Top 30 Auto Innovations and Motor Trends in 2008 H1

Leveraging our traffic data, this list ranks the top 30 most best auto and motor trends in 2008 (so far). 

From homemade fuel to motorized unicycles, it’s been a kick ass year in the world of automobiles.  This list is the celebration!

Clearly eco and lite has been a big theme, but there’s even a massive dump truck that made the list.

What fun.

This is one of many features in our new FREE Micro Trend Reports section. See them all here. 

Top 30 Auto and Motor Trends

1. Toyota Prius Campaign - Prostitute, Lover, Killer (GALLERY)

Toyota thinks that sometimes you gotta overlook and forgive a man’s wrongdoing, as long as he is driving a Prius! The new Toyota Prius campaign uses the tagline “Well, at least he drives a Prius” with… [More]

2. Homemade Fuel - EFuel 100 MicroFueler (VIDEO)

With the never ending increase in gas prices, people have started to think about fuel alternatives.  E-Fuel Corporation, a company in California, has introduced the EFuel 100 MicroFueler, a device that… [More]

3. Motorized Unicycles - The Uno (GALLERY)

The unique Uno made its debut at the 2008 National Motorcycle Show in Toronto. Invented by 18-year-old Ben J. Poss Gulak, The Uno is very hard to define or put into a category. What is it exactly?

It’s… [More]

4. Ronaldo Races Bugatti - Nike Mercurial Vapor IV Viral (VIDEO)

This video, which appears to be made by amateurs, features Cristiano Ronaldo racing a Bugatti. It needs to be mentioned right off the bat that the Portuguese soccer stud is wearing blaze orange Nike Mercurial… [More]

5. Toyota Hybrid Pick-Up Truck - A-BAT Mobile (GALLERY)

Another great reveal at the North American International Auto Show will be Toyota’s latest pickup truck concept, the A-BAT.

The hybrid A-BAT mobile follows in the footsteps of Chevrolet’s Silverado hybrid,… [More]

6. World’s First Wooden Supercar - The Splinter (GALLERY)

I don’t think we will ever see those supercars around, but it is still a unique and innovative car. American designer, Joe Harmon, 27, started the project with other students at North Carolina State University… [More]

7. Tailgate Dining - The Exhaust Cooked Burger

A team of Iranian designers came up with this brilliant cooking idea which actually isn’t as disgusting as it first looks. Your car’s exhaust is used as a barbecue to grill your food!

That still sounds… [More]

8. Racing Shoes - Porsche 911 GT3 RS Nike Air Max Light (GALLERY)

Next time you put the pedal to the metal, why not do it a pair of Porsche branded Nikes?

These Nike Air Max Light shoes were inspired by the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. The car will be created in silver, black,… [More]

9. Retro SuperCar Revivals - BMW M1 Homage (GALLERY)

BMW unveiled the M1 Homage, the luxury auto maker’s sleek new super car at the Concorso d’Eleganza at the Hotel Villa d’Este this past weekend. The unveiling of the Homage was to commemorate the 30th anniversary… [More]

10. Sparkling Design Concept Moves to Production - Suzuki Kizashi (GALLERY)

Suzuki wants a larger share of the luxury sedan market and is rolling the Kizashi concept cars into production for a late 2009 introduction. The New York Auto Show will probably have another version of… [More]

11. Auto Vending Machine - Smart Idea (GALLERY)

This giant vending machine dispenses a really small car. Put your $20,000 in the slot, and take your pick from a Smart Coupe or Cabrio. Smart cars have only recently been exported outside of Europe to… [More]

12. Eco-Retro - Retro VW Camper Goes Green

Still in draft-phase, the famous VW Westfalia Camper Van has been redesigned to bring it even more environmental street-cred.

Alexandre Verdier envisions an “intelligent” vehicle with solar panels to… [More]

13. Three-Wheeled Green Machine - TREV Concept Car (GALLERY)

Trev! What makes this little guy unique is that it was designed by the students at the University of South Australia.

