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Let's look at eleven of the most exciting modern day concept cars and, as we admire their lithe lines and futuristic features, dream a little...

11. Ford Airstream concept

Anyone old enough to remember Airstream trailers? This striking new Ford concept isn't anything like them, don't worry! A fixture of the 2007 auto show scene, the Airstream concept previews the crossover vehicle of the future. Look beneath the Airstream's awesome appearance and you'll find a new plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cell called HySeries Drive that provides continuous electric power without the need for fossil fuels.





10. Toyota i-Real concept

The i-Real takes "personal transportation" to the next level while blurring the line between car and scooter. Not those Razor Scooters beloved by teens, I mean those electric rolling chairs beloved by oldsters. As the Baby Boom morphs into the Elderly Explosion, a vehicle like the I-Real could find itself in great demand. It looks cool, is controlled by joysticks and it's a Toyota - sounds like a sure winner!




9. Nissan NV200 concept

The Nissan NV200 concept is the neatest thing since sliced bread - it even features a unique pull-out storage module that slides out from the rear doors like a loaf of bread from a plastic bag. In effect, the NV200 turns storage inside out... or is that outside in? Any way - you say it, Nissan's designers have offered a new option that could be just the thing for certain niche professions. Pictured below, is a concept fit for ocean photographers.





8. Mazda Ryuga concept

It's not often that design and engineering complement each other without compromise, and the Mazda Ryuga concept is an exquisite expression of creative cooperation! With its flowing lines, gullwing (more like bat-wing) doors and retro-futuristic interior, the Ryuga is simply stunning any way you look at it. Are there any practical reasons for bringing the Ryuga from concept to concrete? Maybe not... but humanity's desire to make dreams come true has to be respected. Zoom zoom? Yes please!





7. Acura NSX Advanced Sports Car concept

The Acura NSX was Honda's interpretation of a Ferrari-esque supercar, and it sold in modest numbers from 1990 to 2005 without much in the way of appearance or engineering changes. That was then, this is now... the Acura NSX Advanced Sports Car Concept picks up where the old NSX left off - in fact, Honda's CEO announced the new NSX's development program within days of the previous model's last production day. Though only a concept car at the moment, the Acura NSX Advanced Sports Car Concept should hit the streets later this year. Features include a Formula One-inspired V10 motor and the SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system currently used in the Acura RL. Here's hoping Honda follows through on their promises!





6. Toyota FT-HS Hybrid Sports Car concept

Hybrids... they're the queens of the green, clean fuel-sippin' scene. They're NOT mean drivin' machines, however, but all that may change if Toyota has anything to do with it - and they do. The FT-HS Hybrid Sports Car concept is not your grandmother's Prius though it's still powered by a hybrid motor. The difference is, the motor in the FT-HS can push the sleek 2-door coupe to 60 mph in 4 seconds flat! If the rumors are true, the FT-HS is the forthcoming replacement for the Toyota Supra.





5. Lexus LF-A concept

As hot as the Toyota concept cars may be, some of the ideas bubbling out of Lexus are even hotter! That's how it should be, since Lexus is Toyota's premier brand and has a lofty image to uphold. With the LF-A concept, that image is set to fly even higher. This concept is "on track" to be produced as a 2009 model and let's just hope the track has no obstacles. Is the LF-A going to be the next - or rather the first - Lexus supercar? A mid-engine layout with perfect weight distribution, rear-mounted radiators and a top speed of over 200 mph answers that question emphatically - YES!





4. McLaren M Eleven B concept

How do you improve upon the best? That was the question put to students of the Istituto Europeo di Design's Transport Design course, who were asked to design an updated version of McLaren's legendary supercar, the F1. Hailed as one of the finest iterations of the supercar class ten years ago, the F1 is still relatively unmatched in virtually every category. Students at the Turin, Italy based school were asked to design the next-gen McLaren supercar, using a mid-engine format, a 200 mph top speed and the ultimate in road-going performance. The winner of the competition was the M Eleven B. Will it be built? As long as there are those who demand the very best, the M Eleven B will find a market at any price.





3. Maybach Excelero concept

Maybach is Mercedes-Benz's icing on the automotive cake and the Excelero, of which only a single concept has been made, is the crèm de la crème. The Excelero certainly looks formidable, and it's got the power to back it up - though it's hard to imagine this car ever backing up! But I digress... a twin-turbo, 5.9 litre V12 engine puts out an awe-inspiring 700 hp. Can the tires take it? Who cares - if you're in the Excelero's target market, tires are not your concern.





2. Toyota Volta concept

Toyota seems intent on banishing the hybrid car's meek image for good - and the Volta hybrid sportscar concept is very, very good indeed! The Volta takes the basic hybrid engine blueprint and squeezes every bit of potential out of it. The result? A 435-mile cruising range and an, er, electric 0-60 mph time of 4 seconds flat! Most enticing, the Volta features a unique drive-by-wire control system that allows any of the three - yes, three - front seat occupants to assume control of the vehicle just by having said controls moved in front of them. Memo to Toyota... make the Volta, please!!





