Concept

Growing up I wanted to be an automotive designer. I thought, "What would be cooler than making your own car?" I now realize I get more satisfaction out of driving a variety of cars (and sitting in judgement of them) and putting my thoughts into words, than I would have from spending hundreds of hours massaging a block of clay or becoming a master of Auto-CAD.

But I still have a great appreciation and respect for those that design cars. It's not an easy job, and requires a mastery of many technical and artisitic skills. And it's one thing if you're hired by Chrysler to design their instrument cluster. But taking it upon yourself to create an original idea, without any promise of financial reward requires huge amounts of self-motiviation and a pallet of coffee beans. That's just what British designer Jamie Martin did. This is his idea of what a great car is. It's called the "Cobra Venom Concept."

It may be the year of the Tiger to the Chinese, but to the people of Porsche it's the year of the concept. First they blasted our senses with the near-perfect 918 Spyder, giving us a 911 GT3 RS Hybrid as an encore. Then they released the special-edition 911 Sport Classic, one of the most beautiful Porsches we've seen.

But those were months ago, and what would summer be without a blockbuster? Well we've got one, or at least, a rumor of one. Our friends at Auto Express have reported Porsche has yet another special car for us to dream about. The name alone will have you verbally asking your computer monitor for an explanation. It's the Porsche 911 Speedster.

By now we've all heard of the Porsche 918 Concept Design Study, or simply, the 918. The first true hybrid supercar made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, stealing the attention from anything else that bothered to show up. The site of naked Swedish supermodels would barely stand a chance against this car, so anything on 4 wheels may as well have folded from the get go. Porsche released a short video a few days later, but it was more of a CGI-created journey through time. It touted Porsche's 100 year old relationship with electric cars, using Ferdinand Porsche's hybrid of 1900 as the example. The new video does what Charlie Sheen's wives try to do, forget the past and look to the future.

The new video from Porsche plays like a dramartic sales pitch, or possibly the most beatiful PowerPoint presentation ever. The 918's amazing performance and efficiency stats are laid over amazing photography and action shots of the gorgeous supercar. And along with this video, Porsche has announced it is furthering production development. With a video that has you paying closer attention than you did in Sex-Ed class, Porsche doesn't have to worry about whether the car will sell or not. Time to buy a Lotto ticket. Make the jump to watch.

The Bugatti 16C Galibier is being teased like no car ever before, as the company's first modern-day sedan inches towards production. In September 2009, it made an appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show but only to a choice audience. And then again at the Geneva Motor Show, the car was in attendance but only visible to a select few. So, it has never really been officially unveiled for the public, just presented quietly in exclusive viewings like the one setup in Beverly Hills. 

Nobody knows for sure whether the 16C Galibier will ever actually get stamped out but Bugatti is continuing to whet everyone's appetite nevereless. This time they have unleashed a new round of photos showcasing the uber-tourer in black, as opposed to the blue and silver two-tone model that's been seen in the past. Insiders are still betting that the Galibier goes up for sale in 2013 at a price around $1.5 million, but with no green light, we all must wait with baited breath. 

The Mini Beachcomber Concept made its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show today and made a big impression. Featuring an all-wheel drive powertrain, the Beachcomber is a throwback to the original Mini Moke sans doors and roof.

Some of you may remember the Moke (based on the ancient dialect name "donkey") or may even have driven one while on vacation in the Caribbean, where these cars are used as beach buggies. That said, the original design was for a lightweight military vehicle, but somehow key essentials like ground clearance and appropriate tires were missing from the equation. It was therefore relegated to work duty as as cheap, utility vehicle with production beginning in 1964 and running through 1993.

A few weeks ago we brought news of the Aston Martin Cygnet concept. It has now been reported that these petite luxury commuters will only be available to current owners. The Cygnet is essentially a plush and upgraded version of the Toyota iQ and will use the same 1.33-liter engine good for 97 hp and 91 lb-ft of torque. Surprisingly, a top speed of 105 mph is attainable.

Aston Matin's head honcho, Ulrich Bez, has been quoted as saying, "This concept is akin to an exclusive tender for a luxury yacht." The company has decided to go this direction now that environmentally friendly city cars are top of mind.

Like many brands currently in automotive limbo, the future of Hummer is unclear. China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. Ltd apparently has some big plans but nobody knows what those may be. Right now there is no pipeline and product development is non-existent.

What we do know is that Hummer's new owner wants to focus on environmentally-friendly vehicles with a smaller footprint than today's behemoths. As such, a Romanian designer named Andrus Ciprian has created some renderings of what a potential Tengzhong-produced SUV might look like. His Hummer HB Concept is a unique and engaging proposal for the future of the brand's lineup.

For the last couple of years, CAR magazine has challenged designers from major auto manufacturers to come up with designs that upgrade Santa's sleigh to the toy-delivery vehicle of tomorrow. In 2008, the likes of Bentley, Ford, Nissan and Rolls-Royce all delivered spectacular creations. This year Vauxhall, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Audi and Land Rover came through with some crazy cool concepts. 

Land Rover has created transportation for Kris Kringle that follows their brand aesthetic remarkably well. The particle accelerator propulsion system is a nice touch and we dig the optional CRS (Chimney Recognition Software) technology. But we're not sure how Santa is supposed to see over the big dome of the reindeer in front of him and it looks like every time the animal swivels its head, it would skewer ole Saint Nicholas, but these are just minor quibbles.