Automotive

Much as some people loathe it, I’ve always kind of liked the Subaru Baja. It has the quirky short-bed car/truck look of the Hummer, but isn’t anywhere near as large and nasty as that vehicle. Well, the designers at smart have taken the “little Hummer” idea to the extreme, with the for-us concept. Premiering next month at the North American International Auto Show, the two-seater electric car looks pretty much like a smart fortwo ... with a little cargo bed in back. Read More

Estonian armored vehicle maker Dartz has partnered with the Gray Design studio for the second time to give its recently-launched fuel-driven Mojo two-seater roadster an electric make-over. The lightly armored open-top electric low-rider will use the same Russian monocoque armoring system used for bigger vehicles like the Combat T-98. Designed for the streets of the Cote d'Azur, the Jo-Mojo will feature a novel sliding cover that will not only lock the car between trips but will also have solar cells built in, to give the onboard batteries some juice while baking in the Mediterranean sun. Read More

With its stunningly-exotic “car of the future” looks, extremely high claimed fuel efficiency, and a projected price of under US$30,000, the Aptera was a car that captured many peoples’ imaginations. Perhaps best of all, when the vehicle was initially launched, the first consumer models were slated for delivery by the next year – this appeared to be no pie-in-the-sky concept. After several years of pushing that delivery date forward, however, Aptera Motors announced last Friday that it was ceasing operations. Read More

Amongst the modern furniture and “design-art” on display at this year’s Design Miami/ international design show visitors were also treated to the Bjarke Ingels Group’s (BIG) vision for the future of urban mobility. Dubbed “Urban Future,” the international architectural firm’s installation, created with the cooperation of Audi, provided a glimpse of how its concept for the city street of the future that networks with vehicles and pedestrians might actually work. Read More

In yet another example of internet mass media hysteria (reporters not checking facts and racing to get the story out quickly in the unholy pursuit of the holy dollar), a pile-up of 14 cars in Japan on Sunday morning has been universally labelled as the the world's most expensive automobile accident. Among the wreckage were eight Ferraris (including two F430s, two F355s, two 360 Modenas and an F512), a Lamborghini Diablo, a Nissan GT-R and a Mercedes CL600, and while there will certainly be a few very expensive repair bills, the crash doesn't even come close to being the world's most costly. Read More

This week at the Tokyo Auto Show in Japan Bridgestone showed off its latest development – puncture-less air-free tires. The tires are still in the concept phase, but have been successfully tested on single-person vehicles in Japan traditionally used for elderly people. The 9-inch wheels have thermoplastic-resin spokes that radiate from the rim to the tread, curving to the left and right for maximum structural support. The solid design doesn't require air, and consequently can't be punctured - so, no more flat tires. Read More

Mazda's theme at this year's Tokyo Motor Show was "Environmental Technology, Pushing the Boundaries of the Emotion of Motion," and the TAKERI concept making its world debut at the show integrates a number of environmentally friendly technologies that fall under the company's SKYACTIV banner. The car also reflects the KODO design language ushered in by the SHINARI and MINAGI concept cars, which will serve as a blueprint for Mazda's future vehicles. Read More

Happy times must be returning to the world economy when a car company can put its cash toward a concept like this. Nissan has fulfilled the wet dreams of hot hatch lovers all over the world by cramming the engine, drivetrain, suspension, electronics and sheer maniacal giggle factor of its monstrous GT-R supercar into the compact dimensions of the funky Juke city car. The Nissan Juke R (which can really only be pronounced as "Jew car") is an outstanding example of what happens when you give your best engineers the freedom to build what's in their hearts - in this case, a 480-horsepower, 4WD mega-mini-SUV that handles like a racer and should eat Ferraris for breakfast on the way to pick up the kids from soccer. Awesome. Read More

In February of this year, TMSUK - the Japanese robotics company behind service robots such as the telerobotic shopper and the Showa Hanako 2 robotic dental patient - partnered up with pharmaceuticals and electro-optronics company Kowa to develop environmentally friendly electric vehicles for urban transportation. The Kowa-TMSUK joint venture isn't even a year old yet has managed to produce not one, not two, but three eye-catching concept vehicles that have made their world debut at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. Read More