Air Car Coming to U.S.

Alternative energy, Cool rides, concept cars June 25th, 2009

air-powered-car-1

Tata motors created some buzz when they first showed off the air car some time ago, now seems the project is picking up steam with plans on bringing the air powered car to the US next year.

The models were called oneCat and miniCat and rumor has it that those same models that were slated for Indian roads may hit U.S. roads as well.

The company planning to bring the air cars to the U.S. is called ZPM (Zero Pollution Motors).The first air-powered car to hit U.S. streets is supposed to be priced at around $17,800 with about a 75-hp engine. There are also plans for a 6 seat,  large version for the U.S. market.  The Indian models, OneCat and MiniCat are 2 and 3 seat models.

The air cars are said to be able to go as fast as 95 mph and have a range of 1000 miles on each fill up of, well, air. As it stands now, the cars should be available in the U.S. by early 2010.

Water Powered Car

Alternative Vehicles, Cool rides, concept cars June 24th, 2009

Here’s a really cool car even though the concept sounds a bit far fetched but seems a professor in Japan has created a car that runs on water, talk about cheap, easy attainable fuel.

The company responsible for the car is called Genepax. The hi tech car works by extracting the hydrogen from the water that is poured into the cars tank. Electrons are then somehow released producing electricity to power the motor.

The company does have plans for this concept car with plans to mass produce the water car.

Water-fuel car unveiled in Japan

(01:21) Report

Jun. 13 – Japanese company Genepax presents its eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water.

The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car’s tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. Genepax, the company that invented the technology, aims to collaborate with Japanese manufacturers to mass produce it.

Concept Cars – Sixty Years of Futuristic Automobiles

Cool rides, Crazy Cars, concept cars, vintage cars March 15th, 2009

I love concept cars, I love how people design cars that they know are just too out there to ever go into production, but they attract the crowds at the auto shows. Take a look at 6 decades of whacky, crazy and way too cool concept cars.

It’s odd that in 60 years of car companies building concept cars, not much has changed, they always seem really rounded, even when the styles where boxy, and always, very futuristic.

The flyboat, one very early concept that may not have even had any wheels. OK, not really a car, but I love this one.

flyboat early vintage concept car

Nazi Racecar

nazi racecar

 1938 concept Phantom

1938 concept phantom

Another vintage concept car, not sure what is is, but it sure must have been a cool ride back then.

vintage concept car

1950 Futureliner from GM – kinda a bus, wagon and mack truck all rolled into one crazy car.

1950 concept car futureliner

GM vintage concept car

Buick Vintage Concept Cars from the 1950’s

 

buick concept car circa 1950

buick vintage concept car

Vintage Concept Car

 concept-vintage.jpg

1964 GM Stiletto, the look of the future?

64 concept stiletto

1964 future car, not sure what they where thinking here because this is just plain ugly. Most Concept cars look sleek and hopefully cool, no matter what year, this one here looks like a bad Jaws movie coming at you. Jaws may be too cool for this one… OK,  how about a salmon swimming upstream at you? The front end just reminds me of fish… go figure.

 1964 future car

1950ish Model D concept

 1950ish model D

1970 Porsche Tapiro

1980 porsche concept sports car

1980 GM Epcot

 

1980 GM Epcot

1988 GM SunRaycer – Arrival of the solar powered cars? guess we never saw that one happen.

 1988 GM Sunraycer

1989 Solar Car, not made by a large auto manufacturer, I think, But still cool

1989 Solar Car

2005 mercedes hydrogen car

 2005 mercedes hydrogen car

2003 GM Hy Wire Concept

2003 GM Hy Wire

 

Mercedes Benz Formula One

 benz formula concept

mercedes benz concept car

Pontiac Solstice

 pontiac solstice

 Here are a few more recent models

A Suziki Concept SUV from 2007

 suzuki

This one is awsome, this is the Mazda Taiki concept car, reminds me of ocean waves… you can see why I’m sure.

 concept_1-mazda.jpg

 concept_mazda-taiki.jpg

3 wheel car/bike?

three wheel car

Asian Concept from an auto show a few years back

concept Asian car

1970 style Dodge Challenger concept

 dodge challenger concept