Rinspeed
Encyclopedia
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
automobile manufacturer and tuning
Car tuning
Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and appearance. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics...
designer. Rinspeed specialise in restoring classic cars, and tuning and modifying modern cars (like Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
s and Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
s). They also design exotic concept
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
vehicles for the Geneva Motor Show each year.
Rinspeed was founded in 1979 by Frank Rinderknecht.
sQuba
Built around a Lotus EliseLotus Elise
The 1996 Lotus Elise weighed . Because of its relatively low weight, it was able to accelerate 0- in 5.8 seconds despite its relatively low power output of...
, the Rinspeed sQuba
SQuba
The sQuba, developed by Swiss company Rinspeed, is the world's first car that can be driven both on land and under water. The original idea by Rinspeed founder and CEO Frank M. Rinderknecht was inspired by the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me...
is a concept car that can 'fly' underwater and has zero emissions. It debuted at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, 30 years after its inspiration: the movie The Spy Who Loved Me
The Spy Who Loved Me (film)
The Spy Who Loved Me is a spy film, the tenth film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Roger Moore as the fictional secret agent James Bond. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and the screenplay was written by Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum...
. The sQuba was featured in the first episode of 14th season of Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear is a motoring television magazine show from the United Kingdom. Originally shown on Channel 5, the show is currently presented by Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jason Plato, Jonny Smith and Ben Collins...
.
Splash
The Rinspeed Splash is a concept amphibian vehicleAmphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle , is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water – just like an amphibian....
with hydrofoil
Hydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
design capable of 45 knots on water or nearly 200 km/h on land. Propelled by a 750 cc two cylinder turbo-charged
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
burning natural gas
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
which supplies 140 hp at 7000 rpm and weighing just 825 kg, this strange looking vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds. It premiered at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show, but is not planned for production.The Splash was featured in an episode of Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
. It set a record in crossing the English Channel.
iChange
The iChange is a concept car that changes shape and configuration based on the amount of passengers inside, up to three. The cars features are controlled by an Apple iPhone and is powered by a 150 kW electric motor. The iChange has a 0–100 km/h (62 mph) speed of slightly over 4 seconds, and hit a top speed of 136 mi/h.UC
The Rinspeed UC is a micro concept electric car that will be presented at the Geneva Motor Show 2010. The name UC stands for "Urban Commuter" or "You see". It is a 2,5 meters long micro vehicle, operated with a central joystick. The electric motor delivers 124 Nm of torque. The concept car can reach a top speed of 110 km/h, and on-board batteries enable the car a capable of 120 km range in one charge.Modified / Tuned Cars
- In 2005, Rinspeed modified a Subaru ForesterSubaru ForesterThe Subaru Forester is an all-wheel drive crossover wagon manufactured since 1997 by Fuji Heavy Industries and sold under the Subaru brand...
to make it appear more feminine - Forester Lady 2006 - In 2007, Rinspeed offers a modified 997Porsche 911The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
911 Turbo that has been transformed into a Le Mans 600.
Other Concept Cars
- Rinspeed Advantige Rone
- Rinspeed Chopster
- Rinspeed Cyan
- Rinspeed E-Go Rocket
- Rinspeed eXasis
- Rinspeed Mono EgoRinspeed Mono EgoTo celebrate 20 years of Rinspeed, Frank Rinderknecht created the 1997 Rinspeed Mono Ego. The French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac was involved in its design. It was shown at the Geneva Motor show. Its Aluminium V8 engine, from Korean manufacturer Hyundai, has an output of .-External...
- Rinspeed PrestoRinspeed PrestoThe Rinspeed Presto is a concept car from the Swiss company Rinspeed, unveiled in 2002. At the touch of a button, it would expand it from a nine-foot, two-seat cabrio to a twelve-foot four-seater...
- Rinspeed Roadster R + SC-R
- Rinspeed Senso
- Rinspeed Speed-Art
- Rinspeed Splash
- Rinspeed Tatooo.com
- Rinspeed VelenoRinspeed VelenoThe Rinspeed Veleno was a heavily modified Dodge Viper, created in 1993. It had an electronically controlled nitrous-oxide injection, and the power was increased from the Viper's , to .-External links:**...
- Rinspeed X-Trem
- Rinspeed Yello TalboRinspeed Yello TalboThe Rinspeed Yello Talbo is a Swiss sports car produced in association with Dieter Meier and Boris Blank of the eclectic electronic group Yello....
- Rinspeed zaZenRinspeed zaZenThe Rinspeed zaZen is a Rinspeed concept car shown for the first time at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. It is based on the Porsche 911 Carrera S platform and developed in collaboration with Bayer MaterialScience....
External links
- Rinspeed Official site
- Rinspeed Editorial Video; West Coast Midnight Run, Vol. 2009, The International Frankfurt Automotive Show