Shell unveils ultra-efficient city car concept

Fuel company Shell has unveiled an ultra-efficient city car concept. Yes, that is as counterintuitive as it sounds.

The inventively named Shell Concept Car is said to potentially deliver “material reductions in energy use in the road transport sector”, with the micro-sized three-seater claimed to be “tangible proof of energy efficiency improvements that can be achieved by using cutting-edge technology available today through a process of ‘co-engineering’ whereby vehicle body, engine design and lubricants are all created together”.

The concept car is said to be a “total rethink of the Gordon Murray Design T.25 city car” which was built in prototype guise in 2010 and used a Shell prototype oil that was designed specifically to aid in engine efficiency. But more than just engine efficiency, Shell reckons it has developed a car that focuses on efficiency in all facets of production.

“Independent testing and a rigorous life-cycle study shows that Shell’s Concept Car would deliver a 34 per cent reduction in primary energy use over its entire lifecycle when compared to a typical city car available in the UK,” a statement from the company read.

“The Shell Concept Car would use around half the energy required to build and run than a typical small family car available in the UK and 69 per cent less than that of a typical sports utility vehicle available in the UK,” the statement read.

“The new car is the result of a co-engineering collaboration between world-leading vehicle, engine and lubricant designers, with each of the three elements of the vehicle tailored to work optimally with each other,” the company claims.

“It takes a holistic view on energy reduction focusing on design material selection; reduced energy demand via aggressive downsizing, and streamlining while enhancing the efficiency of energy delivery through innovative engine design and lubricant formulation to minimise the impact in terms of overall energy lifecycle use.”

So, how efficient is it? For a company that makes money from selling petrol and diesel, the thing is surprisingly efficient – with its three-cylinder petrol engine borrowed from Smart sipping just 2.64 litres per 100 kilometres based on city driving (up to 70km/h). Part of the reason it is so good on juice is that it weighs just 550 kilograms.

According to the company, a UK test facility ranked the Shell Concept Car better than a similarly-sized petrol-powered city car (28 per cent more efficient) and a hybrid car (32 per cent more efficient).

“Our car may be small, but it’s packed with potential,” said Shell’s vice president of lubricant research, Dr Andrew Hepher. “We want to accelerate the conversation about how we make road vehicles more energy efficient and less carbon-intensive. In the coming weeks and months, we look forward to sharing our research insights from this project with engine designers, car manufacturers, academics and other experts across the automotive sector.”

Toyota’s Odd uBox Concept Is The Car For Next-Gen Driver’s Needs

Something worth considering is the question of how the generational gap will influence the place of the automobile in society. It’s a question Toyota has considered, evidently, and has resulted in the uBox Concept.

It two-year development was a study in how the next generation of drivers will approach the car and how it will best fit into their lives. For this, Toyota had outside help from the Clemson University in South Carolina and their International Centre for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), with their partnership dubbed ‘Deep Orange’.

The vehicle is, as you can see, a little more than odd looking, but is designed to reflect the shift towards the car having to fit different roles in the future. It’s electric, obviously, and aimed at Generation Z – youngsters who have just recently or are about to receive/apply for their driver’s license. More exacting details on the powertrain are not available, however.

They figure a car like this would be something that the next wave of car buyers will be expecting. The project brief stipulated that the car should be aimed at a young 20-something entrepreneur, able to provide said owner with room to work productively (and remotely) during the week and cater to their recreational needs during the weekend.

That being said, it’s far from the boring beige boxes that we’ve been associating some cars of the future with. Instead, the uBox Concept is big: riding high with big wheels and tyres, flared arches and a panoramic roof.

The uBox’s interior is meant to be modular with the two rows of seats being on rails running the length of the cabin and are able to be moved individually to make room for extra cargo, rear legroom or for the front passengers to stretch out to get some work done on their laptop.

Dashboard trim is 3D printed and the surfaces are to be customisable – the Concept’s chequered interior panel patterning looks rather foul, though, but to each their own. The interior also has sockets handy for changing up various gadgets.

This partnership with Toyota has allowed the students to be involved in virtually every aspect of the uBox’s development, from the market research, conceptualising, design and engineering, and finally manufacturing – all crucial to getting the each generation invested in cars and shaping the landscape the future of personal transportation.

Volkswagen Previews Sporty SUV Concept For Beijing. 2018 Touareg?

Volkswagen has released some teaser images showing us bite sized portions of a new concept vehicle they intend to show off next week at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show.

While it’s rather early to say for sure what this vehicle portends, the smart money is on it being a preview of the 2018 Touareg SUV, possibly revealed in concept form next week with some kind of plug-in hybrid or even fully electric technology along with some rather futuristic touches for good measure.

Perhaps an iterative update on Volkswagen’s gesture-controlled dashboard interface that we saw in the Golf R Touch Concept of 2015.

It certainly looks a fair bit more aggressive than the somewhat sedate Touareg design that we’re used to, with a passing resemblance to a larger, jacked-up Volkswagen Scirocco.

The Wolfsburg-based automaker has kept its lips sealed on hard details about its newest concept, but we can expect some of that curtain to be lifted slightly as its motor show unveil approaches.

