Tag Archives: mitsubishi

Mitsubishi DX Concept is a glimpse into the future of adventure vans

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As a seasoned automotive enthusiast, I’ve witnessed the ever-evolving landscape of the industry, and I’m excited about the latest innovation that promises to reshape the world of adventure vehicles. This is the Mitsubishi DX Concept, a compact yet versatile lifestyle van showcasing the Tokoyo-based automotive giant’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of adventure travel.

The DX Concept, affectionately dubbed the “tiny adventure van,” packs a punch in a small package. With its futuristic design and a variety of innovative features, it’s clear that Mitsubishi envisions a bright future for those who crave wanderlust. The concept EV is the centerpiece of a Japan Mobility Show exhibit centered on awakening the “adventurous spirit within.”

Designer: Mitsubishi

One of the standout features of the six-seater plug-in hybrid is its compact size, making it perfect for navigating tight city streets and venturing off the beaten path. Mitsubishi has cleverly designed this van to be both urban-friendly and adventure-ready, creating a seamless transition from city to wilderness. Under the hood, the DX Concept boasts a hybrid powertrain, embracing the sustainability trends of our time. This not only reduces its carbon footprint but also offers a range of power options suitable for various terrains and driving preferences. The combination of electric and internal combustion power ensures a smooth and efficient ride, whether you’re cruising through city traffic or exploring rugged trails.

The interior of the adventure ride is a testament to the company’s desire to please the adventure-seeking crowd. The spacious cabin offers flexible seating arrangements, transforming the van from a daily driver to a comfortable sleeping space for two. Clever storage solutions and modular features cater to the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, allowing them to bring along all the gear they require for their journey. Furthermore, the DX Concept incorporates the latest technological advancements, including a cutting-edge infotainment system and advanced driver assistance features. Safety and connectivity are paramount in this design, ensuring that you can explore with peace of mind while staying connected to the world.

Mitsubishi DX Concept is more than just a tiny adventure van; it’s a vision of the future of adventure travel given its off-roading characteristics. If you’re an adventure seeker with an eye for innovation, keep an eye on this Mitsubishi concept – it’s a promising glimpse into the future of on-road and off-road exploration.

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Mitsubishi-inspired Shinkansen car imagines high-speed travel of the future

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When talking about futuristic cars, most probably imagine self-driving automobiles that free their drivers to sit back, relax, and connect with other people inside. These visions often involve highways that are so clean and spacious that it’s possible to conveniently and safely cruise roads without bumping into another self-driving car. Given today’s traffic congestion, however, that’s a far too idealistic vision. One concept sticks a bit closer to reality while leaving the doors of possibility wide open, envisioning how cars can travel more quickly using the same technologies that power Japan’s famous bullet trains.

Designer: Timur Dautov

People want to travel fast, but few actually know how to do so safely, especially when it comes to staying on the right lane. Traveling at high speeds on a more or less straight path is something that Japan’s Shinkansen trains have already had mastered for decades. Unsurprisingly, this serves as the seed for this concept of a Shinkansen car that can travel both on regular city roads and on high-speed maglev tracks.

Taking inspiration from both the N700 train that launched into service in 2007 as well as Mitsubishi’s design language, the “Mitsubishi Shinkansen” exhibits a sleek, aerodynamic design that is almost reminiscent of a real bullet. The concept doesn’t exactly show passenger doors, so the design looks unbroken and whole, reducing the possible air friction that will come from seams.

What gives this car concept its dual capabilities are the retractable “fins” along its side that slide out when the car is traveling on a maglev highway. The magnets in these fins help propel the car at high speeds, pretty much like how bullet trains work today. Additionally, the maglev track can also charge the car while en route, thanks to power coils on the car’s belly as well as on the ground, just like today’s wireless charging technologies.

The Mitsubishi Shinkansen offers an interesting and slightly different glimpse of future travel, utilizing tracks that will let cars travel safely at high speeds. At the same time, it also showcases a futuristic car design that embraces Mitsubishi’s design language, like its “dynamic shield” fascia, reinterpreted in a way that would look out of this world when standing beside the carmaker’s current roster. Like a bullet, its form clearly marks it for speed while still maintaining an approachable design that makes it into what the designer calls a “car for the whole family.”

