Tag Archives: car

Nuro next-gen self-driving delivery car will protect pedestrians with an old-fashioned airbag!

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Airbags have been cited to save the lives of people inside a car, and Nuro thinks they might also be able to save people outside of one.

Autonomous, self-driving cars have long been a dream of both car manufacturers as well as many drivers, but they also sound like the stuff of sci-fi horror for other people, especially those outside of the robot vehicle. Although it’s a long time coming, these driverless cars will eventually be found on highways as well as neighborhood streets, whether ferrying people or groceries. Nuro is more interested in the latter, and its latest prototype design makes a big commitment not just to the safety of people but also that of the environment.

Designer: Nuro

Nuro has been around for quite a while, but it might not be getting as much attention as self-driving cars from bigger brands like Tesla. That might be due to its focus on a very specific market for delivering goods, not humans, from the store to your doorstep. In a way, that also works in its favor because it can fine-tune its features and performance in ways that more general-purpose autonomous vehicles can’t.

For example, Nuro’s latest-gen version of its driverless R2 pod adds a new safety feature for pedestrians that sounds both absurd and genius in its simplicity. While it will try to avoid any accident as much as it can, it will also deploy an external airbag in front of the vehicle when it can’t. This is designed to help reduce the force of impact and hopefully reduce the number of injuries to pedestrians. That, of course, will still depend on how fast the vehicle was traveling in the first place, and this latest iteration can apparently go up to 45 mph.

Nuro is also making big promises when it comes to sustainability and protecting the environment. It will be impossible at this point to go all out on using renewable materials, but it will at least try to make sure to reduce its impact on the environment. More importantly, Nuro says that the new electric vehicle will use 100% renewable electricity from wind farms in Texas, reducing the carbon footprint even for day-to-day operations.

This third-gen autonomous delivery vehicle also has more space for groceries, food, and other items. Nuro says that all these upgrades are designed not just to make deliveries faster and more efficient but also to free up more time for humans to spend on more important things, like family and friends. That said, pre-production of the manufacturing facility that will make these driverless delivery robots has only just begun, so it might be a while before we see these on the road.

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This modular single-person car adapts to changing lifestyle, giving increased value to your vehicle

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Over a lifetime our personality is molded depending on the lifestyle and the circumstances around us. But when we bring home a car, it stays virtually unchanged, barring some superficial modifications from the after-market accessories and tuning customizations. What if our four-wheeler could also have a dynamic persona that could morph in a jiffy depending on our needs? A vehicle that is ultra-modular at the core right at the time of purchase?

This is CMPN concept by Sungguk Park, who mustered up the compact single-person vehicle as a part of the BA Thesis project. For a debut project, the designer has done a phenomenal job of putting together a modular vehicle that’s compact, is ideal for solo city commuters and doesn’t stop you from exploring the outskirts for an adventure trip on the weekend. The electric car employs the modular structure on the exterior as well as interior to suit the user’s needs – much like your wardrobe where you have the option to go with the flow. The ability to replace and even recycle modules without much hassle is good for the longevity of use of the vehicle – thereby helping in staying abreast with the greater goal of a sustainable future.

According to Sungguk, mobility could be a companion in the process of change in a person’s life. Hence, CMPN is designed keeping in mind users’ changing tastes. Each module is made up of recyclable materials and is more than enough for single people to use every inch of the space efficiently. On the inside, there are no distinct lines between the cargo space and interior space which increases the flexibility of use. When needed the seat can be pushed back to make more space for extra luggage or daily objects. There are charging ports, a modular bookshelf, coffee holder and door pockets to keep all the essentials.

The EV can be controlled with mobile devices too and when in a parked position on the side of a beautiful beach, the steering wheel conceals in the dashboard which can then be used as a full-sized desk. Dashboard cabinets act as rails to install modules such as bookshelves or drawers. On the outside, the uniformity of design means more possibility of adding the desired modules to the front or back. For example, a skateboarder can configure the rear module to have MUV-like space for carrying skateboard, bags and other things. While a professional can have modules in place to make more use of the space on the interior while keeping the exterior minimal. Everything on the CMPN can be configured via the compatible app – something that the automotive future will cherish in a decade’s time!

