The Weirdest-Looking Cars of All Time
Auto show after auto show, we see some of the coolest designs car manufactures can think up. But for every hit, there’s a miss or two. Do car manufacturers just compete to create the most out-of-this-world vehicle they can imagine?
We can understand concept cars being a little funky. They're concepts! That's the time to try new things out; mashup a couple of classes of vehicles to see if you can create something unique. Sometimes, however, when a concept is well received, the car manufacturer takes this as a sign that they should build the thing outright. When, in fact, what it probably should do is incorporate some design cues across its lineup or integrate some of the unique features into existing or upgraded models.
When the public reacts positively to a truck with six wheels and a flame thrower, it's mostly because of the uniqueness and novelty of the thing. It doesn't really mean that there's a huge market wanting to buy it for the real day-to-day. Yet, somehow, these manufacturers took what looks to have been concept ideas and made them a reality by releasing them unto the masses. You'll probably notice that many (if not most) didn't last very long. They were just too odd!
Allow us to present to you some of the weirdest-looking cars. Seriously, what were they thinking?
"American Dream" limousine
Did you know...
- The Census Bureau estimates that around 100,000 people are cited for speeding every day. The average speeding ticket is $150, so that generates around $5.5 billion per year in revenue. The highest speed ticked so far on record was 242 mph in Texas in 2003. He was driving a Koenigsegg CC8S.
- That "new car smell" that everyone seems to love probably isn't that great for you. It's actually comprised of around 50 volatile organic compounds that are being released following the manufacturing process. Many VOCs are known carcinogens, but studies remain inconclusive and contradictory as to whether new car smell poses health risks.
- If you need more range for your car’s remote key, just hold it to your head. It will double the range because the skull acts as an amplifier. Speaking of the head, engineers in Germany have created a “Brain Driver” that can drive a car using your thoughts alone. Let’s hope you don’t try singing along to the radio or letting your mind wander.
- Dashboards are important these days since they hold all the display and input information for the driver, as well as safety features like passenger airbags. Back in the day, however, dashboards served a different purpose. They were a piece of wood on the front of horse-drawn carriages, and it prevented mud splatter from getting on the driver.
- Speeding tickets in Switzerland and Finland are assessed as a daily fee and linked to your salary. The more you make, the more you pay. The greater over the speed limit you are, the greater the number of days you are fined. This led to the most expensive speeding ticket in the world: a nearly $1,100,00 Swiss fine.