It would be tough to argue against the fact that the Maserati Granturismo is a beautiful car, but would you want to share your living room with it? Architect Holger Schubert has designed a space that does just that, with the top floor of an LA home given over to a loft-like garage with a remote-controlled ramp.
Video demo after the cut
Aston Martin have revealed their plans for a city-car, the Cygnet, offering environmentally-conscious motoring and 5-star Euro NCAP safety together with the brand’s premium badge. Based on the Toyota iQ, the Aston Martin Cygnet will apparently be priced at under £20,000 ($33k); it’ll also offer dramatically less performance than the company’s DBS, DB9 and Vantage models.
Take the bodywork of a Fiat 500, throw in the mechanics of a second-hand tractor, and you may end up with this: the Fiat Cinque Tank. The handiwork of Kogoro Kurata, a Japanese ironsmith, the distinctive vehicle’s one main flaw is its somewhat pedestrian top-speed of just 3kpm (less than 2mph).
Video after the cut
MDI have been working on their air-powered engine for years now, and Edmunds Inside Line were lucky enough to take the 2010 AIRPod prototype for a spin. Distinctively designed, the AIRPod throws out internal combustion in favor of running from compressed-air, a full tank of which – refilled in just two minutes with the right infrastructure – is good for 90-125 miles with a single occupant.
The thought of Swedish uber-car manufacturer Koenigsegg ever actually putting their Quant concept car into production was a laughable joke back when they revealed it in March. The solar electric vehicle was billed as a “car of the future” designed to showcase NLV Solar’s nifty photovoltaic and accumulator tech; now, according to one Koenigsegg insider, the firm intends to put the Quant into limited production.
Volkswagen have developed an an in-vehicle, fully-connected computer prototype, based on Intel’s In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) reference design. The PC is integrated entirely into the car’s head-unit, and offers digital music, video and photos, together with 3D navigation complete with online satellite imagery.
Video demo after the cut
Tesla have announced the official unveil date of their Model S electric-powered car, the four-door version of the existing Tesla Roadster. While details on the Model S are currently scarce, we do know that it will use the same high-capacity battery technology as found in its sportier sibling; the new, road-legal prototype will be launched on March 23rd at The Tesla Design Studio inside the SpaceX factory in Hawthorn, California.
Update: Tesla have released a new photo:
Buyers of BMW’s latest second-generation MINI convertible will have yet another unusual offering to tick on the options list, in the shape of the Openometer. A new pod sitting next to the rev counter, it records how much time the car is driven with the top down.
Saab have partnered with Sony Ericsson to bring remote control of its latest vehicle to the touchscreen of the XPERIA X1. Demonstrated at the launch of the Saab 9-X Air concept at the Paris Motor Show last week, the system would allow XPERIA X1 owners to remotely control ambient lighting, lock the car, control seating, switch the lights on and off, and open the rear compartment, all via Bluetooth.
Video demo after the cut
Say what you like about the Lamborghini Estoque concept – and some will love it, some will hate it - but it certainly sticks in your head. Lamborghini’s four-door 170mph saloon has been wowing crowds at the Paris autoshow, and Autoblog stopped by to grab some photos. In the metal, the Estoque apparently works as a more coherent design, although they do suggest that it might have been rushed together to meet the deadline and could do with “a couple more drafts”.
Videos and more photos of the Lamborghini Estoque after the cut
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