It's pretty similar to the 2010 Chevy Cruze, but as you can see, it's got some pretty dramatic blue lighting on its exterior. I'm not quite sure if its completely ridiculous or totally awesome; it probably falls somewhere between the two. I mean, Tron lights are awesome, but Tron lights on a glorified minivan?

it's a hybrid, between a scooter and a car. This combination allows using a smaller electric engine, saving energy. This saving generates less pollution and a major autonomy of the batteries. Besides the small size gives more agility into the traffic and makes easier to find parking.

What you're looking at could be the 2056 Alfa Brera with the optional hover package. Called the Alfa Romeo Spix flying concept car, it was designed by a 2-D/3-D artist from Belgium (we think) who posted pics of his creation along with an absolutely stunning video on CGfolks.com. Can you believe he does this for fun? (Actually, it appears he's begun a small design firm, but we can't confirm that due to the language barrier.) Known as Creatix on the CGFolks forum, the artist explains his attempt to fuse an impression of power and robustness in a design that reflects what Alfa Romeos might look like in 50 years.

Unique, optimized aerodynamics gives the Aptera(C) a drag form factor that will be lower than any mass produced car in the world. "It looks like nothing you've ever seen because it performs like nothing you've ever seen," says Accelerated Composites founder and CEO, Steve Fambro. "What we've done is changed the way cars are thought of and designed. Rather than designing to a styling aesthetic, like the big auto makers do, we hew to an efficiency and safety aesthetic. When you do that, math and physics mostly dictate the shape of the car, and in this case, math and physics look awesome."

But aerodynamics is only half of the equation. The other half is weight. The Aptera(C) is made almost entirely of lightweight composites, making it one of the lightest cars on the road. Yet this savings does not come at the cost of safety. In fact, the construction of the car is based on the driver-protection "crash box" found in Formula One race cars. "Composites are enormously strong and lightweight," says Fambro. "That's why all the aircraft manufacturers are switching to them."

So why aren't the auto makers switching? "Cost," says Fambro. "They haven't figured out cost-effective manufacturing processes for composites. But we have."

The Aptera(C) utilizes proprietary composite construction that significantly lowers manufacturing cost when compared to most other composite construction methods, and even steel. The patent-pending "Panelized Automated Composite Construction," or PAC2(C), lends itself to parallel assembly and has a very low initial capitalization. Additionally, AC's patent-pending hybrid technology allows off the shelf engines and electric motors to be seamlessly integrated for a very low cost. Another reason the big automakers aren't jumping to composites is corporate inertia. "They have many billions of dollars invested in factories and infrastructure for making cars the old-fashioned way. They couldn't walk away from that if they wanted to. This is something that only a new company can do, and that's where we come in. We are going to disrupt the status quo."

The world premiere of the "zaZen" marks the beginning of a new era in vehicle design. The smoothly contoured, transparent, one-piece roof dome is made of Bayer's high-tech transparent Makrolon(R) polycarbonate. The lightness of the roof construction ties in with the surface coating of the "zaZen" - a white mineral shade based on the Bayer raw materials, Desmodur(R) and Desmophen(R). The gloss is made with millions of tiny precious Swarovski crystals protected by a self-healing polyurethane clearcoat.

The name of the new concept car - "zaZen" - has been carefully chosen by Rinderknecht: "After all, Zen - borrowed from Buddhist teaching - is a special form of perception: You only get there if you are prepared to give up preconceived ideas." Both partners went out of their way to emphasize that a concept car presented at a motor show can only be a snapshot taken from an unceasing development process. For example, the work on the switch-on/off transparency for three-dimensional forms is always ongoing.

IFTF's Technology Horizons program is focusing its research this year on the theme of "lightweight infrastructure. These new infrastructure designs will emphasize smaller, smarter, more independent components that can be organized in ways that are more efficient, more flexible, and more secure than the capital-intensive networks of the 20th century.

While at first, the PAD concept may appear as the culmination of the ever-bigger trend in SUVs in America, we can also see it as a lightweight alternative to the traditional home or apartment. IFTF has noted the emergence of temporary cities like Burning Man as an important trend in our 2005 Map of the Decade, but if the concept embodied by PAD really caught on, we could see a whole new form of urbanism based on nomadism and reconfigurable cities. Lightweight infrastructure might allow us to rapidly prototype new forms of settlement as needs and constraints shift from day to day.

