Top
10 vehicle related jobs - News
For anyone with more than a passing interest in vehicles,
whether it’s cars, bikes, boats or planes, working somewhere
within one of the directly related industries could make
the difference between a working life characterised by
mundane drudgery, or being in the privileged position
of actually looking forward to Monday mornings. Continue
Honda
Chopper - Concept
Motorcycles
The Honda Chopper is another vehicle to come courtesty
of the imagination of Peter Norris, the same guy who created
the Pininfarina Coupe concept.
The Honda Chopper's styling draws on many and varied influences:
There's the clean functional lines of medical machinery,
70's and 80's marker drawings and design (such as the
Big Trak programmable electric toy vehicle), and a bit
of manga thrown in. Just for good measure, there's also
a healthy dose of Imperial speeder bike from Return of
the Jedi. Continue
Video:
Granny drifting an M3 - News
In this video, which we're fairly sure comes from Belgium,
a young M3 owner gets a bit of a shock when his car takes
off and starts drifting around the parking lot. It's difficult
to say whether it's staged stunt, and just edited to look
like a spontaneous event. Or whether the silver-haired
hoon is real, and just proving that old age doesn't necessarily
slow you down. Continue
Worst
car modifications: Suspension Clamps -
News
When it comes to modifying a car, either for power gains,
handling improvements, practical reasons or styling changes,
there’s often two choices. Do it right. Or do it cheap.
This article won’t tell you how to do it right. But it
will tell you why you shouldn’t do it cheap. This week
we’re exploring the dark world of suspension clamps.
Continue
DSQUARED
MINI Cooper S auctioned at Life Ball 2011 charity event
- News
DSQUARED², a Canadian fashion company I’d never heard
of until earlier today, have just debuted their butchered
customised MINI Cooper S which will be auctioned off at
the 2011 Life Ball in Vienna to raise money for combating
HIV/AIDS. It's all for a good cause, but even if it had
been painted in dog food (after letting it go through
the dog) it would still raise a ton of money for the charity.
This people is what happens when you let two fashion designers
have a go at improving a car. Continue
'Half-restored'
1967 Toronado brings new meaning to the word
- News
Precision Restorations of St. Louis, Missouri have performed
a unique ‘ restoration’ on a 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado.
The car was actually completed last year, but oddly this
is the first time we’ve heard of it. It took over a year
to turn what was a reasonably intact but dilapidated Toronado
into the bizarre mix of old and new you’re looking at.
Continue
Video:
Failman forgets to set parking brake
- News
A US Mail truck driver either forgot to set his parking
brake, or make sure he’d securely put his idling steed
into park, resulting in a runaway vehicle circling the
parking lot. Amazingly he nearly gets away with it as
the truck narrowly misses the Scion first time around.
The second time he isn’t quite as lucky. And the third
time is the killer blow for the little Scion. Continue
BMW
328 Hommage - Concept
Cars
Just days after BMW
celebrated the 328's 75th anniversary, the company
has unveiled a commemorative concept car which is one
of the most stylish and original concepts of the past
couple of years. It looks like what we'd imagine the BMW
Vision ConnectedDrive concept would look like were
it a classic race car.
About the only thing which isn't original is the car's
name. Called the 328 Hommage, the concept features a very
clever blend of retro-chic details, and the latest materials
and engineering. In that way, it's a little bit like the
BMW
Mille Miglia concept from 2006. Continue
Aston
Martin V12 Zagato - Sports
Cars
The Aston Martin V12 Zagato is the latest product of Aston
Martin and Zagato's intermittent collaboration. The car
was officially revealed to the world on the 21th May,
2011, by the shores of Lake Como, Italy at the prestigious
Villa D'Este Concours.
The Aston V12 Zagato was inspired by several of the past
Aston/Zagato creations. Including the DB4GT Zagato, V8
Vantage Zagato and DB7 Zagato. Continue
Autocar
BS1 - News
Autocar, one of the UK’s best known weekly car magazines,
has decided that after decades of reporting on the worlds
latest and greatest sports cars, they’d have a go at developing
their own. Digitally.
