At the moment it's only in the planning stages, but German firm E-Wolf's e-2 electric supercar concept (above) will be a real game-changer when it goes into production. The carbon fiber composite vehicle is the result of a collaboration between E-Wolf, the Saxony Lightweight Center and the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology at the Technical University of Dresden in Germany. The e-2, due in 2011, will feature four electric motors, one in each wheel, delivering a combined output of 544 hp and 737-lb.-ft. of torque in a chassis that is expected to weigh in at just 2,000 lbs., enabling it to hit a top speed of 155 mph - all without using a drop of gasoline.

Rare Bugatti Type 57s from the '30s and '40s sell for several million dollars at auction, so the design seems like a solid basis for a new concept car. French graphic / industrial designer Bruno Delussu has come up with the brilliant Bugatti Stratos (above), a retro-futuristic homage to the Type 57 mixed with the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Mille Miglia along with a touch of the "futuristic optimism" of industrial designer Raymond Loewy's (1893 – 1986) amazing Art Deco steam locomotives. Noting his total lack of a need to adhere to practical restrictions of actual production, Delussu comments, "Often sports cars are compact, nervous and aggressive. I wanted the opposite. That's why I prolonged the frame and created a voluptuously streamlined [shape] that glides smoothly through the air like a hand over silk."

Occasionally whiz-kid designers beat the pros at their own game when it comes to concept cars. At the very least they open up a world of possibilities that the car companies themselves may be too timid to explore. (See our earlier reports on the Audi Shark and the Chanel-mobile, for example). The latest entry comes to us from Iran, where despite all the unrest creativity still flourishes. The razor sharp new Lamborghini concept by Iranian designer Emil Baddal is an angular evolution of the Gallardo. It's bound to please some purists and offend others with sharper angles and lines and an edgier ethos all around, as these things go, but we think the Lambo by Baddal is badass.

Jinyoung Jo, a talented car designer at Hong-ik University in South Korea, has created the Chanel Fiole concept car, branded with the name of the famed French luxury goods firm. The design is "centered on simplicity of lines" and a classic black and white color scheme in the best tradition of Coco Chanel and her tailored suits. The ultra-aerodynamic coupe features Chanel's famed interlocking C's on the front grille and has three seats. It's not an altogether far-fetched idea given that Chanel kingpin Karl Lagerfeld is something of a car nut (he has three Hummers) and recently designed a Chanel version of the Segway.

Last fall we wrote about a brilliant Ferrari V4 motorcycle concept based on the Enzo. Now designer Flavio Adriani has come up with a wicked Lamborghini superbikebike concept. The Lamborbiker (above) was inspired by famed Italian automotive architect Marcello Gandini, formerly chief designer for Bertone and creator of several stunning Lamborghinis including the Countach, and employs the Osmos, a revolutionary hubless orbital wheel. Like the V4, the Lamborbiker is pretty fantastical but aesthetically captivating.

[via Tuvie]

The other day we told you about the eye-catching Audi Shark hovercar concept. Now here's an equally alluring Lamborghini design based on an insect. The carbon fiber-bodied Lamborghini Insecta concept (above) was created by Iulian Bumbu, a Romanian designer and graduate of the Alfa Romeo-sponsored Transportation Design Master Course at Milan's Scuola Politecnica di Design (SPD). As the name suggests, the Insecta concept was inspired by the world of insects, particularly the armored casings which protect beetles.

The Insecta's resemblance to a beetle's sheath is especially apparent viewed from the side and above. The Insecta is similar in dimension to Lamborghini's Gallardo, though it is lower and wider with a slightly longer wheelbase. It gets its power from the same 5.0 liter V10 engine and drivetrain found in the Gallardo, but the design enhancements and use of carbon fiber make it lighter and faster. A glass engine cover seamlessly blends into the glass roof providing a clear view of the mid-mounted engine for optimum visual appeal.

[Diseno-art via Luxuo]

A designer named Kazim Doku has won first prize in the Desire Design Competition launched in 2008 by the Italian Domus Academy for his amazing Audi Shark hovercar concept (above). The futuristic two-seater flying sportscar is inspired by both motorcycle and jet design, for maximum performance as well as safety. The name of course comes from its resemblance to a gray reef shark. Its streamlined design, sharp nose and fin-like rear lower spoiler contribute to the vehicle's "underwater" appearance. Both the headlights and taillights are made by transparent tubes which integrate LED units, while the somewhat cramped interior features sport seats integrated in the cockpit structure.

[DVICE via LuxuryLaunches]

Luxury Japanese auto maker Infiniti plans to unveil a new concept car at next month's Geneva Auto Show that comes complete with a set of custom Louis Vuitton luggage. Infiniti design boss Shiro Nakamura is pictured above with one of the high-tech Vuitton designs at the LV store in Roppongi, Tokyo earlier this week. Regarding the vehicle, Infiniti has said only that it represents "a celebration of the brand and its 20 years of history as a creator of sporty luxury vehicles," and described it as an "exploration into the brand's future," MotorAuthority reports. The Vuitton / Infiniti partnership is the latest in a line of luxury label collaborations with car marques, including Hermes and Bugatti, Prada and Hyundai (and now Audi as well), Versace and Lamborghini, and Dunhill and Bentley.