Designer: Sungguk Park

 

 

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This wearable EV with the agility of a motorcycle + stability of a car is what we truly need in 2030!

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If a car-motorcycle hybrid electric vehicle is what you mustered up in your wildest dream, then this is it. Even better how about a sci-fi vehicle that connects to you like a second skin? Meet the R RYZR EV designed by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). The high-profile studio in London’s Marylebone has broken the shackles of automotive boundaries with a concept that they claim is the “ultimate symbiosis of man and machine.”

Why’s that? Because this vehicle comes with a special jacket that needs to be locked into place into the seat before it can even get going. SAIC aims to bring a sublime EV experience tailored for the fashion-conscious lot. So the RYZR Smart-JKT (the advanced suit) is the key connecting the user to the vehicle by sitting in the driving seat. The bike-car  hybrid adapts the best of both worlds by bringing the agility of a motorcycle and having the reassuring stability of a four-wheeler. The vehicle’s cockpit is open on all ends to make the riders have a “thrilling yet safe urban experience.”

R RYZR is built for the crowded city streets as well as open freeways – that’s the USP of the concept. It has a central spine running the length of the chassis, and two seats are suspended on either side. The drive-by-wire assisted centrally-mounted steering wheel is designed to operate independently of its position. Meaning, both the driver and passenger can drive it from their sitting position by simply sliding it. The central spine gives the EV freedom to pivot on the front and rear arms – this makes leaning and carving through tight corners on the hubless wheels highly maneuverable.

According to Carl Gotham, the company’s Advanced Design Director “R RYZR is an exciting and visceral vision of the future of urban travel. By exploring the unconventional, it unlocks new modes of transport for the future, new experiences, and new emotions.” I can’t help but agree with the vision, since getting the better of mobility challenges demands such vehicles that people would actually want to use.

Designer: SAIC Design

Essential Car Accessories designed to help you escape dangerous situations and emergencies safely + securely!

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Our personal cars are honestly very important! We need them to commute from one place to another, and in traveling to and fro different locations, I’m pretty sure we end up spending a substantial amount of our day in them. Hence, maintaining the health and safety of our car is quite crucial. But no matter how much care we take of our beloved cars, there’s always a risk of our car breaking down or encountering some issue or the other. In such scenarios, it’s critical to have a handy collection of tools that can come to our rescue. From EDCs to nifty accessories, these products will support your car in the best way possible. From a tiny EDC tool that helps you escape during in-car emergencies to an emergency light that can save your life-these nifty, portable, and highly functional designs will help you escape the trickiest emergency warning situations safely!

The WYN Bullet  is one of those rare examples of EDC that was designed to save lives. Smaller than your finger, the WYN Bullet is a spring-loaded glass-shattering tool that helps you make a quick escape/rescue by instantly breaking a car’s toughened glass. Whether you’re inside your car trying to get out, or outside the car trying to save someone on the inside, the WYN Bullet’s one-push system can instantly shatter toughened glass panels, giving you swift entry into a locked car in emergencies . Toughened glass is exceptionally difficult to break through, by design.

The NUMBER ZERO’s design comes with a clever bit of consideration that’s often overlooked by other companies. The mount’s design was created to look good even there’s NO phone mounted on it. Rather than just use that opportunity to slap a massive piece of branding onto the mount’s design, the NUMBER ZERO comes with a neat little kinetic animation that’s powered by the wind from the AC. The mount comes with a variety of animations to choose from, all of which feature a rotating element that’s powered by the wind coming off the AC vent at the back. The air from the vent pushes a series of gears that then cause the kinetic animation to gently rotate, allowing the NUMBER ZERO to look eye-catching even when the phone isn’t mounted in place.

Issued as a limited release, Spotify’s Car Thing provides a bridge between your car’s speaker system and your favorite online streaming service. Available for free to a select group of applicants (you can sign up on Spotify’s Car Thing microsite), the Car Thing is a nifty little dashboard that brings Spotify to life in your automobile. It runs a version of the streaming company’s Car View, a simple interface that’s easy to use and navigate while driving, and while the device DOES have a touchscreen, it comes with physical dials and buttons that you can instinctively operate with your hand as you keep your eyes on the road. The Spotify Car Thing is built to be compatible with vehicles regardless of make or model and displays a home screen with a touch-sensitive navigation dial slightly overlapping the screen to make the device look visually dramatic.

