Tag Archives: Automotive

A New Electric Hypercar Just Packed 3,154 HP and a 550km/h Top Speed Into a Prototype GT

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WIRED called them the brands that stole the show, and at CES Las Vegas in January 2026, KOSMERA arrived with a four-door high-performance GT prototype wearing a blue-black finish that New Atlas described as magnificent in person, noting its low-sloping hood, big rear wing, and dual-layer diffuser. SupercarBlondie’s verdict was equally direct: “a race car from the year 2199.” For a company that almost no one in the room had encountered before that week, the response was the kind that established brands spend decades trying to manufacture. KOSMERA’s founders, whose engineering lineage runs from China’s earliest quad-rotor UAV programs through 100,000 RPM-class digital motors and autonomous chassis research, had spent years building toward this moment. The car on the floor was proof that the preparation had translated.

The company calls itself “born global by design,” combining Chinese speed of innovation, American AI ambition, German engineering discipline, and Italian emotional design language into one evolving brand vision. R&D centers sit across Beijing, Suzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Los Angeles, with the design studio operating out of Turin and manufacturing anchored in Brandenburg, Germany. From hypercars and high-performance GTs to luxury all-terrain SUVs, KOSMERA is building a product portfolio powered by a shared foundation of performance, intelligence, and software-defined mobility. That portfolio breaks down into a collector-series hypercar called The Hypera, a pair of high-performance GTs in the Star Matrix and Star Razer, and a luxury all-terrain SUV called Terra. At the center of every vehicle is a quad-motor AWD system targeting 3,154 horsepower, a 0-100 km/h time of 1.7 seconds, and a top speed of 550 km/h.

Designer: KOSMERA

The Star Matrix is KOSMERA’s interpretation of intelligent performance built around balance, with an aluminum spaceframe wrapped in carbon-fiber panels, starburst rear lighting with a speed-responsive dynamic flow animation, and an acceleration pulse effect that makes the tail of the car feel alive at night. Designed as a next-generation high-performance GT, it combines extreme electric performance with aerodynamic efficiency and driver-focused ergonomics. Physical controls inside are reduced by 80 percent, leaving a driver environment of carbon fiber, aerospace textiles, and Alcantara with an AI Coach display projecting real-time racing lines and blind-spot alerts into the driver’s eyeline. The Star Razer carries the same architecture into wilder territory, arriving in Quantum Violet with frameless doors, a lower and wider stance, a breathing light bar, and a Cd of 0.20 achieved through aero blade lines and rear wheel channels. Where the Star Matrix reads as precision, the Star Razer reads as provocation.

Kosmera Star Matrix

Axial-flux motors redirect magnetic flow along the rotation axis rather than radially, producing a shorter magnetic path and better torque leverage in a far more compact package, and the HyperDrive quad-rotor layout delivers up to 1,578 PS on a single shaft, achieving nearly twice the power density of conventional motors. The quad-rotor configuration targets 1,160 kW per axle, 7,500 Nm of peak wheel torque, and wheel-end speeds above 4,000 rpm. The power electronics use a full silicon-carbide inverter architecture, reducing conduction loss by approximately 40 percent compared to conventional silicon systems. Four independent motors deliver per-wheel torque vectoring, shaping cornering through real-time torque redistribution rather than braking intervention, a more precise and faster-reacting control philosophy. KOSMERA describes each axle as comparable to two Ferrari V12 engines combined, and for once the metaphor and the physics actually align.

The HyperCore battery’s cell-to-pack architecture eliminates the module layer, pushing pack efficiency to 85 percent and enabling peak discharge above 2,500 kW on a 1,200-volt, 6C platform. Charging targets 10 to 80 percent in under seven minutes, a figure that starts collapsing the practical gap between an EV charge stop and a combustion fuel stop. KOSMERA’s HyperPilot Vision-Language-Action stack runs on a 2,000-TOPS compute platform with LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, cameras, IMU, and HD mapping feeding a physics-based World Model architecture capable of predictive reasoning. The system covers predictive track mapping, an AI racing coach, AR headset integration, highway L3 assisted driving, and urban Navigate-on-Autopilot. The Star Razer extends the ecosystem further, adding an onboard drone interface that deploys autonomous UAVs for last-mile logistics, emergency delivery, and aerial capture, functioning as a mobile mothership for intelligent mobility. That prediction layer shifts the system from reactive driver assistance to genuinely anticipatory control.

