For now, fasten your seatbelts and drift through the following list of some extremely awesome feature ideas that will probably never see a real road, but they can chase you in your sepia-toned daydreams.

1. Fuel Cell Operation

Our world has seen hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles; but as of this moment, our cars still have a gasoline addiction. Sometimes, an auto show goes above and beyond by showing us what a hydrogen cell car can look like and teasing us with its insanely low operation cost.  Imagine no more pain at the pump.

2. Popemobile-style Convertible Rear

Wouldn’t you love to be chauffeured around in a rear section that opens up, so you can catch some rays while you’re driving to the country club or to that important board meeting?  Well, maybe (for now) you won’t be able to own it with your current paycheck, but imagination and fantasy is sure free and fun.

3. Wings

The Saab PhoeniX is the latest example in a long line of cars showing everyone what happens when you combine cars and airplanes without trying to be James Bond. Cars with wings, even if they’re small, draw attention as they show off in the best possible way.

4. Flight

The Chase 2053 concept car speaks for everyone’s unspoken desire to own a flying car. Packing jet engines, this is the kind of vehicle you would be happy to have in your driveway, or on your next transatlantic car trip.

5. Indestructibility

The Chase 2053 also happens to be practically indestructible, thanks to its carbon fiber construction and living skin-based exterior.  Apparently, KITT was about 70 years ahead of its time. One of the big auto insurance tips for 2053: Get the car that can only be damaged by a direct hit from a cruise missile.

6. Shape-shifting

What if you could change the wheel base and the profile of your car to adjust to the changing conditions?  Every so often, a concept car plants that awesome dream in our minds. Go-go-Gadget sports car!

7. Drool-worthy Good Looks

The Mazda Furai is based on a Le Mans entry by the company in years past.  Why exactly do most people drive around in uninterestingly designed cars and then go to auto shows where every design is a work of mobile art?  If you’re not going to drive something awesome, you might as well ride a bicycle or something.

Driving Home the Point

Concept cars are fantasies we taunt ourselves with in the safety of an auto show;  but you don’t drive to work or to the grocery store in a Furai, and only KITT was indestructible — KITT was just make-believe.  While 2053 is a good ways off, many of the features we love in our concept cars will probably never be real — and that’s okay.

The Mazda Takeri concept. Image: Mazda

It’s no secret that the current Mazda6 is overdue for a replacement, and sales of Mazda’s midsize offering have been unimpressive in recent years. That’s a shame, because the Mazda6 was class-leading when the previous generation debuted in 2002. Over the years, Mazda has seemingly lost focus with the Mazda6, to the point where it’s no longer competitive with offerings from Ford, Toyota or even Hyundai.

Enter the Mazda Takeri, a concept that will be shown at this year’s Tokyo Auto Show. While the Takeri is just a concept, there’s reason to believe that the styling of the next Mazda6 will borrow heavily from the lines of the concept sedan. We say that’s a good thing, since the current 6’s styling blends too well into the background. Mazda needs a standout midsize sedan to draw the faithful back to the brand.

A word of caution, however: Mazda seems to be focused more on fuel economy than on performance these days, so don’t expect a high-output engine in the next gen 6. We will get a diesel variant, likely a turbodiesel, and it’s possible that the production Mazda6 will even use the Takeri’s regenerative braking system to reduce electrical load and boost fuel economy.

Expect the Takeri to make its North American debut at January’s Detroit Auto Show.

Source: Autoweek

The non-super, standard Nissan Juke

There’s a story by science fiction author Harlan Ellison called “How’s The Night Life on Cissalda” that involves an astronaut from earth and a hideously ugly alien from a planet called Cissalda. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say the astronaut and the alien hook up, and that the alien, repulsive though it may be, turns out to be the best booty call in the entire universe.

