Tag Archives: Automotive

Hyundai’s STARIA Electric Camper reimagines adventure beyond the grid

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Hyundai is serious about its ambitions of providing off-the-grid, liveable mobility for adventure seekers, and that’s proo enough with their latest STARIA Camper concept. Based on the STARIA Electric 11-seater MUV unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show, the zero-emission camper walks right into the trails of the Lightship AE.1 electric travel trailer, Colorado Campworks NS-1 camping trailer, and the Camp365 Model T camper.

The STARIA minivan is the perfect canvas for a camper revamp, as Hyundai wants to cater to the rising demand for electric mobility for living on the road. The concept is a direct invitation for the community of travelers whose feedback will decide the fate of the camper in the European market. Depending on the demand for electric vehicles that can satisfy the everyday usability, loaded with travel amenities, the camper version of the vehicle could make it to the production lines.

Designer: Hyundai

The electrically operated pop-top version of the van will trim down the capacity of the normal MUV to four people, who can comfortably make it their adventure vehicle. The South Korean giant will offer the STARIA with an extendable Fiamma awning that has built-in LED lights. The second row powered seats come with the flexibility to lie flat to make up the sleeping space. During the daytime, the hidden indoor table swings out in front of the second row seats to be used as a place to work offline or have meals.

Further back to the third row, there is another table that slides out to create an outdoor dining area. It resides in the trunk area, which doubles as a storage compartment, and also aids in loading cargo and sliding it further inside. For maximum space utilization, the space behind it hides another compartment that has a detachable shower head for on-the-go showers. On the driver’s side wall holding the kitchen, along with the sink and top-loading fridge. Over this section is a single lid that closes flat to give the riders a continuous shelf to prepare meals. There’s a portable induction cooker or a stove (Hyundai hasn’t specified clearly) that runs on the electric battery, so cooking should be sorted.

The utilitarian approach on the inside continues to the pegboard wall right above the corner section of the worktop. It is used for hanging the utensils and other everyday essentials. This section extends on the corners to make space for storing clothes and other household amenities. The additional power to run all the modern appliances comes from the 520-watt composite solar charging panel, providing 2.6 kWh of electricity. One can operate a 36-liter refrigerator, a portable shower, and the cabin temperature control system for complete autonomy for adventure seekers.

Privacy is a key feature in the STARIA Camper with electronically adjustable smart glass that’s touchscreen controlled via a module for adjusting the amount of tint. To make the vehicle more suited for heavy-duty adventure needs, it’ll have a structurally improved front and rear suspension system and sound-absorbing material. The STARIA Electric has a range of around 400 kilometers, so we can expect the camper version to hit the same numbers, given there is a solar panel that could charge the battery when not utilized by the smart electrical equipment.

 

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Airstream World Traveler 22RB Travel Trailer is specially designed for beginner RV enthusiasts

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A 22-foot camper trailer is an ideal size for maneuverability. It can be compact yet have just enough space for a decent time on the road. Airstream has, therefore, gone with this comfortable living size for its new World Traveler, which the Ohio company has built from scratch to be lightweight and aerodynamic, so anyone, including those just starting with towable adventures, would want.

Billed as a “launchpad for starting your own travel adventure,” the Airstream World Traveler 22RB Travel Trailer is crafted with the similar riveted aluminum that Airstream trailers have been sustaining their image and distinction with since 1931. Its construction and size ensure the 22RB is light and compact so as to be haulable by mid-sized SUVs, crossovers, and presumably by select EVs as well.

Designer: Airstream

Arriving in 3,700lbs base weight and up to 4,500-pound Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), World Traveler 22RB Travel Trailer is only 7.5-foot wide, maintaining a slim profile for a comfortable drive on the road. As it’s slim and not overly long, an even beginner RV adventure can easily maneuver this behind their drive.

Size may be limited, but its spaciousness is not compromised. The Airstream 22RB is prepared for a total of four persons to live comfortably, courtesy of a rear V-shaped twin bed and a convertible dinette. What the company has done differently here is that the air conditioner is relocated from the roof and placed under the bed to make the trailer appear more streamlined.

Of course, the exterior is pretty Airstream, the interior is uniquely done. The walls are white, and the woodwork is not starkly different either. The cabinetry features a light laminate finish. The minimalist interior is different from the usual offerings, and this uniqueness is highlighted by the V-shaped twin bed in the main sleeping area of the trailer. Up front, a secondary sleeping area can be instantly setup at the dinette, which converts into a bed in a jiffy.

