Classic Car

CoupeR Design’s Obsidian 900-HP Mustang

Great finds can be found inside and outside of the expansive SEMA show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Today we found the "Obsidian," a 900-horsepower beast built by Matt Couper of CoupeR Design / Autoworks International. The twin-supercharged, 900-horsepower 392-cubic-inch V-8 breathes via a very mean-looking (and mean-acting) hood scoop. The design modifications on the car are extensive, as well. Over eighteen unique mods were made to the body.

Scion Concept Takes xB Off-Road, Off The Map

Designed and painted by artist David Choe, this unique “Monster Truck xB

Caprice Phantom Donk

We went to SEMA expecting to see off-the-wall vehicles. We prepared for months, but nothing could have prepared us for this: the Phantom Caprice, or a 1972 Chevrolet Caprice riding on 30-inch wheels and snouted with a Rolls-Royce Phantom front clip. It's a well-done DONK (typically an American sedan from the 60s, 70s, or 80s with oversized tires), which itself is a bit of an oxymoron; Donks are typically characterized by shoddy construction. This one, however, looks relatively sanitary on the outside.

The Odd Concept Cars Nobody Covered at the Paris Motor Show

It's no newsflash that Russians have money these days, but what remains to be seen is whether rich Ruskies would be willing to spend their flash cash on cars built by the home team, Lada. But the home team may be ready to find out. Behold the Lada Revolution 3, a Russian supercar. Mid-engine, six-speed, rear-drive, low-slung, adjustable wing in back, this thing apparently has it all. Under the rear glass, under a cover that suggests it might be concealing a V-8, beats the heart of a Renault F4R774 2.0-liter four cylinder, making 245 hp, which is supposedly enough to hustle this thing to 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds en route to a top speed of 155 mph. Pagani has nothing to worry about. Yet.

If you think Russian concepts are weird, try this Hungarian one from the Andros Group. Called iSolo, it's an ultra-light (770-pound), aero-slick (0.22 Cd) three seat electric car that can run on solar energy gathered from the roof panels, plug-in power, or pedal power. That's right, each seat has two pedals that can be pumped to generate electricity. Top speed is said to be 80 mph. A multi-fuel range-extending combustion engine is in the works for a future show.

The name of this one almost says it all: Assystem City Car. w's this for a wacky hybrid. Four wheels arrayed in a diamond pattern. The front and rear wheels can turn fully 90 degrees in either direction, allowing the car to pivot about its center, or to drive into a parallel parking space and then pivot into position. Here's where it really gets weird. The front wheel is electrically driven, with the motor and four batteries all mounted on a turntable that includes a control arm and spring/damper for the wheel (the drivetrain is not unsprung, thankfully. The rear wheel is powered by a Honda scooter's 600cc motor, which again is mounted along with a small gas tank, on a turntable. Assystem is an engineering company, working with Franco Sbarro design, that is looking for a licensee to build the bizarre City Car. We wish them luck.

Lumeneo Smera. Billed as a 1+1 tandem, this four-wheeled enclosed motorcycle of sorts is powered by electricity, using a 30kW motor and a 10 kW-hour battery good for 150 km (93-mile) range. It rides on four 145/70R-14 tires and can lean 25 degrees in the turns. I wouldn't hold my breath for production ever reaching U.S. shores.

Human-powered Mini

Mini has come up with a Mini rickshaw, just in time for the Olympic Games.
Looking for a different way to explore Beijing? Mini has created the ultimate human-powered version of its iconic baby car – a Mini rickshaw.
The rickshaw takes the back half of a Mini and adds the human powered component – a bicycle – at the front.
The Mini rickshaw has been plying the streets of the Chinese capital since the Olympic Games commenced earlier this month.

Italian industrial firm Tazzari Zero's

Italian industrial firm Tazzari has announced preliminary specs and launched a new website for its plug-in auto, the Zero. Measuring 113.5 inches long and sporting 15-inch wheels, the city-bound electric car weighs in at 1,200 pounds -- 312 of that from the lithium-ion Fe battery. It'll handle 88 miles with a full charge that takes 9 hours to fill, but you can reportedly juice up to 80% in just 50 minutes. Top speed is 56 MPH, so don't expect to be driving this on the highway, and it can go from 0 to 31 in under 5 seconds. The company says it's due out later this year in Europe and the Carribean for less than 20,000 Euros ($25,760), and yes, there's a dozen Crayola-inspired colors available. Hit up the official site for a trailer.

