Futuristic Car

1. Porsche Cayenne gets ‘body-whale’ treatment from Russian tuning studio



I’m not sure what were the dudes from Status Design thinking when they’ve decided to name this kit for the Porsche Cayenne, “body-whale”, but it doesn’t sound too good to me. I mean, the first things that cross my mind when I hear the word “whale” are “big”, “fat” and “slow”, neither one looking good when associated with a vehicle. Anyway, back to our package, this was recently presented by Status Design, a tuning studio based in Moscow, Russia and it consists of an ultra-aggressive body kit made of high-quality plastics and carbon. No word about any performance or interior upgrades, which makes us think this was done only as an exercise after a few bottles of vodka. So, what do you think? How would you feel if you’d see this appearing suddenly in your side mirror?

2. GMC Denali XT Hybrid debuted at the Chicago Auto Show


At the Chicago Auto Show, which is currently taking place in Windy City, GMC presented the Denali XT Concept hybrid pickup truck. Designed by GM Australia’s Holden Design team, The Denali XT is, according to Jim Bunnell, GMC general manager, “about working hard, playing hard and enjoying an active lifestyle. It is the same philosophy that has helped make the GMC Acadia crossover a huge hit with consumers.”

The concept is powered by GMC’s new 326 hp 4.9 liter V8 engine which is capable of running on E85 fuel and which uses GM’s Active Fuel Management system. The Denali XT also has an electrically variable transmission which enhances fuel efficiency in city and highway driving (in city driving, all-electric propulsion is used at low speeds, while on the highway, fixed-gear operation enables efficient performance even when towing a trailer).

The Denali XT concept measures 55 inches long (1,397 mm) by 47.5 inches wide (1,206 mm), has an estimated payload capacity of 1,100 pounds (499 kg) and a towing capacity of an estimated 3,500 pounds (1,587 kg).

3. Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS: the 750 hp beast based on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo

My God, have you ever seen something more terrifying? And I’m not sure if it’s in a good or a bad way. I mean, imagine cruising down the highway and spotting this thing in your mirrors. Must be pretty scary. Call me crazy, but I absolutely love this, the Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS. Based on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the car features an impressive and extremely aggressive body kit, with a front apron extended by 60 mm with integrated aero lip, extensive air inlets, a completely new bonnet which opens forward, body extensions mounted all the way from the front to the rear, new side skirts, rear skirt extended by 40 mm, race diffuser and new rear spoiler with carbon flanks, the exterior package being completed by huge 22-inch GT SPORT forged rims. All the body parts are made of carbon fiber, which means the whole car is 250 kg lighter than the serial Cayenne, which of course means performance figures go through the roof.

The main upgrade which was made to the V8 engine is the increase of its displacement, up to 5 liters. By using fortified forged pistons, special connecting rods, racing turbochargers, larger air intercooler and new engine electronics maps, the Gemballa engineers managed to squeeze 750 hp (552 kW) at 6,400 rpm and a max torque of 1,050 Nm at 3,200 rpm. This means the Tornado sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds and its top speed goes over 300 km/h (186 mph).

There’s no point in describing the interior, you have to look at the photos to see what they did there. So, what do you think about the car? Is it hot or it makes you feel sick? Oh, and before you answer that, we forgot to tell you there will only be 50 units made and each one’s price starts from 400,000 Euros ($522,000).

4. Honda FC Sport Concept: the hydrogen sports car of tomorrow?

In what came somehow as a suprise, Honda has unveiled an interesting new concept at the LA Auto Show, the Honda FC Sport design study. The three-passengers sportscar concept features a powertrain based on the Honda V Flow fuel cell technology, already in use on the FCX Clarity sedan. By combining lightweight materials, improved aerodynamics and a low center of gravity (due to a modular approach to fuel cell component packaging and the electric drivetrain), the concept achieves quite impressive performances, or at least that’s what Honda says, because so far there were no official specs released.

The FC Sport concept, designed at Honda’s Advanced Design Studio in Pasadena, California, by a team led by Jason Wilbure, looks pretty good, with angular shapes in the front of the vehicle that taper into geometric, hex forms in the rear (which house cooling radiators for the fuel cell), F1-style barge boards behind the front wheels and what I really like are the visible hydrogen storage tanks, somewhat similar to what Ferrari or Lamborghini are doing.

5. GTbyCITROEN to appear at several events this summer




Last Autumn, at the Paris Motor Show, we were really stunned by the GTbyCITROEN concept, a full size replica of the car from the Playstation 3 video game, Gran Turismo 5. At that time, we believed this will be just another breath-taking concept which will never see production, but it looks like the French car maker has some serious plans for the car, because they announced today the GTbyCITROEN will make several appearances at racing events, this summer.

The first one will be the 24 Hours Nürburgring race on May 23rd, where the concept will take a lap of honour before the race. Then, on June 12th, the car will join other supercars in the “Grande Parade des Pilotes” at the Le Mans 24 Hours, taking part in the presentation of the drivers and teams. And finally, the third announced event will be the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, between July 3-5. So, if you’re lucky enough to take part at these events, make sure you don’t miss the GTbyCITROEN, because it’s a magnificient car.