TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities » Car Concepts

Toyota Prius Becomes the First LTE Connected Car in the World [Toyota and ng Connect to Deliver 4G LTE Connected Car in 2010?]

Chris Smith — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:12:01 +0000

Not only is 2010 going to introduce the first commercially available wireless LTE networks but it looks like various cars of the future will be able to offer the same high-speed 4G connectivity.
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Honda EV-N Concept and U3-X Personal Mobility Device Bundle [EV-N Holds U3-X Segway-like device Inside Door]

Chris Smith — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:24:26 +0000

Just a few days ago we’ve seen a new Honda concept, the U3-X personal mobility device, which might just become a Segway serious competitor, and change forever the way we imagine personal mobility. And today we have the pleasure to see another impressive concept from Honda, the EV-N. It might be small, but it will certainly have at least one surprise for you once you open that door.
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Covini Six-Wheeled Sports Car [Mighty Cool Mighty Fast]

Piyush — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:59:27 +0000

Maybe its just that am a conventional man and am not easily roused out of thinking outside the box – which is why I find the Covini six wheeler (C6W) to be a slightly unattractive vehicle when you first look at it.

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Splitview Comand From Mercedes [Two People, Same Screen, Different Programs]

Piyush — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:52:16 +0000

The new Splitview technology from Mercedes will be made available in all vehicles of the S-Class. The Splitview Comand screen is essentially an 8″ TFT-LCD color display which allows the driver and the front seat passenger to view different programs on the same screen simultaneously. So, if the driver is viewing a GPS chart on the screen, the passenger can view his favorite film, music video, or TV channel on display. This is achieved by means of pixel display in which the image seen depends upon the angle at which one is seated. A filter masking is used to segregate the combined image created from the two images, namely of GPS and the film being viewed. A neat addition and one that must have required a fair amount of research.

But what exactly does the gadget achieve? Some comfort for the travelers, of course if men are driving both driver and passenger could end up viewing the film. Ditto for women as driver and passenger, both will arrive at the directions through mutual agreement, the need to see the GPS data may not arise at all.

The Nissan Mobile Phone With Intelligent Key For Automobiles? Really?

Bo — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:50:39 +0000

Nissan has a phone? No, I don’t mean they have a telephone, I mean they have teamed up with 2 other impressive companies to release a new mobile phone incorporating the “intelligent key system”.

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Vectrix Electric Super Bike Is First Of Its Kind And Green Technology Has Never Been So Hot!

Bo — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:03:20 +0000

So I’m not much of a bike rider myself but I can sure appreciate the beauty of the streamlined design such as this new concept Electric Superbike; The Vectrix!

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The MoVille Tear Drop Concept Car Packs A Punch Both In Design As Well As In Available Features

Bo — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:22:11 +0000

I was just thinking about the Peugeot design concept car of 2005 when what should happen? Another strangely bubble-like concept gets delivered to my pc screen. The MoVille Tear Drop Concept Car packs a punch both in design as well as in available features.

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This Air Hog Zero Gravity R/C Will Drive You Up The Wall – Literally!

Bo — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:39:46 +0000

We’ve all heard the saying, “Driving me up the wall!” which is something your sibling or boss can do to you … but now you can literally drive up the wall by yourself! That’s right … The Air Hog Zero Gravity R/C defies all that we know from our good friend, Newton!

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Lotus’ Concept Ice Vehicle – Nice Ice Baby!

Bo — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:05:00 +0000

If you want to explore the Antarctic, you are already one step closer to madness in my opinion, and may actually enjoy driving along in one of these bizarre Concept Ice Vehicles by Lotus. (...)
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The UNO Single Seat Urban Transporter

Andrew Tingle — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:08:14 +0000

With our inner cities becoming evermore gridlocked, and the issue of traffic congestion becoming increasingly politicised, it’s never made more sense to opt for small, highly agile modes of transport with which you can not only weave through the traffic but which you can park in the tightest of places. We just have to look at the popularity of vehicles such as the Smart Car, to name but one example, to see that many have adopted the idea of owning a secondary vehicle as a means of gaining greater and more convenient urban mobility.

Concepts, such as this UNO – an entry in the 2007 Michelin Challenge Design Competition – are of great interest therefore, as they serve as a tantalising glimpse as to where the future of urban transport is rapidly headed for those of us for whom the ultimate mode of future transport – namely personal air travel – will forever remain unattainable (at least certainly within our lifetimes).

The UNO is a single seat urban vehicle using hybrid hydrogen fuel cells and is powered by independent motors driving each of its wheels resulting in supreme agility which, paired with the wide field of view provided – 30% of the total structure being composed of glazing – should make precision parking a breeze. Interestingly, the headlights as well as the brake and indicator lights comprise of an LED array built into each of the UNO’s main wheels whilst a gyroscopic based motion system – much like that employed in the Segway – providing continuously calculated stability and adaptive handling according to road surface quality.

