Watch this real-life Transformer turn into a car and drive

We're sure this human-size Transformer would say that he does it for the kids, but somehow we think there's just as much adult-spec geeking out for anyone so in love with Transformers that they would be willing to build a costume and walk around wearing it in public. And, if we're honest, we ourselves are just geeky enough that we'd probably do it, too. For the kids, of course.

Check out this real-life Transformer street performer from Ann Arbor, Michigan convert from a walking and talking robot into a bright yellow Hummer/Cadillac thing that's actually capable of moving under its own power in the video below. After all, it's significantly more entertaining than the last couple Transformers films you probably saw in theaters...

 

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Rolls-Royce debuts Phantom Drophead Coupe Waterspeed Collection

For the next act in its Bespoke Collection, Rolls-Royce has found one of its own to celebrate with the Phantom Drophead Coupé Waterspeed Collection, noting the achievements of British land and water record-holder Sir Malcolm Campbell. Like a few other racers of his era in the 1920s and 1930s, Campbell used his Bluebird Motor Company and Bluebird Garage to fund his interest in motorsports. He would break the waterspeed record in 1937 in his Bluebird K3 powered by a Rolls-Royce R engine, traveling 126.33 miles per hour on Italy's Lake Maggiore.

We've seen sketches of what Rolls-Royce intended with the Waterspeed Collection, and the real thing is just as handsome, and the new model includes a number of firsts for the marque. The Maggiore Blue exterior paint is also used for highlights on the engine, the polished wheels, two-tone steering wheel and the dashboard. The tonneau cover normally finished in teak is instead done in hand-finished brushed steel, a closer contrast to the Windchill Grey interior. The Abachi wood veneers have also been bookmatched so that their grain evokes the wake of a speeding boat.

The droptop will be shown first at the Bluebird Garage Cafe in London on the site of the original garage, after which it will get its first wider showing at the Concorso D'Eleganza at Villa D'Este later this month.
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Volkswagen wants you to help design its new concept

Volkswagen wants a new concept car for a video game, and some of you are being invited to design one - we say "some of you" because the Volkswagen Design Contest is only open to students enrolled in design-related studies. If you can get over that hurdle, then you'll be glad to know that the contest just started on May 5 and submissions are due on August 15, in case you had nothing else to do with your summer break.

This isn't just about a car, though; if you read the small print at the contest site, entrants need to come up with a new concept video game for their car. Specialists are welcome, with submissions allowed to focus on just one or a few areas: exterior, interior, interface, graphics, color and trim. Teams of up to two are permitted, but VW wants each person's contribution to be clearly identifiable. And, naturally, they want their own brand character to be clearly visible as well.

Why all the minutiae? Because three winners will be selected by VW head designer Klaus Bischoff and his team, and their prize will be a six-month internship at the VW design center in Wolfsburg, Germany. Winners will be notified on September 30, 2014.
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Cars and coffee combine to make invigorating art [w/video]

Let's be honest; without coffee, nothing would ever get done. The cup of joe has done more to boost productivity than just about anything else on the planet. However, Romanian artist Adrian Mitu has found a new use for java - making fascinating automotive art.

Mitu's style is really cool just because of its simplicity. Essentially, he is using coffee in the same way other artists might use watercolors. His images start as pencil drawings, and then he adds details and depth with his brew. Occasionally, he even incorporates traditional inks with the coffee to add an extra dash of color.

According to a profile about Mitu on Romanian auto site Promotor, he studied architecture and interior design. However, his real love is cars. He started using coffee to paint one day because he was too lazy to get up and grab his standard colors. He dipped his paintbrush in the beverage next to him and hasn't quit since. Mitu goes by the name Aquarelief on Facebook and has a large portion of his portfolio for you to view. They are mostly automotive paintings but a few motorcycles and planes as well.

Check out our gallery above for some of his work or his Facebook page for a whole lot more. Scroll down for a video showing off how he uses coffee to create a watercolor. Unfortunately, it's not in English and there aren't subtitles. But he begins adding coffee to the drawing about four minutes into the short film.

Continue reading Cars and coffee combine to make invigorating art [w/video]

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BMW i creates high-design solar charging carport

With the first deliveries of the i3 under way, and the recent i8 press launch, the marketing push in the US for the BMW electric sub-brand has begun. These i vehicles are supposed to have a completely different feel from the rest of the brand's lineup. To complement their earth-friendly ethos, the Bavarian company commissioned BMW Group DesignworksUSA in California to create a solar carport concept that could keep the models sustainably topped up on power. It premiered alongside the i8 in Los Angeles at the electric sports coupe's media launch.

At first glance, the BMW i Solar Carport Concept looks like a pergola from a winery or a well-groomed garden, but like the i vehicles, the deeper you look, the more high-tech features there are. The sides feature carbon elements in a similar way that the i3 and i8 have a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic body. Bamboo forms the uprights because its quick-growing nature makes it rather sustainable, and the solar panels are strung along the top to harness energy.

Obviously the sun can't provide all of the energy that the electric cars need, and a BMW Wallbox Pro charger is also connected to the power grid as a supplement. It includes a readout telling users the amount of solar energy versus municipal electricity it's using.

The carport is just a concept for now, but it shows off the image that BMW wants for these new models. They are supposed to be green, premium vehicles with modern, eco-friendly design.
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Ugly Moto makes beautiful motorcycle art

Ugly Moto is a horrible name for a company that makes such wonderful motorcycle art. The creation of artist Francis Ooi, the company's illustrations focus on some of the iconic racing bikes of the 1960s and 1970s.

The artwork has an elegant simplicity that really makes it pop. It would fit just about anywhere from a home office to the bedroom of a young gearhead. Ooi has completed six illustrations so far covering classic cycles from Honda, Ducati, Yamaha and even Harley-Davidson. According to his site, the Suzuki RGB500 ridden by Barry Sheene will be the next one released. All of the prints are priced at $65 and are limited to 100 copies. They are all about 16.53 inches by 23.58 inches in size.

According to his website, these prints are just a hobby for Ooi and his real career is as the creative director at an ad agency. He creates the illustrations on his Mac, and he estimates that each design with about 800 components and layers takes about a month to complete.
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Vladimir Putin's all-Russian limo revealed

It seems like you can't turn on the news this year without seeing the icy stare of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whether he's opening the Olympics, sending troops to the Ukrainian border or just riding a horse while shirtless, he's seemingly everywhere. But behind the scenes, Putin has a big engineering project under development to create a new Russian-built and engineered official limousine for him and other top officials.

?Russian media recently snapped a few pictures of the design concept. As you can see, the current version has the country's seal emblazoned all over the vehicle. The front end has the monolithic flatness that is associated with super high-end luxury cars from Bentley and Rolls-Royce. It's not exactly a beauty, but you probably wouldn't want to criticize the look to Putin's face. He doesn't seem to a guy who takes critique well. Prototypes of Putin's new limo are scheduled for testing later this year, and final production is planned for 2016.

Known as Project Cortege, the plan has several Russian automakers working together to design several vehicles, but the limo is the first priority. According to Yahoo Autos, the venture might even be getting some engineering input from Porsche. Putin has sunk an estimated $150 million to $400 million in government money into the project. Eventually, he wants it to spawn other vehicles - like a van and SUV.

This is actually the second attempt at a new Russian limousine. Initially, ZiL, which made vehicles for top officials in during the Communist era, was spearheading it, and its limo even started production. However, Putin was reportedly not happy with the design. Now, it's back to the drawing board.
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