Posts Tagged ‘cool concept cars’
The Stromlinie 75 Concept Car
February 14th, 2013 – 75 years ago dare devil race car driver Bernd Rosemeyer came to terms with his fate as he died while trying to establish a new speed record in his 1930′s Auto Union Type C “Silver Arrow”. In respects to Rosemeyer and the Silver Arrow, German industrial designer Lukas Rittwage has dreamed up a modern rendition of the classic car. The Stromlinie 75 Concept Car uses the seamless aerodynamic shape of the classic Type C but revamped it for the consumers of 2013. This one-seater sports car differs from its predecessor as the body is wider and longer, along with an added retractable spoiler. Rittwage decided to keep the famed four rings on The Stromlinie, although these now signify only Audi, and not all of Auto Union.
Jaguar XKX Goes Electric
The Jaguar XKX concept car by Bahrain-based design studio Skyrill and Albanian designer Marin Myftiu, is a totally new take on the classic Jag we all have grown to appreciate over the years. Ali Almossawi, co-founder of Skyrill, explained that “the concept tries to revive the glorious design lines of the brand, combining fresh solutions, a unique, new aerodynamics, tailored around the electrical elements of the power system as well as cutting-edge energy feedback.”
Aesthetically speaking, the designers wanted to avoid the “heaviness associated with many of today’s muscle cars, including actual Jaguar models.” Instead, the team decided to recreate a thin, elegant profile, while still showing off all the extra power and technological improvements. The XKX’s profile is an organic flow of lines that look almost like the company’s “pouncing cat” logo on wheels.
Over on the technological side, the electronic vehicle has carefully designed aerodynamics, where air is deflected away from the engine and around the car itself, said to be 60 per cent more power efficient. Also, the entire car body is covered by a layer of piezoelectric cells. when stimulated by
the pressure of air flowing over them during vehicle movement, the units produced electricity that is fed into the vehicle’s battery. Genius!
Designer Note: The Mirrors are another characteristic feature of the Jaguar XKX are the totally disappearing side mirrors. At about 1cm thickness, the mirrors perfectly fit the shallow hatch made in the door piece when the car is stopped and they unfold again in working position when it’s turned on. This adds to both the aesthetics, and protects the side mirrors from any damages when parked.
Designer Note: Given a much smaller and cooler power plant than conventional, the aerodynamics was conceived in a new innovative way. The side deflector intakes of the front were made broader, so a much larger amount of air does not get stuck by the engine, instead, it flows behind the front wheels, getting out behind them and sliding along the doors and then taking another shortcut through the rear wheels and out from the big rear openings, greatly reducing the total flowing path and subsequently drag.
Designer Note: Almost 60% of the energy used by a typical car at highway speeds is spent to counter air friction. Obviously, that is A LOT of energy spent for a function that is indispensable, but not the primary (to push the vehicle forward). The body of the XKX is covered by a layer housing microscopic ripples of piezoelectric cells, which, stimulated by the pressure of the air flowing over them (the actual air friction experienced by the car) produce electricity that is fed back to the vehicle’s battery, increasing both efficiency and performance.
