Tag Archives: automobile

This futuristic Polestar automotive design is the solution to every modern nomad’s wanderlust!

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Polestar is a futuristic, luxury travel concept designed out of the modern nomad’s need for unrestricted traveling and socializing.

While COVID-19 is still making its rounds, from the pandemic, we’ve learned that time spent in nature and connecting with other humans are priorities of everyday life. Holed up in our tiny apartments, all we want is to kick down the door and run to the nearest lakeshore or mountaintop.

With travel restrictions making it near impossible to come and go as we please, designers have worked on solutions for autonomous travel. 21-year-old designer Kang Sik Park conceptualized an aerial automobile that can also float on water to bring groups of people to faraway places where they can take in nature and enjoy a futuristic concept of vacation.

Dubbed Polestar, Kang Sik Park envisioned their futuristic automobile dressed in an optic white aluminum-like facade, which is accented with strips of sleek black metal for a refined touch. Symmetrical on all sides, the exterior of Polestar is used to represent connectivity and the coming together of humans for a shared interest.

Hover blades slide out from the vehicle’s roof to lift Polestar off the ground into the air. Additionally, Park equipped Polestar with progressive technology such as GPS and facial recognition to help modernize the airborne vehicle.

Inside, the same sleek look is maintained and can transform into a warmer, golden-hour-soaked ambiance to appeal to each user’s changing tastes. The Polestar is outfitted with contemporary amenities that are sure to please the modern traveler, such as rotating lounge chairs, food and drink services, as well as panoramic windows to provide plenty of views of the natural world.

Designer: Kang Sik Park

The post This futuristic Polestar automotive design is the solution to every modern nomad’s wanderlust! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Honda’s all-electric autonomous off-road vehicle is a construction hauler that carries weight of up to 400kg

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It’s actually the electric cars that we are chasing after. But ultimately there is going to be a day when autonomous, energy-efficient vehicles will rule our roads. Before the future lands on the road, it is in testing at the Black & Veatch’s solar energy construction site in New Mexico. In question is the prototype of an Autonomous Work Vehicle from Honda, which has been hauling supplies around the abovementioned worksite with utmost precision.

Honda has successfully completed tests of its new prototype vehicle dubbed the Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV). Designed to facilitate work at construction sites, in rescue operations, agriculture, or at mines where safety concerns would require having a vehicle to do the task without driver intervention. For autonomous movement and carrying out tasks with precision, this Honda autonomously driving mini truck features a LiDAR sensor, radar, GPS and stereoscopic cameras. Based on the Japanese automaker’s own all-electric side-by-side all-terrain vehicle platform, the AWV can also be operated using a remote over an app.

The AWV may appear like a mini truck, but the prototype vehicle has a unique design at the moment. It has a pickup-like bed with the back and its sides capable of being folded down for ease of loading and unloading the heavy equipment, constriction materials, etc. The predominantly white vehicle with a pair of round headlights on the front and a flashing blue light on the top can be easily seen from a distance. It has been tested to haul up to 400kg or tow a trailer with payload (total of 750kg including the trailer). Though we aren’t sure about the speed at which the Honda AWV drives itself, it can go up to 28 miles (48km) on a full charge, which takes approximately six hours to charge.

The prototype of the Honda AWV was tested along with Black & Veatch to tow and carry supplies from a location to a pre-set destination on the latter’s solar energy work site. The vehicles towed construction material, supplies and water to pre-set location on the worksite with on-point accuracy, which instills an interest in the Honda tech that intends to serve a range of industries with requirements for a capable off-road delivery/rescue vehicle. Honda is yet to point at a future plan for these Autonomous Work Vehicles, but there is no doubt that the prototype piques interest and we are excited for future trials and the vehicle eventually seeing the light of day.

Designer: Honda

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Star Wars + other sci-fi-inspired automotive designs for sci-fi lovers to geek out over!

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Sci-fi has always been a major source of inspiration for automotive designers! Whether it’s sci-fi movies, TV shows, or even books – designers have been picking up inspiration cues, and ideas from iconic series and phenomena such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Back to the Future, Blade Runner, and more! The result? Super cool and innovative sci-fi-inspired automotive designs that leave science fiction and automotive lovers wanting more! Although these designs are usually concepts, they still manage to impress you with their futuristic looks, advanced functionality, and menacing speed. And we’ve curated some unconventional concepts that you would love to see on the road someday!

The Pandemax Concept by Radek Štěpán is unconventional, to say the least. It has a distinct Star Wars-inspired aesthetic and those all-terrain tires and that high ground clearance really implies the car could easily work on the roughest of alien terrain. Designed to be a sort of explorer vehicle or manned rover, the Pandemax comes with two seats that are at the absolute front of the vehicle, with a panoramic windshield that lets the explorers get a full view of the terrain and landscape ahead of them. Sure, there are a few questions that come to mind too, especially regarding driver safety and also the center-of-gravity, given that the drivers are sitting outside the car’s wheelbase. However, it’s a neat aesthetic exploration of an interplanetary vehicle if you ask us.

