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Tuesday, 10 November 2009
The 2009 Trabant nT Concept was displayed at this year's IAA held at Frankfurt.
The 2009 Trabant nT Concept is characterized by a distinctive appearance and pleasing proportions. No unnecessary beading, edges or conspicuous ornamentation distract from the overall shape. The trapezoidal grill opening downwards, the front and rear lights, the bumper pads as well as the superimposed roof are the fundamental graphic elements.
The asynchronous electric motor of the Trabant nT powerfully drives the front axles and achieves a maximum speed of 130 km/h. The engine is fed by a lithium-ion battery located in the design space between rear axle and the car’s transmission tunnel. The battery has a range of maximum 160 km. The Trabant nT can be fully recharged overnight utilizing the regular power network for about 1 Euro in electricity costs. There is hardly a less expensive way to get around!
The trendsetting concept therefore stands for a safe and reliable city- and medium-range car, a second family car, a handy helper for service providers from a wide range of areas. The Trabant nT will be on the road in 2012.
After the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the car manufacturer, Trabant, drew its curtain. However, there were still enough enthusiasts who cared for and maintained their "Trabi" for it to live on as cult car. That is why, even today approximately 52,000 vehicles of the Trabant series are still registered in Germany.
Due to the long professional experience with the popularity of automobiles and its fans, it was no surprise that it was the miniature manufacturer Herpa who began to sense the special character of the Trabant brand. Herpa developed a perspective for the cult car for the "50th Trabant anniversary" on November 7, 2007, and presented it as Initiative newTrabi at the IAA 2007. The overwhelming response of many thousands of interviewees around the IAA 2007 suggested the initiative’s continuation so the newTrabi idea became a project with capable partners from the Autoland Saxony resulting in the development of the Trabant nT concept cars. Labels: Concept-Cars, Frankfurt-Motor-Show, Trabant, Trabant-nT-Concept-Cars
Thursday, 1 October 2009
 Honda riding high on its success of its models in India and abroad has announced an overview of the cars it will have on display at the Tokyo Motor Show this year. The list includes the EV-N, a small four-seater electric car that looks like it could well be the future of zero-emissions urban transport. With retro styling inspired by the 1960s Honda N360 micro car, the battery-powered EV-N also features solar panels on its roof, which can be used to charge the car’s batteries. Unfortunately enough, this is a concept vehicle only and Honda says it currently has no plans to put the EV-N into production. But we do not want Honda to rush on things as Honda has a prize winner in the form of Honda Insight already.  Joining the EV-N at Honda’s stand will be the CR-Z Concept, a petrol-electric hybrid sports car that’s scheduled to go into production in 2010. The CR-Z, according to Honda, will be the world’s first ever petrol-electric vehicle to employ a six-speed manual transmission. Also making its debut at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show will be the new Honda Skydeck concept, a six-seater hybrid MPV. This is, again, just a design study with no production plans as of now. However, the underlying technology, powertrain and packaging provide a glimpse at what we can expect from Honda in the years to come. Labels: Concept-Cars, Electric-Cars, Honda, Honda-CR-Z Concept, Honda-EV-N, Honda-Skydeck-Concept, Hybrid-Sports-Car
Friday, 11 September 2009
 The Vision S500 is a Plug-in Hybrid concept car from Mercedes-Benz. This is another car that is going to be displayed at the 63rd Frankfurt Motor Show that will begin next week. The German car maker claims that its S400 Hybrid is currently the most fuel-efficient petrol-engined luxury saloon in the world and that it is a glimpse at the future shape of things to come from the car manufacturer. The Mercedes-Benz Vision S 500 will be the first 3-litre car in the full sized premium class. It can cover 30 km on electric power alone and consumes just 3.2 liters of petrol for every 100 kilometers. This is possible as the engineers at Mercedes-Benz have managed to combine a powerful direct injected 3.5-litre petrol V6, a 60 bhp electric hybrid module and a next generation lithium ion battery pack with more than 10 kWh of storage capacity, which can be recharged at charging stations. The Vision S500 is powerful enough to sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 250km/h. The Vision S500 is a Plug-in Hybrid is a luxurious and safe car belonging to the next generation S-Class. It offers superior driving performance while eco-friendly compared to car in the same segment. The car will go into production in near future; a tentative date for production has yet to be mentioned by the luxury car company. Mercedes-Benz India sells the S-Class in India and hence we expect the Vision S500 to be India bound. Labels: Concept-Cars, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz-Vision-S-500, S-Class
