We’ve been seeing a torrential and exciting downpour of automotive designs at Yanko Design. Each automotive was innovative, bringing to us something we had never seen nor experienced before. From killer speed to dashing good looks, to impenetrable safety standards, every automotive we featured at YD broke some design barrier for us, and hopefully, they did the same for you as well. Hence, we’ve curated a collection of automotive designs that we feel were the best of the lot! From a Batman-worthy muscular bike to a Volvo off-roader concept – each of these drool-worthy automobiles is mercilessly pushing the boundaries of the automotive industry! Automotive enthusiasts will be itching to get their hands on them, and take them for a spin on the streets!
When subtlety was being handed out, the Lamborghini Huracán STO was at the back of the line napping. Actually no, that’s not true. It had snuck away from the queue and darted to a nearby race track to get an injection of steroids and a full race car cosmetic makeover. Because that’s what this car is all about. Loud to look at and loud at 8500 revs. It’s basically a street-legal race car. With its ultra-low sleek profile, huge air intakes, massive rear wing, and screaming V10 engine, this model is the most eye-opening Huracán and best handling yet. Descended from the DNA of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo one-make series—hence the ‘STO’ name that stands for Super Trofeo Omologata (Italian for Homologation)—this hypercar is more tailored to track use than city driving. Much more.
Titaa is a dual-purpose, electric vehicle that can transform from a two-wheel e-bike into a self-balancing unicycle. While riding manual unicycles might be too much of a learning curve for most, self-balancing, electric unicycles sound more like something we could all get behind. Titaa, a unicycle with just those sorts of mechanics, conceptualized by Husky Design is a dual-purpose, modular vehicle that can transform from a bicycle into a self-balancing unicycle. Getting to know our cities through different modes of transportation brings us to sights and places we previously hadn’t known existed. Titaa is the type of electric bike you’d see zooming down the wooden planks of Santa Monica pier or up the cobblestone avenues of Paris.
Dubbed the Bax Moto MK3, the motorbike is highlighted by the sleek flowing silhouette of the exposed mechanical parts, giving it a very muscular feel. The headlights and the front section edges forward – sort of intimidating the onlooker, giving me the ultimate Batcycle vibe the first time I glanced at it. The double-sided long swing arm gives the crime-fighting ride a low-slung position as the leaning forward position of the rider means it can be driven at break-neck speeds. Bax Moto MK3 is draped in an all-black finish with hints of gray to add contrast and depth.Funiq. The instrument cluster and the wheels carry the same grungy feel spiced up by the subtle lines that are apparent on the fuel tank are as well. This in a way signifies the spirit of speed and motion. Another peculiar addition to the bike is the offset headlight with the pair of fog lights – giving it a very unique sense of styling.
The bold Scandinavian design of the Volvo concept pictured here is apparent in the clean surfaces with a fused geometry of the simple shape. This dominating design language brings a timeless sophisticated look to Volvo XC. Automotive designer Chris Lah likes to express his digital creation’s visual domineer as comparable to the solid mass of Thor’s hammer and shield. It’s fluid yet rugged according to him. The front section of the electric Volvo SUV has a bullet profile for the nose – lending it an intimidating form. Since the SUV is electric powered, the front grill section is covered off. Bold Fender design is oriented and contrasted with a simple boxy geometric volume for a modern yet robust persona.
Currently exclusive to Japan (where it’s classed as a moped), the Gyro Canopy e comes with seating for one, with a cargo tray at the back. To give the rider stability, the moped sport three wheels (like a tricycle) while still maintaining a relatively slim profile that’s perfect for zipping through narrow streets and bylanes. If the rider finds themselves in a bit of a jam, the Canopy e even has a reverse gear to back out of traffic, potentially bad roads, and other sticky situations. Finally, as its name suggests, the Canopy e comes with a canopy that sprawls from the front all the way to the back. Sure, it leaves most of the sides exposed, but its profile is perfect to block out most of the rain that would hit a rider from the front as they drive forwards. The front of the canopy (or the windshield) even has a wiper to ensure perfect visibility in bad weather.
