Super Concept Cars Blog

Well ahead of it’s planned debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March, Mazda has announced the debut of the Minagi crossover concept.

The latest vehicle to take the crossover segment further down-market, the Minagi Concept is rumored to wear the CX-5 badge and will compete in a class of cars popularized by the Nissan Juke. At the recent North American International Auto Show, Hyundai showed the CURB concept, which is also set to hit production as tiny crossover, while the Buick is also rumored to be planning the Encore for this segment – although with a focus more on luxury.

Taking styling from the Shinari concept, it’s a bold new vehicle for Mazda and one that’s likely to come with one of the automaker’s new SKY powertrains.

Presented by Honda at the 2010 LA Design Challenge, the Honda Air Concept is a lightweight open four-seater with a compressed-air powertrain and an essential design inspired by modern roller coasters.

Created for the 2010 LA Design Challenge by the Honda Advanced Design Studio in Pasadena, CA, the Air concept is defined as “a vision of the future of lightweight and alternative fuel performance vehicles”.

Inspired by modern roller coasters and skydiving wing-suits, the Air is powered by a compressed air and pneumatic regulator system and has a total weight of 800 lb.

It utilizes turbo vacuums and external air-flow to regenerate tank pressure for extended range and increased boost for an estimated 100 miles.

The chassis doubles as the master tank and all components, including the seats, are mounted to the central chassis/tank to eliminate redundant structure and reduce overall weight.

The body features vegetable-based polymer panels and fairings.

The Air’s cockpit and package is aimed at maximizing the open air experience.

In order to save weight and increase performance, a hub-less wheel and drive system eliminates the use of heavy drive train components.

Additional weight savings are achieved thanks to the glass reinforced seating panels, urethane tire composition and skeletal sub-frame components.

The main tanks and reserves can be filled quickly and safely using a simple generator / air compressor at home or a tire filler at the local filling station.

‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’ This was the title of the science fiction novel by Philip K Dick. The book’s plot served as the primary basis for the 1982 film Blade Runner, in which we see Harrison Ford hunting down renegade ‘Replicants’.

The film was set in Los Angeles in 2019 and depicts a world where technology has no limits. We see androids that are indistinguishable from humans, futuristic weaponry and most importantly, flying cars. Back in the 80’s it was common for film makers and writers to envisage what the world would be like from the year 2000 onwards. Films such as ‘Back to the Future: Part Two’ introduced us to the hover board and ‘Total Recall’ introduced us to robot driven cars. It seems as though we are miles away from this type of technology, but believe it or not, we are closer than you think.

The Google Car

Only Google have the time, money and bravery to create this driverless car. It uses the latest technology to take us one step closer to a future without car accidents.

 

Only time will tell whether this utopia will come to pass – and, indeed, whether motorists will be prepared to surrender the pleasures and frustrations of life behind the wheel.

The Flying Car

 

The Terrafugia Transition, a light aircraft that can convert into a road-legal automobile, is to go into production after being given a special weight exemption by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

The car is expected to retail at $194,000 (£129,000) and 70 people have already put orders in for the first ‘Flying Car’

 

 

Still a long way off from the sleek designs of the flying cars seen in ‘Blade Runner’, but it’s a good start.

 

The Robot-Driven Car

 

As seen in the 1990 smash hit ‘Total Recall’, Arnold Schwarzenegger enters a taxi that is driven by a robot.

Scientists are already developing the next generation of robot-driven cars and predict they could be shuttling humans around by the year 2030.

 

Before they are seen in everyday civilian life, they are expected to be deployed in the battlefield, where they can deal with roadside explosives and surveillance thus reducing the number of human casualties.

The ‘Car that runs on Air’…Car!

 

Developed by Moteur Development International in Luxembourg, the ‘Air Car’ runs literally on thin air.

 

Compressed air is stored in fibre tanks. The expansion of this air pushes the pistons and creates movement. The atmospheric temperature is used to re-heat the engine and increase the road coverage. The air conditioning system makes use of the expelled cold air. Due to the absence of combustion and the fact there is no pollution, the oil change is only necessary every 31.000 miles.

 

Car Insurance of Tomorrow

There are some insurance companies that are pioneering new and futuristic ideas to help lower premiums. Insure the Box, is a car insurance company that attach a clever little telematics device, known as a Clear Box to your car. The Box enables the insurance company to measure how you drive and how far you drive. This is helping reduce the cost of insurance for many as, you only pay for the miles you need and being a good driver earns you additional miles.

Aviva have a “Pay As You Drive” insurance policy which allows premiums to be calculated based on when, where and how far you drive your vehicle. A Global Positioning System (GPS) device the size of a DVD case is fitted discreetly to your car then the journey data collected from the in-car device is used to calculate your premium, which reflects your unique driving patterns. The data is then converted into a monthly bill, which provides details of each element used to calculate the premium. With premium prices from as little as 1 pence per mile, depending on when and where you drive, Pay As You Drive insurance could cut your motoring costs, particularly if you drive less than eight thousand miles per year.

The latest SmartPhones, The iPad and other Android Tablets are like having a PC in your hand. They now have the power and the flexibility to allow consumers to browse the internet at their leisure wherever they are, thus allowing them to purchase their car insurance on the move. Car Insurance comparison sites are now using the technology to their advantage.

The Possibilities are Endless

The ideas of scientists, inventors and writers hold no bounds. The possibilities for the future of the motor industry are only limited by our own imaginations. Who knows we could see ‘Transformer’ type cars, that change between household robot to household car, or a car that fits in your pocket only to grow in size when placed on the ground and a button is pressed as seen in the film ‘Dragonball’.