Monday, 7 September 2009
Hyundai is having a ball and keeping itself busy with all the action in the motoring circles. Hyundai Motor Corporation will be launching the new electric vehicle from its stable based on the popular Hyundai i10 in this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show. Well now that we have said Hyundai has kept itself busy, we also want to give a special mention on the dream concept car project, ix-Metro which Hyundai is currently working on. It seems like Hyundai Motor Corporation, certainly knows how to beat recession by giving more work for the engineers working with the auto giant. Hyundai, with the aid of Global Design Team in Korea, is designing a concept car called the ix-Metro. The Hyundai ix-Metro is an entry-level hybrid crossover. The ix-Metro has been made keeping in mind the young European crowd. The car offers all the practicality, robustness and versatility of a crossover in an elegant and sophisticated package.  The car design has been inspired by the virtual world of space travel as the design team wanted to the car design to be different, something out of this world. The team took inspiration from NASA and even sci-fi movies because spacecraft are universally understood symbols of progress and innovation. The ix-Metro is a departure from the flowing design language found on recent Hyundai production and concept cars. It delves into a new direction with its use of intersected surfaces and strong triangulating lines achieving a pleasing dynamic tension. The high beltline gives a protective feeling, while twenty-inch rims give the Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) a purposeful muscular stance. The ice-blue LED lights in the front fascia are furnished in shades of gold, while the intersected front grille with its integrated fog lamps projects a striking, imposing look. The concept car has a conventional ‘suicide door' configuration as the B-pillar is lacking and has sliding rear doors. The B-pillar-less design not only enlarges the eco car to improve all-round visibility, but more importantly allows easier entry and exit into the rear passenger area. The idea of a protective capsule served as the guiding principle for the interior designers, who opted for a wraparound effect connecting the dashboard, center console, door panel and front seats for a strongly unified look. Surfaces for the seating, cargo space and other key panels are divided by light-filled gaps. Ice-blue illumination creates a high-tech effect. Taking inspiration from sci-fi movies, the designers have chosen a white semi-transparent silicon-like material to cover the dashboard area, which conceals the central display to deliver route information and key controls. The effect is thoroughly modern and unified. Other high tech accessories include digital side view cameras, whose ultra-slim profiles minimize air turbulence and wind noise. The Hyundai ix-Metro will come with foldable rear seats and cargo area, which are connected into one functional loading area. As for the front seats and front exterior illumination, ice-blue lighting is used to divide the cargo area into handy compartments for different purposes. As a CUV, the ix-Metro conveys a feeling of safety, an all-important factor in today's challenging urban environment. And with its greater ground clearance and higher seating position, the Hyundai ix-Metro driver will simply feel safer. The ix-Metro delivers a speedy performance while striving to be ecologically-correct with CO2 emissions of just 80g/km. The car displaces just 1-litre and the three-cylinder petrol engine incorporates highly sophisticated features to maximize output while minimizing fuel consumption. Whoa! If dreams and concepts could just be reality. It will as we have seen. Labels: Concept-Cars, Hyundai-ix-Metro, Hyundai-Motor-Corporation
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
