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Nissan’s Cube Goes To Art School
Car companies are forever chasing the cool. Each one attempts to attract hip, young buyers to their showrooms by designing rides with crazy, inventive looks and features more tuned into their lifestyle. Toyota’s Scion did it the best when they shipped over their city (and fuel) friendly xA and xB models from Japan and offered their buyers the ability to customize everything from the wheels to the shift knob.
Following suit is Nissan with the Cube. Also a Japanese import, the Cube is a moderately powered, fuel sippin’ (you guessed it) cube on wheels. And though the Cube will probably be just as big a hit with the kids as the Scion was, Nissan wanted to prove just how cool they really were by giving two Cubes to eight Pratt Institute grad students to go nuts on. And the results were pretty dope. Check out the two customized models after the jump.
Popularity: 7% [?]
Recycle Your Booze With The MicroFueler
Given the way gas prices are going, it might actually be worth it to splurge and drop $9,995 on the eFuel100 MicroFueler. Apparently, this personal ethanol generator can produce up to 35 gallons of ethanol in a week’s time, which can be used to power literally any regular car. All you need to do is plug it in to a water and power source, then add either sugar and yeast or—wait for it—discarded alcohol. That’s right, those moldy Popov Vodka bottles that have been collecting dust in your basement since college could be fueling your car.
The haters will tell you that ethanol is no better than gasoline, but does it really matter? If we could generate unlimited gas for free using a couple bottles of 151, we’d still be burnin’ up the ozone like no tomorrow. After the jump, watch an introductory video for the MicroFueler.
Popularity: 5% [?]
BMW Celebrates The Classic M1 With New Concept
This weekend at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, BMW unveiled the brand spankin’ new M1 concept car. The original M1, which was released in the late ’70s, was a collabo between the German luxury manufacturer and Lamborghini. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the model’s release, BMW decided to whip up this updated version. No official word on whether or not they will actually be producing a new M1 model, but this dope concept could be a sign of things to come. See some more shots of the new M1 after the jump.
Popularity: 7% [?]
Ridin’ Dirty With The UNO
18 year-old Ben J. Poss Gulak, created this UNO, a one-off mobile marvel that’s like a unicycle on steroids. Although the name suggests a singular wheeled structure, the next-level transport machine actually features two wheels set up side-by-side. The design concept may have been intricate for Gulak to pull off, but the controls of the bike are as simple as they come. The engine starts up with a simple flick of an on/off switch and the direction of travel depends on which way the rider is leaning. There’s no mention on what speed the bike can achieve but the homie in the pic has a helmet on, so it must be pretty speedy. Safety first, check more flicks of moto after the jump.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Air Jack Has Us Pumped To Fix A Flat Tire
Stick-figured males rejoice, thanks to this Exhaust Air Jack you’ll never have to flex your puny muscles when your car catches a flat. By connecting the hose to your exhaust pipe and turning on your engine, the Air Jack fills up in approximately 30 seconds, and puts your car on tilt without you having to lift a finger. The device has already been put through tests of mud, snow, and use on uneven ground (something old school jacks can’t even hack) and comes pretty cheap at $129.95. If you’re not convinced this thing is the real deal yet, check out the demo video after the jump.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Can The T-Rex Rise From The Dead?
Pushing a tricycle hasn’t been cool since pre-school. However, when Canadian auto/bike builder Campagna released the T-Rex—their two seat, jet fighter styled, mid-engined, three wheeled motorcycle/sports car hybrid—in 1996, that all changed. With neck-breaking looks and a sub 4 second 0-60 time, Jadakiss’ favorite toy wound up in every baller’s line up.
But after 12 years in the game, the Rex’s design has gotten a little long in the tooth. To change all that, industrial designer Johnathan Côté has offered up his own take on the iconic roadster. While not endorsed by Campagna, Côté’s design is a refreshing update to T-Rex, retaining most its stylistic cues, but adding a little flair and more aerodynamic lines. Let’s hope the boys up north build this one. If not us, then for the Ruff Ryders. After the jump, check out the photos of Côté’s design and the Jadakiss video “They Ain’t Ready,” which featured the original T-Rex.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Ridin’ Dirty With MIT’s RoboScooter
MIT’s created their ideal version of transportation for those who’ve been watching too many RoboCop reruns on Spike TV—the RoboScooter. The super compact vehicle is entirely electric, with removable li-ion batteries; which is awesome, since gas prices are always on the rise. On the downside, it isn’t self-folding, the steering controls are traditional handlebars, and we doubt you’ll be able to blast the “Ruff Ryders Anthem” from the buggy since it doesn’t look like it’s equipped with an iPod hookup or any radio/music source for that matter. Swizz Beatz will be brokenhearted. The RoboScooter is set to hit Asian markets as early as next year.
Popularity: 21% [?]
