Now here's just the thing to mix up with a heated-up Flattie, or better yet, a Rajo Model T powerplant, which would be perfectly authentic for the vintage. Oh sure, purists will argue that this artifact, which apparently started life as a Hariss Steam Car prototype carrying a Stanley Steamer power unit, should be returned to its original state. Good luck figuring out exactly what that was.

With a deft enough touch, you could pay homage to the 1930s craftsmanship in this vehicle without ruining it. Either way, if you're determined enough to buy this obviously Stout Scarab-inspired vehicle (it currently has one bid at $8,500) it will be yours to do whatever you choose, critics be damned. Going all Travels With Charley with this split-window behemoth, especially towing a homebuilt teardrop trailer, would be a fantastic summer diversion, and if you did go all external-combustion-engine on it, you'd always have a fire to sit around at night.



[Source: eBay Motors]

Less than completely psyched about the launch of the new Citroen C3? Granted, the new compact hatchback may not be the most exciting vehicle ever to come from the quirky French automaker, but don't despair – we've got some more exciting news from the other end of the spectrum as reports surface that Citroen has approved a small run of its fantastical GTbyCitroen supercar for production.

You'll recall the GT as the design which Citroen unveiled together with the creators of the Gran Turismo video game franchise last year in Paris. The closest the concept was ever meant to get to reality was the single show car built and the digitized version which gamers would be able to play on PS3, but earlier this month, we reported that the French automaker was receiving enough interest on the car to consider putting it into very limited production.

As if to whet our appetites, Citroen took the concept on a drive around London last week, and has since confirmed that it will make the climb up the hill at Goodwood this month. But if you're looking for a closer approximation of life-imitating-art-imitating-life, a short run of GTs will reportedly see the light of day. Only six are said to be built, at a reported price of £1.1 million ($1.83 million USD). The jury's still out on what will power the mythical beast – gossip suggests an American V8 sourced from either General Motors or Ford and driving in excess of 500 horsepower through a sequential gearbox – but carbon-fiber construction and exotic interior are said to be part of the final package. We could see a production version at the upcoming Frankfurt show in September, so stay tuned.




[Source: Autocar]

With a nod to our current global economic and environmental issues, super GT maker Aston Martin has reportedly announced the world's first super luxury supermini. Having blown their development budget on the V12 Vantage RS, Rapide and One-77 hypercar, they turned to an unlikely partner for some help: Toyota. Aston Martin has taken the Toyota iQ 3+1 commuter and given it a tailored suit from Savile Row. The result is the new Aston Martin Cygnet you see above. In case you're wondering, a "cygnet" is a baby swan, not to be confused with an ugly duckling.

Although technically just a concept, word has it that the vehicle will be put into limited production and sold exclusively to existing Aston Martin owners, at least initially. There's a full press release after the jump, but the Cygnet should sell for around £20,000 (around $33k USD) when it goes on sale late next year. The car will retain the iQ's unique 3+1 seating but will be tailored to the individual customer's needs when it is assembled in Gaydon. Think of it as a move to "1-down" BMW's MINI brand. We only have the one photo for now, but from what we can see it doesn't look as unfortunate as we might have expected with Aston's distinctive grille, hood cutouts, side vents, and of course, the winged badge. Still, you have to wonder what this sort of thing might do to the Engish company's brand equity, no? Follow the jump for the presser. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Toyota via Autocar]

Looking for a spectacularly useless way to waste some time? Online car configurators are one of our favorites. You can sit for an hour or more playing with different color combinations and options on a car you're never going to buy, and have absolutely nothing to show for it when you're done. The most alluring are the configurators for the most exclusive European exotica, but typically automakers don't launch these until the car's on the market, or at least has been unveiled in production form. Rolls-Royce, however, has evidently decided to jump the (nickel-plated, mother-of-pearl-handled) gun in putting online a configurator for the 200EX, the concept car that previewed the upcoming Ghost model at the Geneva show this past March.

Labeled the "visualizer", the utility is available for all your distracting, time-wasting needs on the 200EX mini-site. There you can play around with different color and trim choices inside and out, right down to the "silver satin bonnet". Enjoy, but don't come complaining to us when you haven't gotten any work done.




[Source: Rolls-Royce]

Designed by Roman Mistiuk, the Peugeot Metromorph Concept looks like a set piece from Minority Report or the discarded idea for a new Transformers character. That's because the Metromorph has dual modes: One as a battery-powered electric vehicle and the other as... a balcony. Cars that climb up buildings and park themselves right outside your bay window were first seen in the sci-fi thriller Minority Report starring Tom Cruise. The Metromorph, however, has a purpose other than as a landing platform for Tom Cruise during a chase scene.

The idea is that real estate for parking will be scarce in the future, so the Metromorph will go vertical up the side of your building and park outside your apartment, at which point it becomes a balcony. This is where the Transformers bit comes in, though we admit transforming into a balcony isn't likely to scare Megatron into a quivering mass of mechanized steel. Nevertheless, the Metromorph will save the humans by freeing up parking spaces for other uses, like a quidditch stadium or whatever else becomes the national past time in the future.