FlexBase integrates drive, braking, steering, and suspension into a fully by-wire architecture with a closed-loop response time under 10 milliseconds, a latency figure that approaches the point where human perception cannot distinguish digital from mechanical control feel. A maximum steering angle of 90 degrees enables zero-radius turning and crab-walk capability that conventional suspension geometry cannot approach. Four-wheel independent control includes automatic compensation for single-wheel failure, and the ASIL-D safety certification aligns the platform with L4 autonomy requirements. KOSMERA claims the electrified integration reduces overall system cost and weight by 30 percent by eliminating components rather than replacing them. The modular chassis is designed to scale across the entire vehicle lineup, from The Hypera to Terra, meaning each model shares a validated foundation rather than developing bespoke hardware from scratch.

Kosmera Star Razer

Kosmera Star Razer

AutoEvolution placed KOSMERA’s 1.7-second 0-60 claim squarely in “a league where Rimacs and Koenigseggs have been making the rules for years,” and that is the competitive frame the brand has chosen for itself. The Axion Power propulsion division confirmed in June 2026 that the 3,000-plus horsepower system remains in pre-development and patent application review, a qualifier worth holding onto when reading the headlines. What exists today is a technically serious platform grounded in axial-flux motor engineering, 1,200-volt battery architecture, AI-driven chassis control, and software-defined mobility. The founding team’s background spans decades of experience in AI, robotics, autonomous systems, and high-speed motor engineering, which means the ambition carries real engineering DNA behind it. Whether KOSMERA can close the gap between concept-stage intensity and production-validated performance will be the story worth watching through the rest of the decade.

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Audi’s $1M Nuvolari Has the Same Design Problem Jaguar Had Last Year

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Audi gave the world a new supercar, and on paper the Nuvolari sounds engineered for universal applause. A V8 hybrid powertrain, 987 horsepower, 499 units, and a price tag hovering around the one-million-dollar mark should have made this an uncomplicated flex. Audi has not produced a proper supercar since the R8 ended production in 2023, and the Nuvolari arrives with enough technical ambition to convincingly fill that gap. The car is named after Tazio Nuvolari, the Italian racing driver who piloted Auto Union machinery in the 1930s and whom Ferdinand Porsche himself called “the greatest driver of the past, present, and future.” Instead, the conversation has drifted somewhere far messier, into the subjective territory where prestige brands are judged hardest: taste.

Jaguar’s 2024 identity overhaul illustrated exactly how quickly a design misstep can derail a brand’s entire narrative, and that context is worth holding next to the Nuvolari. When we covered Jaguar’s rebranding and the leaked images of its new EV late that year, the core criticism was that the brand had produced a visual identity emotionally decoupled from what a Jaguar is supposed to make you feel. Audi faces a different version of that same problem. The hardware here is easy to respect. The styling is where the uncertainty begins. For some, it reads as calm confidence. For others, it feels strangely anonymous for a car meant to sit at the very top of Audi’s food chain.

Designer: Audi

The Nuvolari is the first production car to carry Audi’s new “Radical Next” design direction, developed under Massimo Frascella, the designer previously responsible for the sublimely restrained third-generation Range Rover. The exterior carries a reinterpreted Singleframe grille arranged as a grid of small angled square elements, taut carbon fiber surfacing that leaves almost no visual mass to read as drama, and a roofline that tapers cleanly into the rear without the crease work or aggressive geometry you would expect from a car in this category. The whole car is finished in Titanium, a signature color Audi has already committed to on its F1 machinery and the Concept C that previewed this design direction last year. The four rings on the rear wing are milled aluminum set flush into the carbon fiber bodywork, a detail that sounds spectacular in description. On a car this visually spare, it reads as a whisper rather than a statement.