People talk a lot about car designs, the features and the front and the back of the vehicle. Whenever a new model arrives they are quick to point out how and why it looked exquisite. Most of them are least bothered with the technicality involved in making a car better in terms of performance. This is exactly the path taken by Bugatti in the inception of the Bugatti Stratos. The Bugatti Stratos can be suitably described as “designed to delight the senses”. The concept of this supercar is a result of extremity of imaginative power of Bruno Delussu. Bruno Delusso didn't want to be bothered with the engineering and mechanical issues that afflicted the average concept car. All he wanted to do was to create something overwhelming. He let his imagination flow to create what pleases the eye. Bruno Delussu used his creative vigor to sketch out a futuristic car that takes inspiration from Bugatti Type 57 and Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Mille Miglia and Raymond Loewy's locomotive designs. And the outcome is a retro-futuristic concept called the Bugatti Stratos. The Bugatti Stratos Concept car looks more like a shiny little pod that has dropped out of a futuristic space shuttle. The design is simple, sleek and enticing enough to floor you the moment you set your sight on it. In other words, it is a candy for your eyes! Labels: Bugatti-Stratos-Concept, Concept-Cars
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
It was only recently that we had blogged on an ultra cheap car Pico that was developed by engineering students at M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore. This time, it’s students from Sapathagiri College of Engineering in Bangalore who have created a hybrid car as a part of their final year academic project. This set of creative heads has put together an automotive wonder that is a special type of hybrid car as it runs on two engines. The car is powered by an old Sipani Montana 850cc engine that has been modified to deliver extremely low fuel consumption. Besides this, the car runs on LPG as well as petrol. Creating this hybrid marvel was not an easy job for this as there were no available sponsors and every penny required was put in by them on their own. Car parts were sourced from garages across the city and this was the easy part. It took them a while to obtain the engines for the car. The group is looking forward to seeing their pet project being produced commercially but currently it has to undergo a few more changes to come out as a complete car. This is a good example of how young auto engineers are coming up with new and innovative concepts that have the potential to revolutionize the current global car manufacturing scene. Labels: Auto-Engineers, Concept-Cars, Hybrid-Cars, Low-Cost-Cars, Student-Projects
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
The supercar Aston Martin One-77 won the top award for design of concept cars and prototypes at the Concorso d'Eleganza Design Award held in Italy recently. The Aston Martin cars are best known for their association with the fictitious famous British spy James Bond. It has been featured in several Bond movies. The One-77 was unwrapped at the Concorso d’Eleganza event where critics and car enthusiasts witnessed the car for the first time. They were highly impressed by its clean flowing exterior lines and the well-crafted luxurious interior. The One-77 is a strikingly beautiful car that takes style and design to a new level. It is fitted with a powerful 7.3-litre V12 engine that delivers 700 bhp power and 750 Nm torque. The crowd was so overwhelmed by the supercar that it got almost 30 percent of the total votes leaving behind the rest eight contestants. Every single part of the car ranging from the grille, to the gearbox and interior trim can be customized by the buyers. The handcrafted seats can also be tailored to fit the driver’s taste. The company has tried to maintain the exclusivity of the unique car by initially building only 77 cars which will come with a price tag of $1 million making it the most expensive car in the world. It has overtaken the Bugatti Veyron in performance as well as pricing. Labels: Aston-Martin-Cars, Aston-Martin-One-77, Concept-Cars
Monday, 11 May 2009
A racing car that runs on chocolate and has body parts made of veggies sounds really unimaginable. But this has been made in reality by a team of British designers from the University of Warwick. Though racing cars are commonly known to attract men, this particular car will be adorned by women as it comes with a chocolate flavour. Named as the EcoF3, this yummy car runs on 30% biodiesel extracted from chocolate waste. Fibers derived from carrot pulp left over from the juice are used to make the steering wheel, front wing and the mirrors are made of potato starch and flax fiber. The car also used other eco-friendly materials like a side pod made from recycled bottles, a recycled carbon-fiber engine cover and radiator coatings that transform ozone to oxygen. The car is built on Formula 3 specifications and is said to be the fastest race car that runs on biofuel with a top speed of 145 mph. Launched in last week, the car will be displayed at several races including the European Grand Prix and Britain's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The concept of the car is really interesting and bizarre. Hope, India too witnesses some unique creations like this. Labels: Concept-Cars, eco-friendly-cars, Racing-Cars
