50 Unusual but Incredible Vehicles from 2002 to 2022
Though it may look like Jawas are about to jump out and start scavenging for parts, this is no Sandcrawler. It’s the JL421 Ba-Donk-A-Donk or just “Donk” for short. This thing is built like a tank and is definitely not street legal in most states. But then again, who’s gonna stop this tiny tank. It can transport up to five people internally or on the roof. It can be piloted from the inside or from an exposed standing position through the hatch.
It comes with a 1000-watt sound system so everyone can hear your mobile tank party a mile before they see you. And of course, it has a pyrotechnic effect system with optional rocket pods. The outside of the vehicle is covered in light-armor steel providing you with ample protection from stray blaster fire. Lucky for you there’s no need for deep space travel to Tatooine for one of these. They can be found on Amazon starting at $20,000.
With room for up to 10 passengers sitting one behind another, the Harley Anaconda set a new Guinness World Record for the longest motorcycle on the road. First appearing at the 2004 World of Wheels car show, this slender trike is 19 feet in length and weighs 1,420 pounds. It took creator Steve “Smokey” McGill only 640 hours over six months to complete his snake-like trike. The 2004 Rinspeed Splash makes it possible to travel on the road, in the water, and in the air.
The sports car transforms into an amphibious vehicle at the touch of a button thanks to a special hydraulic mechanism. But that alone wasn’t enough for Frank M. Rinderknecht, the founder of Rinspeed. A complex integrated hydrofoil system enables
the Splash to fly at an altitude of about 2 feet above the water. The Splash accelerates in about 5.9 seconds to 62 miles per hour and reaches a top speed of 124 miles per hour as a sports car. When operating normally in the water, this gets a top speed of 31 miles per hour when functioning as a hydrofoil. This lil’ beaut started out life as a 1955 Ford, then crazy-man and custom car builder extraordinaire Gary Fioto chopped it, slammed it, and slapped on a few other parts and made this space age looking vehicle. Its crazy bubble top is actually the biggest bubble top ever created for a vehicle. All the body panels are hand formed using 18-gauge steel.
Powered by a Chevy 350 V8 that is exposed through the hood, this car is definitely a show stopper. All the doors are also electric, so no door handles on this bad boy and even the bubble top is lifted by motors. As much as we know you want this car, it’s actually a one-off and was sold at auction in California for over $360,000. It goes without saying that there's more to an off-road vehicle that simply mounting a chassis on four wheels. Greek 4x4 Rally Race Champion, Stefanos Attart decided to have a little fun when he took on this endeavor. He started with the powertrain from a Mercedes-Benz Unimog ("Oo-knee-mock") 406 series. The six-cylinder,
346 cubic inch diesel engine produces 84 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. Oversized 55 inch tires give the vehicle over two feet of ground clearance and a total height of 12 feet. This is the perfect mix to awaken the inner child in anyone who sees it. Ron Patrick, an extremely daring individual, built this jet car for fun. And yes, it's street legal.
He chose the Beetle because he liked the look and how well it showed off the jet engine. fitted the massive engine to the back o the small hatchback, at a cost of two hundred thousand dollars. 700 amps of current go into the motor for 20 seconds during start-up.
To light the afterburner, he holds a starter button down and 1/2 a second later, presses a hot-streak button on the floor. Then some very noticable things happen! With the new infusion of power, the car is able to exceed the 140 miles per hour maximum speed measured by the car’s speedometer. Patrick says he often enjoys taking his car for a spin at night where it is frequently pulled over by curious police officers. Unleashed in 2008, the “Monster Motorbike from Hell” runs about thirty feet in length, ten feet in height, and weighs in at 13 tons. The bike’s frame appears to be an upside-down ladder design, with wheels and tires from Caterpillar. Its Detroit Diesel engine is hooked to a 6-speed Allison automatic transmission providing enough power for the motorbike to even crush cars.
Its owner, who spent three years building it, grew tired of sharing the highway with inconsiderate motorists and so designed a motorbike that would leave no doubt as to who was king of the road. Constructed by students for the Aeolus Race in the Dutch town of Den Helder the Ventomobile is definitely a crazy vehicle. The giant propeller on the back of this mad three-wheeler is able to be turned into the wind and with the pitching of the blades it can be adjusted to the wind speed. With its light weight, only about 300 pounds, it was able to travel at 64% of the winds speed with it blowing directly at them.