If the rumors of a GT-R-motored Nissan Super Juke are true, the car might as well be called the Nissan Cissalda. It would be hideous to look at, and you’d be embarrassed to be seen behind the wheel, but all that would go out the window when you dropped the hammer and tapped into the Super Juke’s alleged 480 horsepower and all-wheel drive. The Super Juke will shed pounds compared to a standard Juke, and will get a race car inspired interior to ensure drivers don’t forget the car’s purpose. Expect the obligatory body kit (and the mandatory and ridiculous rear wing), and expect a 0 to 60 time in under four seconds.

Color us skeptical on this one, since it’s just the kind of bogus story that manufacturers (and other web sites) like to “break.” From a financial perspective, a Super Juke makes no sense, since a GT-R engine would drive the cost well out of a Juke buyer’s price range, and worldwide demand for such an animal is likely to be low. Sure, Nissan could build one as a concept to pump up interest in the Juke, but we’re not sure that would really help them push tin.

In the automotive world, we suppose that anything is possible; all the same same, we’re going to file this one in the “unlikely” bin.

Source: Jalopnik

Ford's Fiesta ST concept. Image: Ford Motor Company

You can’t buy Ken Block’s 600-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Ford Fiesta WRC car. Technically, you could probably buy on just like it if you had the $500,000 price of admission, but it wouldn’t be street legal and it wouldn’t exactly be pleasant as a daily driver. Now Ford is offering up the next best thing, but the jury is still out on whether or not we’ll get it in the United States.

Image: Ford Motor Company

Called the Fiesta ST, the diminutive hot hatch is the latest concept from Ford. Powered by a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine good for 176 horsepower, the sportiest Fiesta model can run from 0 to 60 in under seven seconds, on the way to a top speed of around 135 miles per hour. Thanks to its small size and light weight, the car should return impressive fuel economy, though Ford isn’t releasing any estimates on that.

Image: Ford Motor Company

As you’d expect from a car with sporting intentions, Ford has lowered the ride height and widened the car’s track for a better stance. It’s got firmer dampers and 17-inch wheels, too, although those tires look a little bit on the narrow side for any kind of serious driving.

Image: Ford Motor Company

If you like it, let Ford know. The car has been given the green light for production, but the decision to bring it into the U.S. has not yet been made. If Ford gets enough “yes, please” responses from interested buyers, expect the Fiesta ST to top out the Fiesta price range, probably starting just north of $20k.

Source: Ford

By 2036, I think that most transportation will involve horses and ox carts, but Mercedes-Benz has a more pleasant and upbeat view of the future. Debuting at this week’s Frankfurt Auto Show is Mercedes’ F 125 Concept, which shows the possible future of motorized transportation, as interpreted by Mercedes Benz.

Power comes from four electric motors, fed by both lithium sulphur batteries and by a hydrogen-powered fuel cell. The onboard storage tanks hold enough hydrogen to give the car a (theoretical) range of around 620 miles, while emitting zero pollution in the process.

To keep weight down, the body is made from fiber-reinforced plastics, while the rest of the chassis is made from carbon fiber, aluminum and high-strength steel. As you’d expect of a car from the future, it can either be driven by a human operator or piloted (without error, of course) by onboard computers in a semi-autonomous mode. Forget buttons, switches and knobs, since the future is controlled by hand gestures.

In keeping with tradition, Mercedes has graced the F 125 with gullwing doors, a nod to both the SLS AMG and to the storied 300 SL Gullwing. The doors on the F 125 aren’t exactly stylish, though, since they may be the largest doors I’ve ever seen on a concept or production vehicle. I wouldn’t be overly concerned just yet, since Mercedes Benz still has 25 years to work out the styling bugs. And build the hydrogen infrastructure.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Jaguar's C-X16 Concept. Image: Jaguar

I’ll come clean up front: I’m not a hybrid guy. If you’re a long-term reader, you already know this, but if you’re new to RideLust it might be the first time you’ve heard this. I’ve driven plenty of hybrids, but all of them to date have been built with an eye to fuel economy, not performance. In fact, hybrids add weight and complexity, two thing that tend to have a negative impact on acceleration, braking and even long-term reliability.