The Nuvolari borrows the Lamborghini Temerario’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, producing 800 horsepower on its own and spinning to a motorsport-grade 10,000 rpm. Three axial-flux electric motors, two on the front axle and one integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, push combined output to 1,001 PS. Audi claims 0-100 km/h in 2.6 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 6.8 seconds, and a top speed above 350 km/h. An F1-derived DRS rear wing deploys across three configurations, actively managing downforce and drag depending on driving conditions, while ten-piston ceramic front calipers deliver deceleration Audi says is on par with a current Formula 1 car. The chassis is an aluminum space frame wrapped entirely in prepreg autoclave carbon fiber, with forged center-lock wheels and Bridgestone Potenza Race rubber sized 255/35R-20 front and 325/30R-21 rear.

Frascella spent years at Jaguar Land Rover before taking charge of Audi’s design direction, a fact that makes the comparison to Jaguar’s recent struggles feel less like coincidence and more like a design philosophy traveling with its author. His minimalist approach was exactly right for the Range Rover, a vehicle designed to project composed authority without raising its voice. A supercar carrying 1,001 horsepower and a seven-figure price tag operates on entirely different emotional frequencies. The same cool remove that reads as confidence on a luxury SUV can read as emotional vacancy on a halo machine people are supposed to dream about. The question the Nuvolari raises is whether the taut, surface-led language Frascella brought from Solihull to Ingolstadt belongs on the most extreme car Audi has ever produced.

The 499 buyers who can afford the Nuvolari will not lose sleep over comment sections, and the production run will almost certainly sell out regardless of what design critics think. But the Nuvolari is also explicitly Audi’s first production model to carry the new design language, which means whatever signal it sends will eventually filter down into mainstream models at a fraction of the price. If the dominant reaction to a halo car is “respectful but not excited,” that is a signal worth taking seriously before it scales. Jaguar learned that simplicity without emotional conviction reads as absence rather than restraint, and the fallout was swift and public. Audi’s engineering story is airtight. The harder question is whether Frascella’s Radical Next direction carries the visual magnetism to match it.

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Polydrops P21X aerodynamic off-road trailer let EV owners camp deep in the wilderness without range anxiety

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Off-roading trailers can go anywhere and let you live away from man and habitation. But their gross weight often limits this camping experience to off-roading vehicles. Polydrops, a California-based manufacturer, changed this notion with the launch of the P21 travel trailer, which made a lightweight, aerodynamic exterior its priority. Now, extending that tested design into off-grid territory, Polydrops is introducing the new, limited-edition trailer called the P21X.

Not a great deal of thought has gone into finalizing the name, but of course, there is a lot that has changed in the design front and its capabilities. The off-road camping trailer can be towed behind any capable electric vehicle and now goes deep into remote areas where pavement ends, and no one else has been.

Designer: Polydrops

So, from how it appears, the Polydrops P21X is a limited-edition variant of the P21. The basic idea still is to enhance efficiency with correct aerodynamics, but now with the addition of the specially tweaked design for off-grid readiness. In addition to a more aerodynamically configured body, larger living cabin, and off-grid facilities, the new Polydrops trailer reduces drag, increases performance, and towing stability over all terrain types.

The P21X continues with the vertical wedge-shaped front specially created to allow the air to run around it, reducing drag. This time over, the P21X exterior is similarly angular and polygonal in design, but is slightly lifted to enhance the ground clearance to 15 inches. The extended height allows the trailer to ride on all-terrain tires and an independent axle-less suspension. To ensure the increased height is not an impediment to aerodynamics, Polydrops has thoughtfully tapered the rear part of the trailer.

On the rooftop – across its length and breadth – Polydrops provides the P21X with 1,300W glass solar panels developed with Aptera Motors. It is a significant upgrade from the sub-1000W panels on the P21. For additional convenience, the trailer has a 5kWh LFP battery and an option to increase it to 10kWh. The trailer is provided with a 10,000-BTU air conditioning and heating unit. Overall features are increased, but not much is changed in the weight department. The trailer is just a few hundred pounds heavier but still lightweight to tow behind EVs and other capable vehicles.

This doesn’t mean the interior of the P21X is compromised in any manner. The 6-foot-high standing height interior provides a living space for a family of up to four members. You have a little kitchen in the middle of the cabin, with a convertible dinette in the rear, which provides for the main bed. A smaller section up front with a swivelling table forms the second bed, and is provided with a hidden shower pan and pull-out toilet. This section converts into a lounge area when closed.