The giant propeller is 6 ½ feet in diameter and supplies the vehicle with 6 Kilowatts of power. The students ended up winning first place for this design. This one won’t be out roaming your city streets on a windy day, that is unless you get out there and build one. The Scamander is an amphibious vehicle made by Peter Wheeler that can go on-road, off-road, and on the water.
This RRV has a V-6 turbocharged engine that gets about 300 horsepower and in eight seconds could get up to 60 miles per hour. Consisting of a central aluminum tub with foam-filled plastic pods that will fit four people and weighs just 2425 pounds, the driver sits in the center and the passengers in the rear. Vision is enhanced by a vast canopy behind the passengers over a plastic hatch and a pickup-style bed. After Peter Wheelers death, a group of engineers completed the project and added an impeller on its rear end for propulsion instead of the removable paddles for the drive wheels. Chances are you will either love or hate this interesting build from Trike Japan.
The Japanese company builds Hondas and Harleys, but this Suzuki Hayabusa styled after the F1 Ferrari is a clear departure from those standard bikes. Revealed at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon, the Ferrari trike backs up its looks with a 1,300cc engine that generates 194 horsepower. The Maverick LS design has been developed as an easy to operate air and land craft.
It's intuitive and safe to fly or drive by people in frontier areas of the world, enabling them to use this unique vehicle in humanitarian applications and healthcare services, as well as providing the opportunity to interact with fellow citizens. This all-terrain gamer started as a 2009 Tacoma Double Cab Long Bed PreRunner. The B-Pillars were removed and gull-wing doors were installed to increase space and add shelter for gamers. A theater style seating configuration was created to intensify the gaming with leg support being added for the outer chairs. Four interior monitors were placed on swing arms to allow the cab to be converted from a drivable truck to a video haven. The gaming system is complemented by a two-channel Kicker audio system.
A 304 horsepower, 4 liter V6 provides the power to get you to your destination so you can enjoy the great outdoors while still pursuing your passion for gaming. California based WaterCar developed three amphibious prototypes between 1999 and 2010. One of these was the Python. It's powered by a 450 horsepower Corvette engine on land while a rear Dominator engine handles everything on water. It can reach land speeds of up to 127 mph and water speeds of up to 60 mph. It can be driven straight into the water without reducing your speed.
All it takes is the press of one button to retract the wheels and start the jet motor. Imagine how cool a high-speed police chase could potentially be if the suspects were using the Python as a getaway car? While the other big-engine trikes on this list offer plenty of power, the Rocket II blows them all out of the water with its 1,000-horsepower engine. The trike’s power plant is a V8 426 Hemi that’s also equipped with a massive 8-71 blower. Not surprisingly, a tremendous amount of work went into building this unique trike. It took creators Tim Cotterill and Michael Leeds 8 tries over the course of 8 months just to get the right handlebar-to-draglink setup. This street legal Viper was built by mechanic Dean Shore.
It’s made from a Jeep with a small block Chevy V8 engine, which is what we expect was driving the original spaceships. This modern-looking trike doesn’t look strange or different, but what is strange is that it’s powered by human waste stored inside the driver’s seat! After the driver uses it as a toilet to do their business, the waste is turned into biofuel to propel the motorcycle. The trike was able to complete an 870-mile tour of Japan, proving that it doesn’t stop going as long as you’re going. Artist Jeremy Dean created this as a heavily satirical emobodiment of what a post-oil future will be like.
He got his idea from the "Hoover Cars" of The Great Depression where many Americans had horses pulling their cars because they were unable to afford gasoline. He bought a used Hummer H2 for $15,000, took it to a garage and started cutting pieces off of it. All of the modifications were made using existing parts from the car. In the end it all weighed just under 2,000 pounds. If the economy does collapse, Dean could be one of the lucky few to find work by building vehicles like these for the wealthy and elite. This one from Technical University Munich was created as a demo vehicle for part of their "Deisel Reloaded" project.
