This Car Runs For 100 Years Without Refuelling – The Thorium Car
If your car was powered by thorium, you would never need to refuel it. The vehicle would burn out long before the chemical did. The thorium would last so long, in fact, it would probably outlive you.
That’s why a company called Laser Power Systems has created a concept for a thorium-powered car engine. The element is radioactive, and the team uses bits of it to build a laserbeam that heats water, produces steam, and powers an energy-producing turbine.
Thorium is one of the most dense materials on the planet. A small sample of it packs 20 million times more energy than a similarly-sized sample of coal, making it an ideal energy source.
The thing is, Dr. Charles Stevens, the CEO of Laser Power Systems, told Mashable that thorium engines won’t be in cars anytime soon.
“Cars are not our primary interest,” Stevens said. ”The automakers don’t want to buy them.”
He said too much of the automobile industry is focused on making money off of gas engines, and it will take at least a couple decades for thorium technology to be used enough in other industries that vehicle manufacturers will begin to consider revamping the way they think about engines.
“We’re building this to power the rest of the world,” Stevens said. He believes a thorium turbine about the size of an air conditioning unit could more provide cheap power for whole restaurants, hotels, office buildings, even small towns in areas of the world without electricity. At some point, thorium could power individual homes.
Stevens understands that people may be wary of Thorium because it is radioactive — but any such worry would be unfounded.
See That Guy In The Volkswagen Beetle? Well, Wait Til You Look Closer… It’s Unbelievable.
Like most men of a certain age, when 71 year-old Momir Bojic retired, he decided to build his dream car. However, unlike most re-builds, his dream car didn’t require spare parts from junk yards. It needed 50,000 individual pieces of oak.
That’s because Momir build his Volkswagen Beetle out of wood. Because… why not?
It may look like a standard Volkswagen Beetle from afar, but it’s anything but.
8 affordable classic cars beloved by retirees
Senior citizens who have retired may suddenly find themselves with spare time and an interest in taking up a hobby, such as owning a classic car.
The folks at classic-car insurer Hagerty Insurance looked at their valuation data to come up with these classic cars for seniors that are affordable, available for purchase in "good" condition, likely to increase in value and easy to maintain with widely available parts. The car values are as of December 2012, and are the most recent available from Hagerty.
5 surprisingly valuable classic cars
While some classics cars just shout "expensive," there are quite a few sleeper collectible cars that have eye-popping values. Hagerty Insurance, which insures classic cars, identified five such cars and provided us with a range of prices, depending on condition. In this story, low prices represent classic cars that are in fair condition, while those commanding top prices would be for cars worthy of winning an award at a major classic car show.
For the best auto loan rates, go to Bankrate.com.
Here Are Some Futuristic Cars I Liked at the NY Auto Show
I paid a visit to the New York International Auto Show yesterday, because I like cars a lot, and one big benefit of being part of the press is the ability to be put in a giant building full of shiny automobiles without a bunch of people shoving you around to get the perfect Instagram shot of a new Subaru.
The NYIAS is interesting in that, compared to its counterparts in Los Angeles and Detroit, it appears to be more geared towards auto dealers, and as such most automakers mostly put the focus on cars that will actually sell, rather than the wild concepts that better fit Motherboard's purview. Nonetheless, I combed the halls of the Javitz Center to find some futuristic cars I really liked, and now I'm sharing them with you!
TOYOTA FT-1
This, the Toyota FT-1, is indeed a concept, but it positively stunning. It's not an easy car to photograph, but I think this rear half shot really highlights the sloping rear well. The lines where the side and rear windows line up hearkens back to the 2000GT, which is just about one of the loveliest cars ever made.
Motor Trend wrote a great breakdown of the design when the car, which many hope will be Toyota's next Supra, debuted a few months ago. But if we're talking future here, I think this taillight/vent detail is a great highlight of sports cars to come. The trend has long been towards more more organic shapes, with extremely intricate lights and aerodynamic details. This car would have looked impossibly futuristic a couple decades ago, and now it's reportedly not far from reality.
ALFA ROMEO 4C
Legendary Italian marque is making its return to the US with the 4C, a little sports car that reminds me a bit of the Lotus Europa. Cool as it looks, it's a product of our current frugal future: Rather than a giant engine, this little Alfa is powered by a high-tech, 1.75L turbocharged four-cylinder that puts out some 237 horsepower.