Polydrops, via its website, confirms. The P21X is a limited-production trailer. It notes that only 20 units will be made and each will retail for a price starting at $76,900. The company is allowing buyers to pre-reserve a model with a 50 percent up-front deposit now.

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McLaren F1 Team celebrates 1,000th race start, as Oscar and Lando sport LEGO helmets at the iconic Monaco GP

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McLaren is coming to the Monaco GP weekend, celebrating their 1,000th race start, and wants to do it in a special way, both on and off the track. The most iconic race in the Formula 1 calendar will see Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri sport the LEGO helmets for the length of the racing weekend at the Circuit de Monaco, which is exciting for F1 fans like me.

That celebration is going to reciprocate for McLaren and LEGO fanatics as they can own either of the two drivers’ brick version of the LEGO Edition helmet, of course, in a smaller scale. To top it off, the protective gear will come with the complementary minifigures of the chosen driver’s helmet. This is not the first time the two brands have collaborated, as we’ve already been petrified by the Life-sized LEGO McLaren P1 being driven around the Silverstone track, and the complementing scaled-down LEGO version for die-hard fans.

Designer: LEGO and McLaren

The collectible LEGO sets immortalize both the papaya team drivers in brick form, mirroring the details of the special edition helmets that’ll be worn at this weekend’s practice session, qualifying stint, and the final race at the winding street circuit by the duo of young drivers. Both of the LEGO helmets measure seven inches high, five inches deep, and 4.5 inches wide. Those dimensions remind me of the Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc LEGO helmets that had a similar buildable format and shape.

Both these LEGO sets are priced at $90 each and consist of 793 pieces. You, as a fan, can sport them on the standalone black display pedestal with the printed signature plaque. However, they are distinct in their look and feel, as both the McLaren drivers sport different aesthetics. That said, the special edition livery will be sported at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, as well.

According to the LEGO Group’s Chief Product & Marketing Officer, Julia Goldin, “Our LEGO design team worked closely with the drivers and McLaren Racing to develop these special 1000th race LEGO helmet products.” He added by saying that “fans will be able to build the sets at home, creating a cool memento of racing history for display.”

43017 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team Oscar Piastri Helmet

For Oscar Piastri, the brand’s signature papaya is mixed with the Aussie F1 driver’s favorite blue. The helmet has intricate details such as his driving number “81” and the printed patterns that look absolutely stunning. The accompanying Oscar minifigure is handprinted in the hand-picked casual outfit by the talented F1 driver.

43023 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team Lando Norris Helmet

Last year’s world champion now has the number one driver number, and that is etched proudly on this peppy helmet design. It carries Lando’s iconic fluorescent blob design and the unique design elements of the 1000th Grand Prix livery on the real one. The design is co-created with the prodigy himself, and it looks absolutely stunning. Lando’s minifigure sports the handpicked look as well.

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Floating City by Freedom Ship is destined to be a comprehensive habitat on international waters

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Spending a week or a month at length on an expansive Cruise ship is on many people’s wish list. The Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, having a maximum capacity of 7,600 passengers, is right up there. It is currently the largest cruise you can book for a very long time, if you’ve got money to spare, of course. If you cannot fathom the size of that cruise ship, wait till you hear what this upcoming cruise ship is capable of.

Dubbed the Floating City, the ambitious project by Freedom Ship is destined to haul 80,000 people in total. It’ll be home to 50,000 permanent passengers, 10,000 day visitors, and 20,000 crew members taking care of everything on board. It’ll be powered by nuclear energy and given the colossal size, it will remain in international waters. For now, the Floating City is proposed to circumnavigate the globe every couple of years at a cruise speed of seven knots.

Designer: Freedom Ship

The seed for this nuclear-powered vessel came from American engineer Norman Nixon in 1990. Still, unfortunately, after his demise in 2012, the project was paused for a long period, until it again propped up under the new leadership led by Roger M. Gooch. Measuring almost a mile wide and tall enough to have 30 decks, the cruise ship will be one of the biggest vessels on the open waters by a long stretch. Apart from the living spaces, the ship will have a 15,000-capacity sports stadium, a water park, and two museums. To prevent residents from getting seasick, the vessel will have all the basic amenities, including shops, restaurants, a convention centre, and a symphony hall.