With space for two, the Metromorph features seats held by rotating arms to keep them vertical regardless of the car's orientation. Two in-wheel electric motors housed in the rear wheels motivate this balcony-on-wheels, while two giant doors will slide up and over the vehicle to allow entry and exit. Is this what the future holds for urban dwellers? Time, and the movies, will tell.

Follow the jump to watch a conceptual video of the Metromorph in action.



[Source: Roman Mistiuk]

Fisker's undeniably gorgeous Karma Sunset concept was named the 2009 Production Preview Vehicle of the Year at the North American Concept Vehicle of the Year Awards last night at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit. Organized by the South East Automotive Media Organization, the jurors also lauded VW's Concept BlueSport Roadster as the 2009 Concept Car of the Year and named the Cadillac Converj the Most Significant Concept Vehicle of 2009. The Kia Soul'ster won Concept Truck of the Year.

Aside from the Soul'ster, the winners combine an alternative fuel powerplant (plug-in hybrid, diesel or ER-EV) with lust-worthy design. We'll see if this does anything to dispense with the myth that green = fugly. The jury considered 23 concepts and 11 production preview vehicles that were introduced during the 2009 auto show season before selecting the top cars. See more pictures of the winners after the jump.



[Source: Southeast Automotive Media Organization, Fisker]

The almost impossibly long and low GTbyCITROËN, which started life as a concept car for the wildly popular Gran Turismo gaming franchise (part of Polyphony Digital Inc. and Sony's Playstation empire), has made its first real-life foray through London in a recreation of the video game's street circuit.

Though originally designed as nothing more than a model to drum up interest in the quirky French automaker and the oft-delayed next installment of Gran Turismo, there has reportedly been so much interest in the GT that there is actually a very real chance that Citroen will put the supercar into limited production, possibly powered by a rumbling V8 engine from Detroit.

While this thinly-disguised photo opportunity passage through Piccadilly surely took place at a snail's pace, we can only hope the French supercar aqcuits itself well as it storms up the upcoming 1.16-mile Goodwood Hill as part of the Sunday Times Supercar Run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which starts on July 3. Click past the break for the press release and below for a high-res gallery.



[Source: Citroen]

Setting the Challenger and 300 aside, what Chrysler needs now most of all is a C/D segment car that moves more metal than the pitiful performance of its current offerings. According to Automotive News, Chrysler shifted just 133,626 of its Sebring and Dodge Avenger platform-mates, a number that pales in comparison to class leaders like the Toyota Camry (436,617) and Honda Accord (372,789). The constant clamor to put the 200C concept into production in some form has got Chrysler looking for ways to make that car a reality, but finding a platform that will play on Main Street is a thorny little chestnut.

Replacing the universally jeered Sebring and Dodge Avenger (and their Mitsubishi platform) by going rear-wheel drive is a possibility. The 200C show car sat on a shortened version of the LX platform, in theory inviting both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations. Fiat's D-Evo platform, debuting with the replacement for Alfa Romeo's 159, is another possibility, but there are concerns it may not be flexible enough to grow to the size the 200C needs. Fiat's bid for General Motors' Opel unit brought with it speculation that the 200C could snag the Epsilon platform, but that's since fallen off the radar.

While a rear-drive Chrysler midsizer sporting the sharp exterior and interior design of the 200C and priced like a Fusion would be something distinctive, the sales case for such a departure from the class-norm of FWD remains yet to be convincingly argued. Tuned properly, such a vehicle could give much higher-zoot iron a run for its money, and performance enthusiasts likely would embrace such a model; though they may not actually buy one. Chrysler needs to close sales, not set internet chatrooms abuzz, so regardless of how it comes to market, the 200C must be more fully realized than the current Chrysler midsizers.



[Source: Automotive News (subs req)]

Nearly a year ago, the cover of Mopar Enthusiast asked the question: Could the Plymouth Road Runner be reborn? The obvious answer: No. But that didn't stop the buff book from publishing a host of gorgeous renderings by Michael Leonhard, an independent artist hailing from Austria.

Based on the Dodge Challenger, the Road Runner concept takes its cues from the '71-72 models, and in Leonhard's active imagination, it would be powered by a choice of 5.7-, 6.1- or 7.0-liter engines, each available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox, complete with paddle shifters. The 20-inch (front) and 22-inch (rear) wheels combine a little old-school nostalgia with a new-school flavor, along with a glowing Roadrunner logo placed between the LED tail lamps. We'll let the artist and his work speak for themselves, so check out the gallery below and make the jump for Leonhard's own description, along with a brief video of the concept.

This September's Frankfurt Motor Show will play host to three new electric vehicles from Renault, including a concept that previews an all new model. The concept is expected to be based on the same dedicated platform spawned by Renault's alliance with Nissan, due to underpin its new EV due to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show and go on sale in 2010. Renault development chief Christian Steyer told AutoCar that the EVs will benefit from distinctive styling to set them apart from the rest of the automaker's lineup.

In addition to the Trio of EVs, Renault will apparently be showing off both fast charging technology and battery swapping equipment, along with electric conversions of the Megane and Kangoo. The Megane will be the first EV to go on sale in Israel under the Renault-Nissan partnership with Better Place.



[Source: Autocar]