the air car

[iGav]

fugly, but a step in the right direction...

http://www.theaircar.com/

reminds me of the electric cars that Peugeot has roaming the streets of Coventry... totally slient, these stealthy little devils are a real menace after a few beers and you're trying to stagger home without being mown-down... :eek: :p :p

[3rdpath]

very cool...i'll take one of the mini cats please...

[TEG]

-Just a Bit off-topic-

I'm interested to know why does the Auto Industry always design the good cars soooooo ugly. Why can't they just take a standard shaped car and put the cool tech in it. Like the Honda Civic Hybrid. It would sell a lot better.

TEG

[Powerbook G5]

My guess is because in order to get them to reach a decent speed and range, they must make them as aerodynamically efficient as possible, along with as light, which is why they are usually smaller than normal, as well.

[iGav]

Originally posted by TEG
-Just a Bit off-topic-

I'm interested to know why does the Auto Industry always design the good cars soooooo ugly. Why can't they just take a standard shaped car and put the cool tech in it. Like the Honda Civic Hybrid. It would sell a lot better.

TEG

I was kind of thinking along similar lines... the Mini Cat above kind of gets away with it for a city car, certainly no worse than the Smart... but other cars on that site look alittle... unresolved in their styling.

I don't even think they should necessarily fit the tech into current bodyshells, I think half of the technology is in how they're packaged, materials, design etc etc

But they could really do with sorting out the designers that work on these kind of projects.... for some reason these kind of cars are always to some degree 'quirky' in their aesthetic.

[3rdpath]

Originally posted by TEG

I'm interested to know why does the Auto Industry always design the good cars soooooo ugly. Why can't they just take a standard shaped car and put the cool tech in it. Like the Honda Civic Hybrid. It would sell a lot better.

TEG

i think toyota/lexus is releasing the rx330 as a hybrid is the in 2004. sweet!

maybe ugly is the new plaid...or is it pink...time to reread my cosmo....;)

[King Cobra]

I had to put my finger in my mouth after seeing the image on that page. :eek:

There was a thread on the boards about a year ago dealing with a French car design for a hydrogen powered vehicle. It's visual exterior design fits right up with the air powered one.

At this rate, wait until they come out with air-powered bicycles. You start with one fat bending robot... :D :eek:

[patrick0brien]

Originally posted by Powerbook G5
My guess is because in order to get them to reach a decent speed and range, they must make them as aerodynamically efficient as possible, along with as light, which is why they are usually smaller than normal, as well.

-Powerbook G5

I agree on all points, but why the hell can't they make it pointy?!?

One of the most fuel efficient cars made - and this one was in the 80's - was called the Lean Machine (http://www.3wheelers.com/gmlean.html) and was even in the Stallone/Snipes/Bullock/Leary movie "Demolition Man". That was pointy.

0-60 is 6.8 seconds and 200mpg!

[wdlove]

Originally posted by 3rdpath
very cool...i'll take one of the mini cats please...

It appears that it has the steering wheel in the center. A plus same model for Britain and the US!

[Powerbook G5]

I remember seeing a Lean Machine in the GM showroom at the Epcot Center at Disney World, it was really cool! They also had some pretty cool concepts for hovercars, a futuristic 18 wheeler, a sedan, and a pretty cool looking minivan. I do think many newer designs look a tad odd, myself, but I think this can also be contributed to their desire to reach the generation "Y" or "Z" or whatever generation it is now.

[MrMacMan]

Another possible great idea that will not take off, to bad too because of the MPG.

The Auto industry and the Oil industry go hand and hand.

--arg

[Billicus]

Right up until the Oil Industry runs out of oil...:eek: :rolleyes:

[patrick0brien]

Originally posted by Billicus
Right up until the Oil Industry runs out of oil...:eek: :rolleyes:

-Billicus

Unfortunately, it looks like that may not happen for a lot longer than was originally thought.

What was originally thought was several things. 1) This was a fossil fuel - fuel made from ancient sequestered corpses of animal matter. 2) We would run out in 50 years because of the finite supply - once a well was empty, it was empty.

There are discussions that yes, some of the shallower oil pockets may indeed be of ancient animal matter, but what about the sources 3,000 feet down? 7,000 feet? - and no rift zone to that depth to explain it?

Granted, we have technology now that can extract oil that was impossible years ago, thus old wells are being de-capped, and re-explored.

But in doing so there have been some big surprises. Some of the old depleted wells are have been found to be filling back up with oil. Some have been completely full once again.

So there is talk - very quiet politically - that the vast bulk of the oil resides in deep pockets, and are a natural process of the mantle.

They no longer know how much oil remains. Heck! They've begun re-exploring the fields in southern Illinois. And back when they were fully operational, those were the number one oil production fields for the U.S. - that is until it was discovered in Saudi Arabia (In the 30's I think).

Frankly, I'd rather see little pointy 0-60 in 7 sec, 200mpg cars on the road than those giant Ford Exploitations-err...Excursions.

My bumpers would think so too.

[Powerbook G5]

Agreed, I think massive SUVs are a plague more than anything.

[Doctor Q]

Originally posted by TEG
I'm interested to know why does the Auto Industry always design the good cars soooooo ugly.I still want an iCar to go with my iMac:

http://www.funny-photo-photos.com/pictures/icar.jpg

[MrMacMan]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
I still want an iCar to go with my iMac:

http://www.funny-photo-photos.com/pictures/icar.jpg

I can hear the commerical now

The New iCar, Seats .2 Comfortably

:rolleyes:

[cb911]

that car blows. it's probably really slow, ugly and cheaply made.

the car that converts into a hovercraft/flying machine... now that's a cool car. :D