Cars of the future

Fisker Surf

The station wagon isn’t dead—it just looks like a Ferrari. That look is intentional, says Fisker, the California builder of the Surf. The plug-in hybrid uses the existing framework of its Karma sedan to offer a vehicle with much more cargo space. The Surf is due in showrooms in 2013 and will likely be priced around $100,000. Specifications will be similar to the Karma, so drivers should expect a top speed of about 125 m.p.h. fiskerautomotive.com
 

Audi A2

Although Audi’s A2 electric concept car is compact—the four-seater is just 12.5 feet long and 5.5 feet wide—it’s not short on tech marvels. An exterior band of lights below the windows turns blue as the car’s owner approaches, and doors open with a gesture, thanks to embedded sensors. That same external band turns orange while driving and blinks red when the brakes are applied. And the fog lamps are actually lasers that paint a floating triangle of light onto water particles to point the way ahead. audiusa.com
 

 

 

BMW i3

The BMW i3 electric car is slated for a 2013 launch, and with backseat doors that open from left to right, it’s bound to be an eye-catcher on the city streets it’s designed to be driven on. BMW says the i3 will be as nimble as a sports car (but with 170 horsepower, it’s won’t be as fast). The vehicle is built using two modules—one for the framework and engine, and a second for passengers—in order to allow for more space. A bigger, faster hybrid i8 model is on tap post-2013. bmwusa.com

 

Cadillac Ciel

Cadillac’s four-seat Ciel convertible looks like a something that should be featured on the History Channel, but it’s a hybrid that combines an electric motor to a turbocharged V6 engine. The wheelbase is a lengthy 125 inches, and the car rides on 22-inch rims that might look good in an old

Hollywood

film. French-style doors open at the hinge, and the interior is trimmed with olive wood. There is even a pull-out blanket for each passenger that retracts automatically. gm.com

 

 

 

 

Jaguar C-X16

Hybrid cars that marry electric and gasoline engines have been around for some time, but Jaguar’s C-X16 concept car is exploring just how fast they can go. The C-X16 sports a designation more often associated with fighter planes and has a cockpit patterned after jets. Top speed for this two-seater is 186 m.p.h., and it ramps up to 62 m.p.h. in just 4.4 seconds. And lest you think that too slow, you can push a button for a ten-second burst of added electric power for passing. jaguarusa.com

Land Rover Defender

Nothing says “rugged” like the iconic Land Rover Defender, which is heavily used by everyone from explorers to United Nations aid workers. Land Rover plans to update this four-wheel-drive vehicle by 2015. The new Defender will have a three-across front seat and an eight-speed automatic transmission. New tech tricks include a driver-activated spike tire system that injects air into pods molded in the tread for better grip, and sonar that evaluates water depth for river crossings and assesses the optimum gear and speed required.

Mercedes Benz F125

Think of the F125 concept car as the Mercedes Benz luxury S-class sedan for the year 2025. But instead of gasoline, the car runs on hydrogen for pollution-free operation. By then, company engineers reckon, the high-pressure cylindrical tanks required to store hydrogen today will be re-jiggered so that they can be integrated into the body of the car as structural components. One thing is for sure: Those gull-wing doors never get old. mbusa.com

GM RAK e

In 1928, a rocket-powered car called the Opel RAK2 hit a top speed of 142 m.p.h. Nearly a century later, the RAK e concept from General Motors’ Opel division only goes half as fast despite its rocket ship looks. The tandem two-seater’s electric motor provides a 61-mile range, a trip that will cost drivers only $1.36, says GM. The car will be affordably priced to appeal to younger buyers, the company adds, thanks to a body that uses low-cost synthetic material wrapped around a steel frame. gm.com

Volkswagen NILS

You can head to work in this Formula One–inspired electric car—as long as your commute is within a 40-mile range. Unlike an F1 racer, however, this one-seater with top-hinged doors and tiny, rear-mounted wings for stability reaches only 81 m.p.h., and it takes 11 seconds to get there from a standing start. But when was the last time you wanted to race to work, anyway? vw.com

 

Volvo Concept You

Volvo will be targeting luxury buyers in a few years with its Concept You model, its first prototype vehicle under its new Chinese ownership. While the front hood looks big enough to hide a power plant, Volvo says it will be focusing on four-cylinder engines. Volvo hopes to lure consumers with posh Scandinavian interiors and a touch-screen, tablet-style center console that activates when the driver looks at it, thanks to hidden infrared cameras that register eye movement. volvocars.com/usa

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