The daytime living experience inside is naturally maintained via dual-pane acrylic windows furnished with an integrated screen-and-blind system. The side entry into the trailer leads you first into the galley kitchen, which is provided with a two-burner gas cooktop, a mini fridge, and enough counter space for preparing meals for up to four people. Adjacent is a wet bath with a shower and toilet, both separate for residents’ convenience.

Standard options like heating and cooling are taken care of with a ducted facility, while the Airstream 22RB is furnished with a 24-inch smart TV, Bluetooth JBL speaker, and internet facility. All in a comprehensive price tag of $68,300. The 22RB Travel Trailer is available now, and if you want it ready for an off-grid adventure, Airstream is providing add-ons such as a 300W solar charging system with a 2.5kWh lithium battery for power, a microwave, a backup camera, and a specialized V-shaped bedding kit for living convenience.

 

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DarkSky One supercar lurks in the dark like a ninja with its sensible lighting

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There’s something about nighttime that evokes different emotions. When driving on the expressway, the feeling is second to none. While supercars are designed to be appreciated in their full glory during the daytime, rarely has anyone thought about designing a fast four-wheeler that’s designed for the night, first and foremost.

This is DarkSky International’s take on a supercar that is designed with “darkness at the center of its vision.” Marking its debut at the Detroit Auto Show, the DarkSky One is the first-ever car that’s designed for “nighttime first.” This reminds me of While Bane’s words in The Dark Knight Rises, “You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it.” Unlike other supercars that are focused on performance and looks, this one is inspired by the lack of light.

Designer: DarkSky International

The focus with the matte black-skinned supercar is on the lighting and how it affects the ambient environment. Maker wants to minimize light pollution with such automobiles, rather than going the conventional way of having brighter headlights shining high beam at oncoming traffic. That too, without even mentioning the auxiliary options to light up cars, making them shine out among other vehicles. According to them, the artificial light ruins the night, and the darkness helps drivers see better. It is equipped with LiDAR units that analyze the environment to adjust the headlight beam and direction to have a ninja-like road presence.

The forward lighting direction is adjusted with the All Beam Adaptive Driving Lights that toggle the brightness levels depending on the road ahead and the relative distance to other motorists. That’s an important feature as it reduces glare for oncoming traffic. The buck doesn’t stop there as the car has side lighting on doors, hood, and the side panels so that the car’s presence doesn’t overpower the ambient natural lighting. Perhaps the perfect commute for people who love to enjoy the Moonlight and stargazing on the quaint roads. Fewer beaming lights means reduced stress for wildlife as well, which is another major factor. DarkSky says that the supercar has polarization and reflection physics which are present in every “window, door and body angle to reduce specular reflection, maximizing viewability at all angles.”

DarkSky International has not mentioned any performance specifications of the vehicles yet, signaling their deep focus on DarkSky One’s muted presence. While improving visibility and consequently road safety are the maker’s prime objectives, the resulting light pollution also goes down. This is important in a world where we are gazing at bright lights even in the darkest hours of the day. Hence, this design hints at a shift towards peace and calm. The matte black color has a micro-textured pattern so that stray lights and glare from other vehicles are suppressed. As they love to exclaim that the body lines are “shaped so the night can breathe.”

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Honda enters modular camper market with lightweight, solar-powered trailer

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Honda has built capable off-roading and towing vehicles, but the company has not had a trailer to match. The Japanese auto manufacturer is changing that now with its own towable solar-powered trailer. Weighing under 1,500 lbs., the prototype is light enough to be towed by nearly every SUV, crossover, or EV in Honda’s lineup and even outside.

Designed to rattle the ultralight, modular camper market, the Honda trailer is customizable to make family camping more accessible and enjoyable. Dubbed the Honda Base Station, it is built to be spacious, airy and bright with a rear hatch entry, a slide-out side kitchen, and a pop-up roof that increases headroom and also creates space for additional sleeping at the campsite.

Designer: Honda

The primary objective behind designing the Base Station is to bring the camper experience to more families. In order to achieve that, Honda has kept the prototype trailer incredibly light, which means it can be towed by a wider range of vehicles, opening its accessibility to a bigger audience. The zero-emission towable Honda trailer features a fiberglass upper shell, which rests on a full aluminum cage, including the chassis.

