Every year there is another motor show where ground-breaking new designs are released and motoring enthusiasts everywhere are stopped in their tracks in admiration for how a car like this could possibly exist in the future. Concept cars are exciting, showcasing a new technology that supposedly will transform the way you drive (and live)!
Here are eight concept cars that are pretty darn awesome – we doubt many will see the light of day, but perhaps it’s more about the idea than the car itself?
A360 (2008)
The A360 concept car sounds a bit like the A380 jet and perhaps with good reason – many think that it looks part UFO, part fighter jet. The A360 was designed by Vietnamese Huynh Ngoc Lan and runs on spheres rather than wheels, meaning it can move in any direction. You don’t have to worry about weird body contortions either, since the cabin also swivels 360 degrees to accommodate any change!
Peugeot Velocite (2008)
Originally designed for the 2008 Peugeot design competition, industrial designer Juan Carlos Noguera’s Peugeot Velocite is a savvy-looking electric wheeler offering an absolutely zero emission drive on crammed roads. The Velocite also features a motorcycle-like suspension setup for easy controls, automatic recharging of onboard batteries when moving downhill, and a compact design.
The BMW Lovos (2009)
Lovos stands for “Lifestyle for Voluntary Simplicity” and with a name like that, you know it’s something quite extraordinary. Lovos is indeed a shocking car from the outside, with 260 identical “scales” that have a multi-purpose function, operating as everything from air brakes to solar panels. The inside is much different though, being a lot softer and warm (which is a relief). Better find the right car loan now to purchase this one!
P-Eco (2010)
The P-Eco was designed by South Korean Jung-Hoon Kim and is distinctive for being powered by piezoelectricity. Piezoelectricity, to explain briefly, is where as soon as the car starts, numerous “chords” vibrate throughout the vehicle, creating an electric current that then charges the car battery. The only downside? There’s no roof. Yet.
The Honda Air (2010)
Like the Peugeot Velocite, the Honda Air was designed for an auto show design competition, this one being an entry for the LA Auto Show’s Design Challenge competition in 2010. The car retains four wheels but no hub, making it much more lightweight than the regular car. Its fairings in its body are, guess-what, made from vegetables. It’s pretty green, if you ask me!
Volkswagen Aqua (2011)
The VW Aqua is part car, part fish, designed by Chinese designer Yuhan Zhang for a VW competition to be able to maneuver across China’s rough and considerably varied terrain. Looking vaguely like a sporty hatch, the Aqua works like a hovercraft with four fans and airbags allowing it to move from surface to surface. Just beware: there’s only one door at the back.
iMove (2020)
No, it’s not Apple’s latest foray into a new area of technology but rather a concept car inspired by Apple products. Designed by Italian car designer Liviu Tudoran, iMove is a smart and intelligent hybrid car designed for the year 2020. Like Apple, it includes some state-of-the-art technology – for example, the exterior is covered by photochromic material meaning that users can change its appearance!
The Jaguar 2040 (2040)
Jaguar has been future thinking a little, with the Jaguar 2040 designed for the year 2040 as major cities become overpopulated and contaminated. The incredibly sleek car is equipped with nano everything: think nano materials, nano computers, and even nano solar cells. The best part about the Jaguar 2040 in our opinion? It becomes a piece of sculpture when not in use. How handy!
