B.L.O.G.

Car On The Railway Tracks

Many of us park our cars at the railway station and then catch the local train to work or wherever it is that we have to go. Building on this theory is the Paracité, a single person commuter car that plans on putting the car itself on the rail tracks. Generally there is a 5 miles free space between two trains on a regular railway track. This free space and time can be utilized by these commuter cars to get people going on to their destinations. Essentially just hop into Paracité and drive up to the station and skip the train and wait for your turn; use the tracks till your destination and then drive off in it for the remainder of the journey. Sounds like a neat idea but could become a logistical nightmare for the stationmaster to handle trains and cars!

In case you missed it, the car has a retractable arm that acts as a balance on the railway lines and covers the distance between the tracks. Its tucks away neatly to the side when on the road.

Designer: Matthias Pugin

Aeon Hotrod pushes the envelope for electric vehicles

Pushing the boundaries of vehicle design development and engineering beyond that of the established manufactures, British designer David Eburah has popped up with an electric vehicle that spontaneously encapsulates the essence of the 40’s and 50’s hotrod. The “Aeon,” as the designer calls his vehicle, packages easily replaceable motherboards and battery packs, allowing the enthusiast to develop their vehicle’s performance in-line with technological advancements.

What makes the Aeon unique?

The electrically powered hotrod picks up on the qualities of a previous but very successful and relevant era, relating it to the current day changes in vehicle design and engineering. Rather than becoming constrained by the more obvious associations made with the ‘custom car’ hotrod scene, the design really contains the original values of encouraging innovation in the field of vehicle technology.

[Thanks David]

Snaefell motorcycle sidecar combines biking in car luxury

Nowadays, a motorcycle sidecar might not arouse the same ecstasy as it used to bi in early days, but the latest vehicle by Francois Knorreck is a sidecar with difference that gives an entirely new definition to the sidecars. Dubbed “Snaefell,” the 1000cc Laverda motorcycle has three exhausts, and its sidecar offers a luxury ride in comparison to regular sidecars. The designer has employed different parts of a Kawasaki 1000RX and a number of cars to accomplish the motorcycle sidecar, which took 10 years and nearly 15,000 Euros to combine biking and luxury car ride in a single vehicle.

Via: Automotto/ Dvice

The Mesmerizing Bugatti Stratos draws inspiration from the Type 57 Atlantic

Designing a car is an art and sometimes the graphic designers outwit the automotive ones in their own trade. The reason is that designers like Bruno Delussu (French) are never bothered about the technical specifications as to what will power the car, but simply let their imagination flow to create what pleases the eye. The mesmerizing Buggati Stratos created by the French graphic designer affirms that it is favourable to let go the tech spec considerations to create a gem of a design. Bruno was inspired by the ever so beautiful Buggati Type 57 Atlantic and that inspiration did help him weave magic. Some design cues were also picked up from the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Mille Miglia (for the front end) and Raymond Loewy’s locomotive designs. I must say that it for the first time I don’t really bother whether the Stratos will ever make the cut or not.

Via: Autoblog

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Link Scooter System - Rent, ride and return!

Why buy an electronic scooter when you can rent it? This is the novel idea behind the Link scooter system, designed by Anton Grimes of University of New South Wales. It’s basically a modular transport solution, which allows users to hire a small, lightweight electronic scooter from a hub. When the user has reached his destination, he can return the scooter at another hub for recharging. The existing light poles will take care of the charging process, which reduces the overall cost of the unit. The scooters come with a pull release mechanism that makes the scooter folding process really easy. Both the scooter and hub are made from strong and durable aluminum castings. The brushed aluminum finish for the unit complements the existing street furniture. The hiring process is quite simple as the user just needs to follow the instructions on the soft interface. The top speed of the scooter is pre-set at 16km/h and the user is issued with a must-wear helmet when they register to use the system. The device was specially conceptualized to suit the Sydney 2030 plan to reduce cars in the CBD and make the city more pedestrian oriented.

Via: Student.DesignAwards