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Archive of posts filed under the Strange Vehicles category.

Marchi Mobile eleMMent Palazzo luxury RV

Posted by Jeff Darling on 13 June 2013, 11:56 am

The Marchi Mobile eleMMent Palazzo is the most expensive RV you can buy. It costs an astonishing $3 million, and is said to be popular amongst filthy rich oil sheiks who take their “glamping” very seriously.

The eleMMent Palazzo – not sure what the double capital ‘M’s stand for – is built by the Austrian firm Marchi Mobile. Inside, the eleMMent Palazzo features all sorts of camping essentials like a marble lined master suite with shower and toilet, 40-inch tv, dining area and bar. To make extra space within the vehicle, one side of the eleMMent Palazzo slides out to nearly double the width of the interior space. On the outside, apart from the amazingly ugly face, the RV features must-have accessories like a barbecue, fireplace and one-button pop-up roof terrace.
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Filed under Luxury cars, Odd news, Strange Vehicles. Tagged Caravans, RVs

3 Comments

MIGALOO luxury submarine by Motion Code: Blue

Posted by Jeff Darling on 10 June 2013, 5:12 pm

Wow. Where to begin with this thing. Well it’s called the MIGALOO and was designed by the Austrian naval architect firm motion code: blue – who have previously worked on a number of luxury yachts and super yachts in the USA, Europe and Asia. So this isn’t just someone’s pipe dream. It really could get built. It’s a 115 meter long submarine which has all the amenities you’d expect to find onboard a large luxury yacht; pool, gym, luxurious owner’s suite and guest quarters, salon, sunbathing areas, dining spaces, cinema, games room and crew quarters. But at the same time it can dive to depths of 240 metres and travel completely out of sight of prying eyes and the paparazzi.

In order to keep the build relativley straight forward, motion code: blue aren’t trying to reinvent the submarine. Well, they are a bit. But for the most part they’re sticking with a tried and tested submarine hull, and just retrofitting it with high-grade luxury appointments.
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Filed under Strange Vehicles, Watercraft. Tagged Motion Code Blue, Submersibles

6 Comments

Strange Vehicles: Rhein-Flugzeugbau GmbH X-114 ‘Airfoilboat’

Posted by Jeff Darling on 9 June 2013, 2:49 pm

The X-114 protototype, or ‘Airfoilboat’ as it was known, was a German aircraft which was developed by Rhein-Flugzeugbau GmbH (RFG), an affiliate of the aircraft manufacturer Fokker. The X-114 Airfoilboat was designed by Dr Alexander Lippisch, an early pioneer in the field of aerodynamics. One of his previous creations included a delta-wing aircraft developed in the early ’30s which led to the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163.

After the Second World War he moved to the US to continue his work. During the ’60s he was employed by the Collins Company designing high-speed watercraft. One of the designs he worked on was a catamaran. However the vessel continually tried to get airborne. Leading Lippisch to proclaim; “If the things insist on flying, let them fly”. It was from this moment he devoted his time to further exploring the ground effect principle. For those who don’t know, ‘ground effect’ is the name given to the phenomena where low flying aircraft experience additional lift as they get closer to the ground. It’s very complicated stuff, and it’d take someone a hell of a lot smarter than me to properly explain it. But that should be enough to get you through this article.
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Filed under Aerospace, Aircraft, Strange Vehicles, Watercraft. Tagged Ekranoplan, RFG

5 Comments

sSike electric bike concept

Posted by Jeff Darling on 30 May 2013, 3:03 pm

The sSike is a clever and compact little electric bike concept which was developed by Barcelona-based company Asen Innovacio. When developing the sSike, the designers wanted to create an incredibly lightweight and portable vehicle which could easily be used by commuters on the train and subway, and neatly fit into the trunk of a car or take up minimal space in an apartment when not in use.

The sSike is motivated by a 250W high torque brushless electric motor which is powered by a LIFePO 4 prismatic battery. The top speed is 12 mph (20 km/h), while the range is an impressive 24 miles (40 km). A full charge takes 6 hours. It only takes 5 seconds for the handlebars to be folded down for storage, and the bike’s creators say it only takes a few minutes for new riders to become familiar with the controls and unconventional layout.
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Filed under Electric Motorcycles, Strange Vehicles. Tagged Asen Innovacio, Bicycles, electric

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Suprine Exodus

Posted by Jeff Darling on 28 May 2013, 11:00 am

Recumbent motorcycles aren’t anything new. But they are still a pretty rare sight on the world’s roads. The Suprine Exodus from the American manufacturer Suprine Machinery, Inc. probably isn’t going to change that fact. But it will offer riders another option if they’re looking for something a little different.

