3 Wheel Lotus?!?

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Yeah, THREE wheel! This all electric two-seater is as fast as a BMW M3 and apparently due to be released in the U.S. next year! You’re gonna wanna see this.

156mph would be a rush in this

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Weighing in at only 700kg the Alias produces 320hp and 557 torque, will hit 60 from a standstill in 5.7 seconds, and top out at 156mph.
This collaboration between Lotus and Zero Air Pollution – a Californian company, will be powered by an electric motor at each wheel and get around 100 miles out of each charge.

Neat but not really practical in the U.S.

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Don’t quite know what we’re suppose to do with the 100 mile range but if you’re in the market for a work commuter that will still give you the opportunity to use the HOV lane and you have a spare $30,000 then the Alias may be the perfect vehicle for you.

A Beautiful Bat Mobile

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I know nothing at all about this car other than I like it! I found these images online but no detail on the car. If anyone has any details or knows where I can get further info, please pass it along.

Hoping someone just photoshop’d the Peugeot badge on

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I do like this concept car but I have to be honest, I’m struggling with the fact that it’s French.
The fact that it is a Peug

For your veiwing pleasure, the unveiling of the new Acura concept delivered an awesome looking coupe that almost has the look of the Cadillac XLR Roadsters boxier rearend, but still holds true to the Acura look we’re familiar with.

Humbled

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I recently wrote about the Peugeot Prana concept, I also joked about the fact it had a Peugeot badge on it and said that we’d never see a physical version because of that fact.
Well thanks to a reader - aalmada, I’ve been humbled and now have a new respect for the French auto maker.

Competition

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Peugeot offer budding designers an amazing opportunity to design a vehicle of the future, it may not make the production line but they do make a working concept that is displayed at auto shows around Europe,

Winners

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Images I found over at gizmag.com, just a few that made the top ten.

Toyotas Small IQ

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Smart Car with a 3rd seat Toyota intend to deliver the production version of at next months Geneva auto show, sporting a 1.0L engine to push along to 3 meter city car.

Toyota Press Release 2/13/08:

iQ represents a break-through in compact urban transportation. For a first, up to three passengers can be comfortably seated in a compact urban vehicle at sub three metres in length, and additionally have enough area to accommodate a child or luggage.
The spaciousness of iQ is a result of its ingenious packaging, which was created by six space-saving but inter-linked engineering innovations that represent a revolution in Toyota’s automotive vehicle development. Infused with Japanese design elements, iQ is a radical change in vehicle design as well as environmentally friendly transportation, and away from the belief that small cars are basic and less safe.

Sporty Hybrid

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Honda have announced that the sporty CR-Z will move from the concept stage to the production line in 2009, obviously a modern view of the popular CRX hatchback first seen in the 80’s, though Honda insist it’s not.

Compact Renaissance Zero, or CR-Z for short

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No details on the specs as yet but it’s expected to share the same powertrain as the current Civic Hybrid, I believe this will be a move in the right direction for Honda as they have nailed their design theme of ‘Hi-Tech and Sporty’ though I’m sure we’ll see a slightly different version come 2009.

Smoking Not Recommended

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The Splinter is made from Maple, Plywood and MDF, designers from North Carolina State University have used wood pretty much anywhere they could.

Wonder if it floats?

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A 4.6L V8 produces 600bhp and moves the 15ft wump of wood from 0-60mph in 3 seconds, topping out at 240mph, not bad for a car where the 6 speed manual transmission made mostly out wood too.

Have Dodge just stuck a badge on an xB?

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Originally a concept back in 2006 Dodge have give the nod to a production version of the Hornet, I can’t help but wonder if the success of the xB had a part to play in the decision making since it looks like the same freaking car!

More Effort Required

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OK, they may have had the Nitro designers help to change it a little what with copyright infractions leaving gates open to law suits and all, but I hope it works out for them and that they take this endeavor a little more serious than that of the Nitro, I got really excited to see the Nitro when they had those funny ads just before the release but was so let down when I saw the finished product on the showroom floor, it just looked cheap.

Competition

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If this car is to compete with the xB, Yaris, and Fit, its will need to look sharp and solid, that’s some tough competition however I would say their expected MSRP of less than $10k will get customers to the lots.

Due to be released in the U.S. and Europe in 2010.

Weird Car

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Aha! That’s because it’s a car that is also a plane! The Aircar is quite the sleeper with a 39bhp engine that produces a top speed of 85mph but things change a little when you whip out the wings buddy, the twin propeller engine pumps out 296bhp with a top speed in the region of 200mph and you now have your very own fast lane to work.

New York Auto Show

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These images make it look like it was put together in the backwoods somewhere, but later this month Milner will put more effort into the presentation at the New York Auto Show.
The Aircar is expected to be production ready in some form by 2010 with a price tag around $450,000.

Got Air?

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Zero Pollution Motors aim to introduce an air powered car to the U.S. market by 2010, with a range close to 1000 miles and priced under $18,000 this should excite the treehuggers.

X Prize

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ZPM have already entered the Automotive X Prize Competition, the 75hp vehicle is estimated to have a top speed around 96mph and could end up being the first 100+mpg non-electrical car for sale in the U.S., lets see how it does when it’s released in India next year.

“I want to stress that these are estimates, and that we’ll know soon more precisely from our engineers,” ZPM spokesman Kevin Haydon told PM, “but a vehicle with one tank of air and, say, 8 gal. of either conventional petrol, ethanol or biofuel could hit between 800 and 1000 miles.”