The Polestar 1K is a racing car no doubt but without a driver. Its Speed Racer-inspired aesthetic doesn’t include a cockpit, is developed entirely for roboracing, and comes with a pretty obvious disdain for humankind – something made pretty evident by the fact that its rear lower wing has Death To All Humans written on it! Breës developed this sci-fi beauty taking inspiration from the evil, assassin T-1000 from Terminator 2. The electric hypercar is equipped with cameras on all ends, including a 360° camera on its central watchtower, leaving no blind spots. If that wasn’t enough, the antagonistic autonomous automobile even comes with a secretly evil AI brain!

Tamás Jakus’ Equus Kylo bike celebrates the malevolent dark force that is Kylo Ren. The bike comes in a signature black paint job complete with Kylo Ren’s ‘logo’ on the side of the vehicle between two wheels, and a headlight that looks directly inspired by Ren’s own helmet. Just like the helmet, the bike’s headlight sports multiple chrome strips that travel horizontally before extending down the sides, giving the bike its signature piercing glare… and if that wasn’t enough, there’s even an illuminated red bird logo on the side that looks like a wonderful abstraction of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber.

Adapting the elements of Tesla’s Cybertruck frame, SpaceX’s Mars colonizing dreams, and NASA’s Mars rover – this concept design is straight out of a sci-fi future. Retaining the cardinal points for the overall structural design of the vehicle, Lee envisions it to be a renewable energy powered car – again having origami-inspired solar panels on the rear that expand to harness the sun’s energy when the vehicle is parked. Set sometime in the distant future where we will be able to freely scout the surface of planets in our solar system, the Tesla Origami concept car comes with a reinforced exoskeleton body for rigidity and airless tires to adapt to the terrain. The ultra-sharp design of this futuristic concept is well balanced with the fat tires, giving the four-wheeler a distinct appeal that’s truly unmatchable.

Just on face value, the Horizon Cavorite X5 looks like an absolute sci-fi wet-dream. It sports the aesthetic of a sleek stealth-bomber, and comes with wings that, get this, split open to reveal multiple fans underneath (yes, wings with FANS!) These fans help the EVTOL take off and land vertically (like a helicopter) on a landing pad, and the outer covers close shut to turn the X5 into a wing-based aircraft that can hit speeds of up to 350 km/h (217mph). The Cavorite X5 comes named after a fictional super-material first mentioned in H.G> Wells’ 1901 book The First Men in the Moon, which, when cooled, can cancel out the effects of gravity. The plane takes on those very characteristics too, with its unique ability to hover vertically before flying like a normal plane. With an LS V8 engine onboard and a relatively modest battery system, the Cavorite X5 can achieve cruise speeds of up to 350 km/h, traveling as far as 500 kilometers while carrying cargo.

The Tesla x SpaceX x BTTF combination comes from the mind of Charlie Nghiem, a maverick automotive designer who’s even made a Tesla x Rimowa concept collab. This holy-trinity mashup features both of Elon Musk’s current ventures, electric automobile company Tesla, and space exploration venture SpaceX, along with an unlikely third, the DeLorean from Back To The Future (Musk is a Rick and Morty fan, so maybe he loves BTTF too?) The car looks like a pimped-out Tesla Roadster complete with all the trims and the massive afterburners from the BTTF automobile. The car’s even got a hoverboard casually resting against its side, and features a SpaceX logo at the base of the C pillar, because where they’re going, they don’t need roads.

Let’s take you on a ride into a mythical world where strange creatures rule the land and mysteries remain to be unraveled. Or perhaps, a distant future when humankind has been erased from the face of planet earth and beings with superior powers exist. This hover concept car dubbed ‘Loki’ is from that very realm giving us the opportunity to let loose our imagination. The flying car bears the character of Loki, the notorious god in Norse mythology. Imagined by industrial designer Christian Grajewski set in a sci-fi world of alien creatures, the hover vehicle has a glimpse of the trickster god who loves playing pranks on his fellow gods as well as their opponents. The mischievous smile is apparent in the front grill (with futuristic LED lights) that’s elevated at the corners. The profound shark fin also adds a mythical character to the concept car, while the aerodynamic flowing design right from the front to the rear lives up to the hover design.

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50% impossible, 50% real vehicle, and 100% awesomeness, the Apocalyptic Vehicle series by Jomar Machado gives us a taste of what our rides would look like if the world collapsed into collective chaos. An early adopter of 3D modeling (back in 1994), Machado became a master of his craft. His love for the art and production of films like Star Trek, Stars Wars, Babylon 5, Dune, and Blade Runner helped him develop a distinct style, something very evident from his current work. The vehicles below (and above) combine real cars with impossible technology and military-grade weapons to give us something that looks right out of Death Race, or Carmageddon, or Mad Max (but less dusty).