Autoblog Green

Blowout Pedal Car Auction Comming to Hershey PA

Now this is odd: apparently, some people gather in person, in a single place and on a fixed date, and even require the purchase of tickets in advance, all to auction off items of some rarity and value. No website, no PayPal, no Buy it Now, no nothing. Cuh-razy.
So crazy, it makes the idea of spending hundreds of craftsman-hours customizing, finishing and transforming eleven old-timey Champion Comet pedal cars into unique works of automotive toy art seem as sober as an actuary.
But there you go. On October 8th in Hershey, Pennsylvania, RM Auctions is conducting a charity auction to benefit the Museum of the Antique Automobile Club of America, at which point this glorious fleet of pedal cars will be dispersed to the four corners of America's four-car garages.
for full pics and details: Custom Champion Comets at Hershey [blog.hemmings.com]dead link: AACA Night At The Museum [rmauctions.com]

The One-Seat Eco Vehicle

The personal eco-vehicle from Myers Motors was featured at the ‘Milan 2008: Best of the well-tech awards’ and is most definitely worthy of it. The odd looking one-seater called the ‘NmG’ (no more gas) runs on electricity and can reach a speed of 75mph. It can easily be parked anywhere, helps us breathe cleaner air, turns heads and does not need petrol. Indeed-This little car can transform our planet.

Proxima rides at you like a car, zips off like a motorcycle

You'd probably think the Proxima is a car if you saw it from the front, or a motorcycle — albeit an odd-looking one — from the rear. You'd be right, both times. A concept by Alvino Design, the Proxima is a two-seater that successfully blends two different vehicle styles. Chances are, if you love motorcycles the Proxima won't provide the same thrill, but anyone into odd vehicle concepts or just sleek body stylings besides should be able to appreciate the Proxima's elegant tapering from one vehicle and into another.

Check out the gallery below for more of the Proxima.

Nissan NV200

The NV200, also by Nissan, comes with a complete 'pull-out' office: perfect for travelling salesmen

Nissan's 'Round Box'

Nissan's 'Round Box' concept car looks odd, but it comes with unique windows set into the car's floor that give you a great view of tarmac and roadkill as it rushes beneath you

Nissan unveils

Nissan unveils its concept vehicle Intima. The front passenger's seat swivels outwards by 80 degrees to make it easier for passengers to get in and out

Toyota's I-Real

Models steer Toyota's I-Real concept car at the Tokyo Motorshow

Bike Meets Car in Three-Wheeled Can-Am Spyder

Ostensibly opening up the pleasures of the motorcycling to would-be riders who, for any or all of a variety of reasons related to fear of falling over, haven't taken the plunge, the slightly odd new Can-Am Spyder promises to keep things upright by putting three wheels on the ground instead of two. The latest offering from Bombardier Recreational Products, the company that gave the world the truly revolutionary Ski-Doo in the late 1950s and the similarly significant Sea-Doo in the 1970s, the Can-Am Spyder merges the drivetrain of a motorcycle with the front end of a sports car to create something, well, different. The look is undeniably novel, and with 106 horsepower from a 998-cc V-twin, it offers performance that, while a far cry from even a low-end sport bike, is still on par with, say, a Porsche 911 (which isn't bad at all). Sixty miles per hour arrives in about 4.5 seconds, and the Spyder will scoot to an electronically limited 110 mph. It's on sale now, priced at $14,999. A manually actuated five-speed sequential transmission is standard; an electronically controlled version will add $1500. Specify yellow paint instead of the standard silver for an extra $300.
We love the concept of a motorized trike, although we'd prefer one that came at the idea from more of an automotive perspective, like the spectacular Renault 20Cup concept from a couple of years ago. The Can-Am Spyder is not without its charms, but it seems to us that for five or six grand more, a Mazda MX-5 Miata or a Pontiac Solstice makes vastly more sense — no helmet required.
Source: blog.wired.com/

Covini C6W Car

Wow! Look at this car, it's ...it's.... odd. A new 6 wheeled "supercar" is expected to hit production in 2009. The car is called Covini C6W, an Italian two-seat, two-door supercar with a removable roof section.