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Electric Mitsubishi Eclipse has minimum footprint folding chassis + erotic flowing aerodynamics

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This modern interpretation of the nostalgic Eclipse is not just a sportscar with supremely good looks, it solves the parking voes for the driver by separating into driver and passenger modules – virtually folding into itself when in the vertical parked position.

Perhaps all of us still remember the Paul Walker’s (in movie character Brian O’Conner) customized 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse from The Fast and The Furious franchise. The main protagonist of the highly acclaimed franchise sort of faded away with the tragic death of the kind-hearted actor who won millions of hearts during his time and even more after he left us all. The Eclipse has had a magnetic charm in the yesteryears, and till date due to its highly customizable capabilities, making it favored canvas for tuning experts too. Not to forget the cool-looking ride featuring in the Need for Speed franchise by Electronic Arts, and the Midnight Club arcade racing video game published by Rockstar Games.

Designers: Advait Taware and Karan Adivi

So I can safely say, the Eclipse is one cool tuner sedan that’s overshadowed by those dripping hot supercars from the 90s and 2000s era. Keeping the influence of the original Eclipse alive while giving it a modern interpretation is not easy. That’s exactly what this concept designed by Advait Taware and Karan Adivi is all about. The duo has sprayed their magic of digital art to make the Eclipse rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Without compromising the strong connection between the car and the owner, the designers have created this stunning render of the electric Eclipse using Unreal Engine 4.

They take things a step further with a lower footprint interpretation of the car which is reduced in size when it docks in the garage at home. It virtually folds into itself, and the passenger module is separated to make the folding action possible. When the rider is ready for the next ride it changes the shape, the module is attached back in place, and Eclipse is transformed into a four-wheeler. Talking of the design aesthetics, the car has a clear windshield that runs right alongside the boot area, giving it a very refreshing, and chunky overall feel. The interiors bear a very upbeat styling with all the technological influences in place to make the rider feel at home. It’s like a modern sportscar anyone would dream of taking for a spin on the freeway!

The post Electric Mitsubishi Eclipse has minimum footprint folding chassis + erotic flowing aerodynamics first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Best of Tokyo Auto Salon 2022

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To really appreciate a car’s styling and market impact, you really have to see it—in the flesh. I mean, online car launches and briefings are good, but they cannot hope to substitute for the real thing. Seeing is believing, as they say, right? That’s why I made a beeline for the Tokyo Auto Salon last weekend— with my vaccinations, face mask, and hand sanitizer under my belt—to check out the latest offerings from the car industry.

But before we look at the highlights from the three-day Tokyo Auto Salon, we should first note that Japan’s biggest car customizing show has gained significant importance over the past few years thanks to the dwindling reputation of the more traditional Tokyo Motor Show as major foreign brands reallocate marketing budgets away from traditional motor shows, preferring to spend advertising money on brand-centric launches.

Tokyo Auto Salon is 70% customized cars and 30% new cars

On the global stage, the Auto Salon is one of the top customizing events behind America’s SEMA and Germany’s Essen shows. In the wake of the Tokyo Motor Show’s demise, the 40-year old Salon has taken on a double role—it’s a 70% world-class customizing and tuning show and 30% new car launch venue.

Spread across four cavernous halls at the massive Makuhari Messe complex some 30 minutes east of Tokyo, the 3-day Salon saw new cars and concepts debut from Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Daihatsu as well as Japan premieres of the Lotus Emira and the Alpine A110 S.

As for the customizing specialists, all of Japan’s biggest names were there including HKS, Top Secret, Greddy, TOM’s, Blitz, Endless, Liberty Walk, Cusco, Autobacs, Varis, Rays and RE Amemiya among others.

To give you a flavor of what was on the salon floor, we’ve decided to focus on the highlights—so we chose our 3 best new car and concept debuts plus our 3 best-customized cars.

