Kia Motors has announced a new luxury model in their vehicle line up with the KND-5 Concept car. This new luxury model aims to satisfy the growing demands for vehicles who are looking for refinement and safety for ideal driving conditions. The new luxury sedan will be known as the Cadenza outside Korea and will make its debut in the Middle East. Cadenza is a name derived from an Italian music term which stands for elaborate, ornamental flourish for a concerto.

Among the notable features of the Cadenza include its sporty look, bold headlamp design, stylish taillights and passenger friendly high-tech features. It also carries the usual vehicle features like power steering, extendable seat cushions, and auto defogging of windshield and ventilation front seats.

(Source) Press

Tags: cadenza, concept car, concerto, debut, driving conditions, flourish, italian music, KIA, kia motors, Korea, luxury model, music term, power steering, refinement, seat cushions, taillights, vehicle features, ventilation, windshield

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Well folks, from the look of things, the electric vehicle concept car that Audi showed at the IAA last month has just gone to full production, and with a whole new name besides, the Audi R4.

But it’s not just electric for this one, no sir or ma’am, as the case may be.  Seems that the R4 is likely to have a few purely gas-engine spinoff varieties too, likely to get the most bang for the design buck, metaphorically speaking.

There’s two sides to the Audi R4 that are downright interesting.  Check out the math on this one:  acceleration is slated to be zero to sixty in 4.8 seconds.  Maximum speed is now slated to be a hundred and forty miles per hour.  And this is the fun one: maximum range on its lithium-ion battery pack?  A whopping one hundred fifty five miles.  This thing’s got a range of ONE HOUR at top speed!

I’m not too sure about the whole EV trip just yet–and with specs like these, it’s not hard to see why.

Tags: Audi, concept car, electric car, gasoline engine, production car

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When we look at a concept car these days, the first thing we like to think of is the future.  How things will look in ten, twenty, fifty years.  The hovercrafts and autodrives and magnetic impeller cars and such.

So today, we’re taking a look at the Chrysler Star Car, a concept car from the 1930s.  It was called a Star Car because of the shape of its engine.  The five cylinder engine had its cylinders arranged in a circle, thus giving them the look of a star.  It was one of only a handful of small cars Detroit ever designed, and since more people were interested in driving around in land barges of tremendous size, the Chrysler Star Car never went to production.

But still–even just taking a look at this strange car of yesteryear really makes you think about the direction we’re going today…and how far we’ve come since.

Tags: Chrysler, concept car, five cylinder, five cylinder engine, Prototype, Star Car

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It’s called the Honda F-UZO, ladies and gentlemen, and it’s an actual hovercraft.

No, seriously, a hovercraft.  Granted, right now it’s just a concept in the twisted minds of Honda engineers, but you know how these things start!  Everybody’s got to start somewhere, and the F-UZO is exactly the start we need.

The F-UZO is controlled with a dual-joystick array, with the left joystick to spin the car on its axis, and the right joystick to manage tilt and direction.  There are also pedals for power and brake.

A kind of fly-by-wire system, driven in turn by GPS, keeps cars from colliding, but in the event you should hit something not regulated by GPS, there are both interior AND exterior airbags, so not only are you protected, whoever you hit also gets the benefit of protect.

This is so awesome it hurts, and I only hope these are put into production. And soon, too.

Tags: Concept, concept car, F-UZO, Honda, hovercraft

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The first thing you’ll notice when looking at the Toyota FT-EV II is that, indeed, this tiny, sprightly little electric buggy does not in fact have a steering wheel.

In fact, such twentieth century concepts such as a steering wheel and pedals have been replaced in favor of instruments and controls designed to take advantage of wireless information, allowing the car to, on a limited level, DRIVE ITSELF.  And check this out:

The car might, for example, recommend music, movies, and other content based on what it knows about the preferences of the driver and passengers. It remains connected to the Internet whenever it is switched on, and connects to its users’ home networks to download data on its operations.

All this is awesome, of course, but how does it DRIVE?  Well, pretty well, actually–turns out the car gets fifty miles on a battery charge with a top speed of sixty miles per hour.  This means, of course, the car is going to be best suited for urbanites, as opposed to people who actually have to drive any distance to get where they need to.

Being a concept, no one’s got any firm release date yet, but if they do go into production, we’ll be sure to tell you.