"OLED-clad car " German engineers

'Leccy Tech With the Geneva Motor Show on the horizon, German engineering services provider EDAG has released a preview of what it hopes will be one of the stars of the 2009 Swiss auto gathering: the “Light Car – Open Source”, a concept it is describing as “visionary and courageous”.

The LC-OS consists of a rolling chassis that can be adapted to a number of styles and roles by using different body panels. Drive will be provided by four in-wheel electric motors powered by a lithium-ion battery pack which give the vehicle a range or around 150km (90-odd miles).

far so good, but now things start to get a bit sci-fi.

To begin with, the LC-OS's body panels will be made from something called basalt-fibre made by Austrian company ASA.TEC.

Rather being made of chunks of the Giant's Causeway, basalt fibre is made up of the minerals plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine – none of which we had actually heard of before today - and while similar in usage to carbon fibre and fibreglass, it's tougher than the latter and cheaper than the former. It is also fully recyclable and has a specific tenacity three times that of steel. At least that's what is says here.

The basalt-fibre body panels will apparently be transparent giving the car the appearance of being made of glass - so bad news for anyone who likes to drive while nude – although EDAG's announcement is a little contradictory on this point.

Some or all of the outer and inner bodywork will be used as a giant OLED screen which can portray lights and instruments as, when and where the driver wants, in effect turning the entire car into a computer desktop - well, sort of.

"We have transferred today's multimedia and lighting technology standards to the car, and in future want to offer the customer scope for free configuration, as the entire surface of the vehicle functions like the display of a multimedia installation, and can be used intelligently and individually,” said Johannes Barckmann, head of the EDAG Design Studio.

Uses for this include a graduated display of the LC-OS' braking force on a whole tailgate screen “brake light”, which could be helpful for those driving behind an LC-OS once they have got over the shock - or for posting rude messages to other motorists.
Before you ask, we should point out that the company's use of the term 'open source' isn't quite how we all understand it. This is no come one, come all collaborative design project - EDAG's simply approaching other firms to help it work on the tech.
The LC-OS will be 4m long, 1.7m wide, and thanks those neat in-wheel motors will have a 2.9m wheel base giving ample space for five passengers.
Come the opening of the Geneva show on 5 March, we will have more of an idea as to how much of EDAG's plans are based on hard engineering and how much on their design department smokin' and a-tokin' late one night

The Houston Annual Art Car Parade

The Houston Annual Art Car Parade began in 1988 as a small gathering of eclectic hot-rodders and some 40-odd, impressive (albeit slightly bizarre) rides. In 2008, the Art Car Parade drew more than 250 participants, apparently because hey, you can’t spend all your time at Burning Man…
While some of the cars seemed to indicate heavy inspiration from both illegal drugs and Crayola, some of the decidedly aftermarket rides, like the truck pictured above, were so impressively customized they seemed downright SEMA-worthy.

Zero maintenance with 24 wheels : Cadillac WTF

Here’s one hell of a conceptual design: the Cadillac World Thorium Fuel concept. Otherwise known as the Cadillac WTF. It was created by Loren Kulesus. Everything about the aptly named WTF has been created to last for 100 years without maintenance. That’s the reason for the element number ninety, thorium: to act as a nuclear fuel powering batteries that would power this beast.
Also, every major system is redundant just in case of a failure. Even the wheels are covered and shouldn’t give you much trouble. The wheels don’t have individual tires. In fact, what you get is one combined unit made up of six individual wheels. That gives you 24 wheels in all, and each wheel has its own induction motor just for good measure. According to the creator, “The vehicle would require the tires to be adjusted every five years, but no material would need to be added or subtracted.”

