Says Block:

It combines a two of my favorite things in life: driving a rally car in the snow and snowboarding in the powder in the backcountry. It’s incredibly fun having the ability to push the high-power Subaru on the slopes and to backcountry spots that normal cars could never go!

DC AND KEN BLOCK INTRODUCE THE TRAX STI VIDEO TEASER
The World’s Fastest Cat Track Operation Automobile!
November 2, 2009 – Vista, CA – On the heels of Ken Block’s insane Gymkhana videos and the groundbreaking snowboarding/rally part to close out DC’s MTN.LAB 1.5 video, the DC Co-Founder and Rally Team Driver has joined with Subaru to make the world’s fastest cat track operation automobile for backcountry access for snowboarding. Dubbed the TRAX STI, a new teaser video from the test session for the highly-modified, snow-ready (to say the least) car is up on YouTube, and check out "0-60 Magazine’s" Web site for an interview with Block and photo gallery featuring the best photos from the session.
The TRAX STI is an experimental automobile that starts with Block’s competition-ready Subaru WRX STI before ditching the tires, adding snow cat tracks, and upgrading to some next-level suspension to create the ultimate backcountry shred car. Prepared by Vermont SportsCar, performance modifications include 400-hp and features Group N competition rally dampers made by EXE-TC and a KAPS 5-speed close-ratio dog-engagement gearbox. Under the hood sits a 2.5 liter, 4-cylinder, turbocharged and intercooled STI engine tuned with a MOTEC M800 ECU.
Completing the TRAX STI is a sleigh to be pulled behind the car, designed to hold four snowboarders, their snowboards, and all their gear. The sleigh’s body is 100 percent custom designed and constructed of hand-laid fiberglass-though the sleigh is not seen in this teaser video, look for it in future videos next year. Altogether, this is one car ready for backcountry access and snowboarding.
"The TRAX STI is a very fun project for me," said Block. "It combines a two of my favorite things in life: driving a rally car in the snow and snowboarding in the powder in the backcountry. Having a house in Utah (the DC MTN.LAB), I get to enjoy lots of sliding around on the snow, but this project takes that to a whole new level as I can now hit up the backcountry in the fastest snow cat ever. It’s incredibly fun having the ability to push the high-power Subaru on the slopes and to backcountry spots that normal cars could never go!"
Though the project was top-secret, the TRAX STI got blown up online way before it was supposed to-it was first caught and posted on YouTube in April 2009 by a random fan with a low-quality video recorder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0akfZWNp2E
But that was just the beginning. The new video posted this morning shows what went down in just one day of testing and driving the car. It shows the car in all it’s high definition glory, as Block puts it through its paces up snow-covered mountains, down them, and even around un-expecting snowmobilers filmed at the DC MTN.LAB and Guardsman Pass, both in Utah. Stay tuned for more video to emerge as the car gets used more and more.
"0-60 Magazine’s" interview has all the behind the scenes on the TRAX STI, including the exclusive photos of the car. It’s the place to learn more about the car, how it performs, and why Block had the darn thing built in the first place. View it here: http://www.0-60mag.com/online/?p=20459. The next issue of the magazine will have a two page spread featuring the car.
Coordinating with the launch of this new video, DC is releasing new items from Block’s TeamWorks Collection. Added to the already wide assortment of product inspired by Block and his rally racing endeavors, new items include a puffy jacket and a leather jacket. View the fresh goods now in the DC Online Store at store.dcshoes.com. http://store.dcshoes.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3631313.

[via]

The compliant vehicle is not only safe and swift, but it also features dynamic styling and quality production at a very low price. One can’t ask for more than that. The electric vehicle allowing endless opportunities for modification can also be transformed from a low-cost to a luxury vehicle for the rich and trendy.

Via: LA Autoshow

The two-seater is capable of achieving 225 miles per gallon with a combination of battery power and diesel engine.  The car has only three wheels and weighs only 1480 pounds.  The lightweight design allows the car to accelerate rapidly with a top speed of 80 miles per hour. However this car isn’t available at the local dealer,  instead users buy plans to the vehicle and build it themselves.  The design is simplified so that anyone with common buildings skills can duplicate the design.  The plans also educate users on how to improve their mileage, conserving energy in the process.  The unusual design of the car is intended to turn heads and signify the car’s uniqueness.