Inspired by its unique aviation heritage, Saab produced one of the sensations at this year’s Geneva Show with the Aero X concept - a two-seater sports coupe that breaks with automotive design convention both outside and inside to make a unique statement in performance car design. First, there are no doors…or windscreen pillars. That's because the Saab Aero X adopts a cockpit canopy, just as you would see on a Saab jet aircraft. It offers the Aero X pilot full 180 degree vision, and also facilitates entry and exit from its low-slung cabin. Thrust for the all-wheel drive Saab Aero X also comes from a powerplant with a difference. The 400 bhp, twin-turbo, BioPower V6 engine is fuelled entirely by bioethanol, a sustainable energy source that is kinder to the environment by cutting fossil CO2 emissions. The 'green power' of this advanced engine gives new meaning to the phrase 'performance with responsibility'.

Although the show car isn't a runner, it was designed on the Gallardo's platform with production feasibility in mind. If the response to the concept is amply enthusiastic, look for the Miura as a 2008 or 2009 model with a 6.5-liter version of the Murcielago's V-12 engine. While the original Miura's motor was transversely mounted, the new one would have a more conventional longitudinal configuration. Expect more than 650 hp and a price north of $350,000 if and when the Miura appears.

The MIT concept car is a complete re-think of vehicle technology. For a start, there is no engine, at least in the traditional sense. The power comes from devices called wheel robots. "These are self-contained wheel units that have electric motors inside," says Mr Chin. "The interesting thing is that the wheel can turn a full 360 degrees so you can have omni-directional wheel movements. You can rotate the car while you're moving, any direction can be front or back and you can do things like crabbing or translate sideways. It's almost like you imagine yourself driving a computer chair."

The wheel robots, complete with their own suspension, remove the need for a drive shaft and even the engine block, freeing up designers to make new use of the space in the car.

"Essentially the car will comprise four wheel-robots plus a customisable chassis," says Chin. "The frame can be built specifically for each customer."

Add wafer-thin, programmable displays that cover the interior and exterior of the car like a layer of paint, and you have a vehicle that can be customised at will. "You can imagine signalling being not just a static signal light but something more dynamic," says Mr Chin, who suggests the words "reversing" or "turning left" could roll across the car's body to declare the driver's intentions. "From a heating and cooling point of view, you might want your car to be darker or lighter depending on weather. On the interior, you can customise your dashboard for each person. If I'm an elderly person, I probably want a very large speedometer so I can see it; if I'm a race-car driver, maybe all I want is a tachometer."

Audi Nero: The supreme expression of Los Angeles nightlife, the Audi Nero is a modern interpretation of the streamlined record-breaking automobiles developed by Auto Union racers in the 1930s. (Volkswagen/Audi Design Center California)

GMC PAD: Priced out of the housing market? The PAD is an urban loft with unlimited mobility and was developed for the modern city dweller living in the ever-changing cultural landscape of Southern California. It has a media rich environment unlike anything ever seen. (General Motors West Coast Advanced Design Studio)

Honda LA Rolling Film Festival: "Movie-style" vignettes represent the diverse cultural backdrop of this ever-evolving city that includes everything from The Running Bus, a human-powered hybrid vehicle, to the Jacarzzi, a sleek sports car that doubles as a hot tub. (Honda Research & Development)

Hyundai Greenspeed Gator: The Gator pushes the boundaries of design and fuel cell performance. Harking back to the top fuel racers of the '60s, this sling shot is powered by hydrogen and in-wheel electric motors. (Hyundai Kia America Design Center)

Kia Sidewinder: This Kia is a two-seat lean, mean drifting machine. It combines the emerging sport of drifting with a vehicle that is equipped with a turbine powered by Compressed Natural Gas for environmental soundness. (Hyundai Kia America Design Center)

Maybach California Gourmet Tourer: As the name implies this vehicle is the ultimate machine to enjoy a culinary adventure. Featuring an espresso machine, microwave, wine rack, food preparation area and other essentials, occupants can simply be chauffeured by allowing the GPS guidance system take over. (Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America)

