Future Cars...

The cars in the future will change dramatically.

Future Cars...

It has reached its peak and will soon run out of steam.

Future Cars...

Will it be superceeded with better transportation technologies?

Future Cars...

Pushing automotive technology forwards with new concept cars.

Future Cars...

See which cars could be the Future Cars...

Friday, March 28, 2014

Biofore - biobased concept car

A concept car designed to be a futuristic and street-legal vehicle which uses renewable biomaterials was unveiled at the 84th Geneva International Motor Show.
The Biofore concept car is a joint production by UPM and the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.Various parts of the concept car were made from UPM’sbiobased materials – the UPM Formi biocomposite and UPM Grada thermoformable wood material. These materials will improve the overall environmental performance of the car, without compromising quality or safety, according to the company. The concept car will also be fuelled by UPM BioVerno wood-based renewable diesel. UPM Raflatac label materials will be used to mark spare parts as well as in the interior and exterior design of the car. In addition to UPM and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, several other partner companies and the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation are involved in the Biofore concept car project.


Source: upm.com/environmentalleader.com

Hyundai PassoCorto concept







PassoCorto has a very sporty profile. A concept car wîth a technical but evocative name, intentionally requested to be in Italian by the Hyundai Design Center Europe as a tribute to the Made in Italy design that is studied at the IED. PassoCorto, the tenth full scale model created by Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin, is a sports car, extremely compact in size. Designed by the Master in Transportation Design - work experience IED Turin - a.y. 2012/13 in collaboration wîth Hyundai, it will be revealed in world preview at the 84the International Geneva Motor Show.

The Korean car manufacturer gave to the Institute a design brief wîth its target potential customers being those born between the eighties and the early years of this millennium: the young people who are always connected, those of 2.0, known as generation Y. This very target market also includes the students on the Master's asked by Hyundai to draw and design 'the car of their dreams', one that would be top of their list for buying and driving. The car designers therefore put themselves into the shoes of automotive professionals and also the potential purchasers of their own design. This is how the PassoCorto was created, in a year - 2014 - that, in addition to the tenth full scale model, will also see the Institute celebrate 20 years of the Transportation Design course and 25 years of activity in the region.
PassoCorto (length 4100mm - width 1880mm - height 1160mm – wheelbase 2450mm) - whose name itself already expresses all the character of the car, recalling its compactness and lightness - is a twoseater sports car wîth rear-mid engine. The interiors are designed to have two cockpits wîth integrated instruments clearly divided by passenger and driver; the seat is optically connected to the dashboard and the backrest is cut directly out of special niches in the frame. The model was designed to have a carbon fibre monocoque chassis, thereby ensuring the car is as light as possible (the target weight was 840 kg). On the road, it would be powered by a 4 cylinder inline bi-turbo engine (1600 cc) of 270 CV. In general, the concept lines are dictated by the wheel arches, which simulate crab claws and envelop the extremely streamlined central volume of the bonnet and the cab. The front and rear are completed wîth significant aerodynamic elements, while the roof has a graphical setting that integrates the engine air inlets while a video camera acts as a rear view mirror and records high resolution videos to be shared wîth fiends on the web. The exhaust pipes, which come out of the top part of the car, allow for a 'clean' rear and are a characterising element of the design of the whole car. The livery dazzles in orange, which is reminiscent of the 1970s sports car traditions that made the history of great Italian car makers. 
PassoCorto is the work of sixteen students on the Master's course coordinated by Luca Borgogno, Lead Designer Pininfarina. The concept is the result of a process marked by various assessment stages, simulating a real working situation. All the students submitted their own proposal; the two that were best able to respond to the initial brief were selected and 'merged' together into the final version which combines approximately 70% of one proposal and 30% of the other. The entire class in fact created a core working team in order to create a well-integrated model of the two final versions in line wîth the concepts expressed by the scale models, completing as a group the full scale concept.

Source - Istituto Europeo di Design

Škoda Vision C

The highlight of Škoda's appearance at Lac Leman this year will be to present the spectacular 'Škoda VisionC' design study, wîth which Škoda's dynamic model & design development of the last few years moves into the next stage. The next evolutionary step of Škoda's design language underpins the dawn of the brand. During the course of the most comprehensive model campaign in corporate history, Škoda is renewing and broadening the entire range of models. The design of Škoda cars is playing an ever more important role and shows the brand's emotional vibrancy and power. The design language of the dynamic and elegant five-door coupé is taking the leading role in the next evolutionary steps: Škoda's design is becoming more expressive, dynamic and emotional. At the same time, the five-door coupé study shows the possibility of innovative body concepts.


Source: Škoda's web

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Toyota FT-1 Concept

The FT-1, set to debut at the North America International Auto Show, is not a "real car," but a "concept car" -- a three-dimensional frenzy of winks and side glances, sucking scoops, and brutal downforce-generators, all peeking at us from behind a curtain where the future is being created. It's the essence of a potent potential new sports car that's for now an instant of bodywork turbulence, shock-frozen in fiberglass. Unlike the Supra, the FT-1 has racing fingerprints all over it. The wind is shat- tered by a prow dominated by a Formula 1-inspired beak. Consequently, the radia- tor's air is divided between twin shark-like mouths, each stuffed with electric fans sitting atop angled splitters whose shape is repeated higher up via streaking light signatures that fishhook around intense, triple-LED headlights.





