Concepts

Specialty automaker DiMora Motorcar promises to make an eco-friendly 1,200 horsepower sedan, called the Natalia SLS 2, available next year. By eco-friendly, the company suggests that its new V-16 powerplant will be ultraefficient and so emissionsfree that it doesn't even need a catalytic converter. DiMora lists a host of high-tech features for the Natalia SLS 2, such as 60 computer systems "tightly integrated to control the vehicle's performance, safety, comfort, communications, and entertainment." Along with mundane features such as four-wheel-drive and four-wheel-steering, the Natalia SLS 2's more outlandish technologies include special paint that will … Read more

Pininfarina automotive designer Leonardo Fioravanti's Hidra concept car uses windshields that repel water and dirt, doing away with the need for wipers. The nanotechnology-based windshield has four layers, with the titanium oxide top layer designed to quickly repel water. A second layer pushes dirt off to its sides, keeping the windshield clean. A third layer works as a sensor, while the fourth layer is charged with electricity to run the whole apparatus. An article describing the technology and concept car appeared in the Italian publication, la Repubblica, and can be read in English here, thanks to the magic of … Read more

Apparently there's some worthwhile science in those Soap Box Derby cars we had to make in the Cub Scouts after all. North Carolina-based Joe Harmon Design has created "the world's first wooden supercar," which can reportedly reach speeds of 240 miles per hour.

The 15-foot-long "Splinter" has a 4.6-liter V8 engine and is made from maple, plywood, and fiberboard, according to Fareastgizmos. The the key to its speed advantage over metal cars is weight, according to its owners: It tips the scales at 2,500 pounds, they say, nearly 530 pounds less than … Read more

GMC takes a major step in reimagining the SUV with the Denali XT concept unveiled at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. Although this concept uses a pickup truck style body, all of its tech innovation can be applied to an SUV, a class of vehicle that includes the current production GMC Yukon Denali. Unlike traditional SUVs, which consist of a body bolted onto a frame, the Denali XT is built on a unibody architecture, similar to how today's cars are built. Unibody vehicles are considered to have better handling, and a more comfortable ride. However, they are not considered … Read more

Aside from the exhaust note of the Shelby GT-500, Ford cars are not often associated with music. But a TV ad currently running in the UK aims to address that by showing an orchestra playing instruments, apparently created entirely from parts taken from a five-door Focus hatchback. The car was turned into 31 instruments, including a "Transmission Case Cello-Dulcimer," a "Clutch Guitar," a "Rear Suspension Spike Fiddle," and a "Fender Bass," according to Ford. The text at the beginning of the ad says that the arrangement, called "Ode to the New … Read more

Tesla Motors helped bring the concept of the all-electric vehicle back from the dead, but it appears they also have gas on their minds.

Speaking at the ThinkGreen conference in San Francisco, vice president of finance Mike Taylor told an audience that the GM Volt is "a really good way" of extending the range on electric sedans in a cost-effective way.

The Volt, planned to come out around 2010, contains a gas engine and an electric motor. The car runs on the electric motor and the gas engine recharges the battery. These sorts of vehicles, called range-extended electric … Read more

Something of a novelty only a year ago, devices that waterproof the iPod are almost too many to count today. But we're willing to give credit to the "iConcepts Shower Radio" for originality of design if nothing else.

The oval-shaped dock will work with other MP3 players as well, according to 7Gadgets, as long as they fit in the space behind the mirror. But in case you have any thoughts of using it as a Christmas tree ornament, be aware that it weighs 3 pounds. If you paint it green, though, it might pass for toy grenade.… Read more

Do good things or bad things come in threes? Ford hopes for good, unveiling the second in a series of three Ford Verve concepts at the Auto Guangzhou show in China. Ford put its first Verve concept, a three-door hatchback, on the stage at this year's Frankfurt auto show. The new Verve concept is a four-door model, and Ford says it embodies its new "kinetic" design language, as did the earlier Verve concept. The center stack controls use a configuration similar to that found in the new Mondeo, although Ford designers also took cues from cell phone … Read more

Once again, Aptera, the producer of a three-wheeled electric vehicle, is making big claims.

The Aptera Typ-1, a vehicle that can get 300 miles per gallon, will be available in early 2008 for less than $30,000 in both an electric plugin, and gas electric plugin hybrid version, the company announced Monday.

The vehicle will be able to charge from any stand 110-volt outlet, according to company specs.

The Typ-1 will have a range of 120 miles on electricity alone, with a 600 mile range for the hybrid version when fully fueled. The vehicle seats two in the front, with … Read more