Concept Cars

A multi-purpose vehicle capable of delivering emergency housing and supplies to disaster areas then rapidly returning to base ready for another mission – that is the concept behind the Aid Necessities Transporter (A.N.T.). The idea takes inspiration from it's namesake in the insect world – creating more than just a unique concept vehicle but an entirely new aid distribution system. The A.N.T has been designed to traverse rough terrain that would be impossible for conventional trucks to navigate, delivering supply pods and temporary shelter to disaster stricken communities. The vehicle then transforms itself into a low-profile form for a swift return to headquarters. Read More

Nissan has provided a peak at the goodies it has in store for January's Tokyo Auto Salon aftermarket show. The vehicles from Nissan and its subsidiaries Autech and NISMO range from styling concepts to production racecars and includes makeovers for the just-out-of-the-blocks all-electric LEAF and mini-crossover JUKE. Read More

If there’s one model of car that has generated more than its fair share of concept vehicles it’s the MINI. The 2008 Paris Motor Show saw the debut of the MINI Crossover, the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show brought us the MINI Coupé, and a year ago the MINI Beachcomber was revealed ahead of its public debut at the 2010 NAIAS. A year on from the Beachcomber and ahead of its public debut at the 2011 NAIAS, MINI is unveiling the MINI Paceman Concept, a vehicle it calls “the first Sports Activity Coupé in the premium small segment." Read More

Ford Australia has released the first image of its new-look Territory SUV, set for release in 2011 along with what Ford promises will be an "unprecedented new-model onslaught." The SUV design is based on Ford's kinetic design language, and is expected to be a strong indication of the Ford Escape concept due to be shown in January at NAIAS. Read More

Sublime or ridiculous? John Baltazar's Astrum Meera concept car is probably a little bit of both. The beautifully rendered four-seater design combines smooth lines and sporty, low-down fatness with some very ambitious future-tech ideas such as wheels that use magnetic levitation rather than bearings to improve smoothness of ride and fuel efficiency. Read More

We've been taking a closer look at some of the standout blue-sky concepts presented by the likes of Mercedes and Cadillac at the recent LA Design Challenge – here's Volvo's take on the lightweight car of the future. The clamshell-inspired Volvo Air Motion Concept Canyon Carver uses fewer and lighter components than in traditional cars and compressed air engines to achieve a weight estimated at under 1000 lbs (454 kg). Read More

There’s no doubt the folk at Rinspeed like to think outside the box when it comes to its concept cars – you need look no further than the sQuba diving concept car for confirmation of that. The latest design from Rinspeed founder Frank M. Rinderknecht, however, looks to step back inside the box with a design that harks back to the 1970s. The BamBoo, which won’t be officially revealed until the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March, is a stripped-back vehicle that Rinspeed itself describes as resembling a “grown-up golf cart”. Read More

Get ready to have your concept of how a car is manufactured flipped upside-down and turned inside-out. Picture a production process that has plenty in common with agar jelly (used to culture organic materials in laboratories) and little in common with what we would normally think of as production-line automotive manufacturing. You are starting to get close to what the people at Mercedes-Benz have spawned with the BIOME – one of the most outlandish and ambitious concepts in this year's Los Angeles Design Challenge. Read More

The 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge – which asked designers to come up with an efficient 1,000lb (454kg), four-passenger vehicle that maintained comfort, safety, driving-performance and style – has finished in a tie between GM’s Cadillac Aera concept and the Smart 454 from Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design. Previously, the Design Challenge was restricted to major Southern California automotive design studios but this year saw the field widen to include studios from Germany and Japan, resulting in entries from Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Maybach. Read More