Ford Start Concept

It’s called the Start Concept, and it made its debut at the Beijing Motor Show last week. Designed by Ford’s California-based styling studios, it boasts a striking body made from lightweight composite materials, and matches its good looks with a hi-tech 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.

Inside, cabin functions can be controlled by an iPhone – or any other smartphone. Add a fun driving experience, and the Start looks like the ideal city transport to take on the MINI and Fiat 500.

However, if you believe that this is the next-generation Ka, think again. Ford bosses are keen to point out that despite the short overhangs and curvy shape, this isn’t a new Ka. Instead, this concept points the way to how a future global model will look. And rather than Europe, the company says it has been designed for use in ever-expanding ‘mega cities’ – hence its debut in Beijing.

The big news for British drivers is the Start’s engine. It’s the latest example of Ford’s EcoBoost system, and is a direct-injection turbo powerplant that’s been jointly developed with PSA Peugeot-Citroen. Although power figures haven’t been revealed, Ford says it offers the same performance as a normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine – so expect up to 110bhp and 0-60mph in 10 seconds, but with emissions below 100g/km.

However, the cabin is hi-tech, too. Owners can plug in their smartphones, and thanks to the firm’s MyFord Mobile Concept, the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning settings can be set via voice control. It also imports all phone contacts and navigation tools, and the icons are displayed on a large central screen.

Honda 3R-C

Honda's electric vision for future

Set to debut in Geneva the three-wheeled 3R-C concept is a step towards zero-emissions future

Forget trains, buses and conventional cars this is how Honda envisages the commuter vehicle of the future! Called the 3R-C it an all-new three-wheeled battery-powered concept with space for just one passenger, and it's heading for the Geneva show.

Created by European designers working at Honda's R&D facility in Milan, the 3R-C is powered by an electric drivetrain mounted low in the chassis - to keep the centre of gravity as close to the ground as possible thus improving stability.

The clear canopy you can see covers the driver's seat when its parked up and not in use, and protects the driver from the elements when in motion. The high sides of the safety shell add to the weather protection and offer protection in case of a crash.

Also on display in Geneva will be the EV-N - Honda's take on a small, stylish zero-emissions supermini. First shown in Tokyo last year it takes its inspiration from the 1967 N360 city car.

Mercedes F800

Futuristic is the F word for Mercedes, if this head-turning new concept car is anything to go by! Called the F800 Style, it’s the latest in a long line of ‘F’ series research studies from the firm, stretching back to 1991. But as Auto Express exclusively lifts the lid on this stunning newcomer, we reveal just how bang up to date this show car is; hiding a whole host of clever gadgets up its sleeve.

Its multi-drive platform - a world’s first in a large saloon – can be fitted with a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain. This combines a 300bhp V6 with a 109bhp electric motor to produce impressive performance and only 68g/km of CO2.

But it’s also suitable for even cleaner hydrogen fuel cell set-up, which uses the electricity produced to drive a 136bhp electric motor – a technology that will be on sale by 2015.

Mercedes has also brought autonomous driving a step closer with its new Distronic Plus Traffic Jam Assistant – which allows the car to follow the vehicle in front, and steer automatically up to speeds of 25mph.

To learn about all the technology packed into this future-proof Mercedes, take a look at the sections below.

HMI (Human Machine Interface) touch screen

Imagine a touch screen that doesn’t require any physical contact from you! Run your fingers over a pad that falls easily to hand on the centre console and a camera films your fingers and projects a ghostly image of them onto the main central display. This allows you to click on applications and zoom in to maps without having to reach forwards or leave dirty fingerprints on the screen. Another useful innovation is the range on map function, which shows the maximum possible distance you can still travel on electric power alone, as a 360-degree outline on the map.