More information please visit here. [from designboom]

RoboScooter team work of Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan and SYM and the Smart Cities Group of the M.I.T. Media Laboratory is specially designed for urban areas in congested Asian cities to avoid road congestion, excessive consumption of space for parking, traffic noise, air pollution etc. It is a light weight electric motor scooter is foldable and inexpensive. This green, silent, and compact electric scooter can be placed throughout cities for rental, much like the bicycle rental system in some European cities. The MIT students were inspired by origami to create this design and hence would like to call the vehicle “the cuter scooter.” (from designlaunches)

[NYTimes report]

Designer : Alex Hodge

Read the full article to see more pictures…

So see what the designer says:

Powered by a Honda RC51 V-twin 999cc engine, with a redline of 10,000rpm, 120RWhp and a theoretical top speed of 233 kilometers per hour. Wearing three 19inch lightweight alloy wheels equiped with twin rear and front disc brakes, you wont have any problems stopping in a hurry.

Fiberglass outer shell and alloy chassis give you the aerodynamics needed to acheive the level of performance you expect from a roadbike, with the comfort of a car. The interior is a combination of moulded plastic and leather trim, with digital dials giving you the vital information about your vehicle.

Designer : Alex Hodge

Designer : Christian Susana

Read the full article to see more pictures…

The designer says :

“The Colim concept – an acronym meaning ‘colors of life in motion’ – is an intelligent mobility concept which stretches primarily the bridge between caravans, camper, lifestyle and business. Dubbed a ‘lifestyle motor home’, the cockpit can be disconnected from the usable living space. The livable area is flexible, with individually applicable multi function modules. Designed for two people (max. four persons), the motor home offers the possibility to personalize its four mobile ‘walls’ according to the present life situation of the user. This flexibility is not only limited to the living area, but also features in the cockpit.”

Text from David:
Transportation is a key factor in our urban environments and most of our cities are now developed to match the scale and needs of cars, and car users. This reality raises issues regarding sustainability and environment, energy consumption and quality of life.

So, “How can public and personal transports be redefined in a sustainable way, delivering a sense of personal space and independence to its users?” This was the title of my Master of Science in Design and Transport Thesis, concluded in Coventry University, UK, with Distinction, in September 2008.

In other words, the aim of this project was to develop guidelines and a holistic solution for a new system of urban transport, composed of vehicle and infrastructure, in a sustainable way and adaptable to various urban environments.

To develop the project I needed information about: user’s behaviors and explanations for them; main trends; analysis of existing solutions and identification of their problems; definition of applicable technologies in a sustainable manner in a near future. This information was gathered through an online questionnaire, statistical data from several sources, literary research, internet articles, pictures, video and expert interviews and then compiled in my final report.

Preliminary research indicated that several attempts to tackle the issue of mass transportation are being tested and implemented throughout the biggest cities on Earth. Several solutions exist already, but people always seem to give preference to a personal vehicle of some kind to move, commute or make quick trips. Only when there is no other choice, people seem to engage in public transportation. Personal transport is the preferred mode of use and this is a trend that keeps increasing.

The conclusion of the thesis report was composed of guidelines and design specifications that served as basis for the development of a new type of transportation that is truly sustainable and that meets people’s requirements. This generic solution was exemplified through a typical design project that will act as future reference and that goes by the name of “SCARAB”.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
VEHICLE:
- The vehicle allows users to have freedom of use much like a motorcycle but with the convenience of having an enclosed private space and luggage compartments.
- The vehicle can be operated in several different positions depending on speed. It is parked vertically for easy ingress and egress and optimization of public space. When in speed position, the vehicle also tilts when curving or changing direction.
- When circulating in dedicated pathways, the SCARAB is controlled by a centralized computer or by a traffic management centre. Outside of the dedicated pathways the SCARAB is controlled by the user just like any other vehicle.

VEHICLE SPECS:
-The vehicle is composed of interchangeable modules that can be customized by the potential buyer/user.
-Powerpack module composed of a permanent battery plus 3 options for the main energy pack (battery, biofuel ICE or a fuel cell).
-4 wheel drive through electric brushless in-wheel motors with directdrive.
-Wheels with regenerative braking through EW Brakes.
-Drive by wire and tactile HUD embedded in the Lexan canopy.
-Structural elements in Carbon-Aramid composite.
-Embedded sensors, Lidar, radar, transponders, GPS. These serve to exchange information with the system, with other drivers and to have precise location data.

INFRASTRUCTURE:
-Communication nodes spread through roadways and traffic management centres in major conurbations.
-Dedicated paths with electromagnetic transponders embedded in the road.
-Parking facilities with solar/wind power generators.
-High speed/long distance travel provided through a railroad interface (not yet developed).

SYSTEM:
-Renting of the vehicle or modules that allows for a private/public/mixed utilization and transport access for people with less financial resources.
-Doesn’t need new infrastructures (uses the existing roads).
-Is backward compatible with current transport systems and uses current day technologies.

Designer : David Miguel Moreira Gonçalves