Tags: battery, Concept, concept car, Electric, electric car, Toyota, Toyota FT-EV II

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With a name like the Land Glider, you might well be expecting just about anything, up to and including a hovercraft.  I was personally hoping for a hovercraft myself, but I’ll console myself with what the Land Glider actually is, a two-seater electric car concept debuting from Nissan.

I have to admit, though, it’s a bit claustrophobic–that ride measures in at about ten feet long and three feet wide.  Plus, it’s designed to lean into turns, like a motorcycle would, up to a maximum pitch of about seventeen degrees.

Considering that I personally am about six and a half feet long and about two feet wide, I don’t think I’ll ever fit into a little beauty like the Nissan Land Glider.  But it can’t stop me of dreaming of my personal hovercraft.

I really want a hovercraft.…

Tags: Car, concept car, hovercraft, Land Glider, Nissan

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Toyota has unveiled a mean and green new sporty concept car with the Toyota FT-86. The car boasts of a 2 liter boxed engine courtesy of Subaru and is a rear-¬wheel drive that may yet rekindle the old AE86. This lightweight concept car aims to be a greener option for motorists who prefer a vehicle that is eco-friendly and stylish at that. The Toyota FT-86 concept car will be put on display at the Tokyo Motor Show from October 24 to November 4.

(Source) Press

Tags: ae86, concept car, liter, motorists, october 24, rear wheel drive, Subaru, tokyo motor show, Toyota, wheel

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I was actually about to write this one up myself when I saw that Chris had already tackled it. But what I can tell you is this…I really don’t think that car will EVER be available for sale in at least the United States.

Here are three reasons why you’ll likely never see this car on the road.

1. Local police departments need red light runner fines.  No police department in its right mind would ever shoot itself in the foot by letting a car that brakes, automatically, at red lights onto the streets without a fight.  Do you know how many millions of dollars have been spent on cameras to make sure red light runners are caught and promptly billed?  There’s too much riding on this to not act!

2. Insurance companies need a reason to keep premiums jacked up.  The only people with bigger and better lawyers than the criminal justice system is the insurance industry.  If a car comes out that makes red light accidents a thing of the past, it will destroy insurance companies.  Premiums will be all but required to drop in the face of plummeting accident rates, and this does horrible things to insurance companies’ bottom lines.

3. Massive investment is required to make them work.  Not only does that car require a smart chip to determine when the light is about to change, it also requires revamped stoplights to transmit that information in the first place.  Local municipalities will NEVER allow a car to hit the roads that not only removes revenue but also increases expenses, at the very least not without a fight.

So those three reasons are exactly why I wouldn’t look for the autobraking car any time soon.

Tags: autobrake, concept car, insurance companies, local municipalities, Mercedes, red light

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Mazda will be among the many car manufacturers at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show on October 24. For their part, Mazda is expected to debut the Mazda Kiyora Concept Car although that is not the only thing they will be unveiling. They will also unveil their next-generation engine and automatic transmissions lineup. This includes the Mazda SKY-G direct injection gasoline engine Mazda SKY-D clean diesel engine and the Mazda SKY Drive high-efficiency automatic transmission.

These new technological advancements are expected to help in the improvement of fuel-efficiency as well as some eco-friendly enhancements and optimized combustion systems. But a lot of the focus is sure to be on the Mazda Kiyora Concept car which highlights the next-generation Mazda SKY concept powertrain technologies and comprehensive advancements in weight reduction for better fuel economy at 32 kilometers per liter.

(Source) Auto Racing

Tags: auto racing, automatic transmission, automatic transmissions, car manufacturers, combustion systems, concept car, diesel engine, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, gasoline engine, generation engine, high efficiency, kilometers, Mazda, new technological advancements, october 24, powertrain, sky drive, tokyo motor show, weight reduction

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Concept cars will always come in all shapes and sizes. But then again, don’t expect them to carry the usual appealing car designs we have been used to from the past years. Futuristic concepts often carry a dome shaped if not oval concept which are associated on what the future looks like. For some designers, the whole concept is perhaps to complement the car make and seating accommodations which is very important.

However, you may find this new concept car donning a familiar shape. It does look like the traditional vacuum cleaner on three wheels. The Circulus Car runs on hydrogen fuel cell power. Just like most modern vehicles, it is designed for one driver and a passenger. It carries the large front glass which we see in futuristic movies and is actually an entry into the 2009 Michelin Challenge design contest.