Out of those 30 decks, four will be used for financial branches, retail, banks, and commercial services. Two decks will be designated for a food hall, a shopping mall, a casino, a nightclub, and even a large aquarium. After all, this ship has to feel like a city on its own, which is why it has a 15-mile-long walkway, along with three acres of parks for all onboard to explore. Everything on the decks and the neighbourhoods will be connected in a web of trams and pathways. For emergencies, the city will have eight helipads for quick transfer to land. Basic amenities, including hospital and educational hubs, will facilitate residents in seeing their children pass high school and then opt for further studies in the Floating City bounds.

Given the magnanimity of this larger-than-life project, Gooch has commissioned a 12-person leadership team of designers, architects, and project managers to bring the Floating City to life. Once the required funds are amassed, the vessel is slated to take shape in Indonesia over a period of three to four years. According to Gooch, permanent residents can start living on board mid-way through construction, once the basics are in place. Visionaries can even lease or buy the real estate space on board for a cohesive, self-sustaining economy. As per Kevin Schopfer, the project’s lead, the massive stadium can be used for one-of-a-kind events or concerts. He jokingly said, Taylor Swift was a part of passing discussions, but he wasn’t sure if we could handle that yet!

No matter the scale of the ship, residents are bound to get bored at some point in time. That’s why Floating City will give residents and long-term guests the option to explore various onshore destinations via ferry services, every week or so. Floating City is estimated to be constructed for a total cost of $16 Billion, and construction will commence once the funds are ready at the disposal of the leadership. Till that time, this will remain a visionary concept that’ll have a lot at stake.

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Encore RV includes full shower and toilet on 12-foot camper trailer without compromising living space

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Smaller camper trailers are sprouting one after the other, and we are in awe of each one of them. Special mention: Campinawe Crossover Solo we saw the other day. Now that seems like a story of the past, as we have a new entrant from Encore RV. This is not something especially new. So wasn’t the Crossover Solo really? It’s an enhancement of one of Encore’s more interesting ROG models, which despite everything else, lacked an onboard wet bath.

Encore RV boasts of producing trailers designed to last. In fact, the company based out of Elkhart, Indiana, did something extraordinary to prove its point. It hung a ROG 12RK-SS model “upside down from a crane, … supported by its rear kitchen cabinet for five days and five nights…” The experiment proved the tough, durable, corrosion-proof abilities of the trailer and substantiated the company’s claim.

Designer: Encore RV

Now for 2026, Encore is aiming to solve the critical dearth of bathrooms on smaller trailers. For this, the company has chosen a rather awkward spot (it’s not on the inside of the trailer nor sliding out in any direction), yet it is fully connected to the trailer. It’s built atop the ROG 12RK, one of the cheaper models in the manufacturer’s ROG lineup of trailers, and the new creation we get is called the ROG 12RK-FB, which was unveiled publicly at the recently concluded Overland Expo West in Arizona.

The 12RK is based on the same signature style of construction that the Encore follows for its more expensive offerings. The trailer has a completely wood-free construction. It features an aluminum frame, composite panels form the sides, while the roof is constructed from a single piece of fiberglass. The trailer measures 15 feet long from the tow bar to the rear, while the cabin itself is only 12-foot long.

The adventure-ready trailer features a futon that converts into a sizable 60 x 80-inch bed inside the cabin. During the day, the futon resides in front of a 32-in TV, which is connected to an installed setup of speakers. The kitchen of the trailer is placed in the tailgate. It features a dual-burner slide-out stove and a 93L fridge. A spare tire finds a place on the trailer tongue, but there is no room for the toilet or shower.

Enter the new ROG 12RK-FB with a very quirky but effective solution to the bathroom. It takes the spare tire from the trailer tongue and places it on the side, while a rugged pop-up box, comprising a full standing height wet bath, takes place instead. The tent-style bathroom pops out of the box and pitches in minutes, giving you a full height shower space, and features an integrated Thetford cassette toilet. The flooring is an EVA foam mat with anti-skid properties, while the side features mesh windows.

