Winners for 21st Century London bus contest include... Aston Martin?

The New Bus for London competition has come to an end. Two proposals were chosen from the large group of entrants by a series of judges, and the winners have just been announced by London Mayor Boris Johnson. The Freight*Bus concept we took a look is nowhere to be found, but that's just fine. The two winners are excellent, and one of them comes from a familiar but unexpected source: Aston Martin. The mind reels with the infinite possibilities of an Aston Martin-designed London double-decker bus. With an all-glass roof complete with solar panels, the enviro-cred is present and accounted for, and the wooden floors and hop-on, hop-off accessibility add flair and practicality in equal doses.

The other winner comes via Capoco Design from Salisbury, UK. It's a more traditional design that keeps many of the old Routemaster's best bits but adds an eco-friendly drivetrain package. Both designs will now be submitted to bus manufacturers for review.

[Source: Transport for London]