Built from a modified Silverado chassis, the Beast concept was created to turn any terrain into tarmac, although the photoshoot heavily hints at desert-driving. Under its hood lies a Chevrolet Performance LT4 crate engine – a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that’s rated at a mind-numbing 650 horsepower, paired along with a 10-speed automatic transmission that sends torque directly to a two-speed transfer case and distributes it to 37-inch-tall off-road tires mounted on 20-inch beadlock wheels. Although it’s built strictly for performance, the Beast is, as its name suggests, rather intimidating to look at. Aggressive angular lines and slim lights give the truck a mean, no-nonsense demeanor.
Leveraging upon the concept of autonomous vehicles – akin to the Volkswagen’s Sedric concept car – that sense their environment and operate without any human intervention; the HOMM envisions the future of such AVs as Experience Pods. The basic intention of the HOMM AV concept designed in collaboration with NextOfKin Creatives is to propose possibilities of how the space within a Pod-like autonomous vehicle can be used with greater flexibility. To give people various possibilities to conjure up their own layout, the HOMM starts out as a black canvas that can be customized for an unprecedented experience. Where it differs though is its three-wheeled design and the option to modify the interiors at will. This democratization of space permits users to plan a layout from select specific interiors. For this new concept of urban mobility (considering the three-wheel design will limit it to well-designed roads) and honoring an interconnected relationship between people occupying the vehicle, HOMM arrives with five presets. The pod experience can be tailored effortlessly for a kinetic tour, mobile party, multi-living, solitude or for work and adventure.
Passionate automotive design student Jan Bendixen relives that golden era of Porsche open-wheel racers with his modern interpretation that’s purely magnetic. The concept renderings here of the Porsche open-wheel racing car is in fact Jan’s internship project done at Porsche’s Designstudio in Weissach. So a very good probability you might get the traces of the design elements in future Porsche designs or even better, a similar-looking open-wheel racer. According to him, the idea was to create a “tiny E-Fuel driven formula car for Porsche.” The final 4 cylinder boxer engine-powered car came out to have minimal aerodynamic drag, lightweight credentials. This Porsche concept is highlighted by clean, flowing lines that give it a unified dimension. The classic open-wheel racing character is pretty evident in the very low center of gravity dimensions – hug very close to the tarmac. The car is only going to be limited to race tracks and the cockpit positioning suggests that.
A Japanese drone company by the name of A.L.I. Technologies have put forth the first practical hoverbike on the market. Backed by Mitsubishi and star footballer Keisuke Honda, the drone marque’s hoverbike is a future-forward way to ride on –err- over the ground, man, and a few superheroes too! Opening up a new dimension in personal transportation, where hoverbikes will be a common sight, the XTurismo Limited Edition is powered by real-world tech. It arrives with an upper-body reminiscent of an everyday motorbike and is powered by a conventional engine. Driving the engine is four battery-powered motors that propels this innovation at top speeds of 62mph for good 40 minutes on one go.
Meet this robust version of the compact electric vehicle, ready to take on the treacherous trails for boundless adventure. The Microlino off-road modification brings with it the assurance of a robust chassis and reinforced exterior body frame to take on the harsh road conditions, as well as inclement weather. The solid metal framing on all sides provides protection from accidental bumps into rocks or trees, and also doubles as a platform for keeping essential tools or accessories. This brings freedom to pack in more stuff for the journey. Secondly, there is a rack on top to keep things like surfboards or extra luggage. Tires, suspension, and underbody also get the off-roading capable treatment as the ride height understandably gets a boost. Since the vehicle is meant for dusty roads and difficult road conditions, there are extra fog lamps on the reinforced metal protection. The rear section can be either used to carry a couple of bicycles or an extra set of tires. The size of this modified Microlino off-roading vehicle is the core advantage here, and ideal for ones who always wanted a small hatchback to suffice their needs for adventure trips.
