Transportation
The Fuse Project’s Mission Motorcycle
There’s nothing like the roar of a souped-up chopper blowing by you on the freeway hosing the tic-tac of a mini-cooper your spouse talked you into buying. Well, for now you won’t have to endure the loud pipes, you will however still experience a twinge of jealously deep in the pit of your stomach watching a beautifully engineered electric bike blaze by you. The ambitiously talented industrial designers at Fuse Project have taken their skills to the streets with their captivating street bike design for Mission Motors.
“The challenge was to create a design that would be accepted by motorcycle enthusiasts while also being immediately recognizable as a vehicle fueled by alternative energy. A central goal was not to appear as an ‘eco-toy’ but instead, a performance bike augmented by electric power. Ultimately, the bike needed to balance innovation with tradition, overcome the stigma of a silent ride and define what an electric Bike should look like.”
The team streamlined the bike and eliminated the gas tank and tail pipe. Then added a lightweight battery pack that is protected by honeycombed detailed angular skins that integrate all mechanical elements.
“Mission Motors is an icon for a new era of efficient and exciting vehicles,” the team explained. “Designed to express speed and efficiency in it’s overall sharp lines, the Mission One bike is also highly detailed with special attention to a riders needs, bringing a high level of product design and ergonomics to a new generation of performance transportation.”
Fuse is like a modern-day Renaissance man of design. In addition to the design and development of the physical product, Fuse also created the company name and brand logo, website, launch display and the entire brand collateral! Whoa! Talk about jumpstarting a brand.
(Photographs: Fuse Project)
The Bertone Mantide
Generally, flashy red sports cars are reserved for balding, middle-aged men having mid-life crises. The Bertone Mantide is a whole different beast entirely. Stile Bertone’s flashy one-off echoes elements of modern aerospace and Formula One racing. The futuristic design utilizes the mechanics of the Corvette ZR1 and boasts a LS9 engine that provides a total 638-hp. The vehicle aims to be the world’s greatest street legal performance car and is said to go from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 217 mph. Taking cues from sensual Italian sports cars, the innovative and beautiful lines of the Mantide are driven (pun intended) by performance: the low-slung nose, jet fighter style teardrop canopy and ‘gull wing’ doors, as well as the air inlets and exhausts for maximum air efficiency. Aging baby boomers can only dream.
(Photography: EGM Car Tech)
Mac Motorcycles
Rolling out custom bikes that go by monikers like, ‘Spud’, ‘Pea Shooter’, ‘Ruby’, and ‘Roarer’, Mac Motorcycles definitely does things a bit differently. The trio that makes up Xenophya Designs fabricate with the idea of taking something standard and improving upon it. Founder Ellis Pitt explains. “I wanted to take something from the simplicity and non-
VTM Spacester Motorcycle
Poised to take the AMD World Championship of custom bike building by storm next year at Sturgis, the custom VTM Spacester looks like something out of Tron Legacy. The man behind the beast isn’t Jeff Bridges, but rather Bernard ‘Buck’ Massart of the French custom motorcycle shop VTM (V-Twin Mechanic). The silver, streamlined bike’s fluid frame was shaped entirely by hand and built around a Harley-Davidson V Twin Sportster engine. The Frankenstein bike’s suspension comes from a set of Yamaha R1 inverted forks, affixed to an 18” wheel. Aerodynamics are an integral feature in the design, with no visible wires or cables the custom frame houses the lubrication fluid. Looks like a machine to be reckoned with…
The Citroen Taranis
Looking like a wickedly futuristic Batmobile prowling the streets of Gotham, the Citroen Taranis is actually a hybrid vehicle – part car, part bike. Created by British-born video game designer Peter Norris, the streamlined, charcoal grey fairings are interrupted by sleek ‘gullwing’ doors and sits like a tarantula, poised to pounce. The vehicle’s moniker was borrowed from the Celtic god of thunder, which is fitting seeing that the car is powered by electric motors within each wheel hub. With the motors sitting at a lower center of gravity, the design allows for improved handing, not to mention the double-jointed swing arms that provide unparalleled turning abilities. Taking design cues from Hollywood crime-fighting vehicles there’s no arguing that the Citroen looks like it drove right off the set of Transformers 7.