Courtesy of the tailgate entry, an optional teardrop-style door on the side, and five huge windows around the trailer, the interior is very bright. The Base Station opens up to become spacious and packs power options to make it a capable off-grid camper. On the outside, it doesn’t have anything distinct to show, except for the color-changing LED light strip installed around the trailer’s perimeter. On the inside, it’s a whole new ballgame.

Upon entry you get a low floor, useable for storage and maybe hauling a bike. The queen-size bed on the far end folds down from a futon position to sleep a couple. Modular features allow people to use the Base Station however they want. For instance, the roof can be popped up to create seven feet of stand-up space, or use it for an optional bunk bed. The five windows on the sides can be left as they are or replaced with optional features like a slide-out kitchen, an air conditioner, or an outdoor shower, all while still keeping the overall size of the camper compact enough to fit in an average garage or parking lot.

With the additional sleeping arrangement, Honda affirms, the Base Station should have enough room for a family of four. It is designed for off-grid living; therefore, the camping trailer comes with a lithium battery installed underneath the convertible futon, an inverter for backup, and solar panels to keep the camper and its towing EV powered at all times. All of it can be managed by the Base Station App or onboard touch display indoors, Honda notes.

As mentioned, the Honda Base Station is still a prototype. There is no word on its price and availability timeline as of now, but there is a strong voice within the company that the camper should hit production in the near future.

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This Nintendo Switch-inspired concept morphs gaming DNA into track performance

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When Nintendo introduced the Switch in 2017, it reshaped modern gaming by merging handheld convenience with living-room power in a single, modular device. Its detachable Joy-Cons, bold color accents, and instantly recognizable silhouette turned the console into both a functional tool and a design icon. That same philosophy now takes an unexpected leap into automotive design with the Nintendo Switcher, a concept car that reinterprets the Switch’s playful yet purposeful identity as a low-slung, track-ready performance machine.

Created as a concept design project, the Nintendo Switcher imagines an alternate reality where the Japanese gaming giant channels its design language into motorsports-inspired mobility. Rather than simply applying branding to an existing vehicle shape, the concept approaches the car as if it were designed from the ground up by the same team that shaped Nintendo’s hardware. The result is a vehicle that feels expressive and unmistakably influenced by gaming culture while still reading clearly as a high-performance car.

Designer: Anton Kulakov and Florin Ivan

The exterior design makes the connection immediately obvious through its use of color blocking and contrast. Red, black, and white dominate the bodywork, echoing the Switch console and its Joy-Con controllers. These colors are applied in sharp, deliberate sections rather than blended gradients, reinforcing the idea of modular components coming together to form a cohesive whole. The body itself sits low and wide, with exaggerated proportions that emphasize speed, grip, and stability, giving the Switcher the visual stance of a track-focused machine.

Aerodynamic intent plays a major role in shaping the car’s surfaces. Long, flowing lines guide the eye from the front toward the rear, while aggressive wheel arches and sculpted side panels suggest functional airflow management. The front end appears compact and assertive, with lighting elements integrated cleanly into the body rather than treated as separate components. From every angle, the design strikes a balance between sharp geometry and smooth transitions, mirroring the way gaming hardware often combines angular forms with ergonomic curves.

While interior details are presented more subtly, the concept hints at a driver-focused cockpit influenced by digital interfaces. The layout suggests a minimalist and immersive approach, prioritizing essential controls and visual clarity, much like a gaming interface designed to keep players engaged without distraction. The emphasis appears to be on interaction and responsiveness rather than luxury, reinforcing the car’s performance-oriented character.

The Nintendo Switcher is a creative exploration of how deeply ingrained product identity can travel across industries. By translating the Switch’s modular thinking, bold visuals, and user-centric design into an automotive context, the concept shows how gaming culture continues to influence design far beyond screens and controllers. Though it remains purely conceptual, the Switcher feels like a convincing glimpse into a world where entertainment brands shape mobility with the same confidence they bring to interactive experiences.

