Sometimes a normal article just won’t cut it when it comes to news emanating out of the automotive world. With the Meadow Brook Concours behind us and the Woodward Dream Cruise and Detroit Grand Prix not yet here, what better time than to take a break from the mundane to explore some of the more bizarre nooks and crannies of the automotive industry.
1956 Aerocar
Okay, I know that the Concours is over, but this one has to be mentioned. Once owned by actor Bob Cummings (if you can remember him, you’re older than dirt), the Aerocar can be converted from an airplane to a car in a matter of minutes (or so says the press blub from the event). Once detached and folded, the wings can be towed behind the car. Top speed is 110 mph in the air and nearly 70 mph on the highway.
106 mpg Air Car
Making the rounds of such sites as CNN and Popular Mechanics, the Air Car is currently being developed by European company MDI. Based on the design of a French inventor, it isn’t the body style that sets this vehicle apart, but rather its means of propulsion. According to MDI, the vehicle is equipped with one or more tanks of compressed air under the car’s floor as well as a separate tank that holds at least 8 gallons of fuel (gasoline, diesel, bio or, for the more affluent, Stoly). Using only air, the vehicle is capable of speeds of just less than 35 mph. Above that speed, an external combustion system kicks in to heat the air, thereby increasing the volume of the air to increase the car’s range. No word yet on whether or not future owners might be termed “airheads”.
MINI Rickshaw
Last but not least, what better way to celebrate the heritage of the iconic MINI and introduce the new Clubman into the Chinese market than by chopping it in half, welding a bicycle on the front end and turning it into a Rickshaw? No word yet on whether California has designated this model a zero pollution vehicle alongside the Honda Clarity.
Tags: aerocar, air car, clubman, MINI, mini clubman, mini rickshaw
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