The Autocar BS1 (I’m not entirely sure whether the BS
acronym translates quite the same in UK-english) is designed
to to be an out-and-out driver’s car. The brief for the
BS1 – short for British Sportscar 1 – was dreamt up by
Steve Sutcliffe, Autocar’s Editor-at-large. Essentially
he wanted a back-to-basics, open-top two-seater with a
mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel-drive and an overall weight
less than 1,000 kgs (2,200 lbs). The car was then brought
to digital life by Autocar’s Picture Editor Ben Summerell-Youde.
Continue
C6
Corvette + German tuner = Endora SC-1
- News
The Corvette has lent itself to many a rebody, thanks
to its relative affordability, almost infinite tuning
potential, and easy to work with fiberglass body. The
latest company to have a go at re-clothing the ubiquitous
Corvette is from Germany. Called the Endora SC-1 the car
has a unique sense of style which was inspired by American
and European sports car design from the 1960 and 1970s.
Continue
Pininfarina
Coupe - Concept Cars
The Pininfarina Coupe concept was developed by Peter Norris,
a graduate of Coventry University's Transportation Design
course who has spent the last 10 years working as a 3D
modeler for various games firms, working on major titles
like Timesplitters 2 and the Star Wars franchise. Currently
Norris is seeking to put his skills to use into use within
the television or film industry.
The Pininfarina Coupe project is one which has evolved
along the way. Initially Norris wanted to create something
along the lines of the Fiat
Coupe... Continue
Special
Projects Ferrari Superamerica 45
- News
Ferrari’s ‘Special Projects’ division, the guys responsible
for hand-crafting exclusive one-off cars for extremely
wealthy Ferraristas, have just pulled the covers off their
latest project. Based on the 599, the Ferrari Superamerica
45 was commissioned by New York collector and Ferrari
nut Peter Kalikow. The car’s name was chosen by Kalikow
to reflect the 45th anniversary of his first Ferrari purchase.
Continue
Audi
debuts the 2012 A6 Avant - News
The sedan version of the Audi A6 was revealed several
months ago, and now its the turn of the infinitely cooler
A6 Avant to step out from the shadows. Thanks to the extensive
use of aluminium, which makes up roughly 20 percent of
the body, the 2012 A6 Avant is up to 70kgs (154 lbs) lighter
than its predecessor. That makes it a win-win situation
for both agility and efficiency.
Scheduled to launch in Europe later this year, the A6
Avant is offered with a range of both diesel and gasoline
engines. Power outputs range from a healthy 177hp, right
up to a left-lane-of-the-Autobahn suitable 313hp. Continue
Peugeot's
Competition is literally out of this world
- News
Peugeot’s latest competition, designed to drum up publicity
for its 3008 crossover MPV, has as its top prize a trip
to the edge of space. Called the 3008 Space Odyssey, the
competition will offer the winner the chance to blast
off into space on board the Virgin Galactic space ship.
Continue
Nissan
370Z GT Edition - News
Nissan is celebrating their 40th year in the UK, and as
part of their self-appointed festivities the company has
unveiled a limited edition version of the 370Z. Called
the Nissan 370Z GT Edition, the new car offers special
body color options, a unique stripe package, gun-metal
19-inch forged alloy wheels, and best of all, an upgrade
to the suspension system which offers a balanced blend
of sporty handling and enhanced ride comfort. Continue
Honda
CR-Z MUGEN revealed - News
The Honda CR-Z MUGEN was initially teased in a sketch
a couple of months ago, but now the first hi-res photos
have arrived, along with some additional information.
Based on Honda’s hybrid CR-Z, MUGEN’s tweaks have focused
on extracting extra horsepower from the car’s 1.5 litre
engine, thanks to a supercharger, and also reducing the
car’s overall weight. One of the early prototypes, based
on a standard CR-Z with a mildly tuned engine, offered
zero-to-sixty times roughly similar to the Civic Type
R’s. Which should put it comfortably in the 6-7 second
range. Continue
UK
Police employ their first electric patrol car
- News
Thames Valley Police, based in the South-West of England,
have just taken delivery of their first electric patrol
car. Thankfully the little Mitsubishi i-MiEV will only
be used for non-emergency duties in and around Milton
Keynes city center. And that’s a good thing, because it’s
difficult to imagine seeing this thing performing the
PIT maneuver on fleeing bank robbers. Although if they’re
escaping on bicycles it might be up to the job. Continue
Oakley
Design Lamborghini Aventador LP760-2 -
Modified Cars
Oakley Design have just revealed their tuning program
for the Lamborghini
Aventador, and it's all good.