While that might not sound like a whole lot, in a small, fairly light car, it offers a good balance of performance and efficiency, which is crucial as federal fuel economy standards and budgets continue to get tighter. Not that an Alfa is cheap, assuming you can find one; the Times says the company still lacks a US dealer network.
VOLKSWAGEN E-GOLF
Volkswagen's Golf has now evolved into its seventh generation, and with it comes the 2015 e-Golf. As you might have guessed, it's electric, and its motor produces 114 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque. With a 24.2 kWh battery pack, Volkswagen says it will have a 118-mile range. How is it futuristic? It's electric, and has "e" in the name. This is the future of cars, people, and has been for some time.
PORSCHE 918 SPYDER
Not that the electric future has to be bland. This was the first time I've seen the Porsche 918 Spyder in the flesh, and it's pretty gosh darn nice. I'd definitely drive it, is what I'm saying.
A Volkwagen Group stablemate of the e-Golf, the 918 Spyder was first shown off in 2010, and is currently being delivered in limited numbers now. As you can see by the cord dangling off of it, it's a plug-in hybrid, and can get around 18 miles of range on battery alone. All told, it has a 4.6 liter V8 engine that produces 608 horsepower, while its two electric motors add an additional 279 hp.
I suppose it's tough to call the $845,000 car futuristic if it's already been known for four years, but it certainly looks the part, and does get credit for being a trend-setter: With the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari, hybrid supercars are a bona-fide thing now.
COMPLETELY GRATUITOUS BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT3 INTERLUDE
This positively enormous Bentley race car is truly awesome, and I absolutely must see it race some day. That is all.
SCION IQ
That Bentley is a tough act to follow, but this Scion represents the future for the rest of us. You know, the future where gas disappears, robots take our jobs, and we're all stuck living inside of pre-fab boxes epoxied to the side of an abandoned bridge. I'm not sure that's exactly what Scion was going for, but this little cube was nicely appointed, starts at $15,995, and gets 37 mpg. And in the techno-tycoon dominated future, that's all we normals will be able to hope for.
KIA GT4 STINGER
This Kia concept has also been out for a few months, but to me, it really embodies a glossier vision of the near-future—kind of like that Audi that Will Smith drove in I, Robot. Unlike many concept cars, the GT4 Stinger can actually drive, too.
The lights might be a bit too audacious for production, as is the grille. But if this sub-3000-lb, 315 horsepower coupe is a picture of mid-range sports cars to come, the future is looking pretty bitchin'.
NISSAN SPORTS SEDAN CONCEPT
From a design point of few, this Sports Sedan Concept offers nice insight into where more regular cars are headed. Even sedate sedans have gotten a lot more aggressive styling cues of late, and the complex lines first embodied by Chris Bangle's "flame surfacing" design for BMWs continue to evolve.
One thing I really liked on this car were the simple door handle button things. I'd love to see those on a production car.
The headlights are also extremely complicated items, which is a requisite for any car these days. I'm not complaining; they look futuristic as hell.
UNDEREXPLAINED ASIMO APPEARANCE
BMW I8
If you're an avid reader of my NYIAS coverage (and why wouldn't you be?), you'd remember that I called the BMW i8 concept futuristic back in 2012. Lo and behold, it has become the future, as this is the production model. Yes, you'll be able to buy this wild-looking car, which combines a three-cylinder turbo engine with an electric drivetrain, starting this summer. (I took a picture of the spec sheet if you want to see it.) But just look at it: This thing is the future. Jalopnik agrees.
THIS 3D-PRINTED ABOMINATION
This 1971 Ford Torino was given a 3D-printed makeover by artist Ioan Florea. The shapes were printed in plastic, and according to the Economist, later coated them in a metallic material, or used those parts as molds. It looks like something from Escape from New York, and that's all I can say.
FORD'S NEW F-150
Okay, so a pickup truck might not seem very futuristic, but the F-series is the best-selling vehicle in America, and Ford took a bit of risk by making the next gen model's body out of aluminum. The goal was to cut weight, which, combined with turbocharged, small-displacement engines, goes a long way to improve fuel economy. And that means saving a whole lot of gas.
LED WHEEL SELFIE
MAZDA'S SKYACTIV DIESEL PROTOTYPE
Efficiency is the name of the game in racing, too, and Mazda's prototype is a good representative example. It's powered by a 2.2L diesel engine that puts out 450 hp and 580 lb-ft of torque. While that's a fair bit of power, such small-displacement diesels also tend to have great fuel economy, which cuts down on time spent in the pits. Audi has long led the diesel charge in prototype racing, but Mazda's push for tiny diesel engines is a hint at the future.