The UNO is a collaborative concept work overseen by Juan Alberto Cruz Gomez, a 22 year old graduate from Mexico’s Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana (UAM) and further details and imagery can be obtained via this link.

The Awesome Acabion GTBO70 Rocket

Andrew Tingle — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:50:26 +0000

Forgive us, we are fickle things here at TFTS. We thought the Bugatti Veyon was cool. We also thought the Caparo T1 was cool. We still do think that these and the majority of the spectacular cars and car concepts we’ve featured on TFTS are cool, though they just got a little bit warmer because, thanks to the Acabion GTBO70 Rocket we have moved them out of cold storage to make space for this 375mph, 700hp cockpit on wheels.

Weighing in at a mere 359kg, the two seater, carbon fibre Acabion – which, incidentally, is powered by a highly tuned Suzuki motorcycle engine – can propel itself to 280mph in a breathtaking, g-force crushing 19 seconds.

A selection of imagery and a detailed specification follows below.

Yup. We’d be smiling to ourselves too.

Acabion GTBO70 Specification

Body Work: Cabriolet or jet, pilot hood attachable to delta wing at rear Model Carbon fibre, self-supporting, redundant with the space frame of the chassis, ‘fail safe principle’ as in aeroplane construction, engine frame high-strength steel tubing.
Length 5,10 Meter Width 0,78 Meter
Height 1,27 Meters
Weight m empty Acabion GTBO 55: 360 kg, Acabion GTBO 70: 300 kg
Total permitted weight 550 kg
CD-value (drag coefficient) 0,18 Frontal area A = 0,69 m2
Drag coefficient CD*A 0,125
Engine: Basis model Hybrid: A) 1400cc (2007), 16 valves, Turbo. B) Electric power system 3 KW for short-range and slow operation (parking, private terrain, etc.)
Enhanced Mechanics>300 different Carillo, Holeshot, JE, HJS and Zorstec, racing and Dragster-components
Cylinders 4
Valves per cylinder 4
TurbochargerGTBO 36: MHI Acabion Extended, All others: KKK Acabion Extended
Displacement1300 ccm
Bore stroke4 units per 81 * 63 mm Speed value10.900 U/min
Gears: ModelCircuit / Electrical (Powershift)
Gears 6
Reverse gears Electrical
Interior: Complete leather furnishings incl. side coverings, footwell and cockpit
Seats 2, Carbon, leather
Boot150 Litres
Fuel: TankDepending on customer requirements, max. 90 Litres
Motor oil 3,5 Litres
Coolant 7 Litres
Fuel Consumption and Range: with a 90 litre full tank 100 km/h4 l/100 km | 2400 km 200 km/h6 l/100 km 1650 km 300 km/h9 l/100 km | 1100 km 400 km/h14 l/100 km | 700 km 450 km/h16 l/100 km | 550 km

Production is presently limited to 26 models so you’ll have to be quick off the mark yourself to pre-order yours, that’s if you have in the region of $600,000 to spare.

You can access the official website via this link, or download the brochure – in PFD format – directly via this link.

Bombardier 2008 Can-Am 3 Wheel Spyder

Andrew Tingle — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 15:51:03 +0000

Following on from our recent post concerning the VentureOne Hybrid Fighter Car, as well as today’s post about the KTM X-bow, at the expense of beginning to look like autos site we could not hold back from posting about the Bombardier Can-Am Roadster which, like the VentureOne is a 3 wheel device that serves to blur the boundaries between car and motorbike (though this sits rather more on the motorbike side of the fence than the VentureOne).

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KTM X-Bow Promises a Thrilling Ride

Andrew Tingle — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 13:33:07 +0000

Due to be given its first public debut at the up and coming Geneva Motor Show in March, the KTM X-Bow (pronounced ‘Crossbow’) is the first foray into four wheeled vehicles for the Austrian dirt bike manufacturer KTM and it promises to thrill with a mid mounted Audi supplied 2-litre turbocharged engine capable of up to 320bhp which should, theoretically, see it power from zero to sixty mph in well under four seconds – I say ‘theoretically’ as a functional prototype is yet to be produced.

As additional thrill factor, the carbon chassis KTM X-Bow, showing its manufacture’s bike heritage, comes as an open top without any windscreen for that wind in the face feeling, though it’s recommended that helmets be worn.

For further information you can link to the official KTM website.

The Folding Stackable City Car

Andrew Tingle — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 08:52:51 +0000

With traffic congestion and carbon emissions becoming increasingly politicised the developing market for green urban vehicles is one that car manufactures simply cannot afford to ignore.

And if evidence were needed then the fact that none other than General Motors are backing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) development of this stackable car should suffice.

