Toray Industries, a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan that specializes in industrial fibers and textiles, has teamed with world-renowned designer Gordon Murray to dream up the T-Wave AR1, a two-seat electric concept that showcases Toray’s carbon fiber expertise.

Toray says the T-Wave AR1 can hit speeds of up to 91 miles per hour and has a range of around 115 miles. Although it’s nothing more than a concept, Toray claims the T-Wave could be modified for on-road use.

The T-Wave’s extensive use of carbon fiber keeps weight to a minimum (1,865 pounds), and its carbon fiber monocoque makes it Superman strong. Toray says the AR1′s frame is roughly ten times as rugged as a steel equivalent and that it can absorb 2.5 times more energy during a collision. The T-Wave will get an official debut at the Toray Advanced Materials Symposium at the Tokyo International Forum on September 14.

Gordon Murray and Toray unveil electric T-Wave AR1 concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the annals of Batmobile history, we’re not sure where to peg this latest version. The good: It’s dark, it’s carbon fiber and it spits flames from a carbon-ceramic afterburner. The bad: It’s just really freaking dull. But because it’s been designed by Gordon Murray of McLaren F1 fame (not to mention the strange-but-somehow-cool T.27 city car), we want to love it. But can’t.

Unlike the jet-engined powered Batmobiles of yore, Murray’s design is an odd attempt at the Dark Knight going green, with a hydrogen fuel cell and a brace of lithium-ion batteries. The carbon fiber body supposedly “breathes” and the “virtual wheels” are ringed in LEDs. How either of those features help the caped crusader fight crime is beyond us, but then again, so is the idea of the Batman Live World Arena Tour it’s been built for.

You can check out Murray’s original sketch in the gallery below and watch a duo of videos after the jump. We’re going to weep quietly as yet another childhood dream vehicles succumbs to the PC overlords.

Continue reading Gordon Murray’s Batmobile unveiled [w/video]

Gordon Murray’s Batmobile unveiled [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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