Should the concept be powered by fully or petrol-electric hybrid system, its China reveal makes sense as it would be eligible for the country’s New Energy Vehicle incentive program.

Check our Showroom for prices and specifications on the current Touareg and the rest of Volkswagen's range of models.

Infiniti’s QX Sport Inspiration Concept Breaks Cover In Beijing

Called the QX Sport Inspiration, Infiniti’s latest SUV concept made its first public appearance at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show, breaking new territory in terms of how the brand’s “Powerful Elegance” design language is evolving and can scale to larger vehicles.

That being said, there’s no shortage of speculation being thrown about in regards to the possible production model that this concept might metamorphosise into. The next QX50, perhaps? This concept does lack any of the usual dismissible concept car fluff and is actually something that, upon first glance, doesn’t look far off from a showroom-ready car.

The size of the concept is a ringer for that kind of mid-tier SUV, a possible larger sibling to the Q30 hatch and QX30 crossover. Taking that as an example, Infiniti started that car out (which is based off of a Mercedes-Benz A-Class) as a concept before moulding it into a production model, a similar rollout strategy could be in the QX Sport Inspiration’s future.

Infiniti says it has a ground clearance of 230mm, giving it a fair amount more than what we’re used to seeing in these ‘Sport’-oriented SUVs, although the concept’s 21-inch wheels would have to yield in favour of some thicker tyres.

Matching the sportier vibe, its interior has been given a “driver-centric” but “passenger oriented” cabin that’s clearly geared toward driver immersion with the angled centre console, flat-bottomed steering wheel, and there’s even what looks to be a digital display replacing the instrument cluster akin to Audi’s virtual cockpit – something the German manufacturer has fitted to tits more sporting models such as the R8 and TT.

There’s very little by way of technical specification provided by Infitiniti about the QX Sport Inspiration concept, but speculatively could house a turbocharged V6 engine with or without a hybrid component.

Nissan Bevel

The Nissan Bevel which went on show at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is, as Nissan puts it, "a dynamic, multi-purpose vehicle – one designed to enhance every activity, every opportunity. But unlike currently available sport utilityvehicles or minivans, which emphasize passenger needs and comfort, the advanced Bevel Concept's focus is placed strictly on the primary user – male empty-nesters actively engaged in hobbies, recreation and community service."

The Nissan Bevel was designed at Nissan Design America, Inc. (NDA) in La Jolla, California. "We see an opportunity to expand the range and values of the utility vehicle world," said Bruce Campbell, vice president design, NDA. "In the future, we envision "genres" where each product will be more dedicated and more focused, with the vehicles being much closer to the multi-dimensional aspects of the target buyers."

The Nissan Bevel was designed for the 'everyday hero', men aged between 45 - 60 with active lifestyles and hobbies, who don't require a pickup, but storage space which is an extension of their toolboxes, workshops and garages.

The Nissan Bevel concept features an asymmetrical exterior with a long driver's side door which pivots on a special hinge designed for ease of entry and exit. A large driver's side window aids visibility. The driver's side rear body panel is solid, except for a narrow, horizontal upper window.

On the passenger side of the Nissan Bevel's body are two doors, with the rear door hinged at the rear to provide an exceptionally wide door opening of nearly five-and-a-half feet (67.3 inches)

Other features of the Nissan Bevel exterior include hidden LCD headlights and projector fog lamps, a glass/solar panel roof, LCD taillights integrated into the tailgate surround and hidden under the paint, breakaway fiber-optic side cameras in place of traditional sideview mirrors, a recessed rear license plate holder, hidden exhaust outlets and touch-sensitive door release keypads mounted in the door window glass. 

The interior of the Nissan Bevel is organised into three specific zones. The first zone is the comfort zone (driver's area), with a comfortable, rich leather-clad fixed seat. A section of the driver's side floor is connected to and moves out with the driver's door. 

The second interior zone of the Nissan Bevel concept is the "command central" information/technology zone, designed to connect the driver with the Bevel and the outside world. The information-centric, fully digital instrument panel features a series of screens. Side LCD monitors, located on the outer edges of the instrument panel, display images from the sideview mirror cameras. 

The third Bevel zone is the utility/pet zone. Bevel's flexible seating includes lightweight, aluminum-frame fold-flat front passenger and rear bench seat. Because they are likely to be kept in the folded position most of the time, the seat surfaces themselves are very simple yet durable, and the backsides of the seats are covered with the same material as the rear cargo area floor, creating one large, seamless front-to-rear utility surface. The flooring itself is constructed from laminated recycled walnut, creating an extremely hard, workbench-like surface.

Toyota F3R

The Toyota F3R minivan concept from the 2006 Detroit Motor Show was designed jointly by Calty Design Research Inc., Toyota's California based design studio, and the Advanced Product Strategy group, also California based.