Adastra Yacht
Slightly resembling the Starship Enterprise, the Adastra Superyacht is in a class of it’s own. The sleek, 4.2m Power Trimaran has been taking shape, designed by John Shuttlewoth, it’s currently under construction by McConaghy Boats in Zhuhau, China. In creating the luxury yacht, stability and comfort were key factors that influenced the design.
“No effort has been spared in the challenge to produce a beautiful yacht that will have low fuel consumption and yet provide excellent sea keeping qualities and luxurious accommodation.” The sleek vessel is composed of a superstructure of carbon fiber with Nomex honeycomb core, a glass/Kevlar sandwich composes the hull, and the posh interior offers lightweight oak cabinetry.
Virtually every facet of the yacht was custom fabricated to reduce weight, including carbon fiber hatches, port lights, ladders and hinges.
Okay, now for the cool stuff. The main deck houses a shwanky saloon with panoramic views, a lounging and dining area and command station, all leading out onto a sun bed on the foredeck (swoon!). The super yacht also offers a garage that can store a 3.1 meter tender. But that’s not all, the garage door has a secret of it’s own – it folds out to create a large diving platform. Genius!
If you head below deck you’ll find a luxe master cabin, two guest cabins, crew accommodations and a galley. Boat International described it as “one of the world’s most amazing super yachts that could spell the future for efficient, long-range cruising.’ We’d have to agree.
(Images Provided by John Shuttlewoth)
Electric Terrain Bike
Dan Hanebrink is building quite a reputation for himself in the biking industry. Dan has been credited with helping to revolutionize mountain biking with his suspension system, back in 2003 he created a custom ice bike, and now we are looking at an electric all-terrain vehicle!
These bicyces are engineered and handcrafted 8,000 ft above sea level in Big Bear Lake, California. Dan says the HANEBRINK bike ” combines state-of-the art green technology with an on-demand hybrid electric system and the latest in bicycle technology.” You can crank this puppy up to go 20 miles per hour over the toughest terrain, but if you want it to go faster, start pedaling.
Three design features help the HANEBRINK achieve outstanding on and off-road performance; The widest tires in the industry, A mid-mounted, bracket supported motor optimizes the vehicle’s center of gravity beneath the rider and enables tight turns, rapid weight shifting, and provides more stability, and 4 speed gearing tuned for a wide variety of surfaces, grades, and utility applications. Overall, the HANEBRINK sounds like a fun bike to take on and off roading!
(Photographs Provided by fortune hanebrink)
Frii Recycled Plastic Bike
Made from recycled plastic, the Frii Bicycle is a solution to urban transportation, and using more of that plastic waste floating around the world. Israeli industrial designer Dror Peleg, explains that “components would be injection molded into modular shapes that snap together to form a strong, lightweight and very colorful single-speed bike for quick trips through the city streets.”
Peleg is encouraging the Frii Bicycle system to be implemented into cities where local government can manufacture and produce the bikes from local waste, as opposed to being imported from elsewhere.
The body of the bike is the largest component, all other elements snap into the body. At the bottom of the split frame sits the pedal crank, which would have bearings inserted into the mold before the injection process begins. A belt runs from this to the rear wheel hub.
There are no external brakes as such on Frii, Peleg says that he sees such matters being handled in a similar way to the way BMX hub braking operates – when a rider pedals backwards, the bike comes to a halt.
The forks to the 20-inch plastic wheels are kept short for added strength and the solid tires are injected over the rims during manufacture. The saddle looks slightly uncomfortable, but the intention of the Frii is not to have a lengthy smooth ride, it’s to get from place to place quickly.