Designed to be universal and customizable, the Zero Labs Platform is an electric base that can fit under the body of virtually any existing car, turning it instantly electric. Think of Zero Labs’ Platform as basically an electric skateboard. It comes with a base fitted with all the electrical components, a battery, and four wheels. Designed with an adjustable wheelbase and ride height, independent front and rear suspension, modular battery system, a 600HP dual-motor drive, regenerative breaking, the Platform can be customized to fit under any car. The car would need to be prepared for this transition, by ditching everything under the hood and hooking the steering controls and dashboard to the new electric drivetrain. The car would then be mounted onto its new platform and lo and behold, you’ve got yourself an old dog with new tricks… or as Zero Labs like to call it, “the Past, powered by the Future”.

The Jabra Drive in-car speaker blocks out all the other sounds on the road! It comes amped with noise-cancellation technology that eliminates disturbing noises from the road. Installing the speaker in your car is super simple and easy. There are voice-guided instructions to help you connect the device to your car! Moreover, you even get verbal reminders when the battery is low. You can use the Jabra Drive to make calls, stream music, and play GPS instructions as well.

Kono Corporation’s solution to the problem is a simple coupling of two words. Increased visibility. The S.Light, which should be as much of a standard carry-on accessory as a car-jack or lug-wrench, is a signaling beacon that allows drivers to know that there’s a broken-down vehicle ahead, from as far as 200 yards away, giving them enough time to react by either change lanes and avoiding a collision, or pulling up near you to help you out. The S.Light, which stands for Safe-Secure-Signal is a portable, flexible signboard that uses a rotating LED display for high visibility at night, and a collapsible reflector panel during the day. The emergency signboard comes with a strong, magnetic base and a flexible goose-neck upon which lies the rotating LED module.

A tiny, versatile multitool, the Gerber Armbar Drive packs 7 tools into its small, slick frame. The Armbar Drive’s frame integrates a prybar and bottle opener into its design, while the fold-out tools include a full-size plain-edge knife, an awl for making or enlarging holes, a scissor for cutting, and a 2.5” long screwdriver with a 2-sided bit that you can flip and use based on your need. Pretty useful for a multitool that ultimately folds down to the size of your index finger. The Armbar Drive even has a sister variant, the Armbar Cork, which features a corkscrew with a lever arm along with a can/package opener… but given that I haven’t seen a bottle of alcohol in over a month now, I’ll leave that be.

The primary responsibility of a walkie-talkie is to be a portable communication device. “Designed to be carried at any time, in many different ways,” this walkie-talkie can be used in any industry or organization where instantaneous communication between peers is required, and phone signals are unreliable. These would generally include security services, transportation industry, construction sites, manufacturing, and warehouse facilities amid a few other sectors. The fact is that walkie-talkies are easy to use and have grown beyond commercial use into the lives of the masses. Smaller versions are especially very popular among kids. As a more innovative way – to highlight its transport – Franco Calegari has designed a walkie-talkie with the bottom half of the device cut out into a hollow ring, which can be used to attach a carabiner or in a range of other ways.

With a newly detailed base that features a wide cross-shaped design, increasing its stability, the CrossJack is the same old jack in a slightly new but noticeably safer design, thanks to its stable base. The CrossJack’s design prompts one to wonder why car-jacks don’t already have wide bases. Its redesign is simple but effective. A collapsible set of plates sit at the bottom of the CrossJack that opens up into a wide cross, giving the jack a spaced-apart, four-point base. This wider footprint prevents the car from being accidentally knocked off the jack and landing on the ground, injuring anyone who may be working on it. The CrossJack’s tweaked design sports a base that’s nearly half an inch thick, and made of stainless steel, giving it a rugged sturdiness that makes the jack safer than most. When you’re done, the jack folds up to occupy exactly the same amount of space as any regular jack would.

