New technologies are set to dramatically change the way that future cars are designed, at least according to German design firm EDAG, which is set to debut its latest concept vehicle - called the “Light Car - Open Source” - at the Geneva Motor Show in March. EDAG claims this is the first car to be made from basalt fiber, which is sort of like carbon fiber but much cheaper and fully recyclable. That’s not the most interesting bit, though, as sitting just below the concept car’s glass-like surface are strings of organic light-emitting diodes that are user-configurable and can change the look of the car’s headlamps and interior cockpit, as well as use the tail-gate as a projection screen to “communicate” with other cars around it.

Hub-mounted electric motors draw power from an on-board lithum-ion battery pack that’s said to be capable of providing a range of 93 miles (150 kilometers). The lack of an engine or transmission enables “luxury class” levels of space inside with compact class outer dimensions. So, what’s the open source part of the project? EDAG claims that it’s actively approaching other companies to work on the development of this concept car with the goal of defining what the car of the future will be. Stay tuned for our reactions after seeing the concept live in Geneva for ourselves.
[Source: EDAG]

Play the word association game with an average American, and when the topic is “Lincoln,” you’re likely to hear words like “traditional,” “big,” and “limousine.” Terms describing compact hatchbacks like the Concept C shown above simply won’t be on the tips of anyone’s tongues. So what gives? Has Dearborn finally looped it? Take a closer look, and what at first seems like a designer pet project reveals a good deal more forethought and finesse.

Yes, the Concept C is small. Said to be underpinned by the next-generation Ford Focus platform, this is a C-segment car, much shorter than any current Lincoln, and indeed, much shorter than any Lincoln we can recall. But how about that width? Emphasized by its sizable fenders and the strong shoulder-line in the doors (said to be inspired by the saddle tanks on go karts), the Concept C may be as long as a Focus, but it’s roughly as wide as a MKZ sedan. The extra width and the upright greenhouse (there’s almost no tumblehome at all) mean that the C can accommodate two rows of three full-sized adults in surprising comfort. The bustle back shape reminds of a number of Gallic automobiles, including the previous Renault Megane, but rather amazingly, the formal roofline, twin wing grilles and full-width rear light bar that are Lincoln hallmarks don’t look out of place. Click on the gallery below or follow the jump to read more about the Concept C and check out the official press releases.

Here’s another one from the world of unlimited conceptual design: the Cadillac World Thorium Fuel concept. Otherwise known as the Cadillac WTF. Created by Loren Kulesus, everything about the WTF has been created to last 100 years without maintenance. That’s the reason for the element number ninety, thorium: to act as a nuclear fuel powering batteries that would power the car.

Elsewhere, every major system is redundant in case of a failure. And the wheels don’t have individual tires - in fact, what’s located at each corner is one combined unit made up of six individual wheels. That gives you 24 wheels in total, and each wheel has its own induction motor. Said Kulesus, “The vehicle would require the tires to be adjusted every five years, but no material would need to be added or subtracted.” Here’s to the future. While you wait for it, have a look at the Cadillac WTC in the gallery of high-res photos below.

And now for something completely different. If designer Tan Sohanpall set out to create a new concept vehicle that shared little in common with other accepted designs, then he succeeded. Sure, there have been three-wheeled vehicles since the early dawn of transportation, but few if any have ever featured two wheels on one side and one with a wider contact patch on the other. We have serious doubts as to whether this arrangement would actually work in the real world, but as a concept it’s pretty cool. The Enigma is intended to be a car for thrill-seekers, and it looks the part.

Other unique bits include a single-occupant driver compartment that slides rearward at high speeds and a tilting body that could theoretically lean into turns. There’s no indication of what would actually power the Enigma, but it looks like some sort of turbine or ducted fan arrangement. Interesting? Undoubtedly. Realistic? Not so much, but so what? As a concept, we love its asymmetric audacity.

As far as digital images go, there isn’t much left to see of the new Porsche Panamera. Still, there’s something special about seeing a new car in person, and the first chance the public will get to see the latest Swabian hatchback four-door grand touring sports car will be at the 2009 Shanghai Motor Show in April, not at the Geneva show a month earlier as initially planned.

With Porsche pushing back the Panamera’s official intro, the German sports car maker clearly acknowledges that emerging markets such as China are extremely important to its growth. Its sales doubled last year in China while falling in both America and Europe. Experts expect this trend to continue well into 2009, so Porsche will be relying heavily on the Chinese to reach its goal of 20,000 highly-profitable Panameras per year.