Concept Super Yacht To Be Built
Last year we reported on the Strand Craft 122 – a concept super yacht design by Eduard Gray. Today, we have received word that the beautiful yacht is going to be brought to life!! Gray selected Ned Ship Group, who will build the design to the highest possible standards! This news puts a big smile on our faces! Why? because in the world of transportation design it is rare to see a luxurious concept yacht, such as the Strand Craft 122, come to life because of the excessive amount of time and capital needed for testing and building.
The Strand Craft will be build in light weight composite materials such as Epoxy and Carbon, which Ned Ship Group specializes in. The shipyard where the yacht will be built is in Antalya, Turkey; all work will be completed on site. The yacht will come fully equipped with it’s own custom super sports car which will be able to drive from the dock, directly onto the boat through an electronically operated portal which opens and closes.
This is a high performance, streamlined, 38 meter, open, super yacht has a total of over 14,000 horsepower and can break speeds over 50 knots. It consists of four spacious bedrooms, a grand stateroom, heads, reception, salon, and generous crew cabins. The chocolate colored interior is plush, detailed, and tailored to perfection! It might be hard to get ‘lost at sea’ when there are 52? LED TV’s and a Bang Olufson sound system in all rooms!
Deus Ex Machina’s Surf Motorcycle
The gents behind Deus Ex Machina are beyond inspirational! The team of motorcycle enthusiasts who are “united in their belief that modern motorcycling has been hijacked by marketing forces and their desire to introduce a new generation of rider to that same pure enthusiasm that kick-started their own love of motorcycling,” joined forces to create custom motorcycles. Deus is traveling the world and setting up shop in beautiful destinations all over, most recently Bali, to build motorcycles. It seems that Bali may have inspired their recent addition, the Surf Bike! The motorcycle is based on a Yamaha Scorpio and features a Japanese aluminum tank, handmade exhaust, and a removable surf rack for your board of choice!
Deus has extended their good taste for motorcycles into the fashion industry, dabbling with T shirts, collared shirts, accessories, and hats; all reflecting the active & surf culture.
(Images Provided By Deus)
The Honda RA-X
This week we took a moment to catch up with one of our favorite transportation designers Xuacu Pérez to check in and get the scoop on his latest concept vehicle, the Honda RA-X. You can tell his excitement when communicating the intracate details of the RA-X because he instantly says “The model is a two-seater MR engine and rear transmission with a capacity greater than 350/400 hp, the position of the exhaust pipes is inspired by the RA300 F1. The measures are: length 4050 / height 1163 / 1940 Wide.” (We kept in the details of that last part for all you car enthusiasts out there!).
We asked Perez to touch a little on the design on the RA-X and he explained that he “wanted to innovate the surface on the side which makes smooth crossing lines that form a theoretical X. The engine is visible through a glass. Predominate at the rear of the engine vents and optical technology-led groups with a triangular shape. On the front inlets merge with optical groups. Although dominated by steep ridges has sought a soft and smooth surfaces which give character and dynamism to the model.”
Momentarily, the RA-X is a concept car waiting to come to life, but we can’t help but recognize that it is visionaries such as Perez who are raising the bar in transportation design. Hopefully in our lifetime cars with this amount of detail and integrity will be obtainable by the masses.
(Photographs Provided By Xuacu Pérez)
Bonobo Plywood Bicycle
Polish designer Stanis?aw P?oski’s new design will take you for a ride. He recently unveiled a bent plywood bike, the Bonobo, at Berlin’s 2011 International Design Festival. He’s putting a new spin on things with an angular frame composed of manipulated composite wood. The prototype’s strong, lightweight frame allows for a smooth, comfortable ride. P?oski furnished the bike with a single gear drivetrain and dependable set of hydraulic disc brakes for rough terrain. And check out the lime green chain, pedals and handlebar grips. It gives ‘going green’ a whole new definition. That’s how he rolls.