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This Off-Road Lamborghini Countach Concept Is the Rally Monster We Never Got

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Marcello Gandini’s work on the original Lamborghini Countach was a masterclass in geometric purity and visual momentum. Its design is characterized by a single, powerful line that runs from the sharp nose to the abrupt tail, creating a sense of forward motion even at a standstill. The body is a collection of interconnected trapezoids and clean angles, forming a cohesive whole that is both brutally simple and endlessly complex. This was a car designed as a piece of kinetic sculpture, an object whose form was so powerful it became a cultural touchstone for an entire generation.

Akuseru’s redesign (dubbed CNTCH O/R) serves as a compelling case study in translating a core design philosophy to an entirely new context. The artist has lifted the vehicle to an impossible height and fitted it for off-road duty, yet the fundamental principles of Gandini’s vision are preserved. The primary longitudinal line remains the focal point, providing visual stability to the lifted chassis. The geometric window shapes and angular body panels are still present, creating a clear lineage to the original. It is a powerful demonstration of how a truly iconic design language can be adapted to speak an entirely different dialect of performance.

Designer: Akuseru

That ride height is the first real shock to the system, a complete inversion of a car that originally stood just over a meter tall. What Akuseru has done is fundamentally re-engineer the car’s relationship with the ground. The track width appears massively expanded, giving the chassis a planted, bulldog-like stance that prevents it from looking precariously top-heavy. The original LP400 was already wide for its time at 1,890 millimeters, but this concept surely pushes past the 2,000-millimeter mark, a necessity for maintaining stability with that much suspension travel. The huge, knobby all-terrain tires are tucked into muscular, squared-off fenders that feel like a logical extension of Gandini’s original hexagonal wheel arches.

The cooling solutions on display are a fantastic nod to the Countach’s history. The prominent NACA ducts behind the doors are a direct tribute, but the roof scoop is the real masterstroke. It immediately brings to mind the original LP400 “Periscopio” models, which had a small periscope-style trench in the roof for rear visibility. Here, it has been repurposed into a functional air intake, feeding the mid-mounted engine with clean air above the dust line. It is a clever, historically aware detail that shows a deep appreciation for the source material, blending a quirky design feature from the past with a genuine performance requirement for an off-road vehicle. The entire upper deck becomes a study in functional aerodynamics wrapped in that signature angular aesthetic.

Look past the aggressive rubber and you start to see the rally-raid DNA asserting itself throughout. The exposed red tow points punched through the front and rear valances are pure motorsport function, a stark contrast to the original production models that had bumpers tacked on almost as an afterthought. This is a machine built with the expectation of getting stuck and needing a pull. Akuseru’s design integrates these functional elements so they feel like part of the core aesthetic, not accessories. The entire lower section of the car seems reinforced, suggesting a full-length skid plate to protect the V12’s oil pan from whatever terrain it might be conquering.

 

The rear of the car is arguably where Akuseru takes the most creative license, and it pays off handsomely. The original’s simple trapezoidal taillights are replaced by a full-width, pixelated LED bar that spells out the Countach name. This is a thoroughly modern touch, yet it feels perfectly at home within the car’s angular framework. It gives the rear a sense of width and presence that the original sometimes lacked. Below it, the exposed exhaust system and industrial-looking rear diffuser complete the transformation from exotic supercar to brutalist off-road weapon. It is an unapologetically aggressive look that feels earned by the rest of the vehicle’s purposeful modifications.

The interior shots show those iconic scissor doors. This is both wildly impractical for off-road use and absolutely essential for maintaining that theatrical Countach character. Imagine pulling up to a desert bivouac after a long stage and throwing those doors skyward. The cabin itself appears surprisingly spacious, with what looks like modern racing seats and a cockpit designed around actual usability rather than pure drama. The tan and bronze color palette inside the copper variant creates a warm, luxurious contrast to the rugged exterior, suggesting this is a machine that can tackle the Dakar Rally in style. You can see the structural reinforcements through the open doors, beefy roll cage elements that speak to serious safety considerations beyond the visual concept.

From above, the proportions reveal themselves in full. The engine deck, massive and angular, dominates the rear third of the car with ventilation grilles that look ready to handle serious heat dissipation. Those “V12” badges flanking the rear air intakes are a nice touch, a reminder of the naturally aspirated heart that would theoretically be beating beneath all this rally armor. The wheel and tire package looks genuinely capable, the kind of setup you’d see on a serious off-road build with multi-ply sidewalls and enough meat to handle serious articulation. The fender flares are substantial without being cartoonish, maintaining the Countach’s taut muscularity while accommodating the larger rubber.