Three Best New Cars and Concepts

1. Nissan Z

By far the most anticipated unveiling at this year’s Auto Salon was the domestic premiere of the all-new Nissan Z, or the ‘Fairlady Z’ as it’s called in Japan. Expressing just how much this launch means to Nissan, the company’s CEO, Makoto Uchida joined champion Nissan Super GT500 racer Tsugio Matsuda, who collaborated with the car’s cockpit design, and pop star and race team principal Masahiko Kondo to give the Z the unveiling it deserved.

First launched in New York City in August last year, the Z boasts a silhouette that harks back to the original 240Z of 1969 while the tail light design draws inspiration from the rear combination lamps of the 300ZX of three decades ago. The huge rectangular grille first generated controversy when it debuted last year, but after seeing it in real life, I must say that the shape and size of the grille complement the dramatic exterior styling. However, to seemingly appease potential buyers wanting a slightly more subtle traditional front end, Nissan also unveiled the world premiere of the ‘Z Customized Proto’ concept.

Painted in bright orange, and fitted with orange 4-piston brake calipers and Dunlop tires adorned with bespoke ‘Nissan Z’ white lettering this Z was one of my personal favorites at the Salon.

Speaking with Nissan’s chief product specialist for the new Z (and the GT-R for that matter!), Hiroshi Tamura, I could quickly tell that this next-generation sports car was a labor of love for him and his team. As he explained its ‘retro-modern design’ and how the design team had leaned heavily on Z styling from the past 50 years, he also stressed that the car is a traditional rear-drive sports car that incorporates the latest state-of-the-art technologies.

Apart from its impressive 400-hp 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo matched to a 6-speed manual transmission (9-speed auto optional), the cockpit gets a new interpretation of the traditional Z-style three analog pod gauges set up on top of the instrument panel while the race car style shift-up indicator located directly above the tachometer will no doubt become a much talked about the feature when the car lands in showrooms later this year.

2. Toyota GR GT3 Concept

At the Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) stand, the covers came off another Salon highlight. Arguably one of the most aggressive manufacturer concept cars to ever feature at Makuhari Messe, the GR GT3 Concept interestingly borrows nothing from the brand’s huge range of road-going vehicles, but instead, offers a driver-focused, track-only coupe concept at first, with, perhaps, production car aspirations further down the road. Whether the car is destined for Japan’s Super GT series is yet to be confirmed, but with that “GT3” reference, you’d expect as much.

With its extra-long nose, long wheelbase, straight beltline, sharp sleek front end, huge rear wing, and a rear brake light design that resembles that of the Porsche Taycan, the GR GT3 looks more than ready for the race track as is. One aspect of the car that stood out when viewed from the side is that its proportions almost mirror those of the gorgeous Mazda RX Vision concept of 2017.

Details are slim at present. Toyota officials made no reference to a powertrain in any way, but given the fact that the car has exhaust pipes, we can expect it to pack a hybrid powertrain, most probably a V6 married to a turbo and a plug-in hybrid system that would develop upwards of 600-hp.

According to Toyota, the GT3 concept follows a pattern initiated by the multiple award-winning GR Yaris hatchback. The company plans to commercialize motorsport models first, instead of taking road-going cars and modifying them for racing. Even if Toyota does not make a road-going version of the GT3 concept, we hope that signature design elements of this awesome-looking machine make their way into production cars.

Like Mazda’s RX Vision concept, which appeared in Gran Turismo, one definite possibility is that we will see this car feature in Polyphony Digital’s best-selling driving game in the not too distant future.




3. Subaru STI E-RA Concept

As I roamed the Subaru STI stand, I noticed a BRZ STI concept and a WRX concept, but then, plonked in an obscure corner of the stand, behind the fully electric Solterra STI Concept was one of the most radical Japanese cars I’ve ever seen—the Subaru STI E-RA Concept.