The Vanmoof Bicycle
City dwellers have all shared the misfortune of getting one’s bike snatched surreptitiously. Well now they can rejoice in a two-wheeler with anti-theft hardware built right in. The young, enterprising Dutch company Vanmoof has come out with the ultimate urban ride. Its rust-free aluminum frame is surprisingly lightweight, making cab dodging a cinch, and its durable, Schwalbe road cruiser tires deflect ill-fated potholes with ease. Now here’s the cool part, there is a high quality X-plus cylinder chain lock from ABUS is integrated into the frame, perfect for curbing bicycle bandits. Plus, there’s a solar LED light system built inside the tubes. Not only are the LEDs solar powered, but can be charged through the micro USB cable on your cell phone. With a bike like the VANMOOF No. 5, it’s time to let the good times roll.
Fall In Love With Renault’s DeZir
It’s not simply the cherry red color of Renault’s sleek, new electric car that gets our blood pumping but it’s that the ‘DeZir’ is proof that eco-friendly initiatives and a passion for cars can go hand in hand.” Laurens van den Acker, the leader of Renault’s Design Department, spearheaded DeZir based on three simple words that describe Renault’s brand best; ‘simple’,'sensuous’ and ‘warm!’
These three words launched Acker’s vision of creating a seamless vehicle with soft, gradual curves, coated in a vibrant red lacquer. Acker also had a personal concept behind the creation of the DeZir; falling in love. He explains the “implementation of the strategy based on the notion of ‘life cycle’. The first step involves falling in love, an experience that is perfectly illustrated by DeZir’s powerful, sensuous styling and bright red finish; red being the color associated with passion.”
The two-seater coupe is powered by an electric motor mounted in a mid-rear position to optimize weight distribution over the front and rear wheels. Acker wanted the vehicle to be lightweight for power performance and agile movement capabilities which led for its body to be made from Kevlar, while its tubular steel frame is similar to that employed for Mégane Trophy race car. Acker explains “DeZir’s suspension also shares certain features with that of Mégane Trophy – including a double wishbone arrangement – to deliver a particularly high standard of handling precision.” And did you check out the butterfly doors? (Swoon!)
Trecol: The Six Wheeler
If your Ford Focus just isn’t doing the trick when it comes to traversing rugged terrain or floating on water you might want to think about upgrading to The Trecol 39295.
This Russian built, six-wheel monster of a vehicle is geared to climb the toughest landscape, be buoyant on water, drive over massive logs, and is fully prepared to stop pesky bullies in their tracks when you pick your little tyke up from school. Oh, and did we mention if can drive over the occasional unsuspecting pedestrian without harm? True story.
What’s the trick to such a versatile vehicle? Trecol’s secret is hidden in its massive 6 tires (‘Cause let’s be real, 4 tires just isn’t enough). The tires are ultra low pressure with 1/10 Th ambient air pressure at sea level. The unique material of the tires consists of a special rubber that allows the tires to somewhat conform to whatever the Trecol chooses to take on. You know, like the occasional wily red light runner.
Sora: An Electric Motorcycle
There’s something inherently cool about vintage motorcycles. Who could forget Steve McQueen hurtling over barbed wire on his 650 Triumph in The Great Escape? Not us. In the same vein of old bobbers and café racers a new hybrid is born. Borrowing its fixed rear fender from the bobber and sporting a street fighter influence in the front of the bike, the SORA is a unique part custom, part sport bike combo. Have we mentioned that it’s electric? (Nope, that’s not a typo). Not only is the SORA eco-friendly, but its state of the art engineering offers unparalleled handling, power and speed, all with a quiet confidence. Literally – because the bike is electric, it’s a quiet, clean and efficient ride. It has the capacity to run for nearly 200 miles on a singe charge with the high-density battery. Plus, the regenerative breaking system recharges the battery with energy lost to breaking. You’ll need all the breaking power you can get with a powerful electric motor that can take you from 0-125 mph with zero clutch and remarkable torque. After you’re done charging on the road, you can recharge at home. Plus, there’s an additional bonus for riders – an email notification is sent when the SORA charge is complete. That’s how they roll.