You can adjust the privacy and ventilation from the windows using the attached zip-down mesh screens. The fabric door has a magnetic closure for convenience. The boxy bathroom has a complete plumbing system installed, and is also provided by Encore with an 18,000-BTU propane furnace throwing in heat through a specially created duct to keep the bathroom heated on colder days.

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Rezvani Fortress is a F-150 Raptor on steroids loaded with military-grade security equipment

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Rezvani Motors is second to none when it comes to transforming already beastly 4×4 SUVs into armored vehicles fit for an apocalyptic world. The California-based automotive designer has already stamped its authority here at Yanko design with military-inspired vehicles like the Vengeance, Tank, and even the V8-powered Urus. Now, it’s the turn of the mighty Ford F-150 Raptor to get the Rezvani treatment for good.

They call it the 2027 Fortress and for good reason. The Doomsday-proof vehicle is hailed to be the “ultimate tactical off-road super truck,” making any F-150 look underwhelming. By no means is the original F-150 Raptor off-roader incapable of taking on any terrain, but this beast is a hyper-muscular version on steroids. It’s a heavily modified pickup truck inside out with a starting price tag of $285,000 to match the exploits. Like all times, this one too is a Limited-Edition creation restricted to 100 units, and booked for a refundable $500 deposit.

Designer: Rezvani Motors

According to Rezvani, the tactical off-road truck can easily handle city streets and, pretty obviously, the terrain that no other truck will ever dread going on. The beast comes in two options: the standard Raptor R with the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 churning out 450 horsepower or the Raptor R’s supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 producing an impressive 850 horsepower. It’s not about traversing the terrain; it’s more about going there with authority as the Fortress gets the Ford’s Fox Live Valve internal bypass shocks, adaptive damping, and long-travel suspension. Just imagine it has a ground clearance of 15 inches, an approach angle of 38 degrees, and a departure angle of 29 degrees, which makes it capable of riding 45 inches of water without much fuss.

It is a top-tier military grade vehicle with reinforced steel bumpers, hood heat extractors, wide body fender extensions, roof-mounted auxiliary lighting and 20inch beadlock capable wheels topped up with oversize 40-inch all-terrain tires. You can go a step further, as the rugged SUV can be optioned with extra military-certified equipment, including electrified door handles, smokescreen, on-board thermal night-vision system, and electromagnetic pulse protection. If that doesn’t impress you much, then getting the full ballistic armor, bullet-resistant glass, blast-resistant underbody protection, run-flat military tires, and reinforced suspension system to manage all this weight is also an option.

Things don’t stop here as the truck can be beefed up with off-grid options like sports solar panels, auxiliary fuel systems, satellite internet connectivity, portable power station, and a dedicated water storage system if the world turns out into a Mad Max-like battleground. Those perks, however, come at an extra cost of around $150,000, which I’m sure a billionaire tycoon won’t mind sparing. On the inside, things get as cozy as they could, cocooning the riders in luxury. The thing is done in full-leather upholstery, with moody ambient lighting and an infotainment system that can be upgraded to Focal speakers paired with a JL subwoofer to make you go crazy.

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Campinawe’s solo camping trailer hides its bed to create a mobile office

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There is, for some reason, an increasing demand for rigs that satiate solo camper requirements. I am still catching up with the idea, but the demand is already evident. The camping industry is adapting to it. Just recently, the Daihatsu Wake arrived in a layout designed for campers who do not prefer humans along on their mobile adventures. Keeping up with the idea, Campinawe – recognized for its obscurely shaped camping trailers – is defining the concept with its streamlined layout for solo campers.

Solo camping is definitely the idea behind the new Crossover Solo layout released by Campinawe. It’s available for the existing Frontier and Adventure trailers from the company, starting at $39,995. The highlighting feature here is a foldable bed that opens up the space inside for an office, exercise, or simply living and dining.

Designer: Campinawe

Campinawe debuted its first trailer about five years back in 2021. Since then, there has been some strangeness about its camping trailers. The irregular shape and forms have looked odd and piqued curiosity, but the unconventional trailers have the most functional layouts in small 15-foot form factors. These functional layouts have been centered around queen beds, sufficing the sleeping, living requirements of at least two people conveniently.

