AutoMotto

The 2009 LA Design Challenge, like its previous versions, gives us a peek into the future. The theme of this year’s design contest has automobiles for the youth of the future. These “youthmobile” cars/concepts have been designed for the youth of 2030, those ranging between 16 to 23 years age. Entries to this year’s contest are from Audi, Mazda, GM, Toyota, Nissan and Honda. Click ahead for a look at the participants, and some ideas that range from the downright impractical to the clumsy.

The TVR Throne concept from designer Hussein Al Jammazi has the power to be in the supercar arena. Its supercharged aluminum V8 engine generates 638 hp, enough to take the car from a standing start to 60mph in a mere 4.2 seconds. The designer has included a two-barrel carburetor to make the car suitable and powerful enough to handle the conditions in hot regions.

Someday we will be living on and under the oceans. This idea isn’t farfetched and if it comes true then here’s the answer to a new type of underwater transportation system.

The image above and the videos that follow show the immense talent of Pantural. The renderings and CG is amazingly realistic and the unlikely combination that he puts to race is quite intriguing. It’s a race between a Shelby Mustang, Camaro, Jeep, Vaz (Lada) 2107, and a military helicopter. Not a match of equals, and the results are surprising. Oh, and about a minute into the video, a giant sphere with spikes lands to release something that vaguely looked like Symbiote from Spiderman. That thing gives the cars a real aggressive makeover. Checkout the videos after the jump.

The premise of the car finder iPhone app is to help you easily reach your car in a packed parking lot. We’ve seen things like the fireworks system to make your car stand out, and the more sane and practical GPS keyring, but this app may have an edge considering you don’t need to buy another gadget, and a $0.99 app on your iPhone will do the job.

There are weird automobiles that can’t move an inch after their weird mutations, and then there’s this motorcycle that manages to do stunts even with shoes replacing wheels. This FMX bike literally rides on shoes, DC shoes to be precise. The bike is a product of DC Shoes, Travis Pastrana and Ken Block, and it featured in a DC ad. Checkout the video after the jump to see Travis Pastrana and the bike in action, and Pastrana destroying the bike at the end.

The words “Automotive porn” are more of a misnomer for this dual engine hot rod its creator has lovingly named “Priapism.” On display at SEMA, the hotrod has two engines to draw power from, and is completely street legal. Though it hasn’t actually had a run yet, its creators say it could command 900-950 hp. With the mighty engines up front, the hotrod will likely have many enthusiasts lust for it. And be simultaneously attracted to and repelled by the Priapism.

The Toyota Tacom ATG (All Terrain Gamer) on display at SEMA, takes HALO ODST to entirely unnecessary levels with a Warthog makeover, four Xbox Elite consoles, four 24-inch LCD displays, and chopped-off B-pillars for those giant gullwings. These extra-large gullwings actually serve as a shelter for gamers, which come in handy considering this Warthog Tacoma ATG was built to let owners enjoy their favorite games in “remote locations.”

If this bike could add and remove the attached T-50 jet turbine at will, it would probably be a Clark Kent-Superman story or even a Peter Parker-Spiderman story. But it wouldn’t be a Bruce Wayne-Batman story because Batman is a huge pile of awesome. Anyways, this 1982 Honda Magna had a Boeing T-50 jet turbine strapped onto it, and became a powerhouse.

Recently unveiled at SEMA, the Mavizen TTX02 electric superbike is primarily a racing vehicle. The motorcycle is the brainchild of Azhar Hussain, the man behind world’s first zero-emission motorcycle race. The motorcycle will most likely race in the 2010 installment of the green grand prix.