The Gentleman’s Racer
Mikael Lugnegard of Swedish design firm Lugnegard Studio exuberantly explains “design is his passion” and that it “gets his blood pumping!” Lugnegard’s love for design directly translates into his latest project, the Gentleman’s Racer, a concept car for Audi. The vehicle is sleek, yet aggressive, taking inspiration from the timeless hot rods of a bygone era synonymous with the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Gentleman’s Racer holds true to its inspirations displaying a large chassis, low cab, and an overly proportioned grill, adding an element of intimidation. Lugnegard envisioned the Racer featured in two tones; silver and creamy white, both colors add a touch of luxury to its masculine features.
Metronomie: A New Kind of Commute
It’s time to give your morning decathlon commute a jolt of energy that your skinny latte could only dream of. Labulle, a new France-based creative agency is working hard to take the ‘mourn’ out of ‘mornings’ and break up the monotony of your commute. Their solution is Metronomie, a series of subway cars splashed with a palette of saturated colors, LED color changing lights and signage that playfully entertains with stories and geographical facts. Yves Lombardet, one of the founding principles at Labulle headed up the concept of Metronomie, which can easily be altered to cater to different locales. Lombardet’s design of Metronomie makes us long for the day when we can step into a beautifully designed, colorful subway car and kick back with some sweet tunes.
(Photographs Provided By Labulle)
The Confederate 120 Fighter
Confederate, A boutique motorcycle shop who keeps spinning out custom, high tech, quality bikes has released another. The P120 Fighter is geometric in form with a raw industrial look. The design team at Confederate constructed the Fighter under the philosophy that it would be rough, honest, and tough to it’s core! They injected this philosophy into the P120 by giving the 460 pound, 160 horsepower bike, a 120 C.I.D.radial twin engine, a custom designed 5 speed transmission, an aircraft grade aluminum swing arm, and custom designed carbon fiber wheels. The Fighter totals at 460 lbs. and currently, there are only 50 motorcycles of it’s kind made, retailing at $80,000.
(Photography Provided By Confederate)
THE NEW CFS BY SOLIF DESIGNS
Here at Knstrct, we don’t drive. We take the train, bicycle, bus, taxi or water taxi. Every now and again we come across a car that makes us want to close our eyes, snap our fingers, and click our Pierre Hardy heels three times in order to make it magically appear. The CFS is that car.
The CFS is currently a concept car designed by rising Russian transportation designer Mikhail Smalyanov, head creative of Solif Designs. The unique design of the car is not surprising for Smalyanov, but the historical Mid-20th Century design references are. Smalyanov is a modern and futuristic thinker and his designs reflect his point of view. Many of his pieces, including the CFS, are a mixture of retro style with twists of cutting edge features.
WHITE UNICORN BICYCLE!
Horsey’ by Korean designer Eungi Kim was presented at the most recent Seoul Cycle Design Competition. The Horsey package comes with the metal unicorn frame and all the nuts and bolts needed to attach it to your bike. Kim explains, “Through this ‘horsey’ project I wanted to give a special look to bicycles so that people would care about cycling not only as transportation but also as a lovely pet.”
PRESENTING THE STRAND CRAFT 166
We previously ran a story on Gray Design, and their amazing Strand Craft 122, Now, Gray is bringing another star into the yachting world with their Strand Craft 166. This yacht is not designed for the masses, it is specifically detailed for an automobile connoisseur, an owner who is addicted to that new leather smell. The 166 has a low stance, enormous length, and curled haunches to give the exterior design a dynamic aesthetic.