Designer Simon Grytten has thought something out of the box and penned it down in the form of sketches for his version of a bike that’s apt for Mars missions. He calls it the NASA Bike and Grytten has designed the mock-up in a way that makes it just more than a medium of transportation. It can charge its own battery as well as the battery of the base station by harnessing the wind energy courtesy of the prominent storms of the planet. NASA Bike turns into a wind turbine when not in use which is a mindful utility in a space where everything needs to be resourceful. The bike plugs into the charging station which is a big generator to keep things running on the hostile planet. For riding the two-wheeler has a very bare-bones basic design for obvious reasons since one is not going to drive it for the thrill of riding, rather get from one place to another, safe and sound.

Lukas Haag who’s an automotive designer with a fair experience at Mercedes-Benz has created the blueprint of a BMW concept that is an improvement on his earlier concept design dubbed Connected Dynamics created way back in 2014. This renewed vision of a hair-raising four-wheeler with a refreshing CMF-concept lies right in the realms of automotive designs that strike the right balance between form and function. A very tightly knit body design that flows from the front to the back, urging the onlookers to just be bemused by its presence on the road. The wide stance makes the car generate tons of aerodynamics efficiency and the assurance to stay glued to the tarmac as speeds hit in excess of 185 miles per hour. From what I can assume, the shortened hood of this concept and elongated rear points towards an electric drive train much like the official BMW Group’s concept cars in the Vision series.

The Top 10 automotive designs of March that’ll secure a spot on every automotive enthusiast’s wish list!

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It’s been an exciting month here at Yanko Design…at least when it comes to Automotives! We’ve had the pleasure of coming across some really invigorating and menacing designs that had our hearts racing. Each automotive was innovative, bringing to us something we had never seen nor experienced before. From killer speed to dashing good looks, to impenetrable safety standards, every automotive we featured at YD broke some design barrier for us, and hopefully, they did the same for you as well. And, we’ve curated some of our absolute favorites for you – from a Batman-worthy 1961 Volkswagen Beetle to a cutthroat Dodge Viper GTS Concept, we’ve got some mean machines for you. Enjoy!

This 1961 Volkswagen Beetle deluxe converted into a roadster with a matte black treatment is the work of Danni Koldal, who’s virtually facelifted the vintage four-wheeler into a hotrod that’s not overdone, still maintains its masculine appeal. The front windshield has been trimmed down to the bare minimum, giving the ride a mean attitude that matches its personality. The black is contrasted by the silver-white trims on the doors, hood, and alloy wheels. Those fat wheels also go with the upper body of the Volkswagen that Danni has managed to turn into hot property – we want to own it right away. The VW beetle has been featured in many films from The Shining to James Bond’s Quantum of Solace, even having its own film series; Herbie, its a testament to the beauty of this iconic car that even today, a modification like this makes us fall in love with it all over again! Interiors carry forward the sleek appeal which shouts out loud for a midnight drive on the freeway.

Created by Rafał Czaniecki as a mere pandemic project, the Bugatti Chiron Terracross concept is a dystopian beauty made for a world where futuristic cybercities and wastelands coexist. Off the bat, the Terracross isn’t your average Chiron. It comes with a few upgrades that are more than apparent when you look at the automobile. Right off the bat, you’ll notice its outlandish wheels and suspension, which make sense given its all-terrain nature but create a ground clearance that’s completely unusual for a Bugatti. The headlight and taillights are altered too, with a honeycomb-ish pattern that’s also found on the car’s exhausts, the wheel design, as well as on the large, outward-extending fenders. Among other noteworthy upgrades are the massive bumper guards on the front and back of the car, along with foglights on the top, space for a carry-case, and a place to mount your step knee.

For the Viper Basilisk concept, Guillaume took inspiration from the 2nd generation Viper GTS from 1996 and the 3rd generation Viper. Apparently, the design is indicative of the half reptile and half rooster character that’s pretty apparent in the whole thought process behind the concept car. 2nd generation lends the sensual feeling while the 3rd generation has that definitive precision element in the design execution. So, in its design DNA, this Viper Basilisk concept is a ‘Sensual Precision’ of unique design fusion that compares to none. The designer defines it as a precise theme encapsulating the car while the sensual reflections on the bodyside give it that contrasting appeal. More than a superficial makeover, Guillaume has given his concept a very lively feel. He has defined the single tension point, triangular air inlet, a reimagined cabin structure going under the bonnet, cross grilled lighting structure, and presence of 10 heat diffusers.

The Beetle has not lost its charm even a single ounce ever since its inception, and for a good reason too. Even though the heritage model was discontinued in 2019, it still weighs its worth in gold for the lucky owners who have one. Take, for example, the modified Volkswagen Beetle Deluxe converted into a piping hot matte black roadster. Another one joins the elite bandwagon in the form of this military green VB Beetle that looks so Nazi-inspired. The ultra-fat wheels, low road height with a ground clearance only enough to go over a dozen paper sheets, give this Beetle a pure drag racer-like feel. Those twinkling headlights are so inviting and the broad but cute nose getting the military color treatment adds a whole lot of meat to the already eye-candy character of the Beetle. Don’t be mistaken by those adorable looks, the ride has a lot of power under the hood and the aggressive stance in the form of rear diffusers and the slightly redone spoiler.