 

Akuseru’s CNTCH O/R understands the spirit of the Countach. The original was never about being the most practical, the most comfortable, or even the fastest car in a straight line. It was about shock, awe, and a refusal to compromise on its wild vision. Akuseru’s rally-spec redesign captures that same energy. In an era where even Lamborghini’s own off-road special, the Huracán Sterrato, feels somewhat restrained, this concept is a reminder of what happens when a brilliant design is pushed to its most illogical and exciting conclusion. It is a fantasy, but it is a well-engineered and deeply respectful one.

 

 

 

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Why Cadillac Designed Its F1 Camouflage to Actually Stand Out

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Formula 1 teams revealed their 2026 testing plans weeks ago, creating a strange temporal problem. Everyone knows Cadillac will run at Barcelona’s closed-door shakedown on January 26. Everyone knows the real livery reveal happens during the Super Bowl broadcast on February 8. That leaves a two-week gap where the team exists in public view but hasn’t officially launched. Most teams would treat this like dead air.

Cadillac’s response was to design specifically for that liminal space. The testing livery features what they call “the Cadillac precision geometric pattern” in gloss and matte sequences, turning functional camouflage into brand vocabulary. They’re using the constraint of secrecy to communicate design philosophy, establishing that their approach blends automotive prototype discipline with motorsport theater. The giant Cadillac crest draped across the engine cover isn’t trying to hide anything. It’s declaring that the space between stealth and spectacle is itself worth designing for.

Camouflage As A Design Language

Cadillac didn’t reach for F1’s usual testing camouflage playbook. They reached for Detroit’s. The vertical geometric pattern running front to back uses alternating gloss and matte treatments, which is straight out of automotive prototype testing methodology. When manufacturers test pre-production vehicles on public roads, they use dazzle camouflage patterns to break up body lines and prevent photographers from capturing accurate proportions. The gloss-matte alternation specifically disrupts how light reads surface contours, making it harder to discern where one body panel ends and another begins. Cadillac has imported that exact technique onto their F1 car, establishing a visual link between their production vehicle development and their racing program before anyone sees them turn a wheel.

This matters because F1 test camouflage typically aims for generic obscurity. Teams either run bare carbon fiber (functional, boring) or apply random geometric patterns (functional, slightly less boring). What Cadillac did requires actual design development work. GM’s press release confirms the testing livery came from “a cross-continental collaboration” between their global design office and the F1 team’s operations spanning the US and UK. They committed design resources to a livery that will only exist for four days of closed-door testing in Barcelona between January 26-30. That’s an unusual allocation of effort for something most teams treat as throwaway content.

The monochrome palette reinforces the automotive prototype reference while giving Cadillac room to establish brand identity without committing to race colors. Black and silver create what GM describes as “a striking and premium appearance” linked to “a modern interpretation of the iconic Cadillac crest and shield”. Translation: they want you thinking about Cadillac’s luxury automotive positioning while accepting that you’re looking at operational camouflage. The cognitive dissonance is intentional.

Founder Names as Front-End Real Estate

Cadillac embedded the names of their founding team members from both the US and UK facilities onto the nose section. This is where the design brief gets interesting from a messaging perspective. F1 teams occasionally acknowledge personnel on liveries, usually through small decals or subtle typography. Cadillac made founder recognition a primary design element on arguably the most visible part of the car during front-facing photography. The nose gets scrutinized heavily during testing because it’s where teams often trial different aerodynamic configurations. Every photo analyzing nose geometry will also capture those founder names.

The positioning serves dual purposes: it humanizes what could have been pure corporate branding while reinforcing that this program exists because specific people made it happen. Cadillac can’t claim decades of F1 heritage like Ferrari or McLaren, so they’re building a founding mythology in real-time. The test livery becomes the origin story document. When people look back at Cadillac’s first F1 laps, those founder names will be visible in every archive photo. That’s smart long-term brand narrative construction disguised as a nice gesture.

It also signals confidence. Teams worried about looking amateurish during their debut typically minimize branding and keep things conservative. Cadillac put a massive crest across the engine cover and devoted premium nose real estate to personnel acknowledgment. They’re treating Barcelona testing like it matters as a brand moment, which suggests they believe their on-track performance won’t immediately embarrass them. Whether that confidence proves warranted remains speculation until they actually run, but the design choices indicate they’re comfortable being highly visible during the shakedown.