Gray’s Strand Craft 166 is fully equipped with a Retractable flybridge, 5 double suites, a lounge, library and Hidden jacuzzi deck. The yacht even comes with its own Supercar tender Created in the same design language as it’s carrier, the tender ensures you can roll out at your favorite port in ultimate style. With a V8 engine producing 620 horsepower and a top speed of 305 kph, the tender is an small accessory to the yacht, that speaks volumes in the boating world.
The lucky owner of the SC 166 can customize as desired, there is even an option to have bullet proof upholstery made from an exclusive Japanese Samurai tread leather. These custom designed leathers are woven from a bullet-proof textile made of Vectran fibres. Optionally all walls can be covered in Samurai leather to make it a bullet proof yacht.
On a more technical note, The Strand Craft is Powered by two MTU 20V4000 M93L 2x4300KW (2x5766hp) engines with a Vericor TF50 4177KW (5600hp) booster engine the SC166 is capable of cruising speeds of 30 knots with a top speed of 40 knots…which basically means, it goes pretty fast for a yacht of it’s size!
TIPPING OUR HATS TO A FEW CLASSICS
During this classic holiday season, Knstrct is taking a moment to recognize the classics. These classic automobiles are loved children of the industrial revolution of our grandparents, and their design, so great, that they remain superior icons. The 1930 Deusenberg Model J Sport Berline designed by Franklin Murphy Hershey has stood the course of time because of it’s brilliant design that was years ahead of it’s time. The doors are constructed to have a central opening, there is a lack of wood framing, and the exclusive use of aluminum is a combination that makes the J Sport an entirely different automobile in the era of the 30′s.
Carroll Shelby created the 289 Cobra Roadster in 1963, one of the most successful sports cars of all time. The famed race car driver was determined to find the link between American and European automotive racing world. So he married the British AC Chassis and a powerful Ford 260 cubic inch HiPo 4.2L V8 Engine and created the Cobra Roadster. By combining the European framework with some American muscle the Cobra became a racing legend.
Only in California can you cruise a convertible sports car in December! This Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder was recently auctioned off to British television producer Chris Evans for a whopping 3.5 million dollars. This Spyder is a true gem, only 55 were made in the world and the classic automobile carries a 2.9 V12 280 HP Engine, it’s lightweight with a timeless design that leaves inspiration for luxury car makers today.
THE NEW CONFEDERATE HELLCAT
“The most important thing about your motorcycle is that it be tough.” Matt Chambers, Founder of Confederate Motorcycles explains. With that being said, Chambers is confidant that he has created the toughest, most indispensable motorcycle that can be created, in the C3 X132 HELLCAT. With the new Hellcat, the 43 pound, 1 piece, forged hard steel crank shaft with 60-61 aircraft grade aluminum (carved from 400 lbs down to 36 lbs) making up the motorcycle cases unitized with the Confederate power trans solution, which includes the outrigger bearing and the upside-down-turn- around transmission. The motorcycle has such a powerful front motor mount along with the swing arm pivot that literally could pull a train of a thousand cars. This power train solution is somewhere beyond tough, it is absolutely indestructible.
(Photographs courtesy of Confederate)
| ENGINE X 132 COPPERHEAD; 132 CUBIC INCHES 56° SQUARE-TWIN; ONE PIECE FORGED CRANK; PLAIN BEARING DESIGN; 4.4 INCH BORE; 4.4 INCH STROKEPOWER TORQUE; > 145 FOOT POUNDS; HORSEPOWER: SUFFICIENT POWERTRAIN TRANSMISSION CHASSIS SUSPENSION WEIGHT |
BRAKES DUAL BREMBO 4 PISTON MONOBLOCK CALIPERS; RADIAL PUMP TECHNOLOGY; CARBON CERAMIC ROTORSWHEELS CARBON FIBER; FRONT: 3.5” X 17”; REAR: 6 X 17” LIGHTING FUEL CELL GAUGES DIMENSIONS ERGONOMICS |