Source: http://www.motortrend.com/future/concept_vehicles/1403_toyota_ft_1_concept_first_look/#ixzz2wyi4OHsm

Honda Vision XS-1 Concept

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. exhibited the world premiere of the Honda Vision XS-1 at the 12th Auto Expo 2014 held at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, Úttar Pradesh, India.
The Honda Vision XS-1 is a creative study model which embodies Honda's vision for the future of manufacturing. Based on Honda's original M/M (man maximum, machine minimum) concept*, the Honda Vision XS-1 fuses together two different values, a sporty exterior styling and amazing spaciousness, in the compact body. Furthermore, based on the Honda design concept, 'Exciting H Design,' Honda's human-centered design concept was embodied in this model.
The Honda Vision XS-1 was designed to represent Honda's creativity in designing compact vehicles for a market expanding globally. Although there is no mass-production plan for this model at the moment, Honda chose to exhibit the world premiere of this model in India, a rapidly growing market where Honda has strong ties.



Source: http://www.conceptcarz.com/z23612/Honda-Vision-XS-1-Concept.aspx

New Audi TT


Audi promised us that its Allroad Shooting Brake concept from Detroit foretold the next-generationAudi TT. It didn't lie. Ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, Audi has released several design sketches of the 2015 TT, and aside from losing the two-box design and taller Allroad ride height, the concept looks to be a dead ringer for the production car. If you love the roofline of the first-generation TT, then you'll love the latest car's rounded roof, although the rest of the design has evolved towards a boxier, more aggressive look. The sketches also show a new take on Audi's signature LED headlights that are mirrored in the taillights. There are still a couple more weeks before we'll see the third-generation TT, but we're already dreaming about how this car will look in RS guise.


Source: http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/future-cars/future-car-news/audi-tt-gets-concept-styling

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Nissan Sport Sedan Concept - SSC

Nissan calls it the SSC, for Sport Sedan Concept, but you can just call it a preview of the next Maxima (the so-called "four-door sports car"). Officially, the SSC is a design exercise intended to demonstrate the next generation of Nissan design, but expect the new Maxima to be a toned-down version of this car. 



A number of current Nissan styling cues can be seen in the SSC, but with futuristic twists. The boomerang headlights and taillights are still there, but they're much more exaggerated and full of LEDs. Nissan's new signature grille pumps up the V-motion graphic you might recognize from the new Rogue. Sharply creased fenders are reminiscent of the GT-R, as is the slim roof sitting on blacked-out A-pillars. A slice removed from the C-pillar recalls the recent Nissan IDx Freeflow concepts, while the overall shape isn't far removed from Infiniti's rear-wheel-drive sport sedans. The concept rides on 21-inch wheels with V-shaped spokes backed by big brakes with slotted rotors. The overall effect is aggressive, sporty, and just futuristic enough.


Source: http://www.motortrend.com/future/concept_vehicles/1401_nissan_sport_sedan_concept_first_look/#ixzz2woQEGVVR

Audi Allroad Shooting Brake - Two-Door Crossover

The Audi Allroad Shooting Brake concept is a case where the name is funkier than the car itself. Here, Audi attempts to combines the distinctive and bulbous profile of a shooting brake with the pseudo-rugged looks typically associated with Allroad models. The plug-in hybrid concept, however, is essentially a two-door compact crossover, which isn't too much of a shocker considering Audi's plan to significantly expand its lineup of Q-badged crossovers. That said, two-door crossovers are nothing new. Range Rover has its Evoque and Mini entered the fray with the Paceman. Dimensionally, the Allroad Shooting Brake concept is within inches of Audi's own Q3 and the Paceman, which will likely be the main competitor for the funky Audi (should it make it to production). 
At first glance, the concept appears as if the A3 hatch and A4 Allroad have morphed together. There are even hints of the first-generation TT in the concept's curvy rear end. A few notable design touches include the absence of a B-pillar, the rakish hatch, and wide fender flares. Everything else is relatively familiar. Audi's signature trapezoidal grille dominates the concept's mug, while each headlight unit houses two clusters of the automaker's new matrix LED lighting system. Gray body cladding, a familiar Allroad design trait, is used for the lower edges of the fenders, bumpers, and rocker panels. With a wheelbase of 98.8 inches and an overall length of 165.4 inches, the Allroad Shooting Brake concept is relatively small. The cabin will accommodate four adults who will be surrounded by Alcantara headliner, aluminum accents, and dark gray leather. Overall, the interior is reminiscent of a few recent model launches including the 2015 A3 and the next-generation TT. The instrument panel, for example, is completely digital with a high-resolution 12.3-inch screen. Drivers can select among three display modes including a "classic" view that shows the speedometer and information pertaining to the hybrid system. An "infotainment" mode displays navigation or audio details, while a "Sport" mode is highlighted by a tachometer.

Source: http://www.motortrend.com/future/concept_vehicles/1401_audi_allroad_shooting_brake_concept_first_look/#ixzz2woO8J13v