1. GMC Denali XT concept

Oil crisis, what oil crisis? If the radically styled GMC Denali XT concept could talk, that's what it would likely say - and it would find a lot of ears ready to listen! Should this beautiful brute actually make it into production, an entire fleet of Hummers, Excursions and Suburbans is going to look really old, really fast. Best of all, though the Denali XT concept looks like a fuel-hog, it really isn't - and that's notwithstanding the 326 horsepower, 4.9 litre V8 ensconced beneath its sculptured hood. Flex-fuel capability, direct fuel injection and GM's proven Active Fuel Management system delivers twice the fuel economy of a standard setup. The Denali XT concept is one mean, green machine!





These eleven exceptional concept cars prove beyond a doubt that the auto industry is thriving under the combined pressures of competition, regulation and market saturation. It takes a lot to get yourself noticed in this type of environment, and the world's creative designers, engineers and marketers know it - and are doing something about it. Hey, they've got my attention... and if they bring these classy concepts into mass production, they just might get my order!

Article by Steve Levenstein from Inventor Spot. Steve writes about weird and wonderful Japanese innovations on a regular basis and you can catch up on current & previous examples at his blog. Submit your thoughts - click here!

The Air Car can be refueled in minutes from an air compressor at specially equipped gas stations and can go roughly 42 miles on a dollar fill-up. The top speed is about 70 mph and the vehicle comes with a price tag as low as $7000. The car features a fibreglass body and a revolutionary electrical system and is completely computer-controlled. It is powered by the expansion of compressed air - using no combustion at all - and the exhaust is entirely clean and cool enough for use in the internal air conditioning system.

BBC News reports that the first cars will be available for sale by the end of the year:



However, there is still some questions as to what the environmental footprint of these air-powered cars will be. Manufacturers suggest that because the cars run on air - they are environmentally friendly. Critics of the air-powered car idea say that the cars only move the air pollution from the car's exhaust to somewhere else, like an electrical power plant. These cars do require electricity in order for the air to be compressed inside the tanks, and fossil fuel power is needed to supply electricity. What do you think?

Apparently, blind people can "see" better with the aid of a bioptic device, a miniature telescope, that is fitted over the top of the lens in their eye. Thus, their vision is improved up to the point that they can drive a car legally - and you wouldn't see such sights as these:


This article was written by Michelle Dyer from Writing Circle. Michelle is totally blind and yet she can put blogs together. Not just thought provoking but inspiring as well! If you are interested in contributing to the thinking process and become a guest writer on The Thinking Blog, find out more information here and be my guest!

I understand that SUVs are often used in places such as the Australian Outback, Africa, the Middle East, Alaska, Northern Canada, South America and most of Asia, which have limited paved roads and require the vehicle to have all-terrain handling - but driving SUVs in a city? That is reason why majority of the SUV producers today take into account that most SUV owners never go offroad. As such, SUVs now have lower ground clearance and suspension designed primarily for paved road usage. So people are drawn to them for their "utilitarian" image - their large cabins, higher ride height, and perceived safety.

Now the benefits of hybrids are stunning but combining SUVs with hybrid-electric technology is beyond me (more details here but nevermind). Is that the direction in which we should go? I think what we really need to do is bring back the Peel from 1962, dubbed the World's smallest production car, and re-create it with carbon fiber materials, a makeover, and a modern engine. With a weight of only 59 kg (132 lb) the car runs 40 km to the litre (2.5 l/100 km or 100 miles per gallon) - almost cheaper than walking. At just 134 cm (53 in) long and 99 cm (39 in) wide, about eight peels can fit into an ordinary parking space. What's even more interesting is that this is a car from the 60s!


Here is a segment from the popular BBC motoring programme Top Gear, during which the 6ft 5in (196cm) tall presenter Jeremy Clarkson reviews the car and drives it through central London to work.


This remarkablely innovative car of brilliant design comes from the Peel resident engineer and inventor, Cyril Cannell. You can find more pictures of the Peel P50 and Trident here and here. If all cars in a city were this small (consider a modern remake with hybrid or electric engine), then we wouldn't have any safety problems or pollution problems or parking space problems!

Etox is the first Turkish automobile manufacturer dedicated exclusively to building sports cars. Its first model, the Etox Zafer, will become the first ever Turkish sports car. Designing the Zafer took 6 months after testing and surveying among hundreds of other prototypes. The latest prototype was created by 46 Turkish engineers in 2 years. The 100,000 kilometer quality tests of the Etox Zafer are currently under way.

The license for mass production of the Etox Zafer has been granted by the Turkish Government and the company aims to produce 20 cars per annum in its first year of production. Etox is envisioning to produce up to 500 cars per annum in the coming years. Etox is almost 100% manufactured and assembled in Turkey. Only the engines are imported from a French auto manufacturer company. Etox is planning to develop its own engines within 2 years time.

The price tag? A modest $56,900.

Here are the videos of the beast in action and more photos after the jump:
























Sources: 1, 2, 3.

Even though T-Rex has been commercially available since the early 1990s, major changes were made to ensure the 2007 model is more efficient in fuel consumption. Using only a 1.4 Liter, 4-cylinder engine, it accelerates from 0-97 km/h (0-60 mph) in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 253 km/h (157 mph). The manual transmission, although controlled by hand, more closely resembles motorcycle transmissions than that of a car.

Due to the absence of doors or windshield (optional), the vehicle maintains a very low weight. In addition, thanks to its low center of gravity, two front wheels and wide single rear wheel, the vehicle can achieve turning g-forces greater than a substantial majority of four-wheeled vehicles. Its distinctive, unusual look and style has made it a collector's item for both car and motorcycle enthusiasts. See it in action in the following video.