The Tango car

The Tango by Commuter Cars is a bit of an odd duck, even by electric car standards. Famous for being owned by George Clooney, it seats two in tandem to retain the ability to "lane split" and encloses its passengers within a race car roll cage. It accelerates almost as fast as a Tesla Roadster and has a top speed somewhere North of 120 mph. Although it has taken the company a long time to produce a small handful of these vehicles, the $108,000 price tag guarantees the line ahead of newly-placed orders is short. Unfortunately, its range is also somewhat short at 60 miles with its current lead acid configuration. A lithium ion power pack could make it capable of a more meaningful 150 miles.

Gold-plated Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

It’s nice to know that some people are having some fun living it up in this recession, while the rest of us count and sort our pennies. This is a gold-mirror-finish Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG from the Bling on Wheels Show, at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. It’s just plain crazy like everything else in Dubai.
If you drive this thing during the day, everyone will know where you are thanks to the trail of innocent onlookers who were blinded by the light bouncing off it. No word on how much it cost the owner to completely bling this thing out.All I know is people in Dubai have way too much damn money. Next they’ll cover one of their fancy skyscrapers in gold and blind us all.

Alleged Smart Car Body Kits

German ww2 troop carrier

Almost identical but not actualWe wandered through his multi level carpark taking the odd non-Benz car from its stands giving it a quick service, plus spray grease in and on door hinges etc. An hour or two on the private roadway to get a little heat in things then puting it away for another indeterminate period.

In our roaming we decided to go through the unrestored and non-running lot and came upon some treasures he had forgotten he had!First up a German ww2 troop carrier (half-Track) which is fitted with a petrol engine! In the medium light it looked like a Benz or Maybach built engine (not that I am that familiar with the prewar stuff)!We checked it out a little closer and even though it was in a well used condition and a bit rusty, we concluded we should have a closer look when it is pulled into the service area. Keep posted for that one!He recalled that he bought it in an 'Auction' lot that came from a deceased/dispossessed eastern bloc government auction where he had only narrowly been able to get it out (or so they made out). He was forced to buy a container load of Eastern-bloc motorcycles to make up the required minimum export value, then they were able to include the 'troop-carrier' in the shipment and be guaranteed safe passage for the lot.What was revealed when the container with the motorcycles was opened was quite a few new 'Jawa' and 'CZ' motorcycles and most unexpected a ww2 'BMW' motorcycle with a sidecar!

There was excitement in my voice as I suggested we check it out, the Motorcycle collection is not given the credence the cars are but I am keen to check that particular machine!
We find it and it is complete, however, rotten tyres and a rusted-on fuel cap prevented anything happening but to pull it out and put in the order for tyres.
The tank mounted gearshift and 'Hi/Lo' range lever moved and all gears seemed to be present, but who knows!
So, we shall do all the oil and the rest while we wait for the tyres and check the 'Troop-Carrier' for viability for a run, since it has pads on the tracks (which need replacing) and the front tyres are cracked and ancient, we conclude this one will take a while!
I encouraged my friend to just leave it in the condition it is in with a thorough clean-up only and renewal of parts that just must be replaced to run as it should.

Flying cars

By now I was fully expecting that we would all be driving flying cars. You can imagine my disappointment. The Terrafugia Transition flying car isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but it’s better than nothing. The car can be driven around on the roads like a normal, though slightly odd looking. When you hit a runway or other long flat area, though, you can flip out those 27 foot wings and you are ready to take to the friendly skies. The car will have about the same fuel efficiency as a Honda Accord – in the range of 30 mpg. When you are airborne you will be able to fly at speeds up to 130 mph, which obviously isn’t jet speed, but is much better than driving in a traffic jam. The Transition will begin selling in 2009. Presumably the market for such a vehicle would be very small, and the $148,000 price tag makes it even smaller. If you want one you can reserve it just by putting 5% down.