3.5 times harder than titanium, the strongest metal known to mankind, Tungsten Carbide is akin to black gold in the EDC world. Give any gear a coating of Tungsten Carbide and it shines black like obsidian rock, with a unique metallic luster that’s glimmery in a subtle way… but more importantly, it makes them practically invincible, resisting any sort of external wear and tear. Pair it with Wingback’s series of exquisitely designed EDC and you’ve got the ideal combination of aesthetics and performance. Designed by Alasdair MacLaine, Wingback’s Black Steel collection sports three minimal-yet-functional products that are bound to be an unwavering part of your everyday carry. A bullet-sized Key Cache helps you store emergency money on your keychain, while a mechanical pen with its comfortable broad design promises to be the last pen you’ll ever want to use. Lastly, MacLaine’s 100ml hip-flask comes with the same cylindrical lathe-manufactured design as the other products in the series.

Why the BMW i Vision Circular Concept looks so unique and attractive, and what automotive designers can learn from it

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BMW i Vision Circular Concept

Nobody ever designed anything iconic by following the rules. The BMW i Vision Circular Concept works on the same principle – it has an appearance that’s car-like enough to not be mistaken for anything else, yet the design team takes deliberate decisions to deviate from certain norms, creating a car that looks and feels really refreshing. Here are a couple of my takeaways that could become design lessons in the future… and yes, I’ll be bringing up the Tesla Cybertruck.

Just to cover the basics, the i Vision Circular Concept debuted at the Munich Auto Show as BMW’s first-ever ‘100% recyclable’ car. Designed for the year 2040, the i Vision Circular Concept comes with a design featuring parts that are completely detachable (thanks to the use of intelligent fasteners like cords and press-fit joints instead of glue and welding) and easy to fix/repair. The car’s body is made from recycled aluminum, its interiors use fabric made from recycled plastic, and even the tires are made from a “sustainably cultivated” natural rubber. As one would expect with any eco-conscious automobile, the i Vision Circular Concept runs on an electric powertrain too… and while managing to balance all those bits of innovation, the i Vision Circular Concept looks like an absolute stunner. It’s unconventionally shaped, looks decidedly modern, makes incredible use of volumes, surfaces, edges, continuity, and lighting, while still ensuring that the car follows BMW’s brand DNA and retains its iconic design language… and if that wasn’t impressive enough, the car also doesn’t use a single drop of paint.

BMW i Vision Circular Concept

A futuristic form that’s edgy, but friendly.

Angular straight lines play a dominant role in visual futurism – a theory that the Cybertruck has pushed to its very limits. Straight lines can never be found in nature, so the use of them automatically makes something look artificial or man-made. Play with those parameters enough and you’ll arrive at something that looks so artificial it feels like it’s from the future. While that may have played to the Cybertruck’s strength (because the ultimate consensus, whether you liked the pickup truck’s design or not, was that it looked hyper-futuristic), it isn’t necessarily what the i Vision Circular Concept is going for. Sure, the use of sharp edges and angular lines play a major part in allowing the car to look futuristic, but the gentle use of curves give it a more friendly, relatable appeal, making it look appealing and warm instead of robotic and cold.

As far as form and surface treatment goes, the i Vision Circular Concept doesn’t really go by the book. For starters, it has a panoramic windshield that extends all the way from the front to the top and the back, and even to the sides. The front is a continuous curve too, highly reminiscent of Lamborghinis, and gives the car a wedge-shaped silhouette that’s wider than the kind seen in Lambos, but is still unmistakably different from almost every other car. It even comes with a chasm or a valley running down the bonnet, creating that bit of drama by breaking the surface, while providing a neat area to house the BMW logo. There’s also an incredibly low overhang over the front and rear wheels, resulting in a car that looks incredibly tight, yet with curves in the right places.

BMW i Vision Circular Concept

BMW i Vision Circular Concept

Eyes so pretty, you can’t stop staring at them.