This ingenious concept known as the City Car is not your run of the mill electric car, however, as it boasts a number of ingenious innovations which includes the ability for it to be stacked when parked – very much in the same way as shopping trolleys – courtesy of a unique folding, lightweight modular chassis. (...)
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The VentureOne Hybrid Fighter Car

Andrew Tingle — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 01:25:06 +0000

Claiming to offer the exhilaration of a sports car with the agility of a motorcycle, driving the VentureOne would appear to feel more like piloting a figher jet a mere two feet off the ground as not only does the inside of the VentureOne look more like the cockpit of a fighter that but this vehicle will also trill you as it tilts you around corners.

Still at development stage, but promised to be commercially available by late 2008 (with an estimated retail price of around $20,000) the VentureOne, though classed as a motorcycle, offers tandem seating for two people in its fully enclosed frame which also offers a reinforced roll-cage and front and side impact protection which, statistically speaking, offers 33 times the level of safety that its two wheeled cousins.

The VentureOne, which coincidentally comes with full iPod compatability, will be offered in three separate variants ranging from a 60KW electrical hybrid to a 100KW model that will accelerate you to 60mph in less than five seconds and is capable of a very respectable 120mph.

If any further evidence were needed that being environmentally friendly is ultimately boring then the VentureOne certainly appears to fit the bill. We just hope that it does indeed see the light of day.
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BMW Series 1 Air Camper

Andrew Tingle — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 20:30:48 +0000

When I first came across the image featured here my first thought was that this was some sort of colostomy bag for BMWs.

On further reading, however, it actually transpires that it’s an inflatable living area – aka tent – that was developed for the BMW series 1 launch a couple of years ago.

Apparently designed to be inflated via a fan hooked up to the car’s cigarette lighter, this instant inflatable shelter is actually quite a neat idea that, as far as we are aware, never actually saw the light of day – perhaps on account of the fact that BMW drivers have enough problem using their indicators let alone having to work out how to inflate a tent at the back of the car.

[Source | Winding Road via Coolest Gadgets]

Peugeot Design Contest Concepts

Andrew Tingle — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 11:59:10 +0000

Those looking for a glimpse of what the future of automotive design may have in store for us are positively inundated with imagery these days and, though we’ve featured a fair few future car concepts on TFTS we do try to only feature those that, in our humble opinions, stand out in some way from the crowd.

And this is certainly the case as far as the rather swanky looking Cub is concerned. The Cub is one of the 10 design concepts picked from masses of entries in Peugeot’s 2007 Design contest and whilst it would be true to say that all ten of the featured design are startlingly eye-catching we were drawn in particular to the Cub – primarily due to the design of the back wheels which is nothing short of sheer brilliance.

You can see some high resolution of the glorious Cub below though, in honesty, as is the case with 99.9% of the concepts we stumble across the chances of us seeing it any time soon – if ever – are extremely remote.

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The 233KPH Hawk 3 Wheeler Concept

Andrew Tingle — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:07:27 +0000

Following on from the extremely popular post concerning the rather magnificent T-Rex 3 wheeler, which at the time of writing is still ranked as our fifth popular post here at TFTS, we could not help but draw your attention to the fabulously futuristic Hawk 3 wheeler vehicle by the designer Alex Hodge.

The lightweight, single seat Hawk is powered by a Honda RC51 V-twin 999cc engine and is listed as having a “theoretical” top speed of 233kph – so, like the aforementioned T-Rex, the Hawk is by no means a slouch in the speed department.

Information concerning this great concept is a little scant at present, but we at TFTS will be keeping our eyes well and truly peeled for further details and you can rest assured that the moment we have more information we’ll be offering it here without delay.

In the meantime, you can see some further imagery of this startlingly beautiful design below.

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Saab Aero X Concept Car

Andrew Tingle — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 01:34:05 +0000

Having recently just been awarded the Concept of the Year Award by Autocar the Saab Aero X has obviously already turned a few heads.

And with seek styling such as this, should we be surprised?

Featuring an innovative wrap around windscreen, turbine wheels and an interior that resembles that of a fighter jet rather than a car – no doubt the result of Saab’s prestigious aviation heritage – the Aero X is built around a 2.8 litre V6 Turbo all-aluminum bio-fuelled engine that delivers 400bph and can power the car from 0-60 in a very respectable 4.9 seconds.

You can see a selection of larger images of Saab’s Aero X concept car after the jump.

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The Audi Quattroflex Concept Car

Andrew Tingle — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 20:38:12 +0000

Of the many future car concepts we have seen of late here at TFTS Towers, the Audi Quattroflex, which has the distinction of winning a “Best Use of Technology Award” at the Interior Motives Design Awards 2006, is certainly one of the most visually striking.

Designed by Alexey Bykov, a student of the Ural State Academy of Arts and Architecture, the Quattroflex is composed of an open carriage manufactured from flexible materials set between front and back cylinders that serve to house the mechanics. And, rather than being controlled by a conventional steering wheel, the Quattroflex is driven using a joystick set in the centre of the vehicle – which cleverly allows for both left and right hand drive without modification.

You can read more concerning the Quattroflex, and view a selection of breathtaking high resolution images of this concept, by clicking on this link.

[Source: Autoblog via Spluch]