While the Nissan Z was the most anticipated car of the Salon, the STI E-RA Concept was the biggest surprise. It literally appeared out of nowhere. “We told no one about it, not even Subaru of America,” said a Subaru staffer. In the world of social media and instant news and leaked teaser images, it’s extremely refreshing to see something that you did not know existed suddenly appear.

Subaru Tecnica International developed this low-slung 1,072-hp electric race car for one purpose—to set a new lap record around Germany’s famed 13-mile long Nurburgring Nordschleife race track. Propelled by 4 powerful 200kW electric motors, one on each wheel, the E-RA (short for ‘Electric Record Attempt’) is hellbent on setting a time of ‘400 seconds,’ or 6 minutes 40 seconds, according to Hiroshi Mori, STI’s general manager who green-lighted the project.

So why attempt such a radical move now? “We are a little behind with our introduction of EVs, so we decided to up the ante and create an extreme study model, and set a lap time that will help us develop fast, efficient EV race and road cars for the future,” answers Mori.

As Mori so aptly pointed out, the record STI is chasing is not the 6:05 time set by the single-seater Volkswagen ID R, but a slightly more leisurely 6:40 time for twin-seater electric cars. That ‘400 second’ that STI is however targeting a time that would outperform the two-seat Chinese NIO EP9 electric supercar that posted a 6:45 in 2017. Everything about the E-RA, from its 197-inch long frame to its 79-inch wide carbon fiber body to its perfect aerodynamic profile, huge chin spoiler, massive rear wing, roof air intake and race car tuned diffuser, all scream ultra-performance.

According to Mori, the 60kWh battery powering the E-RA should last just one lap, providing just enough juice to set one lap time. “Hopefully a record lap time,” says Mori. STI will test the car in Japan this year before heading to Germany sometime in 2023 for the record-breaking attempt.

Honorable Mentions For New Cars and Concepts

Honda revealed its next-generation Civic Type R wearing a rare camouflage. From a distance, it just looks like a generic red, back, and white covering, but up close this camouflage is a tapestry of Type R logo designs from all of the past Civic and Integra Type R models. As for engine specs, Honda was remaining tight-lipped but we can expect it to generate over 320-hp and offer a manual transmission.

Over at Mitsubishi’s stand, it was great to see their motorsport and tuning arm ‘Ralliart’ making a comeback through their ‘Vision Ralliart Concept.’ Based on the latest Outlander, the modified SUV is finished in a matte black paint job and employs a bold, muscular body kit and rear diffuser, 22-inch wheels, and 6-piston calipers.

And who could ignore the domestic launch of the Lotus Emira First Edition? Distributed by LCI in Japan, this sexy-looking coupe is powered by a 400-hp, 3.5-liter supercharged V6 with either 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

Three Best Customized Cars

1. Liberty Walk Aventador SVJ Carbon Fiber Body

Housed inside a high chain-link fence-enclosed stand that seemed inspired by a Mixed Martial Arts arena, the star of internationally-known customizer Liberty Walk’s display was a dark grey Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. And the customizing had nothing to do with its 770-hp V12 engine, which incidentally is how the car comes from the factory.

Arguably one of the most extreme customized cars at this year’s Auto Salon, this Aventador SVJ’s claim to fame is that it is covered in a totally new body kit made out of dry carbon fiber. Looking like a modern-day Batmobile, Liberty Walk engineers removed the car’s body, made bespoke carbon fiber molds of every part, and then replaced the standard body parts with the newly created lightweight carbon fiber pieces.

And the cost of this car? According to a spokesman, if you take a fully optioned SVJ’s costing around $700,000 and add the full dry carbon fiber (which is more expensive than wet carbon fiber) body kit fee of just over $200,000, and then add on a few extra options, you end up with a total price tag of just over $1 million. Given the quality of the work, I was not surprised to hear that Liberty Walk has customers in the U.S., Europe, and Brazil. The specialist customizer says that it will make around 20 of these body kits and nearly half have already been sold.

