The World's Slowest Porsche

This is unbelievable.

A "Porsche", made of nothing more than a light steel frame, electrical conduit and packing tape. Add in some pedals and off you go!

Projects such as these are, well... bat-shit awesome! Ignoring the fact that it's a Porsche (Ferrari all the way!), the fact that this has been made in a garage with relatively rudimentary tools means this is accessible to almost anyone. Whilst the welding might be a bit... hairy... for a child, the other steps (especially the application of packing tape) is "FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!!!"

More info here and the maker's website is here (albeit in German).

From the creators of the Aeron...

Mobilegs.

Jeff Weber designed the office chair that many people lust over: The Herman Miller Aeron.

Will we ever get people lusting over a set of crutches? I'm not too sure. Crutches help people convalesce, and in some cases, are used in place of a walking stick for more long term injuries. To have a new design come out and aid peoples recovery physically and emotionally, is great. However, the service side of this product may let it down. In Australia, you hire your crutches from either the hospital, chemist or assisted living centre. It may be unlikely that they will spring for Mobilegs just yet. The customisable skins, whilst being really cool, may prove to be a hinderance for such organisations as they will have to break out the eucalyptus oil to rid the crutches of the glue residue... if they allow their clients to put the stickers on in the first place!

I have to applaud Weber for the idea... lets hope he gets these puppies out into the population and a really good service is put in place!

Gordon Murray's Epic New Car

Image source: The Telegraph

In a world full of hyperbole, I think we can honestly say that this is a potential game changer.

For those who entered late... Gordon Murray is one of the most acclaimed and respected car designers to have walked this Earth. His engineering nous, radical approaches and innovative techniques gave rise to an illustrious Formula One career and a road car so advanced and extraordinary, it is still the fastest naturally-aspirated (non-turbo/supercharged) car ever. Not bad for a car that was conceived in the early 90's...

Murray's T25 could be the next Volkswagen Beetle or Mini Cooper. Whilst the details of the car are still thin, we can begin to think of what this car could bring. It is smaller than a Smart FourTwo and Mini. It is a three-seater in the same style as his previous masterpiece, the McLaren F1 road-car. A small-sized, but high output engine is under the hood. All of these things are perfect for city driving, but it is the safety aspect of this car that makes it so interesting. According to Murray, the assembly process is "revolutionary" and it borrows strongly from Formula One. Having seen Mark Webber's massive accident at the European F1 and watching him exit the car without a scratch gives us pause... Gordon Murray could have just designed the safest, strongest and most practical car since Alec Issigonis penned the original Mini.

For more info on the T25, go to Gordon Murray Design, The Telegraph, Crave Online and Wired.

The Beginning!

Hi everyone and welcome to The Aileron.

Why The Aileron? Much like Bucky Fuller, I am a designer who is interested in everything; from science to nature and everything in between. An aileron is a control surface on a wing, much like Bucky's "trim tab." Whilst the trim tab is a small part causing a large change, an aileron is much more direct.

And honestly... I like the way it sounds!

Welcome to my world and enjoy your stay!

Gianni