Chances are that the first thing you noticed about the BMW i Vision Circular Concept was its headlights. Over time, cars have anthropomorphized to form faces, where the headlights look like eyes – a feature that’s allowed car brands to give their automobiles character and emotions, which is why the slim headlights of an Audi make it look aggressive, and the round headlights of a VW Beetle make it look fun and friendly. The i Vision Circular Concept’s eyes rely on an incredible contrast created by angular white lines on a black background. The angular lines give the car a discerning appearance without necessarily looking mean or angry, and the headlights aren’t simply relegated to a bulb and reflector located on either side of the car’s front… instead, the angular lines travel all the way across the front from left to right. BMW’s designers even used this genius move to turn the headlights into a makeshift kidney grille, fulfilling a design detail that can be found on every single BMW car from the very beginning. Since the i Vision Circular Concept doesn’t have a gas-powered engine (and therefore doesn’t need a grille on the front), the angular lines take its place, making the car concept equal parts path-breaking yet true to BMW’s legacy.

BMW i Vision Circular Concept

BMW i Vision Circular Concept

BMW i Vision Circular Concept

Not a drop of paint.

Easily one of the most wasteful processes in a car’s manufacturing, the paint-job needs to be conducted in a highly controlled environment by specialized robots with highly expensive equipment. The process can take days at an end, result in a massive amount of wasted resources and paint, and if gone even fractionally wrong, needs to be done all over again from scratch. Cleverly enough, the i Vision Circular Concept dodges this process entirely, saving resources and energy, but also potentially millions of dollars in the process.

The car’s eye-catching matte gold finish is the result of a process called anodizing, which involves electro-chemically layering a thin film of color on top of the car’s metal body. It’s time-saving, foolproof, and adds a thin layer of color over the metal, as opposed to multiple layers of paint. The gold color transitions to a wonderful blue-ish hue at the back that’s achieved through heat-treatment, a process often employed with steel. BMW wasn’t clear about how laborious or expensive these processes are, but just on paper, they seem quicker and more cost-effective than spraying on 7-8 layers of automotive paint onto an entire car.

BMW i Vision Circular Concept

The i Vision Circular Concept ultimately aims at showcasing BMW’s vision for the future, while also giving us a glimpse of what technologies they’re developing to make that future a reality. It’s pretty likely that BMW won’t ever release this car, because its purpose is more demonstrative in nature than anything else – which just makes it a perfect example of what trends automotive designers can expect to see moving forward in the industry. There’s a fair bit to learn from the i Vision Concept – from its different design decisions to how it manages to perfectly balance sustainability with style. More importantly, the fact that BMW’s designing recyclable cars is, in itself, a massive flex for the company and is definitely a direction that more automotive companies should be taking in the future.

Designer: BMW

BMW i Vision Circular Concept

The post Why the BMW i Vision Circular Concept looks so unique and attractive, and what automotive designers can learn from it first appeared on Yanko Design.

We might not have flying cars yet, but this company is turning vintage automobiles into electric motorboats

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While every sci-fi movie and book has seduced humanity with the promise of flying cars, the guys at Floating Motors are building out a different kind of future – sailing cars.

The brainchild of Pierpaolo Lazzarini, Floating Motors takes vintage cars and turns them into electric motorboats that are a delightful combination of confusing and cool. Dubbed as “resto-floating”, the technique involves restoring a vintage car, but not with car parts. Instead, the car’s mounted either on a twin-hull, a catamaran, or a hydrofoil base, and is outfitted with electric motors for propulsion. Here’s an interesting philosophical question though… is it still a car? Considering it was a car, and still looks like a car, but clearly functions as a boat… what IS it?? Why not drop us a mail and tell us what you think.

Floating Motors’ current offerings are a star-studded lineup of restored classics, including the VW Microbus, Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, Porsche 550 Spyder, and Jaguar E-Type. Depending on the model, the carboats come outfitted with anywhere from a 40 horsepower to a 135 horsepower electric motor, with speeds going up to 55 knots. The restoration is carried out by Lazzarini’s design studio along with Jet Capsule S.r.L., an Italian watercraft builder. While clearly the idea behind owning a classic vintage car that drives on water sounds like a bit of a vanity/enthusiast thing, Floating Motors says you can use the crafts for various purposes, including as a taxi; which adds yet another layer of philosophical conundrums to the mix. If it’s a car that drives on water, is it a taxi?? Or a ferry?? This has the potential of being the internet’s latest “is the dress white and gold or is it black and blue” debate.