This is the Mclaren Can-Am car homage concept car, the brainchild of designer Yosuke Yamada who has reimagined the spirit of racing as a homage to the era when motorsports overtook football and baseball in popularity. The whole design of the racer is centered around aerodynamic performance to make the car run at top speeds without any airflow resistance. If you look closely at the back, there is a pneumatic cooling power unit that draws the air inside the power unit for extra efficiency and peak output. That’s well complemented by the supercharged aero wing for the funneling effect produced by the two blades. On the sides too, there is an aero turbine to accelerate the airflow for cooling and aerodynamics. Not surprisingly, the wheels are also aero optimized to make the racer glide through at stunning speeds.

Want to know what can get even better than the untouchable Pagani Huayra? This beast was reimagined by automotive designer Hosein Soleimani, who deems it a deconstruction of the sports car that lived up to its predecessor’s fame and glory, the Pagani Zonda. Named after the Quechua wind god, Huayra-Tata, the car got the outstanding award for The Hypercar of the Year. Only a few can resist the hypercar character of the Huayra, and to date, it is hot property for supercar collectors worldwide, and for a good reason. The signature nose of the Huayra that’s already quite sharp, however, it gets an even sharper remake by Hosein. To match the hood’s oozing aesthetics, the headlights get a very hotrod roadster-like personality, peeking out of the sockets to emphasize the mean machine DNA etched in the most profound memory of motorheads over the years.

Harkening back to the halcyon days of pre-war motoring when transportation was equal parts speed, style, and skill, the Golden Age captures this sentiment in a modern incarnation. The Golden Age is best described as a modified version of the BMW C400X, with its spiritual ancestor being the classic 1930 Henderson Model KJ Streamline. With a curvaceous design that’s highly reminiscent of the automobiles from a century ago, the Golden Age is just a vintage-inspired treat to look at… complete with chrome trims to punctuate the curved black volumes, a classic circular headlight, and a plush leather throne for the rider to sit on. “The sleek streamliner will be powered by a 2020 BMW 350cc engine producing approximately 35hp and will employ all the modern convenience, technology, and reliability built into the C400X.

The XJ 13 has been Jaguar’s most iconic car, and this concept design by Jaeheon Lee takes inspiration from the prototype racing car developed by Jaguar that took to the challenging Le Mans track in the mid-1960s. Jaeheon calls it the Jaguar VL, and it takes a different design approach for the car technician and the driver. On the front, the car has a very Formula-1 like character with a dual seating arrangement. Here the driver and the technician have different UI screens, and the driver has an F1-styled steering wheel inspired by the Jaguar’s racing heritage. On the exterior, the car bears a very speedy character, a boxy overall feel inherent to the racing cars, and the segmented two halves of the front and rear make it feel more like a modern gadget t there were no wheels. The curvacious look on the Jaguar VL is so reminiscent of the XJ 13.

Dubbed the ‘Volvo Think inside the box’, Roman’s creation focusing on the comfy interiors of the autonomous four-wheeler is a result of the reworked project that he took up at Volvo. The man maximum machine minimum philosophy is the dominant influence for this autonomous vehicle design with the open space principle – wherein the car is more of a private zone tailored for the intended purpose – lounging, office work, or simply leisure with family. The two-seater version of the Volvo cocoons the riders in a space where they can feel at home with the big couch-like seating and ample legroom to flex the muscles after a long day’s work at the office. The big entertainment display right where the windshield is, lets the user enjoy their private time as the car takes them to their destination in the utmost comfort!

The designer has envisioned this INFINITI QF Inspiration Concept that’s dominated by sleek flowing lines and the sublime charm of a racetrack-worthy four-wheeler. Daniel has put together the design of this supercar of the future, keeping in mind the brand’s bold design language and the technological advancement of automotive design. Although Daniel doesn’t narrow down on much of the details, the concept car has to be propelled forward using the electric drivetrain sitting under the hood or on the rear boot. The aerodynamic character of the QF Inspiration is evident from its very low-ride height design of just a few inches, making it suited only for racetracks or highways where the tarmac is as clean as a whistle. The balance of the concept from the front to the rear end is enchanting – you’ll actually want to see one go past you in reality.

Ferrari-inspired automotive concepts that perfectly capture and innovate the company’s racing DNA!

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When it comes to luxurious sports cars, Ferrari nabs first place! Ferrari cars are high on utility, performance, speed, craftsmanship, and not to mention they even exhibit a level of artistry. Their cars have been a source of major inspiration for automobile designers and enthusiasts all over the world! The result? A never-ending plethora of Ferrari-inspired concepts that’ll have you itching for more. These groundbreaking concepts will have you wishing that Ferrari adopts and turns them into a reality very soon!

The Ferrari GT Cross isn’t just a large, red SUV with the raging-horse logo on its front. It isn’t a Lamborghini Urus or Maserati Levante-styled SUV that dilutes their respective brands’ DNA to build something more conservative. It’s every bit a Ferrari. Styled as a raised coupe in the spirit of a classic GT Ferrari, the Ferrari GT Cross concept from Jean-Louis Bui (you may remember his Citroen SUV concept from a couple of years back) stays every bit true to the evergreen Ferrari racecar. The SUV coupe comes with a central front engine, 2 seats, a 4 wheel drive, and stays true to Ferrari’s brand language, with a long hood, aerodynamic air inlets, fluid lines, and that classically brutish red and black paint-job!

