Inspiring design gets real

TRUE INNOVATION - A LIKELY FUTURE

You're used to car manufacturers showing off their visions of the future, with so many concept cars and extraordinary features. But what can we really expect to see on the road in the future?

Volkswagen recently made a big splash with the announcement that its ingenious L1 Concept will be given a limited production run in 2013. This unique diesel-hybrid is the world's most fuel efficient hybrid with a claimed 170mpg.

TRUE INNOVATION - A LIKELY FUTURE

REAL RADICAL DESIGN

Seating two people in tandem, the L1's slippery shape and use of cameras (instead of wing mirrors) help make the car highly aerodynamic. Its carbon fibre-reinforced plastic shell means a light kerb weight. Expect such innovations to become common place in new cars of the future.

If you want something more conventional-looking and practical, you should take a close look at the e-tron brand from Audi. The e-tron brand has been shown off in two concept cars previously but now the technology is actually set to hit showrooms in 2012 in the shape of the Audi 1 e-tron. Similar to the Chevy Volt, it uses a combustion engine solely to recharge its electric motor's batteries and offers 149mpg and CO2 emissions of 44g/km.

PORSCHE HYBRID

At the other end of motoring spectrum was the recent unveiling of the Porsche 918 Spyder concept. This astonishing plug-in hybrid can do 0-60 in 3.2secs and a claimed 94mpg, all while emitting just 70g/km of CO2.

The question is, will you ever be able to actually buy this Porsche, or anything like it? With stringent EU emissions regulations set to be enforced over the next three years, even supercar makers will have to hit emissions targets or risk being heavily fined.

Safety is something many of us take into consideration when choosing a new car.

THE ULTIMATE TECHNOLOGY

General Motors believes its adaptive cruise control systems will be able within the next five years. This system will monitor slow-moving cars on the motorway ahead of you, then check for lane availability before automatically overtaking. With Volvos currently featuring automatic braking systems and adaptive cruise control, GM's vision begins to look a little more credible.

It seems car makers are already busy working on the logical extension of this technology i.e. a totally hands-off driving experience, with cars moving in an automated 'convoy'. Nissan's mini robot-car, the Eporo, has successfully demonstrated technology which implies no more accidents.

That it may mean no more driving is probably of equal interest to the average motorist.