Citroën Hypnos

Beautifully proportioned and boldly styled, Citroën Hypnos Concept is a true hybrid in both its technology and appearance. The elegant and distinctive crossover vehicle combines the styling cues of a sporty coupé, the serene comfort of a saloon and the practical space of an SUV. At the same time Citroën Hypnos is powered by Citroën's all-new hybrid drivetrain, HYmotion4, marrying dynamic performance with solid green credentials to give 60+mpg economy despite its 200 horsepower.

Citroën Hypnos presents an exciting vision for the future of luxury vehicles with innovative and intelligent technology such as a face-recognition system that adjusts the cabin environment to its occupant's emotions, massaging seats, thermo-sensitive ambient lighting, a faceless clock and diamond-shaped instrument clusters.

Eye-catchingly proportioned at 4.90m long, 2.17m wide and 1.58m high, Citroën Hypnos's exterior design is characterised by a tautly drawn bonnet line, raised waistline and pronounced wheel arches that house generous 22-inch wheels - a hint at the concept's sophisticated muscle power.

The deep radiant grey of the bodywork, which varies in intensity under different light environments, has an elegant and prestigious sheen, befitting the Citroën Hypnos's luxury interior. A 'pillarless' roof, appears to 'float' suggesting flowing interior space. Rear hinged back doors provide easy entry into the car's enchanting interior, whilst a cargo tailgate gives unrestricted access to the boot, adding practical functionality to underline Citroën Hypnos's SUV characteristics.


Stepping inside the cabin, passengers are welcomed into an interior embodying the magical qualities of the concept car and begin an unforgettable sensory adventure. The shimmering interior is adorned with premium materials such as leather and brushed aluminium, helping to make the Citroën Hypnos's cabin an environment of exceptional refinement and comfort. The rainbow hues, seen throughout the interior, showcase Citroën's creative flair and daring originality - the unconventional application of bright, vibrant colours in an executive vehicle.

The four morphologically-sculpted seats are made up of prism-shaped components and can be inflated and deflated to give occupants upper and lower back massages. The body-hugging seats are positioned either side of a unique central console offering occupants an astonishing amount of personal space, and arranged in a helix configuration that inspires images of a DNA strand - reflecting the Citroën Hypnos' design focus on human values.

Passengers can also customise their own space using the pivotal blades of the central helix-shaped console, which includes a range of controls such as the air-conditioning settings.

Hypnos showcases Citroën's commitment to making technology more accessible and interactive with a raft of innovative features throughout the cabin including colour therapy for passengers.

The driver's instrument cluster is seen through diamond-like prisms, mounted in metal, with each facet displaying different information. A touch screen is also incorporated into the middle of the console, and air-vents gently diffuse halos of ambient light which varies according to temperature.

A ceiling-mounted camera films the driver's face and regularly measures anthropometric data to gauge emotions and automatically adjusts the cabin lighting and fragrance accordingly for a more bespoke relaxing experience behind the wheel.

Citroën Hypnos also features a strikingly original onboard clock designed by the artist Michel Serviteur. The innovative timepiece, which has no needles or digital display, changes colour depending on the light at different times of the day and emits a succession of rhythmic colour pulses like a breathing organism.

Hypnos confirms Citroën's respect for the environment with its all-new HYmotion4 diesel hybrid drivetrain. The 4-wheel drive system combines a powerful 200bhp 2.0 HDi DPFS engine and an intelligent 6-speed EGS (Electronic Gearbox System). With the engine driving the front wheels and an axle-mounted electric motor driving the rear wheels, this simple but effective solution shows a possible way ahead for affordable hybrid technology, in line with Citroën thinking.

Capable of a 0-60mph time of around 9-seconds and silent, exhaust-free driving in ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mode, the Citroën Hypnos's efficient system delivers dynamic green performance and driving pleasure with impressive fuel economy of almost 63mpg on the combined cycle and low CO2 emissions at just 120g/km.

When a burst of acceleration is required, Citroën Hypnos's boost function kicks in to deliver a combination of torque from both the combustion and electric powerplants without increasing fuel consumption.