2. HKS Driving Performance GR86

As we’ve seen, the Tokyo Auto Salon does double as a stage to launch new manufacturer models and concepts. But it is still basically a customizing show and a big one at that. Without a doubt, the main base car for the vast majority of customizers and tuners is the recently launched second-generation Toyota GR86. At this year’s show, I counted no less than 30 heavily customized GR86s, but the one that stood out the most was the HKS GR86 which is no surprise given that HKS is one of the best known—domestically and internationally—customizers in Japan.

In Japan, customizing, racing and racecourse time attacks at the well-known Tsukuba Circuit go hand in hand, and this time was no different. Donning a startling triple color livery, the HKS GR86 has basically been race-prepped to challenge a sub-minute lap time around Tsukuba.

While the standard GR86 is fitted with a 230-hp 2.4-liter boxer engine, the HKS GR86 has a supercharger fitted that lifts power to a rumored 300-hp although HKS did not release this detail. But that’s not all. Fitted with a full battery of bespoke HKS modified parts that include a special lightweight body kit, HKS sports muffler, and exhaust system, a HKS heavy-duty clutch, an HKS oil cooler, and air filter, HKS Hipermax S sports suspension, Endless branded brakes, and Yokohama 18-inch wheels and Advan tires, the HKS GR86 knocked out a rather quick lap time of 1:01 making it the fastest GR86 around Tsukuba so far.




3. Pandem Widebody V8 GT-R ‘Hakosuka’

Saving the best till last. This heavily modified Nissan Skyline GT-R could just be our favorite customized car at this year’s salon. Notable customizer Trail Motor Apex Racing displayed a one-off ‘Pandem Widebody V8 Hakosuka’ (with ‘hako’ meaning boxy and ‘suka’ refers to Skyline) based on a 1970 Nissan Skyline GT-R. Now while the ultra-wide blacked-out, flared fenders look totally bonkers, those fenders house oversized tires that are more than necessary for this orange beast. Why? As if those 8 suspicious pipes poking out of the hood don’t give the game away. That’s right, this first generation GT-R packs a thumping NASCAR-spec 5.7-liter V8 engine pumping out an incredible 1,145-hp through the rear wheels.

While the car cannot be driven on public roads, TMAR says they will be doing some testing in the near future with the goal of ‘racing it.’ However, exactly where and when they will race it is still under wraps.

Nissan only made 1,945 so-called ‘Hakosuka’ GT-Rs and word on the street is that around one-third of them survive today. Compared to the Pandem Widebody V8’s 1,145-hp, the original GT-R C10, which won multiple touring car races, was powered by a 2.0-liter straight-6 engine generating just 160-hp, but still considerable power for those days. Race versions of these cars today can fetch upwards of $300,000 due to their rarity and race-winning history. Just how much this one-off V8-fitted GT-R would cost is anyone’s guess.




Honorable Mentions For Customized Cars

Okay, so we’ve featured our three best new cars and three best-customized cars. But of the hundreds of other tuned models on display, these ones also impressed no end.

One of the long-time heroes of the Auto Salon is the legendary rotary engine tuner RE Amemiya. These guys normally modify Mazda rotary-powered RX-7s and RX-8s, but this year, the highlight of their stand was a specially prepared Ferrari Testarossa powered by a 4-rotor rotary engine, which incidentally is the same number of rotors that powered the Mazda 787B race car to victory in the 1991 Le Mans 24-hour race.

My jaw dropped when I saw the gold-colored ‘Rocky 3000GT’, which is actually a replica of a 1967 Toyota 2000GT, arguably Japan’s most beautiful sports car. However, in place of the original 2.0-liter straight-6, this 3000GT is powered by an inline-6 3.0-liter Toyota engine. The price on the 3000GT was unclear, but for reference, stock 2000GT’s have fetched auction prices of over $1 million recently.

We also liked the sensational-looking Impulse AE86, which is a tuned 1986 Toyota Sprinter Trueno Corolla AE86 that has huge flared fenders, a carbon fiber body kit, and a modified engine developing 200-hp. Finished in a stand-out red, white, and black paint combination, this is the model of car that hardcore drifters all over the world use for sliding sideways around race tracks.