Electric cars in the world

The Reva is an Indian built electric car and one of the largest selling electric cars in the world. The Reva is a small 3-door hatchback measuring only 2.6 m long and with a top speed of 70km/h it is designed as a city car. Its small size and lake of pollution has won favor with London’s city council where it is exempt from London’s congestion charges. The car features a 13 kW DC motor mounted in the rear with 8 lead acid batteries under the front seats. It takes 2.5 hours to get to 80% charge or 8 hours to fully charge the Reva that gives it a range of 80klm although future use of lithium ion batteries will improve this greatly. The body of the Riva is made of colour impregnated ABS plastic that makes it dent and scratch resistant. In some markets the Reva is sold as the Reva G-wiz and as with most electric cars has found itself a niche market for people that want a cheap neighbourhood runabout and dont really need to go far or fast on a highway.
http://www.revaindia.com/

electric 3 wheeled car

The Zap Xebra is an electric 3 wheeled car produced in China and sold in the United States the Xebra has a 40klm range with a top speed of around 60klm an hour. Technically classed as a motorcycle the car features such luxuries as 4 seats with seatbelts and a radio/cassette and a heater. The Xebra is about the cheapest electric cars you could own with a price tag of around $11k US it could be tempting to some but also remember 40klm is not that far and walking or riding a bike is just as environmentally friendly with far less mechanical problems. Many owners who have ponied up cash for the Xebra have noted it has poor build quality with a tendency to leak water into the electrics, probably not a good thing in an electric car. Zap claim to have rectified the leaking issue but you really have to be keen to go green with a car that looks like this one.
http://www.zapworld.com/

Who said steam-powered cars where a thing of the past?

Want a futuristic car that could possibly drive as at 150 MPH (241 KPH) but what powers this car? fuel cells? high octane petrol? maybe just regular unleaded petrol? what about steam? barely used since the wide spread use of oil, well this speed demon runs on good old steam.

This odd vehicle was part of the British Steam Car Challenge, it’s powered by four boilers that give this babies turbine come serious pressure. Enough to power this car across the Utah Salt Flats at speed in excess of 155 MPH (241 KPH), until this thing become widely available I’ll stick to my old steam powered car.

Electric car Tango T600

The Tango T600 is an electric car by Commuter Cars of Washington. It’s quite an odd car even for an electric car, and is about the width of some larger motorcycles. Seating two in tandem the car is fairly well equipped with racing style seats, air conditioning electric windows, a MoTeC dash, leather trim cruise control and a fairly decent stereo system. It has decent performance too with the ability of Zero to 60mph (100 klm) in four seconds and has can accelerate through the standing 1/4 mile in 12 seconds at over 120 mph (190 kph). Range is also expected to be up to 80 Miles (130 Klm) so this car seems pretty darn good performance wise for an electric car, so what’s the catch? Well firstly you have to get use to the love it or hate it styling, personally we hate it. I know the skinny size of the car is suppose to make it more nimble in traffic but there is something about it that makes it look weird, the next issue is the price tag, which is $108,000. The companies web site talks up the benefits and costs per mile of their electric vehicle compared to a standard car but we recon if you got 108k to pay for a car the cost per mile probably doesn’t matter too much. The company does have future plans for 2 cheaper models at approx $40k and $19k so we might hold off on our final judgment unit these cars are developed.http://www.commutercars.com/

The Mercedes concept car with sticky out bits

This odd spacey looking car is a Mercedes R500. Its an MPV/SUV crossover and this is an actual production model.

ELETTRICA GREEN CAR

A damp July Sunday in 2007 may well go down in history as the day the practical electric car finally came of age. From a start point just South of Clapham Common, London, an Elettrica two-seater made the 50 mile-odd run all the way to Brighton sea front on a single charge, with battery capacity to spare.

“Range has always been the electric car’s equivalent of the Red Flag act. Like the Red Flag act, with recent developments in lithium-cobalt battery technology, it has now become more of a psychological rather than a practical limitation”, says Vaughan Richmond, partner at Elettrica’s UK agents’ Travelelectric.

Organised by the Battery Vehicle Society, the 22nd of July’s London to Brighton EV Run event has become an annual gathering that attracts both amateur enthusiasts for this mode of transport, as well as commercial entries from the UK’s growing clutch of electric car and light van manufacturers.