Again, this is only a concept for now. But this early, weird or not, you can bet that this car already has an identity as the “vacuum cleaner car”!

(Source) Dvice

Tags: car designs, car source, circulus, concept car, Concept Cars, design contest, designers, fuel cell power, futuristic concepts, futuristic movies, hydrogen fuel cell, michelin, seating accommodations, shape, shapes and sizes, three wheels, vacuum

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If you remember that impressive concept car, the GTbyCITROEN, and if you’re walking around in London these days then you might be lucky enough to spot the car on the roads.

The car has been spotted around some of the Capital’s most important landmarks as it was recreating part of the circuit featured in Gran Turismo. The car is about five meters long and just about a meter high and it comes with features like wide air intakes, rear air-diffuser, horizontal LED headlamps, gull wing doors and 21-inch aluminum wheels. Inside there’s steel and black finishes and hi-tech racing controls. Like what you read so far? Well the GTbyCITROEN will be available at UK’s Goodwood Festival of Speed from July 3 to July 5 so go right ahead and check it out!

via Press

Tags: concept car, GranTurismo, GTbyCITROEN, London

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The concept car in the picture above is quite something. Besides being a potential car of the future, this Peugeot Metromorph will solve one of our daily chores: parking. Simply hang it outside your window when you return from work.

In order for this concept to actually work it would require certain characteristics which will allow the Metropmorph to climb walls. The car will be powered by two in wheel motors in the back and two corresponding batteries. Then the seats would have to be able to adjust to vertical or horizontal. The car could be use as a balcony when parked by the window so the seats should be automatically rotated to still be able to accommodate you. The wheels are neatly concealed towards the inside and the doors rotate closely around the vehicle thus making the car easily accessible no matter where you’d park it.

via YankoDesign

Tags: concept car, Metromorph, Peugeot

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Everyone fantasizes about driving a certain truck at some point of their life and I have a feeling that future trucks will be even cooler to drive. Check out the Scania Concept truck to see what I mean. First of all the design will make you fall in love wit it. Then you will probably have an eco-friendly engine under the hood. Does diesel-electric hybrid sound good for a truck engine? The cockpit will feature some of the most advanced features available to ensure both the safety of the driver and cargo and the safety of everyone else using the same roads you do. Last but not least, those wheels have light indicators that will tell you and the cops how many hours you have been driving for and if you’re respecting the legal limit or not.

via Yanko Design

Tags: concept car, Scania, Truck

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Combine speed and CO2 emission controls and you are bound to get a lot of anxious motorists check out what you have to offer. Already a known figure in the world of Hyundais and Ferraris, Italdesign Giugiaro unveils a hybrid concept car Namir.

The Namir is a concept jointly designed through the efforts of Giugiaro and Frazer-Nash. Their latest project is that of this new hybrid systems which is touted to be better than the Toyota Prius as far as CO2 emissions are concerned, not to mention a fast demonic hybrid car that can go as far as 187 miles per hour.

The Namir combines an 814 cc endothermic rotary engine with four electric motors in a system that those involved in project claim delivers 91 mpg and CO2 emissions of 60 g/km. The Toyota Prius emits 104 g/km. Those are impressive numbers, but the number that really wows us is the claimed top speed of 187 mph and a zero-to-60 time of 3.5 seconds.

(Source) Auto Racing Daily

Tags: co2 emission, co2 emissions, concept car, emission controls, ferraris, frazer nash, hybrid car, hybrid systems, hyundais, impressive numbers, italdesign giugiaro, miles per hour, motorists, rotary engine, top speed, Toyota, toyota prius

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One dimension about fuel-efficient cars is their overall weight. We all know that the materials used in producing cars have a bearing to which some companies have started checking out the steel that they are using.

One company is focusing on making stronger steel for lighter vehicles but as far as Lon Ballard is concerned, foam may be able to do it if the formula is right. The concept car in focus is this Spira4U car that is made from foam and weighs only 300 pounds. It is made of 6-inch foam and can go as far as 70 miles per hour. Not bad! You can practically carry the car at that weight!

The Spira4u is currently competing in the Progressive Automotive X Prize, and creator Lon Ballard is planning on producing the vehicles in a factory he owns in Taiwan. No word on exact pricing or availability yet, though.

(Source) Crunchgear

Tags: ballard, concept car, fuel efficient cars, taiwan

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