Auto Design

Are you bored of your Fiat 500? Is not enought agressive?

500 Marcia Corta is the answer for your cutie 500.

In the era we live in where the design is a important item on every car, even the smallest,  you can ensure that the level of customizing a car is such that you can significantly alter the character and the final appearance of  your vehicle.

In a jungle of body kits that range from exhaust to ugly spoilers , check out a kit with a strong  and sporty taste, capable of radically transforming the look of the most common of modern cars, Kit “500 Marcia Corta” . Read the rest of this entry »

An Embarassing Comparison?

When I received the first set of official pictures of the Audi A5 Sportback, the first thought that came to my mind was how far (or, indeed, how close) the new “5 door coupé” from Audi  is from the new Porsche Panamera. The two cars are very different in many ways, starting from their selling prices to their fuel consumption and performance via their overall dimensions. You cannot compare them when the time comes to buy one.

Yet, they have a lot in common. They are both luxury cars, they both fit in the new trend of  “dynamic, coupé-like, four seater, authoban-cruisers” with that fastback design and rear hatch. Read the rest of this entry »

Leonardo Fioravanti latest design will not go unnoticed at the Geneva Motor Show. He is not showing the car the market (and the car industry) will ever need. This year on one side he is reproposing a low-cost car he designed almost a decade ago and that goes by the same name of This. And a very provocative and apparently useless prject of a F1 racing car that answer questions nobody has asked so far, not even the ruling FIA association. Never mind though the full scale mock-up of Fioravanti’s idea a of a F1 which, he tells the Italian motoring magazine Quattroruote, has been patented. This is how Fioravanti introduce his LF 1.  In contrast with the wide and long LF1 is the TRIS described as “a new way of low cost vehicle design, based on patented solutions, for the maximum reduction of body components in order to simplify as much as possible the whole project chain: from the feasibility through engineering, tooling, production, assembly and logistic.

According to unofficial but well informed sources, Alfa Romeo is working at a new development of its limited edition and very successful Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. The Alfa 8C GTA.

Official sources declined to comment on the rumour but rather than denying the report they simply say “no comment”.

Declining to comment on plans for a new successor, while the current one is still on sale, is not simply a practice by all manufacturers but is a must, if they want to survive.

Every single unit of the lot of “500 only” limited production Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, has been sold but a good share of the production has still to be delivered and the first 8C Competizione are due to reach the U.S.A. only next month – May, 2008. Read the rest of this entry »

VOLKSWAGEN BIO RUNNER.

It is 2025 and the Baja 1000 (The Americas equivalent of the Paris-Dakar) has introduced the “One Tank Unlimited Solo Class.” The only stipulations are: a) one driver and b) only one 10-gallon tank of fuel, forcing competitors to use every bit of technology, strategy, and wit to finish. In the Bio Runner, the rider is positioned inside a protective cage on a motorcycle-like saddle with controls attached to the hands and feet. These controls manipulate all wheels via synthetic muscle-based suspension that offers unparalleled control and traction.Much like a motorcycle, this system allows the rider to lean into turns as well as shift the centre of gravity by changing the position of the wheels in relation to the cab. This system offers an unparalleled degree of control and traction that ultimately results in much higher speed runs.Dual-turbine engines that run at an ultra-efficient 500,000 rpm and operate on a patented biosynthetic jet fuel power the vehicle. Pity the designers do not tell us more about the potential of this fuel that provide all the energy required for the Baja 1000. Do they know or is it just an assumption and a dream? Also considering that the vehicle also boasts an Arial Reconnaissance Drone (AR-D), which feeds video to the driver when visibility is limited and it too needs energy to fly.The Support Team Chopper transports, follows and in the event of a crash, swoops down to perform repairs. It also contains telemetry analysis software, which in the case of emergency, takes over piloting to avoid danger unseen by the driver. Designers: Derek Jenkins; Patrick Faulwetter; Ian Hilton – Photo Gallery: 