While we can’t get enough of the Caterham and all its copycats, the one thing we’ve never said to ourselves is, “This needs a roof, some luxury amenities and 400 horsepower.” But that’s exactly what IFR Automotive has done with the Aspid. IFR is an acronym for the engineer that founded the firm, Ignacio Fernandez Rodriquez, whose former employers include Prodrive and the Mitsubishi WRC team. Rodriquez wanted to create a track-day masterpiece that would not only confirm to FIA safety standards and European homologation requirements, but also offer a level of luxury and refinement previous unseen on other track-bound whips.

The result is a lightweight aluminum and carbon fiber structure that tips the scales at around 1,550 pounds. Two engines will be available when the production model hits the streets later this year, including a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter producing 270 hp, or a 400-hp turbocharged version of the same mill. Power will be sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. With that kind of power to weight ratio (570 hp per ton), IFR is predicting a 0-62 run of 2.8 seconds, a 0-100 sprint of 5.9 seconds and a maximum (restricted) speed of 155 mph. Slowing and turning the Aspid should be equally dramatic, with the lightweight coupe halting from 100 mph in three seconds flat and hitting 1.6 g of lateral acceleration.

All that mind-boggling performance will come at a cost, so when you place your order after the Aspid’s debut at the London Motor Show next month, you’ll be expected to cough up £75,000 before you can take delivery next summer. Press release below the fold.

[Source: Aspid via SCC]

According to Car and Driver, a preliminary version of the Nissan GT-R V-Spec — that stands for Victory Specification, mind you — could be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show later this year and may even be ready for sale by the end of the year. The V-Spec, whose actual specs have not been revealed, is the even better, faster, stronger version of the plain old blindingly fast Nissan GT-R. The V will be lower and more powerful than the regular GT-R, but no one knows yet by exactly how much.

Apparently Nissan has also admitted that the $70,000 GT-R is currently a loss-leader. As the company rolls out more cars on the same platform, like an Infiniti version in a year or so, the GT-R’s balance sheet will begin to show profit. Speaking of that Infiniti version, it will be intriguing to see how they combine Nissan gadgetry with Infiniti luxury. And although the V-Spec could be shown in just a few months and on sale by December, it isn’t expected to go on sale in the U.S. until 2010.

[Source: Car and Driver via Motor Authority]

Common sense says that MINI is gearing up to unveil its convertible Cooper before the end of the year, but according to AutoTelegraaf, the purveyors of everyone’s favorite retromobile is planning to debut its new SUV in Paris. The Dutch site claims that the cabrio version of the Cooper and Cooper S won’t make an appearance until the Spring of 2009, but the jacked-up Crossman CUV could launch around the same time.

The “Crossman” is slated to be produced by Magna Steyr, riding 80 mm higher than standard MINIs and will be powered by the same 1.6-liter naturally aspirated and turbocharged mills found in the Cooper and Clubman, and their S-badged counterparts. Magna says that it will be producing 80,000 Crossmans (Crossmen?) each year on an entirely new platform that allows the use of both AWD and FWD drivetrains

We realize that not everyone will agree with us on this one — passions seem to run highest over the cars that the fewest number of people will drive — but if the Ferrari California looked like this concept, we’d put down a deposit right now. Once someone else gave us the money to do so.

Sure, from the A-pillar forward is pure Maserati, and there’s no way a front intake like that could or should make it onto a Ferrari. Still, it’s a good looking front end, and we don’t mind design elements going up as well as down. Besides, a couple of keystrokes can get a proper Ferrari nose in place.

But from the A-pillar to the rear… those are the kind of aggressive, subtle lines we like in our Ferraris. Which is not to say we don’t like the California — we just like this a little better… A coupe, please. That color.
[Source: Sefsdesign]

It turns out that the Geely GT didn’t corner the market on coupe concepts at Auto China 2008. Beijing Automotive — whose Wrangler-style B40 you saw earlier — is also on the case with its 700R coupe concept, a clean and attractive design with some interesting details. An accent line angles upward, merging with muscular rear haunches, giving the car a nice, aggressive presence. In front, knifelike headlamps; stylized, outboard air intakes; and a teensy main grille slit come together to give the car a good face. Out back, a similar motif finishes the car off, and the result is very attractive overall.

Of course, it’ll probably never be anything more than vaporware, but generally speaking, it makes you wonder what on Earth goes on in the boardrooms of Chinese car companies. If they have the ability to deliver clean, original designs like this, then why bother copycatting at all? The mind reels. Until originality in this vein is the norm, the phrase “Chinese car” will remain a punchline. Too bad, because stylewise, this 700R concept is no joke.
[Source: Autoblog Chinese]