After getting some one-on-one face time with McLaren at its Woking, UK facility, the IED students developed thirty-three concepts. After that, the number of proposals was whittled down to eleven cars deemed worthy of "further development" and students were put into teams to battle it out and earn a position on the short list.

The three winning vehicles approved for 1:4 scale model production are called the HOLON, the TOROK, and the BIO RENOVATIO, and can be viewed below along with some of the other concepts.

César Mendoza, IED Turin's director, says, "The Istituto Europeo di Design was very keen to collaborate again with McLaren Automotive....[It] has certainly contributed to raising the students' professional outlook, as it required that each team clearly defined the position of each specific feature within the project as a whole. McLaren is known for its attention to design detail: everything is for a reason and that is what we wanted our teams to understand. Then, in order to heighten the quality of the final works presented, we chose virtual presentation, including animation, that enables us even to test the movements of the parts."

Have a peek at the vids and pics and let us know what you think in the comments below.

By Phil Alex

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You can also see each car's lap time here.

By Csaba Daradics

Via: Autoexpress

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Researchers have introduced what they claim to be the first anti-fogging and anti-icing car windscreen. Unlike heated windows, the new glass panes make use of a physical principle that does not allow an ice layer to form in the first place, even at temperatures as low as -18 C or -0.4 F.

The Volkswagen Group says the secret of the innovation lies in a wafer-thin transparent coating of indium tin oxide that is applied to the window and in theory, stops heat from going upwards and prevents or delays cooling of the glass surface to below the dew point.

"We call this a 'Low-E' (low thermal emissivity) coating. Applied to the outer glazing, it prevents heat from radiating skyward. We are proud of this innovation and will promote it throughout the Group. That is because an ice-free window is an added convenience to our customers," explains Thomas Drescher of Volkswagen Development.

"The 'Low-E coating' cannot prevent ice formation or condensation entirely, but it can significantly reduce the likelihood of it happening," Drescher added.

The VW Group says is still has to work around some problems before it offers this technology on production models. One such issue in the current development phase is that new coating interferes with radio transmission impairing radio and mobile phone reception.

"It will take some time before the ice-free car windscreen is market-ready, but we are working intensively toward this goal. The bottom line is that for the Volkswagen Group, the ice-free window represents a successful innovation that is unique worldwide," said Drescher.

Wearing a helmet painted in his country's colors and with Russia written on the visor, Vladimir Putin is said to have reached speeds of up to 240 km/h (150 mph), showing that he is a man of many talents.

The PM's interest towards the sport is also due to the fact that Russia's bid to hold an F1 event after the Sochi Olympics in 2014 was successful as the deal was signed less than a month ago.

By Csaba Daradics

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Here's the scoop for those who haven't seen it: a Shanghai woman is having her Chevy Captiva SUV towed, and she isn't happy about it. So she does what any (insane) person would do: gets in her car, starts the engine and drives off...with the tow truck still attached.

In a word, this video is epic. We've seen some ballsy things here at Carscoop, but this has to be one of the ballsiest. It's like Gone in 60 Seconds with a Chevy AWD or Jackass with a little Asian woman. Above all else, it's a defiantly erect middle finger directed at the money grubbing instigators of authoritarian traffic control.

I guess the tow truck driver should be thankful this was the only thing the Captiva driver did. I'd hate to see her behind the wheel of a tank, that's for sure. Watch the video and give us your verdict in the comments.

By Tristan Hankins

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Link: Greenwoodautos , Via: VWvortex

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But not many people know that the first spark that ignited this firestorm was a Bertone concept. Enter the 1970s Stratos Zero prototype. It all started when Bertone had the idea to mount the Fulvia's 1.6-liter V4 engine on a new base. This is how the Stratos Zero concept car was born, a 3.58 meter (141 inches) long and just 84 cm (33 inches) tall prototype envisioned by Marcello Gandini, the same man responsible for the designs of the Lamborghini Countach and Miura.

The Fulvia's 115 hp (86 kW) V4 was centrally-mounted in a lowered position and the suspension and steering elements had to be radically redesigned due to the concept's revolutionary line.

Featuring a myriad of geometrical shapes and razor-sharp edges, the Stratos Zero also boasted a number of unconventional solutions, such as the double side windows, unique front and rear lights and access to the cabin by opening the front end of the vehicle. Basically, the driver could "walk up to the driving seat".

Steel was used as the prime material for the chassis and some body parts, combined with lightweight fiberglass panels. A small box behind the powertrain acted as a boot, while bins in the interior served as storage for helmets. It's as if someone already knew that the Stratos name would become a rally legend…

The Zero was first unveiled at the 1970 Turin Motor Show and almost instantly became a design milestone. Today it is one of Bertone's most admired projects.

By Csaba Daradics

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