Image: Jaguar

Enter the Jaguar C-X16 Concept, which is set to make its official debut in Frankfurt next week. The exterior styling is jaw-dropping, and the car seems to blend elements of the Jaguar E-Type into its futuristic skin. Even the interior looks properly sporting, something that we haven’t seen from many Jaguars in recent years.

Image: Jaguar

Get to the powertrain, and things start to get particularly interesting. First up is a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, good for 375 horsepower and mated to a eight speed automatic gearbox. Also mated to the gearbox is an electric motor good for an additional 94 horsepower, which gives the C-X16 some truly impressive acceleration. Zero to one hundred kph (62 mph) comes up in just 4.4 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 186 miles per hour. Better yet, the car’s battery pack is mounted behind the seats, giving it an ideal 50/50 weight distribution.

Image: Jaguar

The batteries are charged through a brake energy regeneration system, and the electric motor can be used to provide supplemental torque for sudden acceleration. Think “KERS” on a Formula 1 car, and you get the picture. If you want to focus on the environmentally friendly side of the C-X16, the car can be driven up to 50 miles per hour, for limited distances, on battery power alone.

Will Jaguar build the C-X16? It’s hard to say, since there’s a fair amount of “unobtainium” in the concept. Still, Jaguar has been looking to produce a smaller, less expensive sports coupe, and the styling of the C-X16 fits well with the rest of the family lineup. This is just a guess, but I suspect you’ll see the car hit production within the next three years. The final version may not be a hybrid, but I certainly hope it’s as sexy as the car in these images.

Source: Jaguar Land Rover

Ford's Evos Concept. Image: Ford Motor Company

When I was in Detroit with Ford last week, the highlight of the opening night dinner was the presentation of Ford’s Evos concept car, which will make its debut at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show. We were sworn to secrecy and told not to write about the car until August 31, but the universal response from every journalist in the room was “build it.”

Image: Ford Motor Company

I’ve got good news and bad news about that: Ford won’t build the Evos, at least not as the fastback beauty you see here. It’s a styling exercise, designed to be chock full of form over function and loaded with the latest technologies. Want cloud-based driving optimization, so your car chooses the best route based upon your mood? The Evos has is. Want your car to monitor your health and let you know that you shouldn’t put off that doctor’s visit much longer? The Evos will do that, too. As you may have already guessed, the Evo is a plug-in hybrid, which blends the best fuel economy with the most advanced powertrain Ford can build.

Image: Ford Motor Company

Now the good news: since the Evos is part of Ford’s “Global DNA,” you can expect to see other Ford vehicles borrowing from the car’s lines. In fact, we were told to expect something new from Ford in four months time that borrows heavily from the Evos’ styling, which means we should see a launch at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.

Image: Ford Motor Company

There are pages worth of information on Ford’s new design vocabulary, but I’ll sum it up like this: expect future Ford products, both here and abroad, to look much alike. They’ll borrow styling elements from the Evos, especially in what’s being called “the new face of Ford.” Look for similar fascias and grilles, and look for styling tweaks like minimized headlights and thin roof pillars. In short, Ford wants to give buyers premium quality styling, at an affordable car price.

Image: Ford Motor Company

The realist in me sees this as good news, since it means no more cookie cutter cars from Ford. On the other hand, the dreamer in me can’t help but lust for an AWD Evos powered by the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 from the Mustang GT. I’d even take it without the high-tech gadgetry, as long as it came with comfortable seats and a stout but smooth six-speed transmission. I’m not sure how many internal organs I’d have to sell to afford it, but I know it would be worth it.

Source: Ford

Cadillac's Ciel Concept. Image: © GM Corp.

When you think of big, ultra-luxury four-seat convertibles, two cars come to mind: the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe and the Bentley Azure Convertible. The Bentley is the cheaper of the two, with a starting price of just $365,000 or so, which is $85,000 less than the Phantom’s price of admission. Back in the day, Cadillac used to build grand convertibles as well, although not in the same price league as Rolls-Royce or Bentley (in the modern era, at least). Enter the Cadillac Ciel (pronounced C-L) concept, which harkens back to the Caddys of old with a nod to the future as well.