Speaking of 86s, well-known customizers GReddy and Blitz also outdid themselves with customized versions of the new GR86 that would cause a real stir in the U.S., a place that has been screaming for more powerful turbocharged models. Tuned with bespoke turbochargers, intercoolers, aeroparts, and sports suspension, these cars would be generating over 300-hp.




And who could ignore the other three bright yellow concept cars on display at the Liberty Walk stand. The canary yellow Lamborghini Aventador, Chevrolet Corvette C8, and McLaren P1 all benefited from bespoke carbon-fiber bodywork and were the best-looking threesome of the show.

Meanwhile, the ‘Bad Taste Award’ went to a bright pink Toyota Crown with dark green seats, pink steering wheel, pink seatbelts, and Swarovski crystal beads pasted all over the Crown and Athlete G badges.

Conclusion

One reason for the continued success of the 40-year-old Tokyo Auto Salon is that it has a little of something for everyone. With its new car launches and over-the-top customized machines, it’s a smorgasbord of automotive titillation that never gets old. Bring on TAS 2023.

The post The Best of Tokyo Auto Salon 2022 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Mitsubishi Fuso Vision I.RQ advanced rescue truck comes equipped with its own first-responder drone

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Designed as the conceptual successor to the Athena rescue truck which made its first appearance at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, the Fuso Vision I.RQ and HeliDroid were designed to be your best chance at surviving a calamity. The I.RQ is an advanced, fully equipped rescue truck that’s designed to work on a variety of terrains… and for the places where it can’t reach immediately, it has its own rescue drone that can perform reconnaissance missions for it.

The I.RQ and HeliDroid work in tandem to perform highly specialized rescue missions. The rescue truck itself sits on a modular chassis, allowing the upper cabin to be attached to various types of platforms for different terrain. The model shown in the images above and below comes outfitted with Mecanum wheels that allow it to move in any direction and even rotate on its own axis for flexible mobility. “The styling gives the surfaces a lot of volume as a progressive look into what is considered tough. This results in a more simplified design by also keeping surface interaction of various shapes very fluid. As this is an autonomous vehicle, we use our black belt concept, which continues to the side, to enclose the radars and an illuminated FUSO logo”, says lead-designer Tanay Patel.

The I.RQ’s most interesting feature is its companion drone, which can help locate victims in dense or difficult-to-reach areas. The drone is deployed in emergency scenarios to rapidly locate and pinpoint victims by scanning the terrain. Equipped with big rotors for vertical lift and electric ducted fans for horizontal flight, the drone can carry as much as 10 liters of supplies and cargo to victims. It even comes with its own onboard AI assistant which interacts with victims through its anthropomorphized face-display, providing a sense of comfort to them in moments of distress and letting them know that help’s on the way. When the HeliDroid locates and identifies the victim and drops off its emergency supplies/cargo, it makes its way back to the I.RQ truck, which opens up to transform into a landing pad for the drone. “Our aim at advanced design is to create a benchmark for ourselves with designs like these so we can apply some of these design cues to the next generation of production vehicles”, Tanay told Yanko Design.

Designers: Tanay Patel, Benoit Tallec, Tsuchide Satoshi, Ryoko Kurosu and Diego Santos

What if Bugatti, Bentley, and Tesla designed motorcycles? Here’s a look at 6 concept renders

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A lot of famous car-brands started off as motorcycle manufacturers who then took to the four-wheel market… BMW, Honda, Skoda, even Opel (remember Opel?) started their legacy on two wheels, before expanding to four. But what if more companies ventured into the motorcycle space just the way Dodge did with its wildly beautiful Tomahawk concept in 2003? Or the uber desirable 2014 LOTUS C-01? At Yanko, we don’t shy away from these bizarre questions… no, rather, we encourage them to fuel our fantasies. Here’s a look at 6 conceptual motorcycles from unlikely brands. These two-wheelers, however, don’t just slap logos onto designs and call it a day, they distill their respective brands’ automotive DNA into something that can be ported onto motorcycle-design. Let’s start with this conceptual Bugatti superbike, shown above.