Designing for the Gap Between Testing and Launch

The Barcelona test runs January 26-30. The Super Bowl reveal happens February 8. Official pre-season testing in Bahrain starts February 26, where all teams must appear in their actual race liveries. Cadillac carved out a specific design approach for that middle window when they exist publicly but haven’t officially launched. Most teams would use placeholder graphics or early-reveal their race livery to fill that gap. Cadillac treated it as its own design challenge requiring a distinct solution.

This approach mirrors product launch strategies in consumer tech, where companies often deploy teaser campaigns that reveal design philosophy without showing final products. Apple does this constantly with cryptic event invitations that establish aesthetic direction before unveiling actual devices. Cadillac applied that thinking to F1, using the testing livery as a teaser that communicates brand values (precision, Detroit heritage, automotive development discipline) while maintaining suspense about the race livery. The testing design becomes a prologue rather than a placeholder, giving them two separate moments of visual impact instead of one.

The gamble is whether anyone cares about F1 testing liveries enough for this strategy to matter. Cadillac clearly believes the Barcelona shakedown will generate significant coverage despite being closed to the public, likely because they’re the first new F1 team since Haas in 2016. They’ve got Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas driving, both former race winners with existing fan bases. Media attention will be high regardless of access restrictions. By creating a testing livery with actual design intent, Cadillac ensures that coverage focuses on their visual identity and brand positioning rather than just “new team testing in generic camo.”

The Super Bowl Gambit: Two Reveals, Two Audiences

Announcing a February 8 Super Bowl reveal for the race livery turns the testing design into an explicitly temporary statement. Cadillac could have just revealed the race livery now and run it in Barcelona, but separating the reveals creates narrative momentum. The testing livery establishes that Cadillac takes design seriously and imports automotive development discipline into F1. The race livery reveal during America’s biggest television event positions F1 as mass-market entertainment rather than niche European motorsport. Two different messages for two different audiences, with the testing livery handling the credibility building while the Super Bowl moment handles scale and spectacle.

The testing livery will also be on display at the Detroit Auto Show through January 25, giving Detroit-area fans a chance to see it in person before Barcelona. That’s a local market play that reinforces the “Detroit design heritage” messaging GM President Mark Reuss emphasized during the unveiling. Cadillac is working multiple audience segments simultaneously: F1 enthusiasts who’ll scrutinize Barcelona testing, Detroit locals who can visit the auto show, and mainstream American viewers who’ll catch the Super Bowl reveal. The testing livery serves the first two groups while building anticipation for the third.

Whether this layered approach actually moves the needle on Cadillac’s brand perception or F1’s American growth depends on factors beyond livery design. But treating the gap between testing and launch as a design opportunity rather than dead space shows sophisticated thinking about how modern brand reveals work across multiple channels and timelines. The testing livery exists because Cadillac recognized that the waiting room deserves its own design language.

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Doomsday ready Rezvani Tank 2026 looks sharper, gets Bond-inspired features

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Rezvani Motors stirred up the automotive market for armored vehicles in 2017 when they introduced the world to the Tank SUV. The promise of power, luxury, and security targeted for the ultra-rich and famous is barely challenged by other boutique brands like Paramount Marauder, Terradyne Gurkha, Conquest Evade and Karlmann King.

Given the vulnerable world we are living in with unknown threats looming large in a geo-politically sensitive environment, the armored vehicle has more demand than ever. That’s, of course, if you have a fat bank account to afford it. Rezvani has introduced an upgraded version of the Tank, based on the Jeep Wrangler chassis, to offer buyers more options in a lineup that already features beastly options like the Vengeance and the more subtle Dark Knight. On the outside, the tank-like SUV has an even sharper and aggressive presence, while on the inside, there’s even more beef.

Designer: Rezvani Motors

The Irvine-based company has loaded the new Tank with incremental upgrades and a facelift that looks even sharper than the outgoing model. Underneath the hood, it is powered by a hybrid four-cylinder engine that churns out 270 horsepower. Since it’s Rezvani we’re talking about, buyers can go for even more powerful 6.4-liter V-8 engine that produces 500 horsepower, or the mind-numbing 6.2-liter Dodge Demon V8 cracking a 1,000 horsepower on the street. The vehicle gets the optional bulletproof and security package, which according to Rezvani, has the “latest in ballistics armor capable of stopping high caliber weapons and assault rifles.” This time around, the vital components like the fuel tank, radiator, and battery are protected by the Kevlar encasing.

