RideLust

Hyundai's Curb concept. Image: Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai doesn’t want you calling the Curb a crossover. It’s not a compact SUV, either, nor is it a multipurpose utility vehicle. Hyundai defines the Curb as a Compact UAV, or Urban Activity Vehicle; in other words, it’s meant to survive potholes and nightclub parking lots, not mud pits and Class III trails. It also isn’t aimed at the traditional SUV or crossover audience; instead, Hyundai has designed the Curb solely for Generation Y, a group generally more concerned with social interaction than with driving or car ownership. Read More…

Ford's Vertrk concept; don't call it the new Escape yet. Image: Ford Motor Company

Now that Ford has completely re-designed the Explorer, it’s time for them to turn their attention to the compact SUV market. Rumors have been flying that the next Escape would be based on the EU’s Kuga; the two vehicles were remarkably similar in size and capability, so making the Kuga a global platform seemed to make good economic sense. This “good enough” thinking may have been how Ford operated in years past, but it’s not how Ford operates today. One of the more interesting concepts debuted at the NAIAS was Ford’s Vertrek concept, which may be used to replace both the aging Escape and the relatively new Kuga. Read More…

When I first laid eyes on this rendering of a post-apocalyptic 1969 Dodge Daytona, my jaw dropped. First off it’s simply cool as hell, and second it makes me want to go out and buy a jet turbine to stuff in the back of the one we built. This creation was done by 3D artist Márk Mészáros and was inspired by the cars of the Fallout video game series, as well as those from the Mad Max trilogy. By utilizing such graphic programs as Lightroom, V-Ray and Photoshop to create this masterpiece, Márk has manage to take one of the coolest cars on the planet and make it even better. What’s truly amazing though is the level of detail that has been integrated into this piece. Whether it’s the “EL CHORRO” pin-up art on the door, the tire tread on the old school BFG Radial T/A’s, or the worn out “Happy Face” sticker on the back of the fuel tank. This bad boy is one of the coolest rides I’ve ever seen.

Source: Deviantart.com

Toyota's FT-86 G Sports Concept

The FT-86, in case you’ve forgotten, was to be an affordable entry level sports car developed in a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru. The original concept was a front engine, rear drive coupe with a 200 horsepower boxer motor and a $20,000 price tag. Originally set to hit the market in 2011, the project has been hit by a seemingly endless string of delays, and the latest speculation on a launch date has it hitting dealer showrooms some time next year. Left Lane News tells us that the FT-86 will make an appearance at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show in December, but it isn’t clear whether or not a prototype or production car will be exhibited.

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If you follow Ferrari and Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo, then you know that not long ago the company was toying with the idea of bringing an SUV to market. The initial problem was that Ferrari was having a difficult time figuring out how to make a full-size SUV fit the “Ferrari” image. Montezemolo has a goal of transforming Ferrari by introducing a new car to the public that is different from anything yet produced by the brand. The new car is set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in a few months, but as yet nobody outside Ferrari really knows exactly what it will be. Rumors speculate that an all-wheel-drive Shooting Brake will replace the now aging 612 Scaglietti, thus shaking up what we all know to be Ferrari in a traditional sense.
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2010 was a good year. The venerable Lancia Stratos came back from the grave. Jaguar built a car with two jet engines in it. The Mustang shaved its mullet and proved itself as a more-than-capable sports tourer. Chevy’s long-awaited Volt turned out to be pretty good. And Cadillac made the most bitchin’ station wagon ever. But my favorite cars this year didn’t make the glossy magazines. They won’t end up in posters plastered to 15-year-olds’ walls. They won’t be featured in Forza or GT5. They are, however, spectacular in every way imaginable. Here they are, in no particular order.

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I haven’t seen Jay Leno smile this much since he got the Tonight Show. And the thing that put that smile on his substantial visage? A 65-horsepower three-wheeled commuter vehicle, the Persu tilting trike. The aerospace-inspired contraption is actually the Carver One, a Dutch invention that didn’t quite make it off the ground. Thankfully, the technology has been licensed by Persu, who plans to sell it stateside with a new, sleeker body and a hybrid drivetrain.

Source: Jay Leno’s Garage, Persu

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Well I suppose we can say that Mini has finally gone and screwed the pooch when it comes to keeping their cars pint sized. First there was the original itty-bitty Mini Cooper. Then we got the Mini Clubman, followed by the 4-door Countryman and now they’re giving us the Paceman Concept, a car that mini is calling a “Sports Activity Coupe”. Isn’t it amazing that when automakers want to give an existing idea a new identity, they just give it their own new name and claim that they invented it – funny how that happens right?
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2004 Ford Bronco Concept

The Ford Bronco, a truck that to me holds iconic status. Back when I was a kid I remember seeing these suckers all over the place and while I’ve never owned one, these bad boy Ford’s have never left my radar. Growing up as a kid in the 1970′s and early 1980s I’m somewhat partial to the Gen III Bronco’s, meaning those that were built between 1980-1986. You see for me, these trucks still look, act and feel like a real truck should and were, in my opinion, the last ones built before Ford took the Bronco in a softer direction. The last of the Broncos rolled off the assembly line in 1996, a time at which smaller more compact trucks like the Jeep Cherokee and new Ford Explorer were beginning to hit the market.
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It seems that if you’re rich enough or have some celebrity status that getting to the right people in car companies is not that big of an issue. Jay Leno for example can always get to the front of the line when it comes to GM, as can Jerry Seinfeld when it comes to Porsche. What if however you want to access what is probably the worlds most famous automaker – Ferrari. Well if your name happens to be Santa Claus, then hell, you’ve got no problem. For 2011 the design team in Maranello has seen fit to give the fat mans sleigh an overhaul and in doing so have ditched the reindeer component entirely. The new sleigh is low-slung with a fighter-jet style cockpit and beautifully sculpted skies. Ferrari has yet to release any suspension or propulsion specs, but we’re figuring that they should be good as it’s going to take more than milk and cookies to get Father Christmas off the ground. Now, while I love the concept, I do have to ask one question… where the hell do the toys go? Seriously, this sucker has no interior storage whatsoever which could pose a big problem for the big man come Christmas Eve.

Source: Carmagazine.co.uk