No matter which angle you look at the Ferrari CascoRosso from, it’s a treat to look at, with every corner containing a detail that adds more character to the concept. This rather impressive-looking Ferrari isn’t an official design from the company, though… it’s from the mind of Macedonian automotive designer Dejan Hristov. The Italian term CascoRosso translates to “Red Helmet” in English, which somewhat lends credence to the car’s sinewy, almost bike-helmet-like design. There are multiple breaks in the car’s surface, resulting in well over 15 panels on the outer body lending to the car’s complex and beautiful surface design. Its overall demeanor closely resembles the F8 Tributo, with a few exceptions like the absence of visible headlights. I’d venture a guess that they sit right behind the grille detail, lighting through the slats. The car even ditches the side-view mirrors for more advanced cameras that occupy a fraction of the space but offer better visibility.

This concept design by Alex Bowen – brings back the cherished memories of a time when Ferrari was the one brand that echoed around the competitive automotive industry. Alex calls his concept the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa – a perfect tribute to the well-engineered racing machine of the late 1950s and early 1960s. This modern version of the iconic race car uses its sleek yet sinuous curves to add a refreshed feel to the old form, with a silver finish – the color popularised into the synonym for modern design by Apple. All 250 TRs had a 2-seater spider body because, at the time, this was considered the lightest and most aerodynamic configuration for a racing sports car. Everything right from the front grill, the side fenders, or the rear are a true reflection of the Ferrari brand in its true self!

The Stallone (which literally means Stallion in Italian)(yes, it rhymes!) comes with a beautifully sinewy design that makes the car look muscular yet lean. The vehicle comes with a monocoque chassis, a mid-mounted V12 Turbo engine, and a kinetic energy recovery system that allows the car to reserve power every time you brake. The two-seater comes in Ferrari’s classic hot-red, with carbon-fiber trims on the front, top, and back. The Stallone comes fitted with floating headlights that channel air underneath it, an absolutely gorgeous floating buttress for a rear pillar, and Murray’s reinterpretation of the car company’s signature circular tail-lights, design details that all went under rigorous testing and selection before arriving at their respective final forms.

Merging the past with the current future of automotive design, artist Ash Thorp and automotive CGI artist colorsponge have joined forces to create a unique concept EV that balances out the best of both worlds. They call it Evinetta, and it’s inspired by the 1970’s Ferrari Berlinetta concept car designed by Pininfarina. The stunning race car is envisioned to be driven by the Tesla Model S powertrain and an active ride suspension. Other bits of the car are adapted from the Porsche RSR – the interior in particular. Truly this concept EV has influences of the past and the present, giving off a very vibe that’s hard to compare. The aerodynamic design flowing from the low front to the beefy rear, makes Evinetta seem perfectly tailored for high-speed tracks like it’s going to cut through the air and propel forward like a rocket-powered drag racer.

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The only thing Ferrari about this concept car is the logo on the front and back! Not many designers exercise the right to say “Hey, let’s just completely forget what we know about a company’s visual language and make an entirely new one from scratch”. Designer Ivan Venkov decided to reimagine Ferrari as a completely new company, fully putting Ferrari’s and Pininfarina’s 60-year design language aside to develop something more aggressive and edgy. The result is something that looks like it could make a Lamborghini or a Pagani run for its money! The concept car even does away with Ferrari’s love for red as a car body color… however, if you notice, the rims are in fact rose gold, with the Ferrari insignia on them!

Designed by Ugur Sahin, the USD Passionata embodies the classic beauty of the past along with the high precision styling of the present. A spiritual successor to the Ferrari Dino concept designed by Sahin back in 2008, the Passionata sports the classic Ferrari-style rear with the familiar circular taillights. The sides are incredibly retro-inspired too, with the bold use of curves that guide the eye and give the car its feminine quality. For that fatale-effect, however, the car comes with an Aston Martin-inspired front along with a deadly set of steely blue eyes, and finally topped off with a partially transparent hood that reveals the Passionata’s jaw-dropping V12 engine!

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A die-hard fan of the original F40, designer Samir Sadikhov took it upon himself to build a new variant, exploring Ferrari’s current styles and merging it with the F40’s original design to create a timely evolution. The F40 Tribute, as Samir calls it, captures the original F40’s flavor, while including a modernized blocky rectangular wing, side intakes, and vertically oriented triple exhaust — all of which were original to the 1987 supercar. Sadikhov went on to build the interiors too, with leather upholstery and carbon-fiber paneling. Even the dashboard gets a revamp with its future-friendly interface and racing-style wheel. The level of detail gone into the passion project is practically mind-boggling for something that’s essentially a fan concept, but I imagine that if Ferrari were to revamp the F40, it should definitely take some cues from this incredible tribute!

