Here's a video showing Ford's new inflatable seat belts for rear seats.
Ford Motor Company is bringing to market the worlds first automotive inflatable seat belts, combining attributes of traditional seat belts and air bags to provide an added level of crash safety protection for rear seat occupants.
The advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries.
Ford will introduce inflatable rear seat belts on the next-generation Ford Explorer, which goes into production next year for the North American market. Over time, Ford plans to offer the technology in vehicles globally.
Simple concept is part-bike, part-car, and a leaner Beamer
Blimey — BMW isn't exactly standing still at the moment. As well as updating their C1 scooter and unveiling their Lovos concept car, the German car company has also been contemplating just what kind of vehicle will make the world happy in the future. And this is it: the Simple, or Sustainable and Innovative Mobility Product for Low-Energy consumption.
The concept, too, is simple: a two-seater car-slash-bike that corners rather like a snowboard or surfboard does (it's all due to the automatic tilting, apparently). The machine is the height of a Beamer 5-Series, but shorter than a Mini Cooper and goes 120 miles to the gallon. The only downside that I can see is that driver and passenger don't sit next to each other — rather, one goes in front and the other behind. One for Seven-Year Itch couples, I think.
Nissan Land Glider leans into turns like a motorcycle
Nissan's ultra-light, ultra-thin Land Glider concept car is a bit like a Smart Car, but looks like something you'd actually feel all right about driving. It's all electric, seats two and its segmented chassis allows it to lean into turns just like a motorcycle. What's more, you drive it while sitting inside a fancy, futuristic cockpit (with your passenger behind you) — who could say no to that?
Check out more of the Land Glider inside and out in our galley below, and watch a video of the concept in action after the jump..................
Bugatti unveils chrome-layered concept car for 2013
When it comes to futuristic designs, copious amounts of shiny chrome go a long way towards selling us on nearly anything you can come up with. The new Bugatti Galibier 16C concept car not only goes heavy on the chrome, it actually manages to somehow merge the metal treatment with an interior swathed in old world wood grain and leather luxury..............
