Technabob » volkswagen

Volkswagen Optism Optical Illusion Car Looks Like a Toy

Conner Flynn — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:47 +0000

Designer Sangwoo Lee has come up with a clever Volkswagen concept car that simultaneously looks awesome and at the same time a little silly. It reminds me of one of those Hot Wheels cars I had when I was a kid.

This radical design was inspired by optical art and visual kinetics and it is called the Volkswagen Optism. Those horizontal slats are designed to make the car look different from different angles.

I’m not sure how aerodynamic this design is with all of those slats, but it is unique – I’ll give him that. I also wonder if this “optical illusion” would distract drivers and trick their eyes, causing mayhem on the road. And by mayhem I do mean that guy from the car insurance commercials. Stay away from that guy. Somehow I don’t think we will be seeing this one on the road anytime soon.

[psfk via Ubergizmo]

Volkswagen Microbus Meets AT-AT: Camper Van Hothoven

Range — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:00:57 +0000

In 2011, Volkswagen had the best Super Bowl commercial, featuring a diminutive Darth Vader. This year’s commercial was fun, but it didn’t have the Star Wars tie-in as its main theme. Maybe this what Volkswagen should have done for their 2012 Superbowl commercial instead.

I can already see a storyline evolving in my mind of a poor, lonesome AT-AT Imperial Walker on the run from those pesky rebels, deciding to make babies with a Volkswagen bus and start a family.

This Volkswagen AT-AT Microbus sculpture was spotted by tech journalist Jack Schofield. While the exact origin of this elephant-like monstrosity hasn’t yet been discovered, it’s definitely fun to look at. If the photo is accurate, then someone has built a huge sculpture that features a VW bus that’s been modified to walk on AT-AT legs.

Even if it turns out to be some kind of Photoshoppery, it’s still something that will make you smile.

[via Nerd Approved]

Camping in a Van Has Never Been This Comfy

Hazel Chua — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:17:58 +0000

I recently went on a long drive to visit my friend who lived several hundred miles away from me. It was a surprise visit, but when I got there, I was the one who was surprised: she was out of town.

I didn’t make any reservations beforehand and I wasn’t familiar with the area, so I was forced to spend the night in my car, since it was already way too late to drive back to the city.

Lesson learned, of course. But my night in the car was far from comfortable and I woke up the next morning with a sore body. However, with the VW Camper Van Tents, sleeping it out in a “vehicle,” so to speak, will give you a way more comfortable experience that I had in my car. For obvious reasons.

The interior of the VW Camper Van Tent is as roomy as the car that it’s a replica of. It sports a vintage look on the outside while it’s as spacious as it can get in a tent on the inside.

The only downside? These tents are a bit on the pricey side though, as they go for £299.99 (~$485 USD) each on Firebox.

Zumreed Cranks Out Volkswagen Minibus Radios

Technabob — Fri, 18 May 2007 19:57:48 +0000

For those of you who grew up in the Sixties, or just fans of Little Miss Sunshine, this little VW Minibus is actually an AM/FM clock radio.

Zumreed has released these nifty little gadgets which looks just like the classic Volkswagen van. Hidden inside is a fully functional stereo, with an AM/FM tuner and a LCD alarm clock (hidden on the rear of the minibus.) It’s even got a 3.5mm jack so you can hook up your MP3 player to it. The mini radio measures about 7″ long by 3″ high and comes in a variety of colors, but the classic two-tone red and beige is my favorite. The stereo can run off of battery, AC or USB power, so it’s also perfect as a speaker system for a small PC.

The VW Minibus radio retails for ¥8190 (appx. $68 USD), and can be found at Japanese online retailer Abide.