Designer: Floating Motors

Nissan reveals the 2023 Z model, fitting it out with a turbocharged engine and 400-hp for the smoothest ride yet!

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Replacing 2020’s 370z, Nissan’s 2023 Z model merges retro aesthetics with a fastback chassis that hosts a turbocharged engine and integrated modern technology for the smoothest ride yet.

Since 1969, Nissan’s Z-model has been recognized for its performance reliability, inexpensive price point, and sleek fastback chassis. Today, the automobile manufacturer debuts their 2023 Nissan Z to keep the heritage strong. Returning to the 1969 model’s retro sloping roof, the 2023 Nissan Z will feature aesthetic tributes to the build of previous Z-models and incorporate modern technology to bring the car’s retro design into the scope of today’s technological possibilities.

Powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine, the 2023 Nissan Z will be loaded with 400 hp, 350 lb-ft of torque, and a redline of 6,800 rpm. Improving on the model’s predecessor, the 370Z, Nissan’s 2023 Z model accelerates its 0-60 mph time by 15%, positioning the newer model in the low 4-second range. The 2023 Nissan Z will also be the first model of the lineup to feature launch control with a manual transmission, allowing the car to accelerate from a standing start.

Double-wishbone front suspensions also update the 2023 Nissan Z’s geometry, making for smoother and enhanced straight-line stability. Monotube shocks with larger diameters should also improve stability when driving over uneven surfaces. Reducing the flex of the model’s chassis, Nissan integrated a strut tower brace and enlarged the four-wheel disc brake system for the 2023 Z model.

While most of Z’s technical specs have been updated to meet today’s technological advancements, the interior’s two-seat bench merges the old with the new. Some design details from 1969 still find their way inside and outside 2023’s model, from the car’s door handles to its steering wheel. Besides that, you’ll find the standard in-cabin technology we’ve come to expect with newer cars, such as an 8-inch touchscreen navigation system with built-in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities, keyless entry with push-start, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring.

Designer: Nissan

The 2023 Z will come in either bright blue or yellow, giving it a standout color for everything from racing to cruising. 

The car’s turbocharged engine equips the 2023 Nissan Z with 400-hp.

Inside, interior design elements pay tribute to the car’s 1969 origin model.

The 2023 Nissan Z features larger front tires to increase cornering. 

The taillights and headlights are designed in ode to the car’s original model as well.

An 8-inch touchscreen navigation system enhances the Nissan 2023 Z’s modern edge.

The Nissan 2023 Z comes with 18×9 aluminum front wheels and rear Yokohama ADVAN Sport P245/45R18 tires.

This LEGO Toyota Supra master build made from 477,303 bricks can be driven at 17mph!

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A full-scale LEGO version of the Toyota GR Supra that replicates the intricate design details of the real Japanese sports car both on the outside and inside as well.

The iconic Toyota GR Supra (earlier known as Celica Supra) celebrates its 35-anniversary this year and LEGO Japan, LEGOLAND Japan and Toyota Gazoo Racing have put together a life-size replica of the sports car that’ll make your jaws drop. The LEGO version is slightly wider than the original GR Supra, weights much more (4,156 pounds) – and is, for the most part, made entirely out of LEGO bricks which is incredible if you are a LEGO fan.

Surprisingly this pixelated version of the GR Supra can actually drive thanks to its electric drivetrain – of course not as fast as the real thing though. It maxes out at a speed of 17 mph, and that in itself is an achievement for the creative builders who spend almost 30,000 hours of development and 2,400 hours putting it together. A mind-boggling 477,303 LEGO bricks were used in the making of this Supra, and it even has working lights and a yellow paint job to awe-struck anyone who lays their eyes on this one.

The only bits that are not LEGO bricks in this 1:1 version are the wheels, driver seat, steering wheel, gauge cluster and the badging. All of these were salvaged out from the real GR Supra. The LEGO version even gets a mini toy driver wearing the Toyota race suit and a helmet to complete the look.