Its sole function is to serve as a testing ground for new technologies. Some of these include an energy management system allowing the truck to serve as a smart grid, car to car communication, and an interface in the cockpit with controls that adapt to the behavior of the driver, as well as weather and traffic. Its computer architecture is set up to allow the integration of new and experimental ideas which the creators hope will someday be part of the innovative vehicles of the future, in part helping address major societal trends and needs. To say that the guys who built this diesel-powered trike went all out would be an understatement. This amazing trike featuring a Kenworth hood and grille took 9 months to build, and you can see that the level of detail is top-notch.
Powered by a 3208 CAT motor, the Kenworth Trike sounds just as good as it looks. Jeff Bloch, who goes by the moniker "SpeedyCop", designed this barely running pile of crazy to drive in the 24 Hours of LeMons, an endurance race for cars that cost under $500 to build. He took a 1990 Ford Fiesta and topped it with an inverted 1999 Chevy Camaro body. The Ford's wheels are hidden underneath, which gives the impression that the car is skidding along the track upside down.
Bloch says he's an "8-year-old kid trapped in an adult's body with just enough know how to pull off these wacky ideas". He's definitely one of the people who ignore asking "why?" and just ask "why not?". When Rick Sullivan received a call to transport an overturned Ford Ranger to his shop, he wasn’t looking for his next project, but when he saw the pickup truck on its roof with four wheels sticking up in the air, he got an idea. At first glance it looks like a red and white Ford pickup on its roof. But it’s really a 1991 Ford Ranger with a 1995 F-150 body placed over the top upside down, complete with spinning tires. There's nothing like having a supercharged, two-stroke diesel V8 running between your legs.
You want raw badass power? Hammer-forged nastiness? The kind of machine-born apocalypse that looks like it was banned from the set of Mad Max for being too ridiculous? Forget that Harley-Davidson. What you need is a trike with a goddamn Detroit Diesel V8 engine. Taking its first test run in September of 2014 Local Motor’s Strati claims to be the world’s first 3D printed car. Made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic that if damaged could be melted down and reprinted into a new car. Taking only about 40 Hours to be printed the only thing left is the powertrain, electrical equipment, and tires.
The rest of the assembly takes around 4 days. The little two-seater can reach a top speed of 40mph, and the battery charge gives it a range of 100-120 miles. It’s also fitted with an autonomous driving system so you can be a passenger rather than a driver. The Strati was part of the Essence of Autonomy Challenge which gave the public the chance to submit improvements for the car.
A gentleman from China spent two months making this wacky creation using metal and an old engine. The result doesn’t quite have the grace and beauty of a real horse; however, it's quite an impressive accomplishment from an engineering standpoint. He was inspired by the story of a Chinese ruler who allegedly created the first ever mechanical horse.
The Rivet is a two-seat, V8 trike co-designed by William Shatner. In the summer of 2015, Shatner rode across America in this unique 3-wheeled vehicle that’s capable of doing a wheelie in 4th gear. The most notable feature of The Rivet is, well, that it’s covered in rivets to resemble the metal wing construction of the B-17. This high-tech trike with a retro feel went up for sale at the end of 2015 after Shatner had his fun with it. What if there was a do-it-yourself vehicle platform that was not only affordable, but also street legal, open-source, and versatile, with the option for an electric drive train or an integrated hybrid engine? The Tabby is the original platform and isn’t necessarily designed to be street legal though it could be made so. The blueprints and plans can be downloaded, improved upon, and shared with others.
This could be a great jumping off point for creating your own custom vehicle or even as an educational tool. This one’s for all you RGB fans out there. German company EDAG Engineering created the Light Cocoon and calls it “the ultimate in future lightweight construction.” Inspired by leaves the body of the car has a skeletal-like structure with a layer of fabric covering the entire thing. The skeletal structure allows for extremely lightweight production but also increases the strength of the body. The fabric covering the skeleton is four times lighter than copy paper but is also weather-proof and water-proof.
The fabric allows light through, and the entire car is backlit. Not only does the lighting look fantastic but it was placed with the idea of being able to communicate non-verbally to other drivers on the road. The Light Cocoon even has a little brother called the Soulmate. The Soulmate expands upon the same skeletal design and modifies it into a roadster style. The Soulmate takes the already futuristic design and puts in a full touchscreen interface for the driver.
