In the last report from our future car design series we talked about the carpool vision of Honda. Now we present a completely different approach to future mobility: It's all about the single-seat design of the Audi Virtuea Quattro!

Though such a concept might not be very efficient in minimizing traffic, the Audi Virtuea contributes to the health of the environment by using hydrogen as an energy source. But what's really amazing about this car is its ability to change its exterior design! The Audi Virtuea functions as a solid unit at its core, while providing thousands of possible holographic exteriors stored in a library and accessible through the vehicle's interactive holographic interface. The driver can switch between different designs from one minute to the next and without any environmental impact, as no physical materials are needed to create the design, regardless of size.

Another remarkable feature is the Community Processing Unit of the Audi Virtuea. It connects by wireless with the processing units of the surrounding vehicles, thus allowing for collective memory and active symbiosis. And in case you notice the picture of the solid unit and wonder if it has any wheels - it does: the spherical wheels enable the vehicle to maneuver in every direction.


Images: Audi

She is one of Germany`s most renowned actresses: Martina Gedeck earned her outstanding reputation in movies like the Oscar-winning “The Lives of Others” or “Bella Martha”. She is noted for her careful choice of roles and her sincere screen incarnations of characters – which she impressively demonstrates again as Ulrike Meinhof and Clara Schumann in movies coming up this year.When it comes to environmental matters, Martina Gedeck is no less sincere, as she told us when we met her at the Brandenburger Hof Hotel in Berlin. This is one of the reasons why she gave us her testimonial about the BMW Hydrogen 7 which she used for several months. Watch our video interview!

Doc Martins, shaving brushes and Mariah Carey: Sooner or later everything we thought was forgotten is now celebrating a comeback. Envisioning the mobility of the future, Honda dug out something else that was almost over and done with: Carpools!

Based on the belief of a re-urbanisation movement in the 2040's, Honda Designers Ben Davidson, Khrystyne Zurian and Shae Shatz advanced the old carpool model to face the jam-packed streets of tomorrow: The Honda 124 (One to the Power of Four) is a concept for a robotic modular vehicle comprising four pods. Thanks to a combination of artificial intelligence and molecular engineering each separate unit maintains its own power source. When coupled together they can travel at higher speeds and use a High Occupancy Vehicle Lane. When it is near to the passengers final destinations, it automatically transforms into four smaller single seater vehicles that are easily maneuverable.Module one (see slideshow) maintains most of the look and performance of the original vehicle and allows the driver to continue to travel significant distances at high speed. The modules two and three are light weight personal transport modes, perfect for traveling short, inner-city distances. The front and rear modules can re-join together and take advantage of the carpool system as one. There is no need to mention that the Honda 124 is an energy efficient car concept: The power comes from a solar hybrid power system with a very flexible usability: Two cars from the system can be recharged at one time enabling the two other cars to travel freely. Well, the only thing left to argue about: Who will use which module?Images: Honda

If you believe the movie-makers, our future will have really amazing cars in store. Just imagine the upright moving vehicles on vertical streets like in “Minority Report” or the flying cars in „The Fifth Element“. But trust me, the stuff that vehicle designers are planning for the future is not any less fancy! Because of the challenges of tomorrow, like climate change, less space in rapidly growing urban centers and roadways that have reached the point of saturation, these guys are coming up with some hilarious ideas. So we want to present the coolest and craziest off-the-wall-concepts in our new series: The future of car design!

Click our slideshow to watch the amazing design concept of the Biomobile Mecha
We are going to start with a view of Toyota’s future vision which could be described as “back to nature”. With the Biomobile Mecha concept the Japanese car manufacturer resorts to the principle of biomimicry: Inspired by biological life forms, this vehicle provides dynamic driving instincts and structural adaptations to accommodate the user’s need for space. Thanks to the implementation of nanotechnology, the structure of the vehicle is able to expand and contract horizontally and vertically to serve as a compact commuter, an aerodynamic performance car and temporary dwelling. Further, it is able to adapt to its driving environment by utilizing nano-laser wheels.And as if that were not enough, this vehicle is even more than emission-free – it’s powered by pollution! It extracts harmful substances from the air and utilizes them as an energy source to restore the balance to the atmosphere. The only handicap: The Biomobile Mecha is so far just a concept that may only exist in 50 years. Let’s see if Toyota will turn this vision into reality.Images: Toyota