The Ferrari F399 concept is one of the few examples of an entirely organic design process that started from an idea and reached its finished version without a steady path connecting the two. Spending less time conceptualizing and more time building, Sabino directly took his concept to the CAD modeling phase. Chasing an aggressive design that was also dominated by actual functional surfaces, Sabino created the concept that he went on to name the F399. The racecar obviously comes in Ferrari’s classic red, and sports a closed cockpit, indicating a future where Formula 1 drivers will be completely enclosed within their racecars… but that’s enough of me talking. Scroll down below to view this divine embodiment of charisma in crimson.

Designed by Italy-based studio Lazzarini, the FD-One is a conceptual racing tricopter drone with 6 propellers, a V12 gas engine, and 3 battery packs. Featuring a cockpit big enough for two, the FD-One takes a lot of inspiration from Ferrari’s F1 and F2 racing cars in the 50s, with a very close resemblance to the tubular framed Ferrari 500 F2. The FD-One comes with three pairs of co-axial electric propellers powered by the V12 engine and three separate battery packs. The vehicle probably won’t have a high flying altitude, given that the cockpit isn’t a closed one… and seeing how the cockpit is relatively at the back of the vehicle, the FD-One is equipped with a camera on its front to give the pilot clear visibility. Lazzarini claims that the entire vehicle measuring 24 feet in length, could weigh just under 2000 pounds, and have a top speed of 310mph.

The Top 10 automotive designs of February that’ll secure a spot on every automotive enthusiast’s wish list!

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February saw a downpour of some cutthroat and drool-worthy automotive designs at Yanko Design. Each automotive was innovative, bringing to us something we had never seen nor experienced before. From killer speed to dashing good looks, to impenetrable safety standards, every automotive we featured at YD broke some design barrier for us, and hopefully, they did the same for you as well. Hence, we’ve curated a collection of automotive designs that we feel were the best of the lot – from an Apple Car concept that had our pulse racing to an amphibious all-terrain Audi concept, each design featured in this list is sure to secure a spot on every automotive fanatic’s wish list!

Maserati and the racing DNA of the luxury carmaker go all the way back to the 1950s in the Grand Prix era. The nostalgia of the 250F Formula One race car or the grit of the legendary drivers Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss is what shaped the Italian brand over all these years. And the trident logo based on the Fountain of Neptune designed by Mario Maserati in a way defined the brand’s superiority over other automotive players. 2020 saw the Italian automaker introduce the halo supercar MC20 and to spice things up designer Salvatoreandrea Piccirillo has come with an electric Gran Turismo supercar concept, he likes to call Maserati Neptune. The designer penned this concept render in collaboration with FCA Group as a part of his training course at IED Transportation Design. The concept borrows the driving position from the 250F Formula One racer and the negative space down the bottom middle is something that’s unique. Maserati Neptune is powered by the Formula E racecar platform with the battery positioned behind the front wheels. The Gran Turismo car has a splitter located at the front and a big diffuser on the rear, giving it a very speed demon-like character. Salvatoreandrea has designed the concept keeping the driving pleasure, sportiness, and comfort in mind – and that’s evident from what we see here.

On the inside, the Apple Car is more like a luxury lounge with infotainment displays all around (even on the doors), gesture controlled-entertainment systems, and the holographic display traverses the riders into a completely different reality. You would not expect the car to have a driver seat in the year 2076 which coincides with the vision for the Apple Car just announced. So, the Cupertino giant can take some healthy inspiration from Ali’s design. Access to the cabin is via touch ID sensors and presumably, Apple ID is going to be used here. The gull-winged doors give the car a very futuristic appeal, ready to take its passengers for a smooth ride actuated by magnetic levitation technology. Yes, the one you see on maglev trains. Although the final Apple Car will be electric powered and the maglev dream is a bit far-fetched for now, this concept by Ali Cam that could rival the edgy Tesla Cybertruck design refreshes things up in anticipation of the Apple Car that’s slated to come sometime in 2024 or 2025. And of course, the real one is going to have wheels, so you can muster up the design with wheels on this one. Things are seeming exciting already, aren’t they?

The Phantom is one of Erdem’s more recent works, surfacing on his portfolio page just a few days prior. Designed using the BMW S1000RR superbike as its base, the Phantom builds on the sinister appeal of the bike, amplifying it to almost a ‘cyberpunk executioner’ level. The bike comes with a crouching stance, sticking to the ground as much as possible. There’s hardly any ground clearance on the front, but most of Erdem’s bikes fall within the ‘salt flats racer’ category, making it a non-issue, really. The bike comes with some spectacular panel-work that looks Cybertruck-esque, with its edgy angular design. Designed more in the vein of a moving sculpture than a production bike, the Phantom doesn’t really sport a dashboard, rear-view mirrors, or even a seat! However, for what it lacks in functional details, it definitely makes up with its bold, brutish design!