Mercedes-Benz Mojave-Runner: This Mercedes-Benz is powered by gas- electric hybrid engine and can handle anything that gets in its way, including extreme heat, rough terrain and unpredictable weather. (Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America)

Mitsubishi Roadster Konzept (MRK): The MRK is Mitsubishi's take on a future compact roadster for the California lifestyle. The two-passenger coupe can instantly become a four-passenger car thanks to a unique rumble seat that also doubles for added cargo space. (Mitsubishi Research & Design of North America)

Scion Exile: For those who desire the freedom and flexibility to jump in their car and see what journeys lay ahead, the Scion Exile will take them there in style -- with proportions similar to that of an expensive exotic mid-engine sports car. (CALTY Design Research)

Smart Rescue Vehicle: Designed for the adventures and responsibilities Southern California lifeguards encounter daily, including beach patrol and water rescues, the Smart is equipped with a jet pump for amphibious mode. (Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America)

As with many Honda, Toyota and Nissan urban-centric concepts, the Chrysler Akino is a miniscule, one-box vehicle with the sole purpose of providing a mobile sanctuary; sort of a personal, private space where up to five people can hide away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. This is the reason for some of its slightly abstract features inside and out, such as texture-coated rear privacy glass, bamboo flooring, a throw rug, lighting sconces and even throw pillows. Car or portable Zen lounge? You decide. On the outside, the Akino takes many of Chryslers most distinctive new styling traits and integrates them into an unfamiliar shape, with virtually nonexistent overhangs. Its amorphous nose is adorned with the big-chrome winged Chrysler badge, and angular headlamps. Other than a few minor items, such as ornamental grooves cut into the hatch lid, similar to the Crossfires hood, and a smaller version of that same winged logo attached to the rear hatch, theres little styling shared with other Chryslers. Distinctively pointed slivers form tail lamps, bumper edges and the side cladding.

The Akino, named after Chrysler designer Akino Tsuchiya, has an interior space fitted with more natural fibers than a Peta rally — like the bamboo used for the flooring. (Oops, there's suede trimming inside. Cancel the rally.) Still, it's a social vehicle, with seats that swivel and throw pillows for lounging. Consider it a high-concept, rolling tea house.

Called Eliica, short for Electric Lithium-Ion battery Car, it boasts a neck-snapping 0-100kmh time of just four seconds and a 0-160kmh time of seven seconds, which means the Eliica accelerates faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo.

Professor Hiroshi Shimizu, of Japan's Keio University, believes his team can make the electric car popular. He feels that the movement towards stricter emissions laws will favour these zero emission vehicles.

"If we continue producing current levels of CO2, we will face a global-warming crisis well before 2040, a long time before fossil fuel reserves run out. We need to halve these emissions now," he says.

Earlier this year, at Italy's Nardo high-speed test track facility, the Eliica recorded a top speed of 370kmh. Shimizu says the car would break 400kmh on a smoother surface.

No reason for the extra set of axles is given, though perhaps they’re needed when the vehicle is traveling at its top speed of 230 mph, which actually was reached one day last year at the Nardo in Italy. The Eliica takes 10 hours to charge and will travel 125 miles on a charge. It can accelerate to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, after which we imaging you’d need to recharge it again. The team’s goal is beat the top speed of the Bugatti Veyron and produce 200 units of the Eliica for people like George Clooney and that ex-Baywatch babe who still drives an EV1.

The vehicle, shown at the Tokyo auto show, can travel on three or two wheels and is built for use on sidewalks and roads. Its body is made of polyurethane and covered in fabric — to soften the impact if it bumps into people, Toyota says.

Imagine driving around in the i-swing and its artificial intelligence, which will pop up as a mascot character in a display at the driver's shoulder, will point out a noodle shop that's sure to match your palate, says Hideo Miwa, a Toyota designer.

The three-seater car comes with a number of user-friendly technologies, including Nissan's Around View Monitor which reduces blind spots by displaying the outside surroundings on screens mounted on the inside of the car's A-pillars located on either side of the windshield. A dash-mounted infrared (IR) commander allows the driver to operate the navigation and stereo systems with simple finger movements without letting go of the steering wheel.

Pivo is powered by Nissan's compact, high-performance lithium-ion battery and its unique Super Motor, resulting in zero emissions.