2026 Rezvani has the optional Bond-level additions too, including the thermal night-vision system, run flat tires, electrified doors, underside explosion protection, gas masks for any adversity, and the beefy bumpers to ram down any pursuers. The most interesting addition that makes the Tank 2026 a vehicle fit for spy drama movies is the smoke screen, which releases smoke from the rear to decoy any trackers. The base version gets a four-inch suspension lift for the 37-inch tires, while that can be increased to six inches if you desire 40-inchers. Another optional accessory is the Fox Racing 3.0 Internal Bypass Shocks with DSC. As standard, the vehicle comes with the Dynatec axles and Dynatec ProGrip front and rear brakes.

Base price of the Tank 2026 is $175,000 while the most powerful 1,000 hp variant with the bulletproof options will cost an extra $85,000, and the B6-level version that uses lightweight materials and is capable of resisting high caliber rounds will add $1,45,000 to the base cost. Only 100 examples of the armored SUV will be made to retain exclusivity. The vehicle can be booked right away with a $500 deposit.

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Meet The IRIS eTrike, The SWAT Kats Style Commuter Pod That Doesn’t Need A Driver’s License

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Remember the Cyclotron from SWAT Kats, that enclosed motorcycle where the rider sat inside a protective cockpit instead of perched on top like a regular bike? The IRIS eTrike looks like someone pulled that 1990s animation concept into reality, then made it street legal and available for around £10,000. Grant Sinclair’s creation wraps you in carbon fiber and acrylic while filtering the air you breathe, protecting you from weather and impacts, and delivering acceleration that made an astronaut audibly impressed on national television. The whole thing reads like a childhood sketch that somehow survived into adulthood and picked up a spec sheet along the way.

This is not a modified e-bike with a fairing bolted on. The structure uses a carbon fiber monocoque shell with integrated impact absorbing elements, the same construction philosophy you see in race cars and high end velomobiles. A 48V battery feeds motors ranging from 250W to 1000W depending on which regulations you want to play with. The result hits around 30 mph, travels roughly 30 to 50 miles per charge depending on source and configuration, and still qualifies as an electrically assisted pedal cycle that teenagers can legally ride without insurance or licensing in the UK. Sinclair calls it an answer to urban congestion and climate pressure. It lands visually like science fiction that escaped the screen and wandered into the bike lane.

Designer: Grant Sinclair

Here is where it gets interesting from a design perspective. Most e-bikes still cling to the visual language of the bicycle frame, even when the electronics and performance have drifted far from that origin. IRIS throws that out and starts from a capsule, then works backward to fit a drivetrain and pedals inside. The rider sits enclosed under an aviation acrylic canopy, with the company describing the experience as like riding inside a large crash helmet. That analogy works, because the shell is not aesthetic garnish. It is structure, safety device, weather shield, and aerodynamic surface all at once.

The numbers back up the design intent. Two 24 inch carbon BMX wheels up front, one 26 inch carbon MTB wheel at the rear, all on puncture resistant Tannus tires, give it a footprint that is still narrow enough for cycle lanes but visually substantial enough that you do not feel like a speed bump in traffic. Mechanical disc brakes handle stopping, which is conservative but probably easier to maintain for people used to bikes rather than motorcycles. Claimed weight is around 50 kg including the battery, which puts it in velomobile territory rather than microcar territory. That matters, because you are still pedaling. The motor is assist, not a throttle only scooter masquerading as a bicycle.

The IRIS’ closed cockpit won’t have you feeling the wind in your hair, but it does pack its own HVAC. There is a patent pending system that channels cooled air directly onto the 130 Nm motor to keep efficiency up on climbs. At the same time, the cabin air runs through HEPA filtration that targets smoke, germs, and general city gunk. This solves two classic velomobile complaints in one go, heat build up and stale cabin air. If you are going to seal someone into a plastic and carbon tube in London traffic, you had better be thinking about airflow. IRIS clearly did, and that is where you see the difference between a novelty vehicle and something that might survive daily use.