TOYOTA I-ROAD
We last saw Toyota's i-ROAD concept at CES, and it's the latest in a long line of urban mobility concepts from from a variety of manufacturers. The name of the game here is to take the concept of a car and make it as small, light, efficient, and cheap as possible. And if the Tata Nano is any indicator, the future of cars, and their spread to new markets worldwide, will look like this.
10 eco friendly concept cars designed for Ferrari
Ferrari is known for manufacturing cars that pack unmatchable muscle, impeccable design and astonishing looks. Most of its cars dressed in glossy red have been a dream of many and a symbol of pride for some of those who could possibly afford it. However, the times are changing and as world exhausts its non-renewable resources, the focus is going to shift to cars that harness their muscle from renewable sources and are tender to the environment. Automakers are still a long way from making an electric race car comparable in performance and mileage to the fuel-based cars, but today or tomorrow we have to reach there and many designers have used their skill and imagination for recommending cars of the future to manufacturers like Ferrari. We will enlist 10 such Eco-friendly car concepts here.
1. Ferrari ‘Eternita’
Designed by students of Hongik University in South Korea, the ‘Eternita’ is supposed to run on a hydrogen-hybrid engine that doesn’t compromise in power and results in low-emissions. It is designed to provide optimum fuel-efficiency and top-notch performance. The rear wheels are incorporated into the body and aim at reducing the drag, while the base is low-lying and almost touches the ground. It won the 2011 Ferrari World Design Contest.
2. Ferrari HY-KERS Hybrid Concept
HY-KERS is a hybrid vehicle, which is based on 599 GTB Fiorano, displayed at the Geneva Motor Show. The concept reduces carbon-dioxide emissions by 35 percent. The battery is placed extremely below to keep the center of gravity low and save interior space. It is capable of producing 107 horsepower and 111 lbs-ft of torque and will be put to production in about three to five years.
3. Ferrari Modulo Revival concept
The Modulo is based on Ferrari 512 S Module, which was first introduced to the world at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show. The design of the new Modulo has been conceived by Emmanuel Laffon de Mazieres and Bastien Petelot. The wheels are engulfed within the body of the car, while the roof and the doors are a part of a glass facade. It is one of the most aerodynamic car concept that aims to reduce rolling resistance. The design helps in reducing the drag coefficient of the car, while it is conceived to run on an all-electric engine.
4. Monza Ferrari
Computers have infiltrated every field and it seems the designer of this concept, Iman Maghsoudi has imagined it correct, giving a design for a future Ferrari car that would be taken over by the computer once the speed exceeds 200 km/h. It has been designed more as an aircraft and the driver sits in the cockpit controlling the car with a computer. The back of the car consists of two huge fins that help in channeling air and the car can change its design based on speed for maximum aerodynamics.
5. Ferrari F250
The concept designed by Idries Omar has a 2.5L V6 engine, which in-turn would run on biofuel. The car keeps closer to the ground and has a mid engine. It is named after Ferrari 250 GTO. Notably, Ferrari has introduced some bio-fuel based cars such as F430 Spider that runs on ethanol.
6. Ferrari Millenio
Designed by Marko Petrovic, Millenio is a two-seater sports car that would run on two electric motors, which in-turn will borrow their energy from solar panels. The car uses a combination of materials that make it stronger than steel and lighter than carbon fiber. The material is called Backypaper and consists of carbon nano-tubes.
7. Ferrari Imola
The design is inspired by Ferrari F70 and would run on a hybrid V6 engine. The concept is a Spider and gives trapezoidal shape to the grille, head and tail lights, which in-turn gives it the distinctive look. It has an enormous engine, which speaks for the power of the machine.
8. Ferrari EGO
EGO stands for the Emotional Generation One. It is a concept hyper-car for the year 2025. The concept is an amalgamation of immense power and exquisite performance. The design in fact is inspired from Ferrari P3 and P4/5 and has been designed by students of Istituto d’Arte Applicata e Design [IAAD].
9. Ferrari Xezri
Designed by Samir Sadikhov of Azerbaijan, Xezri is inspired by the Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet. Sadhikov has proposed a rear wing at the rooftop that would activate at speeds greater than 125 mph and improve the channeling of air as well as cool down the engine by opening the air intake.
10. Ferrari hypercar hybrid
The design is given by famous Turkish designer Kazim Doku. It is Ferrari’s future racing car, which will be based on hybrid engines. The car has been designed keeping in mind the future of cars in next 15 years.
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