Seriously, who can deny the naturalistic charm of wooden conceptions with their all out quirkiness? Wood, by virtue of its low carbon output, can be considered as a sustainable material when used for construction of vehicular framework. Though, the weight of wood can prove to be unwieldy, especially in comparison with its lighter car body cousins such as carbon fiber. But that has not stopped some adamantly innovative people to contrive full blown automobiles which their chassis crafted entirely of wood. So, without further ado let us check out 10 such fascinating fastidious wooden cars that can be actually driven.
1. Handmade wooden car Tryane II
A look at those shiny curves and we are surely enticed by their grandiose demeanor. This completely handmade glossy conception created by one Mr. Friend Wood, is christened as the Tryane II. Beyond the antediluvian visual allure, this 900 pounds (408 kg) car can actually romp up to a blistering top speed of 100mph (160 km/h). The ridiculously high performance certainly corresponds to the painstaking 2000 work hours of labor given by the creator.
2. Japanese wooden car
Looking more like a futuristic chariot than a wooden car, this conception is supposedly influenced by the Flintstones. Contrived in Japan (though we do not have any info on the creator), the 390 kg vehicle is fully bio-degradable and is touted to go up to a speed of 90 km/hr. Though, with a price tag of around $32,500 very few of the eco-nerds would actually go for it.
3. Maruti 800 in its wooden wrap
Maruti 800 is one of the most commonest automobiles found scampering on the dusty roads of India. But, a full fledged wooden Maruti 800 can surely turn a lot of flummoxed heads. Ingeniously designed by Appar Lakshmanan, a carpenter with an experience of 25 years, this bantam wooden contraption was also aptly named as the Appar 25. Complete with latticed wooden strip doors, a grooved bonnet and wooden seats, the final result is surely worth Rs. 280,000 (the price paid by an art-connoisseur for the intriguing project).
4. Battery powered wooden car
This sprightly wooden vehicle with wood rimmed wheels may look like a showpiece for some publicity gimmick, but in actuality it is a fully working car conceived by a father and son duo from Xinjiang Province of China. They took nearly one year and 15,000 yuans to finally arrive at the nigh perfect end product. Then unveiled at the International Tourism Festival in Kashgar, the battery powered contraption with a price of 150,000 yuan surely did get a lot of attention. But, beyond the adulation it is the heartfelt essence that deserves all the accolades.
5. Pascal Anson morphed 1997 Honda civic to a wooden car
A perfect reinvention of the Civic into its wooden iteration - this is one Pascal Anson's glorious vision. Making use of some sticky backed plastic and knotty pine, he converted them into polished strips of cladding for the 1997 model. What is even more surprising is the fact that this car was originally draped in wood with burgundy texture, but somehow Mr. Anson did not like it. Now you may ask what was the use of re-doing it again? Well, in our book, creativity is a good enough reason.
6. Half modern, half retro wooden car in Ukraine
The front part (and one of the sides) may remind us Mafia 2's Empire Bay City, while the rear section (along with the other side) alludes to some sprightly sports coupe. This intricately novel conception is the brainchild of one Vasily Lazarenko, who gave one and a half years of his life and two other personal vehicles to contrive his dream machine. Created from an assortment of oak parts, glues and bolts and powered by a 1981 Opel engine, this 100hp vehicle certainly succeeds in ticking our fancies.
7. 1967 Renault Rio customized wood car
Grandly outfitted with a 750cc 4 Cylinder engine and a 3 speed transmission, this wooden 1967 Renault Rio is subtly smudged with an opulently regal essence. Owned by the Dezer Collection, a car museum based in North Miami, the two-seater sports car is actually built on a Renault 4 CV chassis. The exquisite bearing with a sober finish does accentuate upon the overall appeal of the $25,000 (base price) of the vehicle. But wait, the base price will surely go up to a more opulent stature, after the antique conception goes under the hammer.
8. Oakwood wonder: The wooden Volkswagen Beetle
This list would certainly remain incomplete if it did not include the venerable Beetle. A Bosnian auto-enthusiast going by the name of Momir Bojic has converted his 1974 model into a full-fledged sustainable wooden version. Draped in classy oakwood, the wooden cover of the vehicle was manufactured by a process called Bentwood. In this simple process, the usable pieces of wood are steamed so that they become malleable for craftsmanship. Then they are curved during the soft stage into desired forms and then affixed to the chassis.
9. Splinter - the wooden supercar
Powered by a twin-supercharged V8 from Cadillac, incorporated to a hefty six-speed transmission this 600hp sleek monster is sure to have many of our hearts pounding. Created by a group of students from North Carolina State University, the ambitious endeavor was actually undertaken to test the qualities of wood as building components for cars. Supported by oakwood veneers and sturdy rubber tires, the power-train of the super-car is touted to handle the whopping 1100kg weight of the car.
10. Custom built 2009 wooden car
Built upon a 1986 Toyota truck frame, while powered by a Chrysler 318 engine, this fervently enticing conception was the creation of a North Carolina based furniture builder/auto-aficionado. The artistically quaint nature of the car is complimented by sumptuously polished cedar planks. And, beyond pure aesthetics, the car had just traveled a mere 1,800 miles before being auctioned off at eBay. We are sure that it was one of the prime selling points for the fascinating vehicle.
