Honda has a new concept to be shown at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show.  The 3R-C3, not to be confused with this, is described as a "revolutionary three wheeled battery electric vehicle concept shows what a future minimal urban transport vehicle for one person might look like. The battery electric drivetrain is mounted low in the three wheeled chassis, therefore keeping the centre of gravity low and thus improving stability."  I think it looks like one of the motorcycles from Tron, which at the end of the day, is pretty cool.  It will be featured alongside the FCX Clarity.  See the press release here.  

This USA Today article gives us some good information about the upcoming FT-CH concept, as it was recently unveiled at the Detroit Auto show. 

Left Lane has a great feature for keeping up with whats coming down the pipeline on their "future cars" page.  

In 2012 Hyundai will be releasing their own version of the Prius, according to this article from Top Gear U.S.A.  The car is at best decent looking, provided that it actually looks like the picture shows (without the streaking lights coming off the back), but it still has that horrid Hybrid design stench...that is really the best way I know how to describe it.  All in all I'm confused as to why carmakers have to make their green vehicles look so outrageous.  Take a look at the Prius and Honda Insight, for example.  Why do they have to look so...so...ridiculous?!?!?!  Is there a necessary connection between the design and the hybrid concept?  If so I stand corrected but I seriously doubt it.  I'm reminded of the cheesy science fiction movie where the filmmakers overdo their prediction of what the future will look like, like on Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure when they visit a future society where the people are floating.  There is nothing about the future that says humans will be floating, and there is nothing about green automobiles that calls for designs that alienate regular folks.  Its sad to say, but most people would rather see a giant hole in the ozone layer than drive the hybrids that are out there.  Car makers need to take note of that. 

Ian Douglas writes in the Telegraph this article about the Peapod, the latest offering from GEM, a subsidiary of Chrysler.  Just when I thought the Mac/iphone world couldn't get any more bizarre, along comes a car with an iPhone key.  Not keys that look like miniature iPhones.  Not a cute little iPhone keyring.  No, its an actual iPhone that starts the bloomin ignition!  I'm trying to work this out in my mind.  Other than a gratuitous cool factor, what are the practical benefits of this?  Are regular car keys becoming so obtrusive and offputting?  This suspicious attitude was of course was my first reaction upon reading the article, as is usually the case with all new fangledness, because I like to sit in self righteous judgment over new inventions or innovations out of sheer jealousy.  But then I started thinking.  This could be really cool! 

Well, hold on a sec.  Its not a real car, for as Douglas says from the article, "They haven't been crash tested by Ncap so I have no idea how dead you'd be if you hit something, the seats are made of gauze and from the photographs the whole thing has more than just a whiff of Playmobil about it," and elsewhere, "Canada and the USA have refused to allow it on the open roads so it can only be used in gated communities, campuses and the like."  But still.  For me this would be cool because the following could happen:

- I could actually own an iPhone. 
- I could store my phone, car keys and car stereo in my pocket. 
- I could have that arrogant, "why aren't you driving a car that goes 25mph" air about me, putting the SUV drivers (including myself) to open shame.
- I could actually own an iPhone.

And maybe thats it.  Having an iPhone for a key is bizarre enough, but it only makes any kind of sense in the equally bizarre world where souped up golf carts pass as cars.  That, my friends, is a world that I just don't understand, and I'm afraid I never will.  

You know that strange looking vehicle that Paul Blart: Mall Cop drove around at work?  That's called a Segway.  Now, imagine one of those, but for sitting instead of standing, and going up to 35mph.  Slap a shield on the front of it and a little steering wheel, and what you have is something pretty close Segway's P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility & Accessibility).  Project P.U.M.A. is Segway and GM's latest attempt to bring about "the shift that is needed for the future of transportation."  More from the site: "It values less over more; taking up less space, using less energy, produced more efficiently with fewer parts, creating fewer emissions during production and operation, all while offering more enjoyment, productivity, and connectivity."  The design appears to defy reason and logic, but a look at this video clip shows that it does just fine in staying balanced.  Sounds like a great idea for use in Urban areas, and if the above is true then it could be a viable solution for the future.  Of course that would mean an immense culture shift, especially in America, where a. many areas are spread out, and b. we Yankees value our powerful vehicles too much.   See Topgear's article on it here.  

If you are interested in cars, which I assume you are if you are reading this, tomorrow (Saturday, April 11) marks the beginning of the 2009 New York International Auto Show. 

From the website: "For 109-years, NYIAS has ignited the passion and stirred the soul of car lovers with its futuristic concept cars and new vehicles and 2009 is no exception.  Compare every new car on the market under one roof, in one day, without any pressure to buy.  Whether you’re looking for a small car that makes a big impression, something fun, fast and frugal, or you want to get plugged into a hybrid or electric vehicle there is no better place to research your next new car, crossover, minivan, SUV, or truck." 

Check out all of the show information here.    

I don't quite know what to make of this car, but its pretty neat.  The "(O)LED technology as both driver-configurable exterior lighting units and as a television screen-like safety feature that alerts those behind of road conditions."  It seems that flashing messages on cars right in front of you would present more of a road hazard, especially when you have 50 of them flashing different messages on the interstate.  However, "it does have us thinking in new ways about vehicle safety and car-to-car communications."  See the entire article here.  

What do you get when you mix $300k, really smart MIT geeks (geeks who will run the world by the way), and an energy crisis?  The answer is...Eleanor?  Really?  At first glance, the picture to the left looks like something from the set of Star Wars Episode IV (for those not in the know, thats the orignal one).  "These aren't the droids you're looking for."  More like, "this isn't the car you're looking for."  But we aren't paying geeks to be great marketers.  In reality, this group of MIT is entering Eleanor into the upcoming World Solar Challenge in Australia, which "traverses the some 3,000 kilometers between Darwin and Adelaide."  Now I know what you're thinking, and no all of those students are not going to be driving Eleanor at the same time.  As it turns out, says MIT sophomore and SEVT team captain Michael Roberts, "while the technology for a solar car may not be practical, the underlying electrical system is similar to that being developed by major companies like GM or Ford.”  It will be interesting to see what comes of it.  Read the entire article here. 

Check out the latest offering from Ferarri from the Geneva Motor Show.  Says this article, "It's a hardcore track car designed for rich people with lots of time on their hands. And a slight death wish."  Very nice description.  There are a few reasons I would never own a car like this:

1. I'm too poor to buy it. 
   
2. I'm too fat to get in to the damned thing.  
3. My son could lose it due to its small size.
   
4. I don't have a death wish, at least one that will be fulfilled via cars.  
5. It doesn't fit a family of 6.  
6. I'm too young - need to be over 50 with a shiney white mane and massive gold chains to drive this car with any credibility.