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Hyundai charges in with its innovative plug-in hybrid concept cars eyeing the increasing demand of fuel-efficient and zero emission vehicles. One such eco-engineered concept is ‘Blue-Will’ which is composed of bio-degradable materials that are light on environment. The imaginations and expertise of Hyundai’s designers and engineers have transcended all boundaries of design, quality, materials, and technology. And this is clearly reflected from the usage of recycled PET soft drink bottles, bio-plastics, and plans extracts in the car designing. You will be amazed to know that Hyundai has used recycled PET soft drink bottles to make headlamp bezels, bio-plastics to make other adornments, and materials made from plant extracts to make the interior as well as the engine area eco-friendly. Another aspect of the car that radiates elegance and fuel senses is the design flexibility of the Blue-Will found on the panoramic roof. This roof is integrated with solar panel cells that transform solar energy to electric energy and is further used to generate power for the batteries. Now the question arises what will drive this bio-degradable car? Gladly, even the engine is eco-friendly with an all-aluminum gasoline direct injected 1.6-litre and a 100kw electric motor. Hyundai’s Blue-Will is a complete eco-friendly concept that meets every expectation of a car buyer. The new plug-in hybrid concept is amazing and authentic as any other Hyundai car. Labels: Concept-Cars, Hybrid-Cars, Hyundai-Car
Monday, 9 March 2009
The Salon International de l’Auto or, more popularly known as, the International Geneva Motor Show was initiated in 1905 and continues to hold the world at awe with its amazing displays of current and future cars and car accessories. The 79th International Geneva Motor Show is being held from March 5th to 15th, 2009, at the Geneva Palexpo. The Geneva Motor Show has always been a lavish affair and this year is no different with Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Pagani, Spyker, Maserati, and Bentley finding their way onto platforms. A special hall christened the Green Pavilion is reserved to display cars and technologies that are developing concepts to go “green”. This 2000 square meter of space is designed and furnished differently from the other halls and also presents a bonus feature of educating drivers to drive their own vehicles in an “econoecological” (eco-friendly) manner. Carazoo was an enthusiastic visitor to the 2009 Geneva Motor Show and came back with loads of photos of some amazing and some stunning and some real out-of-the-world concept cars. Feast your eyes on them below:     For more pictures click here.Labels: Carazoo, Concept-Cars, Geneva-Motor-Show
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Buick Y-Job is a striking and inspirational car designed by a world renowned designer Harley Earl in 1938. This is not only one of the most significant American car designs but is also known to be a signpost for concept cars. The Buick Y-Job is excitingly the world’s first concept car that was created with a desire to test buyers’ reaction to a specific design and style. The car was designed by Earl who was the chief designer of General Motors. Unlike the concept car designed in the modern era, the world’s first concept car was fully functional as it was used by Earl for his personal transportation for several years. The elegant design of the car was complemented by power-operated hidden headlamps, wraparound bumpers, flush door handles, and elegant styling cues. Earl with his Y-Job introduced new trends in design and engineering. And amazingly when the car was first displayed in the 1938 Chicago Auto Show, it attracted mass lovers. Even then the car never went into production but today it is considered to be a historical treasure. This inspirational Buick Y-Job became the vision of concept cars that has actually reshaped the car industry. General Motors used the car as a sales weapon to attract car buyers and the same is now followed by many car manufacturers around the globe. Labels: Car-Manufacturers, Concept-Cars, General-Motors
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Suicide doors were common in the traditional cars but are rarely found in modern cars. These are doors that are hinged to the trailing edge of the car, an edge closer to the rear of the vehicle. They are commonly called as "rear-hinged doors" "coach doors", and "freestyle doors" by manufacturers instead of the name suicide door due its negative connotation. You must be wondering then why the name suicide is even used? It’s nothing strange because the name clearly indicates the danger associated with the doors as there are chances of its falling if its remain unlatched. When driving at high speed the fast moving air surrounding the car creates a low pressure area around that acts as an outward