Cars Of The Future May Be Grown, Not Built
Monday 25 October 2010 10:46, UK
Super-futuristic designs for cars that are "grown" rather than built and powered by compressed air have been put together by some of the world's most famous manufacturers.
The likes of Honda, Mercedes and luxury car maker Maybach are competing for a "green" award at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show.
Top manufacturers were invited to come up with "comfortable, stylish and safe" vehicles that would weigh no more than 1,500lbs - lighter than a Mini Metro - and run on renewable fuels.
Honda has submitted the Air, which it says was inspired by rollercoasters and skydiving suits, runs on compressed air and weighs just 800lbs.
Other entries range from cars "grown" from seeds to futuristic models with computers that could link up to a city's transport infrastructure and avoid traffic jams.
The designs include the Mercedes-Benz Biome, which designers say would be created in a lab from organic material and absorb solar energy like a plant.
The Nissan iV would be built from fast-growing ivy and a substance based on a spider's web.
Volvo's Air Motion uses thousands fewer parts than a traditional car thanks to powerful but simple compressed-air motors.
Other manufacturers taking part include General Motors, Honda, Mazda and Toyota.
The winner of the 2010 Design Challenge, which is in its seventh year, will be announced on November 18.