For safe and accomplished 'green driving', Citroën Hypnos Concept is equipped with Stop & Start technology. This intelligent system also powers the electric motor when the vehicle is in 4x4 mode. For improved safety in difficult driving conditions Citroën Hypnos instinctively switches to four-wheel drive mode when faced with low grip or intense handling.

With the emphasis of the concept being on driving pleasure, Citroën Hypnos delivers a smooth and cosseted ride thanks to Citroen's legendary self-levelling suspension which combines the highest standards of passenger comfort with exceptional road manners.

Corvette Mako Shark

The XP-755 Mako Shark show car was designed by Larry Shinoda under the direction of GM Design head Bill Mitchell in 1961, as a concept for future Chevrolet Corvettes. In keeping with the name, the streamlining, pointed snout, and other detailing was partly inspired by the look of that very fast fish. The "Mako Shark" was very similar to the 1963 Corvette, with some alterations. These included adding two more brake lights in the rear (six total), making the nose of the car longer and more pointed, creating a clear glass roof with a periscope-like rear-view mirror, and remodeling the interior.

A widespread story has it that Mitchell had an actual shortfin mako shark mounted on the wall in his office, and ordered his team to paint the car to match the distinctive blue-gray upper surface gently blending into white underside of the fish. After numerous attempts to match the fish's color scheme failed, the team hit upon the idea of kidnapping the fish one night, painting it to match their best efforts on the car, and returning it to the office. Mitchell never realized the difference and pronounced himself pleased with the team's duplication on the car of nature's handiwork.

After a period, he removed the original body and redesigned it as the "Mako Shark II" in 1965. The original Mako Shark was then retroactively called the "Mako Shark I".

The 1968 Corvette styling was highly derivative of the Mako Shark II.

Audi Rosemeyer

The Rosemeyer is a concept car built and shown initially at Autostadt by Audi during 2000, and at various auto shows throughout Europe. Although it was never intended for production, its striking design and highly sporting nature drew considerable attention to the brand, and many potential buyers highly anticipated a production version, to no avail. It does, however bear a striking resemblance to the Bugatti Veyron and uses the same engine.

Information

The vehicle was designed to evoke emotion and garner attention, and was unique in that it combined elements of modern design with styling strongly resembling the former Auto Unions "Silver Arrows" Grand Prix racers, namely their 16-cylinder car driven by Bernd Rosemeyer, after which the car is named.
Powered by a large capacity, mid-mounted 16-cylinder engine making 700 hp (520 kW) and featuring Audi's quattro permanent four-wheel drive system, the vehicle promised high performance to match its appearance. It was ultimately deemed unfit for production, both because of extremely high projected production costs, and Audi's unwillingness to create in-house competition for models from Lamborghini, which Audi had purchased during the 1990s. In some ways, Audi's Gallardo-based R8 could be considered the Rosemeyer's successor.

Specification
8004 cc W16 mid-mounted engine
5 valves/cyl
78.71 hp (58.69 kW) per litre
761 N·m (561 ft·lbf) @ 4000 rpm
Wheelbase: 114.6 in (2911 mm)
Length: 178.7 in (4539 mm)
Width: 75.6 in (1920 mm)
6-speed manual gearbox
Top speed: 217.5 mph (350 km/h)

General Motors Sequel

The Sequel is a hydrogen fuel cell-powered concept car and sport utility vehicle from General Motors, employing the latest generation of HydroGen3 technology developed by Opel. The Sequel uses a drive-by-wire system. It has a range of three hundred miles, and its only emission is water. It debuted at the 2005 North American International Auto Show and is now being shown at the 75th international car show in Geneva, Switzerland. GM chief and chief executive Rick Wagoner suggested it will be over a decade before it goes into production. GM announced September 11, 2006 that their Sequel all-wheel drive fuel-cell vehicle will be a Chevrolet. The next-generation hydrogen car was unveiled at the Detroit auto show in 2005 and at that time was called the “GM Sequel;” the redesigned version of the crossover was unveiled by Larry Burns, GM’s vice president in charge of R&D and product planning.

This vehicle can accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than ten seconds. Additionally, it provides a high level of control on bumpy terrain, snow, and ice. 42 percent more torque and quicker deceleration when braking are additional benefits of some of the new technologies used in the Sequel.