Retracing the route taken by those early internal combustion motor pioneers, one of the company’s Elettrica vehicles took in the climb over the Ditchling Beacon – proving that today’s EVs need no longer be restricted to central London flood-plains or the flat-lands of Cambridgeshire. As Richmond is at pains to make clear: “You have to remember that this is not a prototype, or a vehicle using technology that is 10 years in the future. What we achieved that Sunday, can be repeated day in day out, with two adults, and all from a car that has sufficient in reserve to cope with the cut and thrust of urban dual-carriageways”.

Travelelectric, based in Ringwood, Hampshire was established to develop the Italian-built Elettrica into a form more suitable for this country. The vehicle now features a range of 60 miles from a single 5 hour charge, and a top speed of 40 MPH, using British-designed control technology and aircraft-grade lithium-cobalt batteries. Deliveries to customers are currently scheduled to commence during September of 2007.

Cirbin V13R a odd motorcycle or odd car?

Taking the best of a car and a motorcycle and merging them together always brings up the question. Cirbin has done just that by taking a Harley-Davidson V-Rod and added a extra tire and seats and replacing the handlebars with a steering wheel.The look of the Cirbin is quite unique and will certainly have many people asking if this vehicle is really more car or motorcycle. But to those that get a chance to own one of these, the question will probally not matter. Just by the styling of the of the V13R, we can bet that people will flock to this and want one for themselves. The only thing that will stop all the gawkers from owning one of these is the price range starting at $40,000 dollars.

With the styling of the V13R reminding me of the old style racing cars, it seems to show it’s speed just even sitting. The flow of the body to the rear wheel is done with a show of chrome that most bikers will love.Here are a few specs about the bike/car:

Structural 1,5’’ (38 mm) tubular steel
TIG & MIG welded joints
Removable reinforced sub frame assembly
Removable 1,75” (44,5 mm) safety Roll Bars assembly
Reinforced 2” (51 mm) steel tubular swingarm
Stainless steel bolts
Polished billet wheels
Front: 205/45ZR17
Rear: 295/35ZR18
Fiberglass body panels with barrier gelcoat
Car Industry paint and clear coat
Paint with UV Resistance

Â

Harley-Davidson® Liquid-cooled, Revolution® 60° V-Twin engine
Displacement: 76.3 in. (1250cc)
Engine torque: 84.0 ft. lbs. @ 7000 rpm
Horsepower: 125 HP
Bore x torque: 4.13 in. x 2.83 in.
Fuel System: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)
Compression ratio: 11.5:1
Fuel tank capacity: 7.5 GAL (29L)
Overall length: 139’’ (3530 mm)
Overall width: 78,5’’ (1994 mm)
Wheelbase: 97,5″ (2477 mm)
Height : 42’’ (1067 mm)
Ground clearance: 4.5’’ (114 mm)
Weight: 1050 lbs (475 kg)
Source: http://www.cirbin.com/

Amphibious Tang Hua Detroit Fish

We practiced our love with the Tang Hua Book of Songs earlier, and now for the less phallic, more idiosyncratic Tang Hua Detroit Fish. "Detroit Fish" would be an odd name for a car if it weren't for the fact that this fish can evidently swim. Yes indeed, this is the only amphibious crossover at the Detroit Auto Show. While this might not be the most popular segment at the moment, Tang Hua's marketing team has an ingenious strategy - sell one to President George W. Bush for use on his Texas ranch. Tang Hua wants the renowned environmentalist to help kick start its US product blitz with some top notch product placement.

Rhoades Car Quadcycles

Here's an odd ride: the Rhoades Car, a two-seater, four-wheel bike (quad?) that can be pedaled by one or both passengers to power through 36 hill-climbing gears. The company also makes four-seater and more ruggedized versions—you can even get a model powered by a pedal-electric hybrid motor. Accessories abound, with canopies, fenders, lights, and yes—chrome wheels.

