Over 40 new vehicles were unveiled at January’s North American International Auto Show. General Motors’s Chevrolet Bolt was an attempt to upstage Tesla in the electric vehicles market. Honda unveiled its new NSX super-car and Nissan previewed the design of its upcoming Q60 coupe. Ford stunned crowds with their new GT high-performance super-car.
It may not have been as glamorous or powerful as other cars on display, but this 3D printed Strati car turned heads. Engineered by Local Motors the car’s frame and panels were printed using carbon fibre-infused plastic. It took 44 hours to print, and was made up of 212 layers. Renault then kitted it out with an electric car battery, motor and suspension.
A rocket-powered car aiming to smash the World Land Speed record at 1,000mph was unveiled in London in September. The ‘Bloodhound’ car’s motor produced over six times the power of all Formula 1 cars on a starting grid.
The same month, major luxury and sports car manufacturers showcased their work at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. The Lamborghini Huracan Spyder supercar is set to be up for grabs in spring 2016, for around 316,000 USD.
In October, Japanese carmakers Toyota tested their self-driving car for the first time on Tokyo’s highway- without human involvement. Eco-friendly rides and smart cars stole the headlines in 2015, and left petrol heads eager to see what next year has in store.