Without question, the Bugatti Chiron is the ultimate record-breaking hypercar. The Chiron remains the fastest production vehicle in the world, and it’s also one of the most expensive cars on sale today. It’s only fitting that the Chiron be the benchmark for the motorcycle concept’s design… but not just any Chiron. No, this superbike pulls inspiration from the $19-million Bugatti La Voiture Noire. The result is ‘La Moto Noire,’ the fastest (and most expensive) superbike ever made. Bugatti’s iconic Horseshoe grille and C-line form parts of the front assembly and forks of the bike, while the wheels, headlights, and exposed carbon-fiber body panels are lifted directly from La Voiture Noire.

Combine the words Luxury, Comfort, and Motorcycle, and your mind is almost instantly drawn to a touring bike… which makes this type of two-wheeler the best choice for the next brand on this list – Bentley. With its design based on the iconic Bentayga SUV, the Bentley touring bike is a luxurious ride with limousine-like proportions. It offers generous seating for two, and the pair of large saddlebags offer enough cargo room for a short, weekend getaway. All the familiar Bentley styling cues are present, including twin round headlights and a massive front grille – the latter hides a large radiator to cool the bike’s massive V-Twin motor.

Yes, it’s true that Aston Martin HAS, in fact, forayed into the two-wheeler world with the slick, futuristic AMB 001… but can you really give it serious consideration, especially with its ridiculous $120,000 price tag?? This concept, on the other hand, is more targeted towards hitting the nostalgic nerve, with its retro café racer-inspired styling. For inspiration, the café racer looks to the magnificent DB4 GT Zagato Continuation model, a spectacular automotive gem from the good ol’ days of hand-formed metal and rich nostalgia. In terms of retro appeal, it’s hard to deny the DB4 GT Zagato’s meticulous coachwork. The Aston café racer inherited the gorgeous wired wheels and round headlight design of the DB4. It also has a bulbous gas tank, circular side mirrors, and a smallish windshield to complete the retro vibe.

Rivian is making ‘noise’ with its R1T electric pickup truck and R1S SUV. Both vehicles are destined to become the first all-electric off-roaders with genuinely rugged, go-anywhere capabilities. It was only natural that a Rivian motorbike would therefore reflect the future of dirt bikes or eMotorcross. Like the Rivian R1T, this dirt bike concept is all-electric with twin hub-mounted electric motors, a modest battery pack, off-road suspension, and regenerative charging technology. The simple, no-frills design is a definitive nod to the Rivian R1T’s utilitarian roots. And like the R1T, the Rivian dirt bike has oval stadium lights with LED headlamps and a smallish light bar. With only two wheels, the Rivian dirt bike is incapable of making a stationary ‘tank turn’ like the R1T pickup, but it still offers a massive grip and tons of torque to conquer the wild outdoors.

While the Japanese company is much better known for its iconic Lancer, or for the Eclipse or Evo GT, the company’s bread and butter are its practical subcompacts and SUVs… a result of it being partially acquired by Nissan back in 2016. Among the brand’s offerings is the Mitsubishi Mirage, one of the most fuel-efficient, non-hybrid vehicles in the market, capable of achieving 38-43 mpg even with a heavy lead foot. As such, the Mirage definitely has a strong scooter vibe, hence the creation of this Mitsubishi Scooter. Small in size yet packing a large seat, the Mitsubishi scooter has rugged tires, comfortable suspension, and a familiar Dynamic Shield face. And like the Mirage, it gets the job done with minimal fuss. It doesn’t have a dinky three-cylinder motor like the Mirage, but it does have a dinkier 1.0-liter, single-cylinder EFI engine, and a large gas tank to deliver exceptional mileage.