After spending several years in development, out spawn Trev, a three-wheeled green… [More]

14. Dump Truck of the Future? - The Super Tipper (GALLERY)

Current tipper trucks can only unload their cargo one way which usually requires the driver to maneuver the truck ever so carefully. Designer Haishan Deng solves this problem with his new creation, the… [More]

15. Recycled Art - Rubber Tires Sculptures as Art (GALLERY)

These sculpture are retreads of a different kind, using old tires, the artist has created something new. Artists like this need to get pumped up to do more and show the world that recycling is the “tready"… [More]

16. Luxurious Trucks - International LoneStar Coming in Fall 08 (GALLERY)

We have featured many exciting truck design concepts, but a concept is one thing and reality is another. That is what makes the new International LoneStar, which will be out by Fall 2008, the most advanced… [More]

17. $2,500 Car - India’s Tata Nano Car (FOLLOW UP) (VIDEO)

We mentioned in April that Tata Motors will be releasing the world’s cheapest car. Very soon this cute $2,500, 624 cc, 33 HP little buggy will be tearing up the streets of India bringing new car ownership… [More]

18. Batmobile Supercars - The Spada Codatroncadue (GALLERY)

Let me start by asserting that this is not a concept! 20 individual, beautiful Spada Codatroncadue are to be built in the near future. The price tag? More than £200,000 a vehicle. [More]

19. Baby Luxury Car Logos - Italian Minichamps Ads (GALLERY)

These baby car logos and emblems are too darn cute! The Minichamps campaign features the opulent Italian brands Jaguar, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati in their imagined infant stages.

The adorable… [More]

20. Movie Car Ownership - Real Batmobile on eBay (VIDEO)

We’ve used to term “Batmobile” loosely in the past, using it to describe futuristic carts that remind us of Batman’s supercar, but this beauty is actually an original from the 1980 movie, and it’s on eBay… [More]

21. The MDI Air Car - The Ultimate Green Machine (VIDEO)

After working on the air powered car concept for the past 15 years French engineer Guy Negre is about to bring this revolutionary vehicle to the masses thanks to a contract with India’s main car manufacturer;… [More]

22. $3 Million Uber Car - Bugatti Project Lydia (GALLERY)

Bugatti has their sights set on unseating Ferrari as the world’s supercar manufacturer. On the heels of the VW-built Veyron, comes Project Lydia, named for Bugatti’s wife.

We thought the Bugatti Veyron… [More]

23. Car Shoes - Opel Agila Heels (GALLERY)

These aqua-colored Opel Agila high-heel shoes are real. They were designed by Luca Stappers and were unveiled on April 2nd at a special party that took place at the Shoebaloo Boutique in Amsterdam. The… [More]

24. Travel on Land, Water & Air - Evolution Aircraft (GALLERY)

Incredible! For $7,200 you can now have a vehicle that can travel on land, slide through water and snow, and most importantly, fly! Evolution is designed by Alexander Begak , who presented his invention… [More]

25. Four-Wheeled Motorcycle - Sbarro Pendolauto (GALLERY)

The unique Sbarro Pendolauto was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show by the Swiss automobile and motorcycle customizing company. The four-wheeled leaning “bike” uses independent front and rear suspension… [More]

26. Diesel Trees - Grow Your Own Oil (Copaifera langsdorfii) (GALLERY)

Can this be a reality for our future? In the wet tropical region of North Queensland, Australian farmers have bought over 20,000 diesel trees with the intention that in 15 or so years, they’ll have an… [More]

27. I Drove All Night - TAG Heuer Night Vision Glasses

Originally inspired by and developed for the internationally renowned 24 Hours of LeMans sports car endurance race, TAG Heuer Eyewear is making their innovative purpose-made “Night Vision” eyeglasses available… [More]

28. Shoe Designers Tackle Concept Car - Nike ONE (GALLERY)

Asking a shoe designer to come up with a car, is like asking a sex toy designer to come up with a shoe. Oh wait, I forgot about the Dildo Shoe. So why shouldn’t Nike ONE design team have a go at a concept… [More]

29. DIY Flying Machine - Individual Lifting Vehicle Kit

The Performance Aviation Manufacturing Group (PAM) plans to sell the Individual Lifting Vehicle (ILV) as a kit. As in… insert A to B and snap in place. The machine is said to have reached a maximum height… [More]

30. Start Your Car From ANYWHERE - AutoPage C3 (CES 2008) (VIDEO)

The cell phone controlled AutoPage C3 has some ground-breaking functional innovations… like the ability to start the car from anywhere in the world. Seriously. I could be having a beer in a bar in Germany,… [More]