Image: © GM Corp.

First, there’s the styling. Front end and rear-end are both pure Cadillac, which means they’re polarizing in design. The side view is more conservative, and it’s clear that the Ciel was heavily influenced by the Rolls-Royce Phantom. That’s not to say that the Caddy concept is a rip-off or even a derivative of the Phantom, but it’s clear which market the Ciel would be targeted to. If it were built, of course, and Cadillac is clear that the Ciel is a design exercise in “historical grandeur” at this time.

The styling may be pseudo-retro, or at least influenced by the past, but the technology is cutting edge. There’s LED lighting in front and rear, “connectivity portals” for all passengers and a twin-turbo V6 engine supplemented by a hybrid drivetrain powering all four wheels. Over-the-top luxury abounds, including a retractible cashmere blanket for rear-seat passengers, Italian Olive wood trim, a rear-seat cigar humidor and a chronograph-inspired instrument panel.

Image: © GM Corp.

It’s neither the right time nor the right global economy to build a car like the Ciel, and history has not been kind to luxury automakers who launch high-end models in weak economies. That’s a shame, because the Ciel really does evoke memories of what Cadillac used to be about, long before badge-engineered disasters like the Cimarron and the Catera. Let’s hope that Cadillac doesn’t bin the Ciel after the 2011 and 2012 show circuit, because the Ciel represents not only what used-to-be in America, but what could someday be again. For that reason alone, I’d like to see it built.

Source: Cadillac

Image: Tennen Gas

Chuck Berry penned these lyrics made famous by George Thorogood: “I met a German girl in England who was going to school in France, said we danced the Mississippi at an Alpha Kappa dance.” It would appear that the tale of the upcoming Maserati SUV is no less confusing, since it involves Maserati, Jeep, Italy and Detroit. Here’s what we know: Maserati will build their own SUV, based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and it will be assembled in Chrysler’s Jefferson North assembly plant in Detroit.

The project is far enough along that a concept version will be shown at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, but we’re not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, while not inexpensive, stickers for far less than the cheapest Maserati. Prior joint ventures between the two companies (admittedly, long before they were under the same roof) have ended in failure. Does anyone remember the Chrysler TC by Maserati?

Maserati, on the other hand, wants something to counter the success of the Porsche Cayenne, which ultimately shares a platform with the more pedestrian Volkswagen Touareg. Still, we’d argue that there’s less of a spread between the VW and the Porsche than there is between the Jeep and anything by Maserati; one is akin to shaving black truffles on a cheap, grocery-store ribeye, while the other is equivalent to shaving them over top ramen.

It’s no secret that SUVs pack higher profit margins than sedans, so Maserati sees a trident-branded SUV as a profitable and in-demand addition to their showrooms. We’ll try to reserve judgement until the facts are in, but for the time being, we don’t see this ending well.

Source: Automotive News

Ford's Iosis Max concept, the new Capri? Image: Ford Motor Company

Autoevolution reports that Ford will bring back the Capri in honor of the car’s 40th anniversary. That sounds like good news to us, but here’s were the good news ends. Unlike the original car, which was front engine and rear drive, the replacement Capri will be front engine, front drive. Also unlike the original car (the 1970’s version, at least), the new Capri won’t be good looking. In fact, it’s rumored to be styled on the lines of the Iosis Max, a concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009.

There’s no word on which markets will get the new Capri, but judging from the engine choices the United States won’t be one of them (and based on the car’s appearance, we’ll call that a good thing). In markets where the Capri will be sold, buyers can opt for turbodiesel engines making between 130 and 197 horsepower, or gasoline engines ranging from 148 to 200 horsepower. Ford claims the fastest version will make the run from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in six seconds, with a top speed of 155 miles per hour. We’d call that irrelevant, since it still isn’t fast enough to outrun ugly.

Source: Autoevolution