Sliding rear doors

If the Rolls-Royce Phantom, MINI Clubman and Vauxhall Meriva are anything to go by, suicide doors are all the rage. But Mercedes has found an alternative solution. While the front door is entirely conventional, the rear door slides back on an interior swivel arm revealing a huge gap to climb in and out. Despite the lack of B-pillar, the body shell is both robust and lightweight and meets all modern crash safety criteria.

Interior

Light-coloured wood and leather are designed to create a modern look and a feel of lightness to the cabin. In the interests of saving weight, the seats consist of a magnesium shell with a carbon-fibre laminate on the back. The wood veneer, which appears on the seat backs, the centre console and the doors, was created using a special technique that produces the finish in 3-D shapes. A translucent roof, meanwhile, divided into several segments, floods the cabin with light.

Family face

If the F800’s upright grille seems familiar, that’s because it’s already made an appearance on the SLS AMG. Taking its lead from the 300SL Gullwing from the fifties, the retro-inspired front end along with the sculptural bodywork is a sneak preview of a new Mercedes design language. Despite sitting somewhere between the C-Class and E-Class in terms of size, the F800’s more emotional look will make its way onto the much larger CLS, due to debut in Paris later this year, followed by other sporty models in the range.

McLaren X-1

It might seem like something from the set of Thunderbirds, but this wild-looking supercar is a McLaren 12C underneath.

Called the X-1, it’s the first one-off from McLaren’s Special Operations (MSO) – a newly formed division responsible for bespoke cars.

The X-1 has been created for an “anonymous car enthusiast”, and debuted today at The Quail - an event during the Pebble Beach weekend in Monterey, California - after two-and-a-half years of development.

The design is the work of McLaren’s Royal College of Art graduate Hong Yeo, and took 18 months alone.

Every part of the carbon-fibre bodywork was built especially for the X-1; the only thing that’s carried over from the 12C is the glass. As a result, the X-1 is 109mm longer and 188mm wider, but the same height as a standard 12C. Yet it weighs the same, at around 1,400kg.

McLaren says the customer demanded a timeless design. Inspiration came from classic models such as the 1961 Facel Vega, 1939 Mercedes 540K and 1971 Citroen SM, while art deco clocks, Airstream trailers and even aubergines influenced the styling. The most striking feature is the rear wheelarch, which hinges upwards if you need access to the tyre underneath.

Both the interior and the mechanicals are identical to the 12C coupe’s, so the X-1 gets the latest 616bhp version of the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, making it capable of more than 200mph.

After its debut in Pebble Beach, the X-1 will return to the MSO headquarters in Woking, Surrey, to be checked over before it’s delivered to the lucky buyer for an undisclosed fee.

Flying Hummer

WASHINGTON - (Malay translation) Ia mungkin kelihatan seperti gambaran dalam komik tetapi jip terbang ini akan menjadi kenyataan, tidak lama lagi. 

Agensi Projek Penyelidikan Pertahanan Lanjutan (Darpa), iaitu satu daripada cabang tentera Amerika Syarikat sedang membina kenderaan futuristik ini menggunakan model kenderaan tentera Humvee dan dijangka sedia digunapakai menjelang akhir tahun depan. 

Jip itu dicipta supaya dapat dipandu merentasi muka bumi paling sukar, mampu menahan tembakan senjata dan boleh terbang serta mendarat dengan hanya satu petikan suis. 

Tentera AS berharap Humvee terbang itu boleh membawa empat askar bersama peralatan mereka pada satu-satu masa, terbang dan mendarat secara menegak, boleh diterbangkan sejauh 400 kilometer dengan menggunakan satu tangki penuh minyak serta boleh dikendalikan tanpa perlu latihan sebagai juruterbang. 

Kenderaan dwi-fungsi ini bukanlah yang pertama di dunia kerana sebelum ini, syarikat Terrafugia telah mencipta Transition, iaitu kapal terbang kecil yang sayapnya boleh dilipat dan dijadikan kereta biasa. Penggunaan Transition diluluskan di AS, Julai lalu selepas melepasi beberapa ujian.