Innovators at the NASA Johnson Space Center in collaboration with an automotive partner have developed the Modular Robotic Vehicle or MRV for short. This vehicle is completely electric and has no mechanical connections to the propulsion, steering, or brake systems. Instead, the driver relies on control inputs being converted to electrical signals and transmitted by wire to the motors in the vehicle The MRV is driven by four independent wheel modules called e-corners. Each wheel can be rotated 180 degrees on its steering axis. You could literally drive 100% sideways and parallel park your car downtown. The MRV was made to learn about and develop new technologies that could be applied to future rover expeditions.
While those technologies will be applied to future rovers, for now, we get to reap the benefits of those new technologies in the MRV. While the MRV won’t be for sale any time soon, you could license the technology used in the MRV and create your very own! While this car may look more like something you can get on GTA5, I don’t recommend you drive it like you stole it. Mainly because this car has an insane amount of power. The Blade has a curb weight of only 1,300lbs, which is 1,000lbs lighter than a Miata, making it an extremely light supercar. With a 2.4liter Mitsubishi EVO 10 mid-engine it can produce 720 horsepower and go 0-60 in about 2.2 seconds. The blade has the driver sit directly in the middle of the car to give them the best view of the road possible. It even has room for a passenger to sit tandem style behind the driver.
The driving experience is sure to be remembered with its 6-speed sequential gearbox and paddle shifters. Just because it’s fast doesn’t mean it’s not safe. Using a state-of-the-art experimental factory with 3D metal printers and using techniques from the aerospace industry, the sleek design offers an extremely safe printed body.
Carbon fiber, aluminum, and titanium make up the body bonded with aerospace techniques. The engine can also run on gasoline or compressed natural gas. This particular vehicle was made as a technology demonstration so it’s not planning on making it to production. But maybe you could ask Divergent with a pretty please and a fist full of cash? The Yahmaha OR2T four wheeled leaning motorcycle. The OR2T is referred to as a research and development prototype but it's much more than 3D renderings or exhibition mock-ups...it's a fully working prototype of a four wheeled leaning motorcycle.
Four wheels means double the braking power of a traditional motorcycle and double the ground contact for corner stability, or acceleration. The OR2T has a huge vertical arm connecting each wheel to its own independent shock absorber and linkage. These suspension units have been designed to deal with anything so it's definitely one that could tackle the roundabouts, potholes, and general unevenness of even the messiest roads.
As a child growing up in Muncie, Indiana, Kurtis Hutchinson said that he never had a red radio flyer wagon to pull around the neighborhood and take his friends for a spin. Now after 65 years later, he and his wife and friends can just sit in one and drive it around town. With a 350 Chevrolet engine and a turbo transmission the wagon can hit speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. Designed as a security patrol vehicle, the Iris Viseo has a single-seat cabin that raises 11 1/2 feet above the ground.
The driver is still able to keep driving, utilizing an electro-hydraulic system while watching over protesters, parking lots, and whatever requires a watchful eye. Power for the all-electric vehicles come from a 127-horsepower motor that can reach a top speed of around 15 miles per hour. The 48-volt battery, with a charge time of eight hours, offers a range of 52 miles. Coming out of France is the limited production Lazareth LM847. This four-wheel motorcycle runs just under 9 feet long and 3 feet wide while weighing in at a hefty 881 pounds. Power for this behemoth comes from a 4.7 liter, V8 Maserati engine pushing out 470 horsepower.
Each of the four tires are mounted on individual swing arms, allowing them to lean when going through turns. The bike's outrageous design leaves everything exposed which creates an even more intimidating look. Anyone interested should contact the company asap as this one is limited to ten units with half of those already spoken for. Another addition by Local Motors was designed to be the first 3D printed car series for customer use. The idea went from a design to a complete prototype in just two months. The Swim is made up of 75% 3D printed parts with the other 25% being auto parts that will not be 3D printed.