Company Product Page [RhoadesCarShowroom via TreeHugger]

Car Reebok Shoe

Of course, with the fast-paced community we live in right now, everything changes and becomes newer, more awesome, and more modern-looking. Yes, even odd shoe cars:

Turtlecar

I don’t think they need it but if ever the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hanker for a ride, this would be it. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Turtlecar or.. um.. Shellby, whatever! Heck you can baptize it yourself if you want - the darn thing doesn’t have a name yet. The remodelled car is - of course the hump is a dead giveaway - no other than the iconic Volkswagen Beetle, named fourth most influential car of the 20th century by Global Automotive Elections Foundation. Now, a Beetle’s hip right? But a Turtle Beetle is beyond hip, it’s napalm. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Where was I? Oh yes, Turtlecar looks like a piece of art there but I can’t imagine myself behind the wheel of this.. this mechanical contraption. I mean, what will the neighbors say? Plus we don’t know if it will pass the ultimate test: Will it sink or swim?

Odd car 1

Toyota Hi-Ct concept car

Have you ever seen that Element that some people have been driving? I always thought those rectangular cars were odd, like giant shoeboxes. It appears that Toyota has rolled out an environmentally friendly box-shaped car.

The Toyota Hi-Ct concept car was first shown at the Bangkok International Motor Show, but not at the more famous New York Auto Show. This hybrid vehicle can charge from an external electric source, such as a AC100V accessory socket.

Beyond Classic: Tempo Matador Hochpritsche mit Volkswagen Motor

The real reason we go to classic car shows is the odd chance of running across something like this. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the Tempo Matador. To our knowledge, it is the only air-cooled, mid-engined, front-wheel-drive pickup truck with suicide doors ever created. Produced in extremely low numbers between 1949-1951 as both a precursor and competitor to the Volkswagen Type II, this particularly cherry example is one of five known to exist in the world. As great as the actual truck is, the essentially perfect restoration is even better. Killer features include a backward Type I engine below and behind the driver's butt, a rear window flourish that looks like the hood from a Bug and several cases of Weizen bottles from a brewery in Reisbach. You owe it to yourself to click through the gallery. Also, jump for some YouTube action. – Jonny LIeberman

more : jalopnik.com

Really weird car with welded add-ons

This seems to be a very odd car to say the least and I would have loved to really get a picture of this from the front view but even without one like that, it would be hard not to call it the ‘Armadillo Car’ for the sheer metal work on its back as it reminds me quite a bit of the Armadillo. It also reminds me of the ‘Holiday Armadillo’ episode of Friends where he dresses himself up as one for the sake of his son Ben. Despite how much I really like that whole episode this car is just not to my liking.
While the makers of this car are really proud of the whole welding work put on it and I would not really disagree with them on that as there must have been plenty of painstaking work put on it, it still does not feel an iota like a car that you would really want to parade around in. By the looks of things I am pretty certain that the front of the car would have a giant metal bird beak on it and even that only makes it all the more un-cool.
Unless you are looking for a welder who would really dish out some horrible looking automobiles, it is hard to understand why anyone would want to put this up as their best work. Not a car to really die for!

Fiat Multipla

Very odd car, this Fiat Multipla. It's more or less the Italian vision on the Renault Mégane Scenic. It has two rows of three seats and it's meant for young active families. Where else than in Italy would young families need room for six?
Somehow the original and innovative idea turned into a failure. Even the efforts of Formula One ace Michael Schumacher didn't change the public opinion that this car is strange. Instead of being bought by those young and active families it is turning out to become an alternative to a minibus, giving it an utilitarian and, even worse, untrendy image.



Now be honest: does it appeal to you? No doubt that it's original and modern and maybe even ahead of its time, but is it nice to look at? Does it give you a warm feeling? Are you getting excited by it? I didn't think so either.
So what's the problem? I think the design is unbalanced, it looks like a monospace design of which the nose has been pulled forward and the roof has been flattened. The small round headlights and those big black chunks of plastic bumper in front and rear don't help either. It misses the 'elegance' of the Scenic and the Xsara Picasso, two very well balanced designs. Instead it looks bulky and boxy and unattractive in comparison.

Seen from the rear the odd proportions of the car are most evident. Its width is 1.87 m and its height is 1.67 m, which make it almost van-like. The total length of the car is 3.99 m.The Multipla can be ordered with a 1.6 litre petrol engine delivering 103 hp and a 1.9 litre turbo diesel delivering 105 hp. A methanol engine is under development, as is a version with both an electric and a petrol engine (a hybrid system).