Well that's about to change this year as designer Frank M. Rinderknecht has announced he and his company will be bringing a brand-new concept to the Consumer Electronics Show this year in Las Vegas. That's over 5,000 miles and in every way a world away from its usual stomping ground.
The new concept is called ?tos, and like Rinspeed's other recent designs, it centers around the idea of autonomous transportation. Only instead of making it a living room on wheels, Rinderknecht and company have somewhat bizarrely gone for a sports car. Just what the point of having a self-driving sports car is, we're not sure – but we're looking forward to finding out.
The Etos – as we'll refer to it for those who don't read Greek – is motivated by an undisclosed hybrid powertrain. The cockpit features a steering wheel that automatically folds itself out of the way when switched to autonomous mode while two individual displays move closer to the occupants. The design, which Rinspeed calls a "twenty-second concept vehicle" (whatever that means), even has a little helipad on the back from which to deploy a remote-control drone.
So why come to CES instead of sticking with Geneva, you ask? "The major and especially the disruptive innovations in future automotive engineering will come from the digital realm," explains Rinderknecht. "That is why all major manufacturers and suppliers are now present at the CES Consumer Electronic Show."