The lifesize LEGO GR Supra will be on display at LEGOLAND Japan until October 11, so if you are a fan of this Japanese sports car, seeing this LEGO car is a bucket list essential. I can’t help but appreciate the amount of detail being put into this LEGO creation, and to end up with a car that actually looks like a striking replica of the real one is a commendable achievement.

Designer: LEGO

The LED traffic signal gets redesigned with a single screen stoplight for the 21st century!

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Makeshift detour notices and ancient traffic lights from the 20th century sometimes make following road rules difficult. Human error and faded signals sometimes send the wrong sign to drivers and pedestrians, resulting in car accidents and injuries. In addition to the traffic light’s archaic design, those who are color blind can have a difficult time distinguishing between red and green, stop and go. Confronting the downfalls of a design from yesteryear, Moscow-based design firm Art. Lebedev Studio developed a traffic light fixture to match today’s modern design and technological capabilities.

Requested by two cities in Russia for testing in a limited capacity, Art. Lebedev Studio’s traffic light condenses the three-tier stoplight into one digital panel that runs a continuous loop of various traffic signals. When it’s time to stop, the entire fixture emanates a red glow and projects an ‘X’ to signal to color-blind drivers that it’s time to stop. Similarly, when it’s okay to drive on, green fills the screen and an arrow indicates full speed ahead. A countdown is also displayed when each traffic signal starts, allowing drivers to countdown when it’ll be time to go and when they’ll have to slow down.

If you’re like me and the first thing you look for at a stop sign is a ‘No Turn on Red,’ posting, this traffic light from Art. Lebedev has got us covered. Nonstandard signals are also programmed into the traffic light, so drivers will know when it’s okay to turn on red among other road rules. Hybrid display panels will color half of the screen red and the other half green, with an ‘X’ indicating stop and an arrow pointing to the right signaling to drivers that right turns on red are allowed.

Bringing the new design to the pedestrian level, Art. Lebedev developed almost a little sister to the taller traffic light. Shorter than the traffic light, the pedestrian’s panel will also feature simple animations that illustrate when pedestrians can walk across busy streets and when they should hang back to wait for traffic to pass. Relying only on a 5G connection for operation, new traffic and detour information can be programmed remotely into traffic lights to keep drivers up to speed on the latest road rules.

Designer: Art. Lebedev Studio

This signal indicates that while it’s not your lane’s turn to go straight, you can turn right.





This signal shows that it’s all systems go.





Pedestrian signs are positioned beneath traffic signals, closer to the sightline of walkers and bikers alike.





This signal displays a countdown, indicating that drivers have 54 seconds before the light turns red.





LED lights radiate a glow on Art. Lebedev Studio’s signals stand out amidst city lights.





Some various signs can be condensed and displayed on Art. Lebedev Studio’s traffic light for the modern era.

Honda Electric Pickup + more edgy car designs that would leave every Grand Tour fan wanting more!

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Through the years, some cars have reached iconic status, they’ve captured a place in everyone’s hearts and people reminisce about them to date, whether it’s the Back to the Future DeLorean, the beloved Porsche 911, or off-late, the Tesla Cybertruck. What do three British men, some iconic cars, and their legendary antics with these iconic cars have in common? Just one of the most popular automotive shows in the world, the Grand Tour! The thing about the Grand Tour is it surpasses the cars – they have become every auto enthusiast’s dream to tinker with the best cars, in the best places, with your friends (though I always root for Richard Hammond, and I do wish he would win more!) and even I would swap places with them instantly! Automotive Designers have given some of our favorite wheels creative and enduring makeovers, and we’ve collected a few for you that we totally approve of – the best part is figuring which of these designs would be picked by Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond, and what their take on each would be. Any guesses?

The Ridgeline EV concept comes from the mind of California-based Rene Garcia, a concept designer at ILM who’s previously worked on The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok, The Avengers, and the Transformers anthology. Garcia began designing the vehicle as a Dakar rally truck, but gradual iterations slowly turned it into a conceptual pickup truck for Honda. Designed to handle pretty much anything you can throw at it, the EV comes with its own winch-hook on the front, a frunk behind it, suicide-style rear doors that give you access to the car’s spacious interiors, and an expandable truck-bed on the back that even comes equipped with tools and emergency medical kits.

