The design of a car plays an important role in its charm and value. Everyone judges cars by their design at least partially, and some people choose cars solely by their looks. Modern cars usually feature a complex design with sharp edges, lines, and parts that improve aerodynamics. Some manufacturers attempted to break new grounds, and there are 8 examples of what they ended up with.
1. Ferrari Modulo
Unfortunately, some short-sighted folks at Pininfarina couldn’t see the limitless potential of the Ferrari 512S Modulo and only made one unit. The Modulo weighs 1984 lbs (900 kg) and has a 5-liter V12 engine that takes it from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds. It’s won 22 design awards, though we suspect that about 20 of those might have been snuck in by envious aliens.
2. Alfa Romeo Disco Volante
The Italians have one more considerable talent to add to the list – capitalizing on conspiracy theories. In 1952, when flying saucers were all the rage, they released a model called… the flying saucer. Only 4 out of 5 units ever produced Alfa Romeo 1900 C52s remain, which is unfortunate because the technical characteristics suggest that this must’ve been quite a car.
3. Eliica
The Eliica was an electric minibus prototype built in Japan in 2004. Too bad it was just a prototype because its top speed was 230 mph (370 km/h) and it went 0-60 mph in just 4 seconds. You’d make Earth proud while smoking aliens off the starting line with numbers like that.
4. Aptera 2e
This three-wheeled beauty was never released as a serial model. We’re starting to see a pattern here. This electrically powered beauty was designed in 2008 and built primarily of recycled materials. The manufacturers called it a motorcycle because it didn’t meet automobile safety requirements. It was also filmed in the Star Trek series.
5. Porsche 550
This car first saw light in 1953 and was alive for three years, though almost all of the 90 units manufactured were used for racing. It did great in the 1.5-liter class, often placing among the top three. Later, the design inspired a very popular series of children’s push cars.
6. Volkswagen XL1
The heads of Volkswagen clearly believe that 1 is a holy number. That must be why they created this hybrid diesel masterpiece that averages 261 mpg (0.9l/100km) and costs $111,000. Besides the looks and the efficiency, however, it’s not much to look at. The engine is only 0.3 l, so the acceleration is… tectonic.
7. Norman Timbs Special
An engineer named Norman Timbs built this cosmic soap dish after World War II. He did it at home alone over 3 years using a Buick as a base for a load of parts from other vehicles. The whole thing barely reached 1 meter in height. It was discarded, but found, restored and modified more than a decade ago.
8. Phantom Corsair
This 1938 prototype was about half a century ahead of its time in terms of technology, design and ergonomics. See how there aren’t any door handles? You open it with the power of your mind, just like you’d expect of an intergalactic spaceship. It still runs perfectly today.
