Honda P-NUT or WTF… You Decide
I’m mean please… Honda… WTF are you people thinking!? I’ve been a happy Honda owner and driver since 1988 and this has got to be the worst looking concept to come out from Honda in years. Its powertrain is yet to be decided but will be an internal-combustion engine, hybrid-electric or battery-electric. So in other words this concept is a styling concept only. Also please note that blasters and storm trooper helmets will be sold separately.
Photo credit Jalopnik.
Futuristic Car Concept – ATNMBL
This is a really curious future car concept… a driverless car. It would be electric with the batteries stored in the floor, electric motors at all four wheels, and solar panels on the roof. Instead of a steering wheel the passengers simple tell the car where they want to go and if they are in a hurry or want to take the scenic route or most efficient route. It’s one design that is definitely worth spending some time investigating. See it at core77. Photo credit Mike and Maaike.
Toyota A-BAT Concept Vehicle
Toyota will be showing off its new A-BAT Concept Vehicle at the upcoming North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit on Monday January 14, 2008. It’s a small compact truck hybrid truck that will use Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive® technology (4 cylinder gasoline hybrid) to deliver better fuel economy. It even has photovoltaic panels on the roof for… not sure what for… concept car kicks I guess.
From the press release it sounds a lot like Toyota looked to the Honda Ridgeline for inspiration. The A-BAT is said to have car-like handling, unibody construction, independent suspension (we think), and 19 inch rims.
The four foot truck bed is said to have more flexibility than a normal pickup with a two foot high (long) tail gate and a pass-through gate into the cab. The width of the bed can accommodate a 4X8 sheet of plywood. At first this truck might sound more suited for a weekend do-it-yourselfer than a contractor’s pickup but it also comes with AC and DC outlets for powering tools and other electronic devices. The battery pack that comes with the hybrid technology helps out with this.
No word on the exact MPG, price, availability, or even if this concept vehicle will make it to market. It looks pretty cool and far along in development so our bet is we’ll be seeing something like this in the Toyota showrooms in the near future. The Honda Ridgeline has definitely paved the way in this market segment and by adding a few more novel ideas and better fuel economy Toyota will probably have a winner. Comments?