The company plans to change this in the future to make 90% of the car purely 3D printed. The Swim has a completely electric powertrain, and the 3D printed design allows the entire car to act as a roll cage creating a cleaner and safer vehicle. The design is also customizable to each buyer. The inside of the cars will all be the same, but the outside will be unique. Although the LM3D Swim has not made it to full production as of yet the proposed price point is around $50,000 The Austrian company Trixy Aviation produced this gyroplane in the design of a flying boat. This sea-gyrocopter is an ultra-light aircraft and It’s available in a kit with a pilot seat and two passenger seats in the rear or with side-by-side seating for two.
The hull was made of carbon fiber reinforced composites with a stainless steel and aluminum frame. This has 154 horsepower 912 TIS engine that has a cruising speed of 75 miles per hour and a maximum altitude of 12,000 feet with a weight capacity of 1322 pounds. When only water landings are possible, it can be equipped with a stretcher to transport a doctor and patient. This will soon be available with retractable gear for land and sea in an amphibian design. French madman François Gissy likes to build crazy bikes and his latest creation might be his craziest yet.
It’s a rocket trike powered by a big tank of compressed air and rainwater. That doesn’t sound like a great vehicle propellant, but it rocketed this strange little trike from 0-62 mph in just 0.55 seconds and it hit a top speed of 162 mph. This bike has the ability to be a roadster, a café racer, a scrambler, or really just whatever you personalize it as. Ya know, cuz it's completely customizable. Italian Volt has given the customer full control on how they want their bike to look. The frame, swing arm, and bodywork is all 3D printed to allow for the customer's customization.
Although given the frame you might not be able to make it a chopper. You also have the choice of any color, and the wheels can come in either aluminum or carbon fiber. The La Cama weighs 540lbs and has a top speed of 110mph. With an all-electric motor, it has a range of 124miles. The battery requires just 3hrs to charge up to full but can shorten that time with fast charging equipment.
It even has a touchscreen that displays the battery charge, GPS, and will connect to your phone. Pre-orders for this bike are available now with the full price being around $38,000 Another custom design based on the 1929 Majestic is the Revival Six from the minds at Austin's Revival Cycles. This one was also commissioned by the Haas Moto Museum of Dallas, Texas. The similarities end there though as this bike utilizes a Honda CBX 1000cc 6-cylinder for its power source. It also goes completely naked, having no body panels at all.
The stunning result features a swept-back low body riding on 28-inch tires. Although it has modern touches, the overall look of this one is straight out of the early 1900's. It’s a Smart Car! It’s an IQ! Nope, it’s the new 3D printed LSEV all-electric car. This collaboration between Polymaker and XEV is on pace to be the first mass-produced 3D printed electric car. This tiny little two-seater is at the beginning of the 3D printing wave that’s about to take over the automaker industry.
Pretty much the entire car is 3D printed except for the glass, seats, and chassis. There are only 57 components which means production time is a fraction of what traditional automakers need. Assembly of the vehicle takes only 3 days including the time it takes to print the parts.
It’s also extremely light weighing just under 1000lbs. The completely electric powertrain allows for a range of 93 miles. The top speed of the LSEV is 43mph. With the ease of assembly with 3D printing and the time saved in assembly costs, the price is as sweet as the car. You should be able to get one of your own for around $10,000.
Made in France, The Lazareth LMV496 is a flying motorcycle made of a Kevlar-carbon composite and uses futuristic features and pendulum geometry, combining excellence with performance and character. On the road, the LMV496 is an electric motorcycle, while Turbines provide the power required for takeoff. The power delivered is around 1300 horses for 2800 Newtons of thrust for take-off. Converting the bike from ride to fly mode takes about 60 seconds, just long enough to pre-heat the jets before you can lift off. The transition is done by moving a switch on the dashboard that gives the flight information directly to the pilot. Yamaha's Niken is a crazy cool looking bike that takes the idea of a trike and runs with it! The first thing you'll notice is the fully independent front dual wheels.
They lean in unison, allowing the bike to double the grip availability while maintaining a natural fluid driving experience. Yamaha also threw in an 847cc liquid cooled 3-cylinder engine, toting advanced features like their ride-by-wire throttle control and selectable D-mode, which allows for efficient engine control for any riding situation. 3D printing is all the rage now, and with there being seemingly no limitations to what you can manufacture with this budding technology – why not a hypercar? The 2021 Czinger 21C is America's answer to the absolutely mental automobiles that go-fast companies like Bugatti produce, except this one is made in an entirely different way.