The Toyota F3R aims revive the glory days of the minivan, when sales were almost double what they are now. Minivans are often seen as an old persons mode of transport and to combat this the F3R has been specifically designed for the young family. 
Whereas many minivan designs attempt to hide the characteristics of a van, the Toyota F3R's designers have embraced the features associated with a minivan. The large, prominent grille does nothing to hide the fact it is bolted to a minivan, and to its credit, a rather attractive minivan.
Inside, the F3R's designers have created a versatile seating space, with 3 row cinema-style seating, the rear rows sitting higher than the row in front.And when the F3R is parked up, the seating can be reconfigured to make a sophisticated lounge area for conversation or watching the 2 track-mounted LCD TV's.
Although there is no word on production, Toyota has hinted that design elements of the F3R may appear on future Toyota models.

Mitsubishi Concept D:5

Introduced at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, the Mitsubishi Concept D:5 was a vehicle designed to preview the next generation Delica minivan - a Japan only model. At a guess the concept's D:5 name stands for 'Delica' and 5th generation.

The D:5 was based on the Mitsubishi Outlander platform and featured the same AWD layout.
The monobox design means the D:5 offers the most interior space possible. A good thing when the vehicle is designed solely with the purpose of hauling as many people, or as much cargo as possible.
With a reasonably high ground clearance and its 4WD drivetrain the D:5 concept had some mild off-road ability, which should be of comfort for those who like to take the road less traveled.
Advanced safety systems were a major feature of the D:5's design. Ten sensors located all around the vehicle can detect pedestrians and nearby objects, if they sense a possible collision, an audible warning is emitted to alert the driver to take action. A lane departure warning system is also fitted, this helps make sure the driver doesn't stray out of their lane on the highway by mistake. The final active safety system is an advanced radar-controlled cruise control system which keeps the car at a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
Powering the Mitsubishi Concept D:5 is a 2.4 litre inline 4-cylinder engine which produces 168 horsepower and 226Nm (167 lb-ft) of torque. The transmission is handled by a six-speed CVT(Continuously Variable Transmission).

Dodge Tomahawk

The insane potential widowmaker Dodge conceived and subsequently named the Tomahawk was first seen in 2003 at the Detroit Auto Show. The bike is powered by the same 500 hp 8.3 litre V-10 found in the legendary Viper, and is capable of propelling the concept up to 300 mph+, theoretically. However in practice the poor aerodynamics of the bike would cause it to become unstable at high speeds and it would be suicidal to try.

Dodge produced the Tomahawk concept to hammer home its power orientated design philosophy, which encompasses cars such as the Viper, Magnum SRT-8and Hemi Super 8 among others, it was never intended for mass production.Dodge sold a very limited number of Tomahawks as rideable pieces of modern art to a select few of rich enthusiasts.Overall the design of the Dodge Tomahawk is one of clean machined lines housing the massive, partially exposed engine and 4 oversize wheels.

Concept Cars: Audi A9

The Audi A9 concept is a stylish proposal for a luxury sports saloon which was developed by the talented Spanish designer Daniel Garcia. Garcia's previous work includes the Ducati 6098 R concept from 2009.

The A9 concept would be positioned higher than Audi's current flagship model, the A8, and is aimed at other top-end luxury saloons like the Porsche Panamera, and if it ever went into production, the Lamborghini Estoque.
The styling of the A9 concept was partially inspired by the stunning architectural style of Santiago Calatrava's buildings in "La Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias" (The City of Arts and Sciences) in Garcia's hometown of Valencia. This influence can be seen in the clean flowing lines of the vehicle and futuristic styling features. Calatrava's buildings look like they come from 100 years in the future, and so does this.
The single-piece windscreen and roof is formed from an as-yet undiscovered nanotechnology material which features an automatic-system for repairing damage, and it can also be adjusted for color and opacity. The bodywork of the Audi A9 concept also features a unique 'electronic painting' system which means the vehicle's color can be changed at the touch of a button.
The proposed drivetrain for the A9 concept is an advanced hybrid setup which uses an internal combustion engine working in conjunction with four in-wheel electric motor

Concept Cars: Aston Martin Lagonda

The Aston Martin Lagonda concept which was revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show is a very different vehicle from the last Lagonda concept, theLagonda Vignale, which was displayed way back 1993. 

The Lagonda concept is designed to promote the return of the Lagonda name badge which Aston Martin is reviving. 
Ultimately, Aston Martin hope Lagonda will have a presence in 100 global territories, vastly increasing the reach of the company and exposure to new customers. The brand will return to Russia, enter emerging markets in the Middle East, South America, India and China, as well as responding to demand from Europe, North America and the Far East.
"The Lagonda is the luxury car of the future," says Aston Martin Lagonda Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez,"a combination of total usability, a new form and innovative new technology and materials." 
The introduction of the Lagonda concept coincides with the 100 year anniversary of Lagonda's first automotive production, but instead of being heavily traditional the concept uses a wide range of modern and technologically advanced solutions.
The Aston Martin Lagonda concept is a four-seat, long distance tourer which draws some styling inspiration from past Lagonda models as well as speedboat design. 
The styling of the Lagonda concept is very different from the beautiful machines which Aston Martin have become world famous for. The exterior design is imposing and dominating instead of being subtly exquisite.
Powering the Aston Martin Lagonda concept is a V12 engine which sends its power to all four wheels.