Instead of adding a multitude of pointless spoilers and
air intakes, before bathing the car in some god-awful
color combination, and bolting on some 90's-style wheels
(as far too many high-end tuning companies do) Oakley
Design have tastefully added to the Aventador's already
gorgeous lines. Continue
Electric
car sound research - News
Researchers at Warwick University in the UK are currently
stalking the campus in a specially modified electric car
in order to help develop an ideal sound for electric cars
of the future.
As everyone knows, electric cars are much quieter than
their internal combustion counterparts. For the most part
that's a good thing, however for the pedestrian stepping
out onto the road without looking, it could be fatal.
Continue
McLaren
'Mega Mac' on its way - News
The UK car magazine Autocar is reporting that some
of their 'inside sources' have confirmed McLaren is working
on an all-new hypercar which will crush the opposition.
The car, which is currently going by the informal internal
designation of 'Mega Mac', is apparently being prepared
for a 2014 debut. Production will be limited to just 500
cars, and the price point is said to be somewhere in the
region of £350,000 - £400,000 ($567,000 -
$648,000). Continue
Delta
E-4 Coupe - Sports Cars
Delta Motorsport, the Silverstone-based automotive engineering
firm, have been developing the E-4 Coupe since 2007.
Last year they entered the car in the Automotive X-PRIZE
Competition, and this year they've brought the design
a step closer to full production. Continue
Bus
driver road rage - News
Bus driver Matthew Smith earned himself a 12-month community
order to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work, an eight-week
curfew, an electronic tag, a 15-month driving ban, and
a surprisingly small £50 ($80) fine after a road
rage incident. Continue
Maserati
GT Garbin 2020 - Concept Cars
The Maserati GT Garbin concept was developed by a trio
of graduating designers studying Transportation Design
at the Politecnico di Milano in Italy.
The Maserati GT Garbin was conceived for the year 2020,
and although it's design was partially inspired by the
Maserati Ghibli from the 60s and 70s, the team were keen
to make sure the concept looked to the future and didn't
have a strong retro vibe - which it certainly doesn't!
Continue
Porsche
911 Carrera 4 GTS - Sports Cars
Hot on the heels of the 911
Carrera GTS is its all-wheel-drive counterpart, the
911 Carrera 4 GTS.
Both cars share the same 3.8 litre flat-six engine which
has been tuned to produce 408 horsepower @ 7,300 rpm,
and both cars have the same wide-arch bodywork of all
Carrera
4 models.
While the engine is identical to that used in the two-wheel
drive Carrera GTS, the four-wheel drive version incorporates
Porsche Traction Management (PTM) to offer superior driving
stability and traction - at the expense of some tail-out
fun. Continue
The
BMW 328 turns 75 - News
The BMW 328, the most successful racing car of the 1930s,
has turned 75 this week.
Having started life as a racing car midway through 1936,
series production of the road-going BMW 328 began in spring
1937. Weighing just 780 kgs (1,719 lbs) and developing
a modest 80 horsepower in series production form the BMW
328 was advertised as a "powerful everyday car
for travel and sport".
On the road, its top speed of 96 mph (155 km/h) made it
one of the quickest road cars of its day. And, with only
464 examples ever made, the BMW 328 is today one of the
most sought-after collector's items on the market. Continue
Aston
Martin and Zagato working on a new car
- News
Aston Martin and Zagato have collaborated multiple times
over the previous decades, and to celebrate the 50th anniversary
of their first joint venture, the DB4GT Zagato, the two
companies are working on a new car which will be unveiled
at the Villa D'Este concours in Italy from 21st May. Continue
Video:
Parking muddle - Video
It's difficult to tell from the footage whether this act
of idiocy was the result of a staged prank, genuine stupidity
or blatant inconsideration. Either way, no one was hurt
and nothing was damaged, so we don't really care. Continue
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Record
breaking vehicles are some of the most important
vehicles in the world. Information gathered from
the advanced technology needed to make these extreme
machines filters down to the common vehicles we
see everyday:
Extreme Land Vehicles
