Mitsubishi Electric has developed a Blu-ray player 1/3 the size of any other player on the market and is gearing it for use in cars. It plans to commercialize the device by March of next year as part of a new in-car HD entertainment system. No word yet on possible overseas markets.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz Institute in Berlin has developed a dashboard that displays your location and the surrounding area in 3D, in real time. There’s no need for any funny-looking glasses because the system uses cameras to keep track of the location of your eyes in order deliver the depth imaging effect. (more…)
At one point, Maybach used to be a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH. It originally developed and manufactured diesel and gas engines for Zeppelins, and then rail cars. Daimler says that “Even today, the name ‘Zeppelin’ has an incomparable ring to it in the realm of high-end luxury cars.
Maybach will only make 100 units of the Zeppelin and they won’t come cheap. The Maybach 57 Zeppelin costs €406,000 ($523,870 USD) while the Maybach 62 Zeppelin carries a price tag of €473,200 ($610,580 USD). Both go on sale on March 3 with the first deliveries scheduled for September 2009.
More images after the jump. (more…)
Last year, BMW unveiled their 5-series Security models that were built to protect and Mercedes-Benz has now followed up with the E-Guard, a more “heavy-duty” E-Class that’s sure to protect you from a DM51 hand-grenade. The standard windows are taken away for bulletproof polycarbonate glazing and these run-flat tires are designed to stay put under speeds of up to 149 mph.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Guard will go on sale in Europe this April with prices starting at 45,000 Euros ($58,102 USD).
More images after the jump. (more…)
Remember that crib with a hidden parking garage that was filled with lamborghinis? Well, this home in London has a hidden garage as well and in the most discreet location, too. Although there aren’t any lamborghinis in this one spot garage, there is a porsche and a lot of saved space. Front gardens are being replaced by parking spots in most homes but this residence gets to keep both.
More images after the jump. (more…)
Our friends at eGMCarTech have reported that LV and Infiniti are working on a concept car that’s set to be unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Louis Vuitton’s creating a bespoke set of luggage for the concept car which is set to celebrate Infiniti’s 20 year history as a “performance car company.” (more…)
A fire in Olathe, Kansas ended up doing an estimated $80,000 worth of damage to a couple’s home, but the homeowner asked the firefighters to save his most prized possession: his red Ferrari that was still in the garage.
Olathe Battalion Chief Bill Parker said, “While the guys were fighting the fire, the other company’s in there pushing the Ferrari out. It’s kind of like they went to that pretty quick. It’s a nice car.”
Now, that’s true love, my friends. (more…)
Richard Moriarty bought his ’74 Countach in 1999 and ever since the car started performing badly, he’s just gotten sick of having it towed. What’s a man to do but to turn the Lamborghini into wall art.
The skylight was designed to fit the car and it took less than an hour to bring it into the house. Architect Fleetwood Joiner explains:
Because Home Depot doesn’t sell kits to hang cars as artwork, Moriarty hired a 70-ton crane to lower the Italian sports car through a skylight in his living room. … Moriarty bought the car 10 years ago, paying a collector $60,000. But the upkeep was a nightmare. The gas tank had rust damage, and the engine kept stalling. “I got tired of having it towed,” he said. … Then a five-man crew maneuvered the 1,000-pound, engineless vehicle through the skylight and hung it from a steel-reinforced wall with loops of half-inch-thick steel cable. “It’s a beautiful piece of art,” Joiner said. But Moriarty, in flip-flops, shorts and a T-shirt, wasn’t quite satisfied. “I want to stencil some tire marks on the wall,” he said. “Seriously.”
Images of the process after the jump. (more…)
Imagine putting the precision of a gearbox into a water faucet, allowing you to conserve water and energy in one of the easiest ways possible. The +Shifter faucet works in unique way, as each position correlates to how much water flows out as compared to changing gear ratios.
The brushed black metal finish and copper faceplate give the faucet a refined design perfect for any modern household.
More images after the jump. (more…)
Although the Big 3 are in the shits as far as profits and future outlook are concerned, General Motors is shedding light on Chevy’s design centers aroudn the world with ChevroletDesign.com, taking some light away from its current misfortunes. The website offers a flash animation of Chevy designer Tom Peters and reveals “how our designers think.”
i