The company is now adding more space to their trailer interiors with the new floor plan that centers around a single-person removable bed and frees up the floor space for a range of activities. The new Crossover Solo layout is, therefore, designed specifically for solo travelers. It is ideally provided for someone who likes to travel alone but prefers to carry their work along.

Since the layout is provided for two of the existing three trailers from the company, it is based on the usual multi-gauge steel tub chassis that is popularized by the Campinawe Trailers. The layout also carries the company’s step-in foyer signature design that has allowed Camoinawe to allow people to keep their living space organized, while the cooling off area bears the brunt of the mud, sweat, and negativity you bring along from the outdoors.

Beyond the walk-in foyer and the wardrobes in the rear side door lies the ultimate distinction of the Crossover Solo. It’s here that you have a single, stowaway bed, and open space next to it, which features a nightstand and a dropdown work desk that can double as a dining table can be used with the edge of the bed as a seat. The twin XL mattress is ideal for a single person, but I am not too sure if another person can be accommodated. I don’t take up much space to sleep but my wife is a star fish, so I’m sure, even if I wanted, I couldn’t take her along in this layout. You can do your own ideation.

While at it, you should know that even if the sleeping space is less, the floor space is massive in here. This is made possible by the interesting foldable design of the bed. The mattress, along with the bed platform, can fold in half and be stored on one side of the camper. This opens up the space for folding chairs to be installed for dining and working. The space can also be used for exercising, or just sitting around at daytime.

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Wellhouse puts most efficient micro-camping layout inside of the Kei Toyota/Daihatsu camper van

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Micro camper vans are having a day in the sun. The delightful concept from Kia is already registered as a must-have in my memory, but the mind is also clouded by what Ovrland Campers did with the Mini 95. The most interesting option, it seems, is still waiting on the sidelines, and I must reconsider. This is Wellhouse Leisure’s take on a small but highly efficient and feature-packed camper van for those who like to travel solo or at max with their partners, willing to adjust with some comfort.

The new micro-camper – slated to debut in the UK first (because of the obvious import convenience) – would be based on the Kei van from Toyota/Daihatsu and will be dubbed Daihatsu Wake & Toyota Pixis Mega Microcamper. Wellhouse explains, “The Daihatsu Wake and Toyota Pixie are the same vehicle and are built by Daihatsu in Japan and the Toyota version is just a rebadged Daihatsu.” Wellhouse continues to inform that it has received the first Daihatsu Wake microvan for conversion, and what we see in the images for now is an adaptation of what the eventual camper van would look like. Let’s understand how well it will be furnished in the article below.

Designer:  Wellhouse Leisure

Solo camping is definitely the idea behind how the Daihatsu Wake’s layout is planned. But the final layout is still in the works. Presumably, Wellhouse would make provisions to sneak in another person. How it is visioned for the moment shows the camper with a unique three-seat solo-sleeper layout. The floor plan shows that the front passenger seat can transform into a single bed while the area behind the driver’s seat remains reserved for utilities, such as the kitchen and some storage.

The Daihatsu Wake received for conversion is powered by a 660cc Turbo 64ps engine. The van can provide a range of up to 45 miles per gallon, and is available in the choice of 2WD or 4WD. If you’re the more adventurous type, you know the drivetrain to go with, and for you, Wellhouse has a lot of convenience provided on the house. The camper floor plan provides for an equipped kitchen with a stove, sink, and an electric pump supplying fresh water to ensure you are well-fed on the road.

The Daihatsu Wake will come with a portable (porta-potty) toilet, and feature some off-grid readiness with a leisure battery and solar panels on the rooftop. Correct specifications are not available, but the images do suggest that a version of the camper van would feature a pop-up roof. We cannot sight a bed in the increased space overhead, but it should definitely increase the headroom inside, that’s a given.

With all the mentioned features onboard, Daihatsu Wake or Toyota Pixie, if you may, will be a highly efficient, micro-camper van with a compelling layout in a vehicle of its size. If you are interested, a Wellhouse Daihatsu camper van model is already available for preorder at £17,995 (roughly $25,000).

