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 an Akira superbike with Cyberpunk 2077 futurism to Honda’s insane electric pickup truck 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. The Ridgeline EV Concept
The Ridgeline EV concept comes from the mind of California-based Rene Garcia, a concept designer at ILM who’s previously worked on The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok, The Avengers, and the Transformers anthology. Garcia began designing the vehicle as a Dakar rally truck, but gradual iterations slowly turned it into a conceptual pickup truck for Honda. Designed to handle pretty much anything you can throw at it, the EV comes with its own winch-hook on the front, a frunk behind it, suicide-style rear doors that give you access to the car’s spacious interiors, and an expandable truck-bed on the back that even comes equipped with tools and emergency medical kits.
2. Akira&Ducati
The aggressive Akira bike here gets the donor bike’s trellis frame with the extra framework to support the rider on long journeys, a jet-inspired cockpit draped in carbon elements, and an L-Twin internal combustion engine with a set of turbochargers for more power delivery. The massive spherical Pirelli P-ZERO tires and the colossal front air intakes give it the Cyberpunk-worthy appeal. And rightly so, as Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga Akira inspired the Cyberpunk 2077 Yaiba Kusanagi CT-3X – the fastest bike in the open-world action-adventure game.
3. The Lamborghini Huracán STO
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.
4. BMW iX Flow Concept
This is one of the most eye-catchy things seen at the Omicron inflicted show in Las Vegas this year. BMW calls it the iX Flow Concept and although it seems like any other iX crossover prototype, what it has got is something straight out of a Transformers movie plot. A futuristic car that can blend right into its surroundings to go invisible magically! Well, that is a far-fetched dream for now, as the EV for now uses E Ink technology (much like the Amazon Kindle series’ display) to put forth a hypnotic show of color-changing skin. The implementation is in its infancy stage right now, as the iX Flow Concept can switch between the hues of white, dark gray, and black only.
5. Titaa
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.
6. Polestar
Dubbed Polestar, Kang Sik Park envisioned their futuristic automobile dressed in an optic white aluminum-like facade, which is accented with strips of sleek black metal for a refined touch. Symmetrical on all sides, the exterior of Polestar is used to represent connectivity and the coming together of humans for a shared interest. Hover blades slide out from the vehicle’s roof to lift Polestar off the ground into the air. Additionally, Park equipped Polestar with progressive technology such as GPS and facial recognition to help modernize the airborne vehicle.
7. Apple Car Concept
This 360-degree movable autonomous car has a door that flings open to reveal a cocoon-like cockpit with two comfortable seats. Since it is designed from Apple’s perspective, it has a nice sheen and a clean finish. The renders suggest the nice reclining structure of the pod will house occupants comfortably whether on the city street or on the expressway. The two-seat pod for Apple foresees a future where such vehicles will be self-driving from pillar to post carrying and dropping off passengers and quietly moving back to their defined parking spot like a decent Roomba in the house.
8. The Citroën La météo
This Citroën concept got me excited with its weather-changing idea. Yes, an autonomous pod car that creates the kind of weather on the inside to your liking. Christened the Citroën La météo (Weather Project) the focus of the designers is on encapsulating the two riders in the ambient weather they’d prefer on any given day, even though the weather on the outside is completely opposite. The inside cabin of this compact pod-like four-wheeler creates the visual and sensory atmosphere to trick you into a completely different realm. So, you could be driving to your destination in the chilly winter of London while feeling and seeing the warmth of the spring New York sun on the inside!
9. The Hyundai EGG
Christened the Hyundai EGG, this compact off-roading capable set of wheels is a mix of a buggy and compact hatchback. Alejandro wanted to take a detour from the conventional automotive designs that mostly focus on luxury and comfort. The ideation took him down the path of crafting a reliable electric mini pickup car that has a better mileage even at higher speeds while en route to the neighboring city. The efficiency of the EGG’s electric drivetrain permits the car to maintain good range even when treading the off-roading trails. Since vision and blind spots can be a real problem while driving in treacherous and unfavorable weather conditions, the designer lends the Hyundai EGG a 360-degree panoramic windshield for clear visibility for a safer drive.
10. The Bax Moto MK3
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.