The Suprine Exodus is built around a 1,200 cc BMW transverse flat 4-cylinder engine. The frame is formed from steel, with aluminium, magnesium and titanium components. And while you may think it looks like it’s unfinished and in need of some bodywork, Suprine like it that way, leaving all the mechanical components and detailed engineering on display.
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Filed under Motorcycles, Strange Vehicles. Tagged BMW, Motorcycles, Strange Vehicles, Suprine

3 Comments

Volkswagen Fusca Concept

Posted by Jeff Darling on 27 May 2013, 12:27 pm

The VW Beetle – or Fusca as it’s known in Brazil – is by anyone’s standards an iconic vehicle. Love it or hate it, it’s rounded shape is instantly recognisable the world over. Lost tribes deep in the Amazon rain forest have probably even heard of it. It’s hardly surprising then that the Beetle is an ever-popular choice for designers to try and reinvent and restyle in their own unique way.

Step forward Danilo Andrade. A Brazilian designer who dreamt up the Volkswagen Fusca Concept. This isn’t the first time Andrade’s work has featured on these pages, but it is the first time we’ve featured something of his with four wheels. The Fusca concept is a proposal for a flatbed pickup-style vehicle with a cabin reminiscent of the original Beet… sorry I meant Fusca.
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Filed under Classic Cars, Concept cars, Strange Vehicles. Tagged Concept Cars, Pickups, Volkswagen

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Terrafugia TF-X “VTOL” flying car

Posted by Aurel Niculescu on 10 May 2013, 11:19 am

Terrafugia, a US company based in Woburn, Massachusetts you may have already heard of due to their Transition “roadable aircraft”, has returned to our attention with their next project, the TF-X. If the Transition is a rather conventional (if we can say that with these vehicles) fixed-wing flying car prototype, we can’t say the same about their new project, which involves even more clever engineering and futuristic design.

Terrafugia must be very pleased with their successes achieved with Transition – in 2012 they completed the first phase of flight-testing; on their way to achieving certification from both NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and FAA (US Federal Aviation Authority).
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Filed under Aircraft, Concept cars, Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars, Strange Vehicles. Tagged electric, flying car, Hybrid, terrafugia, TF-X

7 Comments

Video: This guy’s bike is bigger than yours

Posted by Jeff Darling on 25 April 2013, 12:17 pm

It’s not often bicycles make their way onto this website. But in extreme cases I’m prepared to make exceptions. Like the Monsterbike, this contraption – suitably called Stoopid Tall – is one man’s bizarre idea of what a bicycle should be.

Stoopid Tall is the work of Richie Trimble, who brought his 14.5 foot (4.4 metre) death trap along to the Ciclavia event in downtown Los Angeles last weekend.
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Filed under Odd news, Strange Vehicles. Tagged Bicycles, Strange Vehicles

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Bombardier TrailTrike Concept

Posted by Jeff Darling on 18 April 2013, 5:50 pm

The Bombardier TrailTrike Concept is the work of Charles Bombardier, the same Canadian engineering and vehicle design guru who oversaw the development of the BRP Can-Am Spyder. While working on the road-going Can-Am Spyder, he also imagined what an off-road version might look like. However it hasn’t been until now that those visions have been realised in the form of a number of design sketches.

The TrailTrike concept features the same reverse tricycle layout as the Can-Am Spyder, but that’s about where the similarities end. It’s much lighter than its road-going counterpart, and naturally features significantly greater suspension travel. The proposed drivetrain of the TrailTrike is a 2-stroke E-TEC engine equipped with two output shafts, one providing power to the front wheels, and the other transmitting power to the solitary rear wheel. The transmission is a CVT unit.
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Filed under Concept cars, Motorcycles, Preview sketches, Strange Vehicles. Tagged Bombardier, BRP, Concept Motorcycles, Motorcycles

1 Comment

Vote: Classic Face-Off – VW Beetle based WTFs

Posted by Jeff Darling on 16 April 2013, 11:45 am

Classic face-off is a feature where we show you a couple of similarly priced classic cars from the same era, and you vote for the one you find most appealing.

The humble and ubiquitous Volkswagen Beetle is one of the most commonly used donor vehicles for kitcar builders. In this round of Classic Face-Off you’ve got the choice of two Beetle-based vehicles. But despite their identical origins, they’ve ended up as two very different lumps of fiberglass and metal. The only thing they have in common is that almost every one who sees them says “wtf?”
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Filed under Classic Cars, Strange Vehicles, Vote for your Favorite!. Tagged Classic Cars, Classic Face-Off, Volkswagen

4 Comments

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