We cap this list with Tesla. I mean, come on… we weren’t going to include Rivian in this list but NOT include the OG electric brand, right? Based on the much-anticipated Tesla Roadster v2.0, this electric superbike goes as fast as it looks. But unlike the incoming Tesla Roadster with its curvy body, the Tesla sports bike has sharper lines akin to a Nighthawk stealth fighter. This conceptual e-beast has twin hub-mounted electric motors, air suspension, massive brakes, and a lower center of gravity. It’s not about how fast the Tesla Sports Bike can go, but how long you can hold on for dear life as you activate its Ludicrous Mode!

Designer: NeoMam Studios for Budget Direct.

Via: Budget Direct

Iconic Logo’s come to life in these architectural designs!

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Meet Karina Wiciak of Wamhouse, a Polish designer who has been designing structures based on iconic logos known all over the world! Instantly recognizable because of their inspiration, Karina’s designs utilize negative spacing in the logo to add character and help us imagine how it would be to live in one of these. Looking at them, we can’t wait to see what Karina comes up with more of such brand-worthy designs!

Named as the Trihouse, this conceptual house takes direct inspiration from the Adidas Logo. Now, while this would be an obvious choice for the brand loyalists, the house does hold appeal from a purely aesthetic and architectural point of view. This design is sure to create some interesting corner spaces for the user to work with!

The Ringshouse automatically brings to mind the four companies that combined together to form Audi as we know it today. From afar though they may look like tunnels, the designer, Karina, envisions a pool in the backyard with a view of rolling hills and straw-filled fields in the front of the driveway.

For the love of Chevrolet, meet the bowtie-shaped house named Crosshouse! Imagined as an island, this house stands two-stories tall to be accessed only by a boat, this boat is perfect for the loner who would love to cut off from the surroundings!

Mitsubishi’s three-diamond logo comes to life in this ‘A-shaped’ Pyrahouse! With the glass-fronted windows offering a peek into the interior of the house, the functioning space is visually divided into three individual bits that allow the user to rearrange and match each section to their need.

Rhombhouse encompasses Renault’s diamond-shaped logo! Though the narrow base of the render does make us question the stability of the structure, this house is sure to stand out among the sea of homes we see.

Mitsubishi’s bread oven perfects a slice of toast in true Japanese style!

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What could be better than gobbling up a piece of warm fluffy toast with some butter melted on top in the mornings? Playing on this guilty pleasure of ours, Mitsubishi recently launched it’s ‘TO-ST1-T Electric Bread Toaster’ or ‘Bread Oven’. What differentiates this from the rest of the toasters on the market…ALOT. Mitsubishi’s Bread Oven is in a league of its own with a promise to serve you ‘the perfect toast’. Mimicking a waffle maker, the toaster looks like it’s come straight out of the ’80s with its retro-esque veneer brown look. Built with a sealed thermal-insulated structure, it can toast your bread without releasing any moisture, ensuring the bread is soft, fluffy and far from being dry. The metal box is equipped with two plates that can go up to temperatures as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit. These plates seal the slice of bread, transferring heat to it and in turn make magic. The electric toaster is amped with four cooking settings; Toast, Frozen Toast, Topping and French Toast. Select your cooking setting, along with the thickness of your bread (options are 30 mm/1.1″, 24 mm/0.9″, 20 mm/0.7″, and 15 mm/0.5″) and you’re almost good to go! It gets even better as you get to choose the kind of toast you would like to have, with the five baking settings; Fluffy, Light, Normal, Dark and Crisp. Choose the bread texture you crave! The oven can even handle a bit of cheese or an egg on top of your bread.

“We wanted to focus on the single slice, and treat it with respect,” said Akihiro Iwahara, who is in charge of technical development at Mitsubishi Electric’s home-appliances division. “Our technology and know-how from rice cookers helped us come up with a way to trap and seal moisture.” Hence Mitsubishi designed the oven ensuring only one slice of bread could be cooked in one go, but slam-dunking it by guaranteeing that slice would be the best toast we ever have. The Bread Oven’s sleek looks entitle it to a spot not only in the kitchen but on our dining table as well. Bread connoisseurs must be jumping in excitement, for the era of the perfect toast is finally here!

Designer: Mitsubishi