Every single composite component is engineered using artificial intelligence so that they're perfectly optimized for the highest performance with as little weight as possible. The exterior styling is reminiscent of the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, and rightly so as it was the fastest aircraft ever built, capable of outrunning enemy missile ordinance. Under the hood is a bespoke 175ci flat cranked V8 helped along by a duo of superchargers. It's actually set in the middle of the chassis to help with weight distribution as well as helping gravity create downforce on the drive axle. Max output of 1350hp comes with an rpm of 11,000 – engine internal speeds commonly seen in SuperBikes. For those playing at home, that's 469hp per liter – frighteningly powerful.
The two front wheels are driven by two high-output electric motors to balance out the torque vectoring of the insane main engine. This is a true positive power to weight ratio hypercar, with the horsepower at its heart exceeding the 1,240kg on the scales. Strangely, the motor itself is mapped to run on a variety of fuels, including carbon recycled methanol, so it can technically function as a zero-emissions vehicle. You'd expect a single seat in such an off-the-wall, high-performance automobile. Still, your spouse or buddy can tag along. At the same time, you rearrange their features at face-melting speeds – with the second seat directly behind the driver that looks every bit like the cockpit of a fighter jet.
What does all this boil down to numbers-wise? Czinger promised a 0-60mph in just 1.9 seconds and an 8.1-second quarter mile. A feat that seems impossible until you realize the company has the former technical director of rival hypercar manufacturer Koenigsegg on their payroll. The top speed of 236mph tells you all you need to know – this is a car purpose-built to smash track records all around the world and will probably succeed. French manufacturer Newron has unveiled the EV-1, a motorcyle having an organically curved, wood skeleton wrapped around a centrally located cylindrical battery. Unique isn't a strong enough word to describe this one. The battery, which also acts as a structural part of the chassis, provides a range up to 186 miles. The 75-kilowatt motor is electronically limited to a top speed of 137 miles per hour.
The company is only producing a limited run of 12 units. The four-legged walking robot nicknamed “BEX.” Using cameras, sensors, and AI algorithms, BEX can navigate around obstacles and avoid hazards. BEX can “kneel” and then spin on specialized omnidirectional wheels to turn in place, making it agile and maneuverable in tight spots. This position also allows someone to “ride’ BEX; a set of handlebars and controls will enable riders to steer the robot where they want to go.
It was designed to carry either goods or people with a maximum carrying capacity of 100kg. It can handle rough, uneven terrain, inclines, and even stairs. Hovercraft are not a new invention, having been around for over seven decades at this point. They are simple; blow air hard to float above many surfaces, including water.
In practice, they are a bit more complex, and there is a reason why you've never heard of a luxury sports hovercraft until VonMercier's crack at the concept. Indeed, the company proclaims that their carbon fiber framed Arosa is the world's first of its kind, Ordinarily, a hovercraft uses large fans and can only be stopped quickly by flipping a one-eighty or flicking the machine off and deflating the skirt. With the Arosa, VonMercier has developed a directional control system that takes advantage of thrust-vectored side fans and can take yaw turns with some brake support. And while a ride with the Arosa only lasts ninety minutes at max, it still can reach ranges of up to forty-five miles on a single charge.
The sixty-mile-per-hour top speed can't be registered for road travel and nearly every state will perceive it as a boat legally. Sitting at around one hundred thousand dollars the Arosa was designed to be used by yacht goers when they want to play on the beach. This is the ultimate hipster vehicle, retro, and tacky, yet awesome. Who's worried about a zombie apocalypse? That’s what you’ll be saying if you own this totally awesome bugged out bug tank. The 1973 Volkswagen Beetle with half-tracks and missile launchers that kept America safe for years, is now for sale. The car which started life as a stock CC type 1 Beetle was converted in some dramatic ways.
Most obviously are the rubber half-tracks replacing the rear wheels, but also it appears the front has been protected with the strongest armor known to man, another old VW hood.
2022-11-12 08:17