Lancia Stratos is an iconic car that keeps pushing the imagination of automotive concepts for its sheer timeless proportions and the styling that was way ahead of its time. The ride’s masculinity and that hint of metrosexual character make it popular among enthusiasts to date, and for a good reason. The Bertone-designed Stratos Zero further escalated the car’s face value a notch higher. Decades have passed, but the edgy four-wheeler is still alive in the subconscious of automotive enthusiasts like Shane Baxley. Having his feet deep in the Hollywood community (his work features in movies like Captain Marvel and The Predator), Shane is creative in designing automotive concepts. His latest work is the Bertone Stratos Bax – a remake of the Bertone Stratos Zero in an upbeat modern makeover that’s utterly desirable. Renders of Baxley’s latest concept are jaw-dropping, as I already want to open the gull-winged doors of this beastly supercar and drive it on the open roads. He has contoured the ride’s ultra-sharp edges just at the right places in the right proportions to give it that hot appeal. The flowing design and the fat tires with the hollowed-out rim lend it a very street-legal racer DNA, ready for any challenger on the other side of the lane!

As an outdoorsy person, you always dream of one vehicle that can satiate your adventure lust, whether it be on land as well as water. That ideation of an amphibious vehicle that can tread the demanding terrain on land as well as dive in the water like a submersible has been a pipedream a bit too far for practicality aspect. However, Slovakia-based Andrej Zachar with the Audi X travel companion wants to change that notion with her future-forward concept design that’s feasible enough to get excited about. An amphibious four-wheeled vehicle that draws inspiration from the heavy-duty off-road monsters, sleek electric Tesla Cybertruck, and the ambitious moon rovers. Basically, an amalgam of everything good about four-wheels stocked into a ride that’s compact and venturing enough to make sense. The Audi X travel companion can easily scale any mountains, ride in thick snow, and sinking sand on land – thanks to its unique wheel mechanism that scoops loose snow/sand as the wheel comes in contact with the surface.  The pod-like interior of the vehicle can be configured in a two-seater or three-seater orientation depending on the number of riders.

Neeraj Jawale from Pune, India has thought of the BMW D-05T bike concept that brings the fun of riding and the deep-rooted emotional connection between man and the machine to the forefront. Leveraging the advancements in technology, the bike will have the capability to make the detailed plan of the next adventure trip based on the experience of the explorers who’ve treaded the terrain before. The service hubs located in remote locations provide the swappable batteries or other travel essentials so that rider has to carry less. The bike has a watchdog in the form of a drone that keeps updating people who care about your current location status and also boosts the signal for you to have one thing less to worry about. When the night hits in the woods, the drone also keeps an eye on any predators to send timely alerts. Coming on to the bike design, it has magnetic detachable storage on the rear and magnetic holders in the front for hooking the add on’s. Moto GP-like the character of the bike is so BMW in every aspect and truly made for adventure seekers who view their motorbike as a companion for getaway riding.

While you might think this two-wheeler has the Tesla connection, it doesn’t. The brainchild of two transportation designers, Drake Nolte and Jack Donald Morris, this conceptual bike design imagines a decade down the line, the state of personal commuting amidst dense California traffic in the year 2030. Taking the best from both worlds; the two-wheelers and cars – the concept dubbed ‘Tesla Model C’ is a rare combination of road safety, driving comfort, compact size, and driving dynamics! The duo put a lot of thought into designing the bike concept with a driver sitting position adopted from the four-wheelers. The steering column of the revolutionary ride extends out horizontally like that of an F1 car in handlebar-like form for superior grip at all times. The motorbike aesthetics are evident in the shape of the rear swing-arm and the two wheels’ positioning. Perhaps, the most exciting bit of the design is the flexibility in the parked position, which allows the driver to comfortably get out of the Tesla Model C and decreases the vehicle’s footprint for parked spaces. Now, isn’t that ingenious or what!

The star of the Back to the Future series is going to shine again, without a doubt. To fuel our imagination and prep us all for the 2021 DeLorean DMC-12, designer Ángel Guerra has awe-inspired automotive design with his version of the DeLorean 2021. He summed up the motivation for this concept in his words – “This is a thank you to an icon and a movie that marked my childhood. This is, too, a new DeLorean for my son’s generation.” As his tribute to the iconic design, Ángel has mustered up this super dope DeLorean for the 40th anniversary of the brand that captured the imagination of an entire generation. The gull-winged car has a lot of character – making it look nothing shy of a supercar of the current generation. Nothing is overdone and every little edge or curve seems well-thought-out. Perhaps, it comes from his culmination of childhood dreams and the subconscious desire to own a DeLorean one day. In fact, his automotive design journey was triggered by the dream-like cars of the 80s and the designs of the following decades.

The Lancia Cargo Stratos, as the concept is called, builds on the Stratos Zero’s wedge design, albeit with a lowered nose to help increase downforce. The concept sports a more streamlined design, embracing curves as well as straight, edgy lines to create something that looks like a wind-tunnel test brought to life. The car’s sides come with continuous metal paneling, hinting at the obvious lack of traditional doors. To enter and exit the vehicle, the windshield opens outwards, revealing the fighter-jet-style 1+1 seater cockpit beneath… just like in the original Stratos Zero. Two headlights sit flush on the car’s surface, right ahead of the fenders, and come fitted with LEDs. The car’s rear comes with linear taillights too, giving off a very cyberpunk vibe.