Israeli industrial designer Amir Glinik has come up with an incredible Ferrari motorcycle concept using a modified engine from the Ferrari Enzo supercar. Using drive-by-wire technology, the V4 superbike features hand controls adapted from an F-16 fighter jet and buttons based on those found on the steering wheel of Ferrari's Formula 1 racecars. Other controls for the sound system and trip computer are located on an all weather touchscreen.

"Vintage and modern Ferrari projects influence my design," Glinik notes. "It's a mix of what I find to be the best Ferrari lines with the latest technology I could think of in terms of engine, gear and driving management." He has also made a version in bright yellow. As far as how fast it goes and how much the bike would cost, we can only speculate about very big numbers in both cases. We have no idea if Glinik's V4, which he's been working on for the past few years, will ever reach the production stage, but we think he's got a real winner here.

[via Motorbiker.org]

A car with nautical ropes instead of doors? You are staring at the 2008 Fiat Fiorino Portofino. Fiat Professional asked customizer Vernagallo-Holiday and SALT to create a show car that looked like the Italian luxury beach buggies of the 1950s and 1960s. They took one of Fiat's FIorino vans and created this. The car has wood laminate flooring and the interior was created using natural fibers treated with a special waterproofing. They say it can seat five (five beach bunnies perhaps) and the rear seat folds down for your nautical gear. It's not known if the Fiat Fiorino Portofino will be produced as a regular car for the masses but it will be making the show rounds. Autoblog has a couple hi-res shots of this unique creature.

The new GINA Light Visionary Model concept by BMW is a whole new kind of convertible that's a shape-shifter of sorts. The body of the car is made up of a flexible fabric that's stretched over a movable metal frame, so the car actually changes it's shape based on what features you activate. For example if you turn the headlights on the front end rearranges itself to expose the them and allow the light to reach the road, but when you're not using the headlights they remain hidden. Same with the doors, you can't see them unless you're using them.

No word on when (or if) this car will go into production, and when (or if) it does what kind of price point we're looking at. But if it does ever come into existence will you be interested in owning one? I kinda would be, as long as all that fabric doesn't start to flap around and make noise when driving at interstate speeds.

The one-of-a-kind 1957 Chrysler Diablo concept car is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's a long sleek convertible which will be auctioned off at Monterey's famed classic car weekend this August by RM Auctions. The Diablo is one hot devil car, note the little pitchfork on the side . It was conceived by Chrysler's design head, Virgil Exner and built by Italian coachbuilder Ghia on a 1955 Chrysler 300 series chassis and Chysler invested over $250,000 in the project back then. It was a featured concept car for the 1957 US auto show circuit. At 22 feet in length this one must be a little difficult to take around corners. The car has been in the care of one owner for 25 years. It is estimated to sell for $2.5 to $3 million.

The ultra-rare Diablo will join several other European styled sports and racing cars and several classic American luxury automobiles at RM Auctions' Monterey auction "We have assembled the greatest collection of sports and classic cars ever brought together on the Monterey Peninsula," said Ian Kelleher, Managing Director of RM Auctions. "The Diablo is simply the holy grail of all concept cars in its era. Its upcoming auction in Monterey has received considerable international interest due to its rarity and the fact that concept cars are a featured highlight of this year's world famous Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance," he added.

Admission to the Sports & Classics of Monterey is $40 per person and an auction catalog is available for an additional $100 including shipping and handling within North America.

Hybrid-electric vehicles seem to be all the rage these days, and the prototypes in the stables at Ferrari's home of Fiorano is no exception.

As part of its 60th birthday celebration, Ferrari unveiled the Mini Chili, a mere 1,000 kg beast almost completely made of carbon fiber sporting fixed seats and carbon ceramic brakes. The need for a dashboard is gone with the driver information systems all being condensed down into the steering wheel, making for a compact little ride. The light weight is offset by an Active Aerodynamics system, which kicks in at the most opportune of moments.

Don't get your hopes too high, though -- Ferrari claims it won't make this car, but be on the lookout for similar technology in future Ferrari vehicles.

[Source: AutoExpress]

At 7'1", Shaquille O'Neal is probably the tallest customer Lamborghini has ever had -- to the point that his test drive probably wasn't the most productive thing. Enter Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters, who do fun stuff like help automakers with their concept cars, engineer and produce aerospace-quality glass, and do custom coachwork, stretching cars like the HUMMER limos we like to make fun of. Or, in this case, Shaq's Lamborghini Gallardo.

Gaffoglio stated that it was important to the company to keep the design consistent with stock Gallardos, so in extending the roof, doors and side windows, the original design of the vehicle played an important role. Extending the windows proved to be the trickiest bit, necessitating imput from the aerospace division in addition to coachworks expertise in order to get it right.

So, did they succeed? As we look at the photo above and try to figure out whether it's stock or stretched, we certainly think so.

[Source: Edmunds.com InsideLine]

This weekend at the Los Angeles Concours I had the chance to check out the SUB 3 Wheeler, the blocky little speedster shown above. The three-wheeler was designed for minimal weight and maximum speed. it has a Suzuki TL1000R V twin engine which is located next to the driver. It has a handbuilt TIG welded frame, a fiberglass body and three wheels with motorcycle tires. It weighs a light 750 pounds. They are working on production which will be limited to just 25. The cost is estimated at $80,000 with a $25,000 security deposit. It looked a bit out of place next to the race cars but it looks like it would be great fun to take for a spin. More of my pictures from Sunday after the jump.