 

 

 

 

 

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37-Inch Tires, Body-On-Frame, No Touchscreen: Hyundai’s Boulder Concept Should Make Jeep Nervous

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The midsize truck and off-road SUV segment is the most brand-loyal territory in the American automotive market. Bronco buyers bleed blue oval. Wrangler owners have a hand wave. Fourth-generation 4Runner devotees treat the truck’s stubborn resistance to modernity as a feature. Breaking into that world requires something that goes beyond competitive specs, because specs are table stakes and loyalty is emotional. Hyundai has spent forty years earning American trust one rational purchase at a time, and with the Boulder Concept, the brand is making its first bet on something less rational: the idea that a Korean automaker can build an object with genuine off-road soul.

The Boulder debuted as a surprise at the 2026 New York International Auto Show, carrying Hyundai’s first fully-boxed ladder-frame platform and a confirmed production midsize pickup by 2030 as its subtext. The design language is “Art of Steel,” a philosophy connecting the Southern California design team’s decisions directly to the material science of Hyundai’s own steel division. The concept wears 37-inch mud-terrain tires, coach-style rear doors, dual safari windows, and a double-hinged tailgate across a Liquid Titanium body that looks less like a design study and more like a declaration of intent.

Designer: Hyundai Design North America

From the front, the Boulder looks like it was designed by someone who spent more time on trails than in trend reports. The headlights are stacked in two rectangular modules, recessed deep into the bodywork so the surrounding steel reads as structure first and styling second. That bronze-toned horizontal slat grille sits between them like the face of something that has already decided it doesn’t need your approval. The hood carries a pronounced power dome, and the roof-mounted light bar integrates into the low-profile rack with steel webbing between the rails rather than getting bolted on as an afterthought. Design chief SangYup Lee described the approach as one that “celebrates the gaps,” treating the deliberate negative space between panels as a feature that exposes the construction logic rather than disguising it beneath flowing bodywork. Every recess, every shadow line, every recessed lamp housing is doing exactly that.

The side profile is where the Boulder’s proportions really land. The roofline is ruler-flat, the greenhouse is upright and nearly square, and the body sides are almost completely clean of character lines. Hyundai is generating all the visual mass through wheel arch geometry alone, with those flared cutouts punching hard against the otherwise minimal sheetmetal. Brad Arnold, Head of Hyundai Design North America, framed the whole project around restraint: “It’s a tool for getting to that sunset, to have that experience, not for distracting you from that moment.” That philosophy reads clearly in the silhouette. The short-wheelbase four-door proportion feels closer to a Defender 90 than anything in Hyundai’s current lineup, which is either a coincidence or the most confident piece of product positioning the brand has ever attempted.

Inside, Hyundai eliminated the conventional instrument cluster and center touchscreen entirely, replacing them with a pillar-to-pillar head-up display integrated across the base of the windshield, complemented by smaller dashboard-mounted screens and a modular “Bring Your Own Device” rail system for customizable digital interfaces. Physical knobs and grab bars handle the high-frequency controls, fold-out tray tables serve field lunches and laptop sessions equally, and a software-driven off-road guidance system acts as what Hyundai calls a digital spotter riding shotgun. The cabin avoids the trap of over-digitization without tipping into retro nostalgia theater. That balance is harder to strike than it looks.

The body-on-frame platform is engineered to accept pure electric, internal combustion, and hybrid configurations, giving Hyundai maximum flexibility to match market conditions when production begins. Industry signals point toward an extended-range electric setup pairing electric drive with a gasoline generator, a configuration that Scout Motors and Ram are both pursuing for similar reasons: EV torque on the rocks, combustion range in the backcountry. No horsepower figures, no confirmed engine lineup, no price. Hyundai is keeping the powertrain conversation deliberately vague, and given that production is four years out, that restraint is as strategic as it is honest.

The Boulder arrives backed by an $18.4 billion US manufacturing commitment, with the production truck confirmed to be designed and built in America. That context matters for a brand entering a segment where provenance and identity carry weight that no press release can manufacture. The Wrangler’s tribal loyalty was built over decades and through genuine capability. Hyundai knows the Boulder has to earn that the same way, one trail at a time. If the production truck keeps even half of this concept’s architectural confidence and design clarity, that process has a very credible starting point.

The post 37-Inch Tires, Body-On-Frame, No Touchscreen: Hyundai’s Boulder Concept Should Make Jeep Nervous first appeared on Yanko Design.