force to open the door. And just imagine what will happen if the car’s door suddenly open out at high speed. The occupant will be thrown out of the car if not wearing a seatbelt. The key advantage of the suicide doors is that they provide an easy entry and exist for the occupants. But passengers from both the front and rear cannot exit or enter the car simultaneously unless the car is too large in its structure. For such an insignificant advantage, no car manufacturer can put the passenger’s life on toll. Today these doors are found in some of the cars but are placed in such a way that it cannot be opened unless regular front doors are opened. You’ll find a pack of suicide and regular front doors in a couple of modern cars including the imposing Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. They are also been used in some of the modern day concept cars. Labels: Car-Manufacturers, Concept-Cars, Rolls-Royce-Cars
Monday, 23 February 2009
The tradition of displaying concept cars started with public exhibit of the Buick Y-Job (world's first concept car) at Chicago Auto Show long back in 1938. Since then auto shows are conceived as strong platforms to showcase a prototype of new design, style, and technology. This year’s Chicago Auto Show displayed some of the fantastic futuristic concepts. Many car manufacturers and designers have showcased their unique and striking concept cars to get the public response. Amazingly, the interactive show floor displayed 18 concept cars that gave a powerful sensory experience and a futuristic feel to the viewers. This year the theme of the concepts was environmental friendly technology and most of the cars were hybrids with few electric cars. Some of the key attributes of the displayed concept cars were new design trends, vibrant colour options, sleek seats, and contrast colour in the interior. Mesmerising concepts like the Cadillac Converj, Lincoln C, Dodge Circuit EV, and the Chrysler 200 EV left every visitor spell bound. Mercedes Blue Zero E Cell, a trio of eco-drivetrain concepts, and Saturn Flextreme Plug In concept were the spotlights of the auto show. Some of the other winning concept cars at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show include the Volkswagen CC Gold Coast, Hyundai Imode, Saab 9X Convertible Concept, Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, Jeep Patriot EV, Kia Soul'ster, Mitsubishi I MIEV, and the Toyota Rav 4 Concept. All these concepts captured the hearts and minds of viewers proving their potential to create sensation in the market if they make their debuts. These winning concept cars may not go into production. But if they go, they would definitely reshape the future of global car industry with new standards of design and technology. Labels: Auto-Shows, Concept-Cars, Electric-Cars
Monday, 16 February 2009
The name 'Light Car - Open Source' may sound unusual to many but this EDAG’s new concept car is set to bring a revolution in the automotive stage of design and engineering. EDAG is a renowned German company that provides high-end engineering services to cars, planes, and even rockets. The environment-friendly and future-orientated vehicle will be showcased at this year’s International Motor Show in Geneva. As the name suggests, this car will exceptionally carry a light body made of basalt fibre and 100% recyclable chassis. It will be the world's first car made of basalt fibre that is claimed to be lighter and cheaper than either aluminium or carbon fibre. Here is not where the excitement ends. The body looks as if made of glass and incorporates strings of organic light-emitting diodes that are user-configurable. The driver can alter the look of the car headlamps and interior cockpit. Even the tail-gate can be used as a projection screen to communicate with other cars sharing the road. It will be the first car to use organic LED lamps that illuminates the car's outline and improves visibility and safety. It is something that lends its exciting name as well. The drivetrain comprises an intelligent electric drive system that generates power from lithium-ion batteries and ensures a high degree of efficiency providing a range of 150 kilometres. The compact car will have luxurious ambience with enough space to seat five passengers. Packed with innovations and ground breaking technologies, the car claims to satisfy future car buyers’ demands in terms of both ecological and economical. Labels: Concept-Cars, Environment-Friendly-Car