Designed specifically for racing, the Helvezzia Tipo-6 seats just one person with a pretty advanced-looking dashboard featuring a steering wheel with gauges and switches, and a secondary set of gauges behind the steering. The car comes with a nice, tubular body, an open cockpit, and wheels that pop out of the bodywork, with hubcaps covering the rims entirely. There’s even a step knee located to the left of the driver, headlamps with their own covers too, and by far my favorite detail, that ridiculously beautiful chrome grille on the front, added purely for vanity purposes because an EV wouldn’t really need a radiator. Finally, the Helvezzia Tipo-6 caps off with a chrome rear, giving the entire car quite a unique retro-meets-modern vibe from front to back!

Sony just launched a self-driving electric car, and it may sound bizarre, but it makes absolute sense.

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If you were previously wondering what carmaker logo that was… Sony stunned everyone today by announcing a concept electric vehicle! Sony’s definitely had a history of launching absolutely weird products from dancing egg-shaped speakers to robotic dogs… and at first glance, its concept sedan, the Vision S would seem like the perfect product to make it to that list, but the more and more I think about it, the more it makes sense. No, Sony isn’t entering the rapidly saturating EV market. The clue to why Sony announced a car at CES 2020, however, lies in its name – Vision S.

The Vision S is Sony’s vision for cars of the future. The company, for long, has developed some spectacular physical and digital products, and the concept car just ties them all together into a cohesive bunch. The Vision S comes with a total of 33 sensors that power its self-driving tech. Sony’s imaging sensors are usually categorized as some of the best in the industry, finding their way into high-end cameras and consumer smartphones. Not to forget the leaps and bounds Sony’s made with the PlayStation Move controllers and the motion-sensing PS4 camera. All these have culminated into the 33 sensors that find themselves inside the Vision S which are used to detect + monitor the presence of people and objects both inside and outside the automobile.

The electric car comes with autonomous driving capabilities thanks to its use of Solid State LiDAR, and features camera-enabled rear-view imaging, rather than traditional mirrors. Vision S comes with a panoramic glass sun-roof, and an illuminating logo light-strip on the front as well as the back. On the inside, it’s all about the experience. A wide, cascading display covers the entire dashboard, allowing you to cycle through and choose car features, whether you’re the driver or you’re riding shotgun. The rear seats come fully equipped with entertainment units too, equipped with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. This proves to be a rather important component of Sony’s automotive offering because with cars now driving themselves, in-car entertainment could be a potential billion-dollar industry, and Sony, with its massive movie, TV, and music businesses, could be a major player.

The Vision S won’t be launching anytime soon, or at all, hints Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida (the lack of any automotive specs confirms it too). Its purpose remains to showcase Sony’s vision and commitment towards innovation in the world of automobiles. So it definitely isn’t surprising that Sony decided to showcase a car at CES 2020. What IS surprising, however, is the fact that they managed to keep it under wraps for this long!

Designer: Sony

These futuristic automotive design concepts evoke nostalgia with their retro aesthetic

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The year 1886 is considered to be the birth of the modern car, as in that year, German inventor Carl Benz built a modern automobile called the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. And look at the designs now! Electric meets retro designs, this is the trend that we are seeing as we create this round-up of the most innovative automotive designs. Each car design is not just a design, but actually is a prediction of the trends we will see in the design industry as well as the path the society as a whole is progressing towards. Featuring an abundance of technology – whether it is autonomous driving, relaxing or heart racing with edgy designs this post includes some stunning looking and performing automobiles we can’t wait to get a ride in!

Bentley Electric EXP 100 GT Concept shows a fully electric luxury gran turismo designed to show what the company’s models might look like in the year 2035

Inspired by the BMW Isetta from the 50s, the Microlino does a rather wonderful job of looking cute, but at the same time also looking road-friendly by  Micro Mobility 

Peugeot e-Legend is a retro-styled concept with a design inspired by the classic 504. It’s a three-box design with an electric powertrain that produces 456 hp (463 PS / 340 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque

The Eadon Green ‘Black Cuillin’ Coupe is a bespoke coach built by the luxury Grand Tourer by CURVE Vehicle Design 

Concept Chariot is a fascinating single-seater with a dual identity by designer Yi Dong

The AKO is an electric inverse leaning trike designed with two wheels on the front and one on the back by Team AKO 

A Modern Twist on a 1,200 HP Austro Daimler Bergmeister PHEV by Projekt Austro Daimler

The minimalism-inspired H500 sedan concept created as a collaboration between Pininfarina & Hybrid Kinetic 

McLaren Concept E-Zero is an all-electric model takes design inspiration from the McLaren M6GT from way back in 1969

The Honda Skyroom concept displays the outside sky to the inside of the cabin through the cylindrical opening that frames the sky above by Dahye Jeong 

GM will deliver over-the-air updates to ‘most’ vehicles by 2023

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Today, General Motors unveiled its new electronics system. The platform will make "smartphone-like" over-the-air software updates possible, and it should be rolled out in most GM vehicles by 2023, the company says. We'll see it first in the 2020 Cadi...