Al Yasid reimagines the Dodge Demon in white silver body and yellow hue for the front bumper – much like the 68 Porsche 908. The choice of yellow comes from the designer’s current bent towards this color from the palette that he likes the most. With tweaking to the front align with over fenders – who would not fall in love with this muscle car! If you notice closely, the Dodge cross grill (air dam) has been modernized, and the rear window aero piece has that attractive shooting brake-like look courtesy of the roof spoiler. Al Yasid points to his love of shooting brakes by saying, “That “roof spoiler” was actually done to give a slight illusion of a shooting brake while not being one hah!” In a fun twist, the yellow front resembles a duck’s bill for those who love a biological inspiration on their ride, but to me, the yellow is a pure throwback to Bumblebee, our favorite transformer ever!

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 at the absolute front of the vehicle, with a panoramic windshield that lets the explorers get a full view the terrain and landscape ahead of them. Sure, a few questions come to mind too, especially regarding driver safety and 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. I’m especially loving the Cybertruck vibe, and I’m sure the driver gets a hell of a view!

The direct competitor for the Apple Car is obviously going to be Tesla who’s got a strong foothold in the self-driving electric car market. According to some sources, the Apple Car will not have any driver’s seat or even driving controls which could be a bummer for motorheads who love the feel of controlling their machine. The Apple Car will look like anybody’s guess, but to give a close idea of what it may be like, Ali Cam’s Apple Car 2076 is a good reference point to take home some inspiration. Adopting Apple’s sharp design aesthetics, the car looks like a mouse shaped like a car at first glance, but then you realize it’s actually a minimal car concept. Loaded with advanced driving systems Ali envisions the blueprint far in the distant future – the year 2076 to be precise. The choice of year apparently is the 100the anniversary of Apple ever since it was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne.

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.

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 Boat Tail, a coupé born from the patrons’ enduring love for the sea and taste for nautical design, was designed specifically to celebrate the hand-craftsmanship and relative history of yacht building. Three coupés inspired by nautical shipbuilding design have been built under the modern coachbuilding department at Rolls-Royce. Merging today’s advanced technology with the trusted bespoke coachwork of yesteryear, the Boat Tail’s hand-formed chassis cradles a 19-foot bonnet that covers the car’s 6.75-liter V-12 engine. The stone azure coat of the Boat Tail slopes to a wisped finish around the rear and borders the motorcar’s painted pantheon grille.

This all-electric car is actually Vecchia’s first automotive design project. It reimagines the popular Fiat 126 model from 1972 to fit in our current scenario where vehicles are headed towards a fuel-less future. Fiat 126 is a four-passenger rear-engined city car, introduced by the brand at the Turin Auto Show as a replacement for the Fiat 500; it was one of the most successful models with a total production of almost 4.7 million units. Vision 126 has a balanced aesthetic of vintage and modern. While the concept has square headlights to resemble the original model, making it slightly slimmer would slightly more modern look and take off some visual bulk from the front. Vision features radial vents in a way where they are integrated within the steel cap which is similar to the original wheel design.

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!

Looking like something either out of a videogame or a movie about videogames, this is MCLExtreme, an amped-up vision of what a fully-electric F1 will look like in 2050, courtesy McLaren. Sparing literally no detail, and quite literally painting an incredible picture in the process, McLaren’s vision for 2050 has quite a few interesting predictions. A completely electric drivetrain is a given, considering Formula One’s gradual drift towards it. The cars won’t just be electric, they’ll charge wirelessly too. The track will supply power to the cars at strategic intervals as they drive in circles. However, where it gets interesting is that McLaren says that in order to charge effectively, drivers will have to slow down to gather more energy. Drive slow and you charge more, drive fast and you save time. The concept of the pit-stop doesn’t exist in 2050 either. The car’s tires will be crafted from a much more durable and self-repairing material that makes them last longer and eventually repair over time, therefore never needing replacing.