Of course, the £10,000 price tag is going to trigger instant comparisons to cars, cargo bikes, and very nice traditional e-bikes. From a pure transport economics viewpoint, a used EV or a solid cargo bike setup will look saner for most people. From a design and category perspective, though, IRIS is playing a different game. It targets the solo commuter who wants car like enclosure, bike like access to infrastructure, and sci fi visual drama. That is a niche, but it is a real niche, especially in cities that are tightening car access and expanding protected lanes.

All that performance capability creates an interesting regulatory puzzle, one that Sinclair has solved quite cleverly. The IRIS is officially classified as an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle, or EAPC. This means that, in the UK at least, it can be ridden on roads and in cycle lanes by anyone aged 14 and over. There is no requirement for a driver’s license, road tax, or insurance, which removes enormous barriers to entry. By designing the vehicle to fit within this specific classification, Sinclair has created a high-performance commuter that enjoys all the legal freedoms of a simple bicycle, a brilliant piece of strategic engineering.

I keep coming back to the cultural lineage here. The Sinclair C5 is the ghost in the room, a low slung, underpowered, ahead of its time experiment that became a punchline. IRIS feels like a direct rebuttal. Higher seating, serious power, serious materials, a body that looks more like a velodrome helmet than a plastic bathtub. The same family name, but with four decades of battery tech, composite manufacturing, and urban policy shifts in its corner. You can see the quiet argument in the design: the idea was not wrong, the context was.

Does that mean IRIS becomes common on city streets? Probably not. It is too specific, too opinionated, too expensive to flood the market. What it does very effectively is stretch the Overton window of what an e-bike can look like and how much protection and tech you can wrap around human power before it stops feeling like cycling. If you grew up watching animated bikes that turned into fighter jets, IRIS feels like the first time someone took that sensibility seriously and then called the result an electrically assisted pedal cycle, with a straight face and a spec sheet to match.

The post Meet The IRIS eTrike, The SWAT Kats Style Commuter Pod That Doesn’t Need A Driver’s License first appeared on Yanko Design.

Mitsubishi shows Delica Mini Camper with roof-mounted pop-up tent and off-roading capabilities

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The trend of camper vans is gradually clawing its way into the small car segment, and it makes sense for solo riders who give weightage to minimalism more than anything. Lutz Focke’s Lutz Minicamper and the Mini Pop Bee Active Gear by Mystic are the most recent iterations that prove it. The latest one, substantiating the fact, comes from Mitsubishi Motors, which just recently showcased the Delica Mini active camper at the Tokyo Auto Salon, one of the world’s largest custom car shows, that concluded in Chiba, Japan, on January 11.

The redesigned Delica Mini, which made its recent appearance, is one of the 11 vehicles displayed by the company. The custom version of the Delica Mini is a reimagination of the super compact kei car, which is rugged and ready for off-road adventures courtesy of some worthwhile tweaks on the inside.

Designer: Mitsubishi

The Delica Mini, since its launch in 2023, has been known for combining spacious interiors with powerful driving performance. Owing to this, the car has been awarded recognitions like the Design Car of the Year in Japan for 2023-2024. For its 2026 look, the Delica Mini maximizes indoor utility with a pop-up roof that features a roof-mounted tent for two, a suspension lift, and for four-wheel-drive system for off-roading. The space-constrained camper van also gets an ARB side awning to increase the livable space on the outside.

According to the information, the Delica Mini measures only 133.7 inches in length. The space seems cramped up until the roof above is popped open, and you have almost double the living space, but vertically. While the model retails all the popular features of the original Mini, including its endearing style and touch construction, it gets an uplift in the safety features, off-roading capabilities and interior design.

In addition to increasing the livable space with a pop-up roof, customization allows for making the camper off-roadable. The lifted suspension adds ground clearance, all-terrain tires keep stable, while the protective skid plates on the underbody ensure durability in rough terrains. With its all-drive powertrain and enhanced ground clearance, the Delica Mini is uplifted from a city camper to a true all-terrain camper for those who want to embrace the outdoors wholeheartedly.

Delica Mini is only a showcase concept at the time of writing. Its true world potential is yet to be seen and experienced. That said, Mitsubishi has not yet made anything official about when the new custom Mini will be made, or if it will ever be made. Even if it were to roll out in the near future, adventurers in Japan are likely to be the first to get their hands on it, before it drives into other markets.

The post Mitsubishi shows Delica Mini Camper with roof-mounted pop-up tent and off-roading capabilities first appeared on Yanko Design.