Clearly, Toyota designers have been thinking of endurance racing and not F1 for their Racing car for the year 2025 and this is very interesting, considering the Toyota also race in F1 and this years have been made some significant score.According to them, technological superiority and endurance makes for the ultimate racecar that never needs to stop. Not only is the racer powered by highly efficient hydrogen fuel cell electric motors but also each of its body panels is embedded with photovoltaic panels that supply electricity when extra energy is needed.The vehicle features two basic modes: High Speed Mode and Cornering Mode. In High Speed Mode, the body and wheels narrow, creating less drag and resistance to reach its highest speed of 350 mph. The Cornering Mode transforms the body to create a wide and stable stance with expanded wheels, establishing maximum contact and grip through tight turns.Electronics and futuristic development have been considered to support the driver in darkness or unreliable weather: the cockpit is a completely digital environment with a display enhanced by virtual reality, computer trajectory plotting, collision avoidance assistance and a robot co-pilot, which manages the on-board systems and repairs so that it can maintain full speed all the way to the finish. Sound impressive, doesn’t it?Designers:

·        President:
Kevin Hunter

·        Studio Design Manager:
Erwin Lui

·        Senior Creative Designer:
Craig Kember

Photo Gallery:       

In recent years, Mitsubishi has been dominating the World Rally Championship series and subsequently worldwide Rally Raids the most famous of which is the Paris-Dakar. The continued success of the Mitsubishi Pajero (replaced this year by the Lancer Sport) have inspired the company designers and actually stimulated their imagination. Here comes their view for 2025: the Mitsubishi MMR 25, a vehicle that clearly breaks from convention.That is not just for its shocking look but also for its concept of a multi-terrain, omnidirectional vehicles. To this aim the MMR 25 wheels comes with eight independently-controlled motors each, allowing for “8 x 4” wheel drive so that the car can be driven forward while pointing in any direction. The MMR25 drives sideways into a corner and points the nose of the car outwards before even reaching the apex of the curve while driving sideways or backwards. The MMR25 also uses special Oblique Aerodynamics to give the vehicle aero advantages. The centre wing acts as a spoiler, actuated by pneumatic and fabricated from Memory Metal Alloy while the front and rear spoilers double as suspension blades that are able to control stiffness and ride height.Designer:Jon Hull – Design, surfacing, rendering and animation.

Photo Gallery:

Mercedes-Benz designers have dreamed of a car that combines a number of sophisticated features. Their Formula Zero goes beyond today’s Formula One racers adding to its thrill a clear touch of luxury, the dynamics of the bobsled integrated into the track, and the grace and efficiency of yacht racing.Reminiscent of the Mercedes Benz racing heritage of the 1930’s, the Formula Zero Racer is loaded with technology designed to extract the maximum thrust from the electric hub motors, aero-efficient solar skin and high-tech rigid sail.Each team is allocated the same amount of stored energy and it is left to the teams and drivers to manage the variables to win the race. The winner is determined by total elapsed time combined with the energy efficiency factor. Spectators at the Mercedes Benz Formula Zero racing Series are treated to a new dimension of racing as the transparent track is visible from all perspectives – even from below!Designers:

·        Alan Barrington;

·        George Yoo;

·        Kevin Verduyn

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The MAZDA KAAN is an electric racecar designed to compete in the E1 races, the pinnacle of international motorsports in terms of technology and popularity. Mazda designer have assumed that by 2025, California freeways have been rebuilt with a sub-level electro-conductive polymer that powers the electric cars of the modern world. Mazda’s patented electronic tire system uses this technology to power the KAAN to reach 250 mph with no harmful emissions!Individual drivers race the vehicles but teams are made up of thirty cars each, all on the track together. Using strategies similar to those in cycling pelotons, the tighter the group sticks together, the more aerodynamic and powerful it becomes.Inspiration for the KAAN comes from electric fields and textures seen in nature, particularly those in a lightning bolt. The unique design of this car is created around its powerful electric wheels while the cockpit acts as a capsule to host the driver in a safe environment, allowing for tighter peloton formations and a team victory.

Designers:

• Jacques Flynn;
• Carlos Salaff;
• Minyong Lee;
• Greg Lee;
• Tim Brown;
• Jordan Meadows

Photo Gallery:    

Designed for the 2025 revival of the LA Times Grand Prix, the Chaparral Volt uses advanced EREV propulsion, energy collection, generation and management system to create an entirely new category of racing – the eco-triathlon.

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