We’ve been seeing a torrential and exciting downpour of automotive designs at Yanko Design in August 2022. 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 futuristic two-seater city vehicle to a Scandinavian-inspired SUV 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!
1. Citroën La 2 Deuche Concept
The legendary 1945 Citroën 2CV often referred to as the umbrella on wheels had a fixed profile convertible bodywork and roll-back sunroof. To revive the nostalgic memories of this economy family car, designer Jean Louis Bui has penned an electric concept in a modern avatar. Dubbed the Citroën La 2 Deuche Concept, this cheeky mini car has a sense of airiness to it. Retro DNA of the vehicle is visible in the section over the wheels, the headlights, and the accordion-like retracting rooftop which turns it into a convertible.
2. AI-designed Apple Car
Meet the Apple Car, from the mind of an AI. Designed by Dall-E 2 based on a text prompt from designer, educator, and YouTuber John Mauriello, this Apple Car is fascinating for two prime reasons – the car’s design itself, but more importantly, the underlying AI technology that ended up creating the car. The genesis for this idea came from Marques Brownlee’s own efforts with DALL-E 2. In a YouTube video, Brownlee demonstrated how simply typing the words “Apple Car” resulted in a car that looked like the apple fruit. This became a starting point for Mauriello, who instead, decided to tweak the prompt a little to get more specialized results. Mauriello told the AI to design a “Minimalist Sportscar inspired by a MacBook and a Magic Mouse, built out of aluminum and glass”, while also specifying it to design something in the style of Apple’s former design head, Jony Ive.
3. The Muji Honda MS01 electric bike
Meet the Muji Honda MS01 electric bike inspired by the MUJI H-Type bicycle. The black and white theme on this one is a testament to the MUJI’s mellowed-down styling – in fact, the company’s artistic director Kenya Hara did most of the design bit of the bike himself. All the equipment and power of the MS01 come from the house of Honda. It is a very balanced collaboration, resulting in this minimalist two-wheeler ideal for city rides and beyond.
4. The MINI Spaceman concept
This hatchback concept is a culmination of a fun-to-drive vehicle that ditches the four-seater configuration for a futuristic three-seater setup. The idea is to cocoon the riders in comfort and leave room for lounging when desired. The rear on this one gives up some of the contours for a sharper aesthetic and more space, courtesy of the elongated boot section. Whether or not MINI fans will like this disbalance is completely subjective and depends on users’ needs. For someone with a family, this makes more sense, but for one who loves MINI for the pure fun of driving, it doesn’t hold much merit.
5. Volvo XC Concept
The boxy nature of the Volvo XC concept seems like a hat-tip to the Swedish company’s humble design beginnings, although that modern, minimalist appearance feels a lot like the Polestar ethos was also brought to the table. The result, however, is an SUV that looks fantastic. The clean design doesn’t look boring, and there are enough subtle details to guide the eye and keep people transfixed. Truly a masterclass in Scandinavian automotive design, and a lesson that all automotive brands should consider taking.
6. DeLorean Omega 2040
This Baja-styled concept is nowhere close to reality by 2022 standards, but then, we are talking of the year 2040. The electric vehicle will be tailored for off-road trails, perhaps designed for a radically changed topography owing to climate change and human-induced drought. DeLorean themselves is labeling this design as something that’s a complete detour from the traditional automotive design. The independent suspension system on all four wheels hints at its high-performance quotient without any doubt. Coming from the house of DeLorean, it’s not surprising since they are accustomed to creating futuristic rides.
7. Kronos Armored Submarine
This is the Kronos Armored Submarine that can scout the depth of water for covert missions at a top speed of 50 km/h underwater and 80 km/h while on the surface. And don’t get fooled by its unrealistic-looking renders as this thing is destined for a real-life avatar. The warship is designed for rescue operations, secret military missions, or commercial use for ferrying around cargo or even people. In total, the beast can carry 6,600 pounds of load in the water. If the makers are to be believed, the thing can be equipped with six mini torpedoes for military covert missions. Now that’s crazy!
8. 3-wheeled BMW R100 Custom Build
Designed by Cumpert Contraptions, this custom BMW build is just that – an oddball contraption that captivates the eye with its retro punk demeanor. Resting on three wheels instead of the usual two, this quirky beauty once used to be a 1992-model BMW R100R Mystic, which Tim Cumpert got his hands on for his mad-scientist project. He sawed the front off, replacing it with a chassis taken from an ATV, and built out his vision using that as his framework. “The three-wheeler was inspired by pre-war racing cars, which I am a big fan of,” he told Bike EXIF. “When I started this project back in 2012, Morgan had just released their new 3 Wheeler. But the main drive for this project was that I wanted to try my hand at sheet aluminum fabrication.”
9. The Robotic City Car
Dubbed the Robotic City Car, this hybrid automobile looks quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It comes with an enclosed cabin like a car, but seats two people in a fighter jet/motorcycle style (one behind the other). Finally, the car sits on three wheels arranged in a 2×1 format, giving it the maneuverability it needs while still keeping it slimmer than conventional trikes seen in parts of Asia.
10. The DIDI Bike
An electric scooter at heart, it is pedal-powered for the most part keeping the eco-conscious lot in mind. On flat terrain, the DIDI Bike is better off assisted with the power of legs – that ways fitness is also taken care of. For roads with a slight degree of elevation, the scooter’s electric motor kicks in to save you from all the hard work. A front carrier is a nod to the classic utility two-wheelers native to the Asian continent.