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Concept cars give people a chance to see personification of atypical and unique ideas on wheels. It provides car designers a lucrative opportunity to let their imaginations run wild. And that's what is truly reflected in the BMW’s GINA concept. BMW’s GINA Light Visionary concept car presents an entirely different idea from what was actually used till date in concept cars. In this concept, BMW car designer has not used steel, aluminium or carbon fibre but a cloth to structure the car. Polyurethane-coated Lycra that is elastic, durable and water resistant is coated over an aluminium frame controlled by electric and hydraulic actuators. Even more exciting is the fact that the exterior shape of the car can be altered to suit individual desire and taste. The textile fabric is elegantly and tautly placed over a movable metal frame based on the Z8 chassis. It carries the powerful 4.4-litre V8 engine along with a 6-speed automatic transmission. It has four panels-the front hood, two sides and the rear deck. The interior of the car is impressive with flexible steering wheel, headrest rises, and gauges. Isn't that amazing? A car structured using seamless fabric is nothing but an outlandish result of an expanded and highly creative mind. A shape-shifting car! Think if the car goes to production. Practically speaking it is not possible but with future technologies production of such a car may be possible. Then everyone will have a unique, lighter, safer, and more energy-efficient car. Labels: BMW-Cars, Car-Designer, Concept-Cars
Monday, 2 February 2009
Current challenges in the car industry due to growing mobility requirements, stringent emission norms, and declining crude oil are gradually making the green cars a focus of public attention. Thankfully, major advancements and innovations have given birth to fuel-efficient engines, hybrid cars, and battery-electric drive systems and options of alternative fuels like CNG, LPG, Hydrogen and biofuels. These can be an answer to future needs to sustain mobility. The fascinating BlueZERO concept is a trio of green concepts designed by Mercedes-Benz with an aim to overcome challenges and meet new market needs. It displays three unique and interesting concept cars. The sandwich floor design used in these cars makes them even more attractive and inspiring. Sandwich design is a unique and impressive architecture that sandwiches the drivetrain partly in front and partly underneath the passenger compartment in a sloping position. This is done to ensure improved safety, better packaging, and optimized usage of space. Interestingly, the first concept of the trio houses a liquid-cooled high-voltage lithium-ion battery that powers an electric motor linked to the front wheels. This powerful battery runs to about 200km in a single charge and can reach a top speed of 150 km/h without expelling any amount carbon dioxide. The second concept accommodates a new generation fuel cell which generates a peak power output of 121 bhp in association with the hydrogen tank and a high voltage battery. The most interesting part of the concept is that during slow speed manoeuvres energy is used exclusively from the battery and while accelerating, the energy is drawn from both the battery and the fuel cell. The final concept holds a conventional 67 bhp turbo-charged petrol engine as well as a petrol tank. This works as a hybrid car that provides a maximum range of 600km on a tank full of petrol. With the battery power, the car can run up to 100 km in one charge. With unique architecture, engine technologies, and efficient drive systems, the Mercedes-Benz BlueZERO concept is speculated to become the future of mobility which will definitely reshape the car industry. Labels: Concept-Cars, Hybrid-Car, Mercedes-Benz
Monday, 12 January 2009
 Mercedes-Benz introduced the concept ‘Fascination’ at the Paris Auto Show in 2008. The dramatic new concept by the German car manufacturer explores a new car design language with vibrant and sculpted cues. The new concept draws inspiration from the classic Volvo P1800 car and a kind of crushed rear design from Aston Martin called “Shooting Brakes”. The ‘Fascination’ concept car is futuristic and elegant with a personified smooth flowing bonnet and flush-fit touch. Open door handles, dual-piece headlights, and extended rear lights add extra elegance and beauty to the car. A peep into the car reveals an amazing continuance of the V-shape structure of the car's exterior into the interior. An impressive dashboard displaying silver dials is the centre of attraction and the interior is adorned with high-quality woven fabrics and artistically crafted features. In terms of power, the concept is graced with a 2.2 litre Bluetec diesel engine that produces an impressive 210 bhp. The Bluetec engine complies to stringent emission norms of the future and it is the same one that will be introduced in the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class that is set to roll out on Indian roads this year. The fascinating concept by Mercedes-Benz is aimed at providing car designers with an opportunity to explore new horizons through an unconventional route. Labels: Concept-Cars, Mercedes-Benz-Cars
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