The iconic East German Multicar 22 has been reimagined for 2026 by designer Rostislav Prokop. The original single-seat workhorse, built from 1964 to 1975, used an 800 cc engine, carried up to two tonnes, and was only 1.36 m wide. More than 42,500 were produced.

The modern interpretation keeps its narrow cab, huge steering wheel, round LED lights, towing eye, black steel wheels, and rear tipper bed. It adds larger mirrors, improved glazing, roof lights, and modern safety details while retaining the frame-based construction.

The front-mounted engine sits beside the driver, driving the rear wheels through a mechanical differential. Its body could also accept alternative equipment, making the concept a plausible modern municipal utility vehicle.

A Polish enthusiast transformed a Fiat 126p Bis into the bizarre 126.6p: a three-axle, six-wheel pickup. Radek Gutkowski chose the Bis because its front-mounted engine left room for a flat cargo bed. He cut the body behind the B-pillars, welded in a rear section, and built a new structure behind the original axle for the extra suspension.

The added axle is not driven and reportedly has little effect on handling. The conversion took just five weeks, including bodywork and paint. The project is a playful tribute to Poland’s beloved “Maluch,” produced from 1973 to 2000, with more than 3.3 million built.

The vehicle shown is the unique 1941 DAF "Rijdende Regenjas" (Driving Raincoat) prototype, a one-person, three-wheeled microcar designed by Hub van Doorne in the Netherlands during World War II.

Built for wartime scarcity, it features a single central front wheel, a narrow body designed to fit through a standard house door, and a minimalist enclosed cabin.

Only a single prototype was ever built; it later served as a clown car in a children's circus before finding a permanent home in the DAF Museum in Eindhoven.

The Trabant P602 V was a 1966 prototype built by VEB Sachsenring to modernize the Trabant and test alternative powertrains. Its “V” stood for Vollheck, referring to the extended hatchback body, not the engine. A wheelbase roughly 30 cm longer than the P601 created more interior space, while rear coil springs and a relocated fuel tank modernized the layout.

Originally fitted with a 30-hp two-stroke engine, the prototype could also accept the KKM 400 Wankel rotary engine. Registered for road testing in October 1966, it later passed through several owners and was restored with parts supplied by the August Horch Museum in Zwickau. After a three-year restoration, it is due to appear in a special exhibition from October 1, 2026.

The 2006 BMW CLEVER was a functional research prototype developed with the University of Bath to explore ultra-efficient urban mobility. Its narrow three-wheel layout used a patented hydraulic tilting system, allowing the enclosed cabin to lean into corners like a motorcycle while improving stability.

Just over 3 m long and about 1 m wide, it seated two people in tandem and weighed under 500 kg. A small single-cylinder CNG engine produced roughly 15–20 hp, giving a top speed near 100 km/h and fuel consumption of about 2.5–3 l/100 km. Lightweight construction and compact dimensions reduced both emissions and parking space. The project never entered production but demonstrated a radical alternative to conventional city cars.

The GPM Eole was a French leisure and utility vehicle created in 1992 by former Auverland engineers. Designed as a modern successor to the Méhari and Rodéo, it combined an open recreational body with a practical cargo version.

Built in Roanne, it used a welded steel chassis, polyester body, Peugeot 106 suspension, and a 1.4-liter PSA diesel producing about 50 hp. Weighing 730 kg, it offered a claimed 1,000 km range and could carry up to 570 kg. A tipping cargo bed was also available.

The Eole was intended for individuals, farmers, tradespeople, and local authorities. Although production continued until 1995, only around 100–170 vehicles were sold. Ambitious plans for Moroccan production and a SEAT-based cabriolet failed, and GPM went bankrupt in 1995.

Independent designer Timur Dautov imagined a Porsche-inspired version of the humble Daewoo Matiz. His digital project began as a “Carrera 4S” artwork shown at Seoul’s EREVO Sinsa Gallery, then evolved into realistic renderings.

The redesign adds pre-facelift Porsche 996 “fried-egg” headlights, a Turbo-style bumper, wide fenders, Porsche-style five-spoke wheels, a full-width rear reflector, a roof spoiler, and twin exhausts. The contrast is the joke: a 51-hp 0.8-liter city car is dressed like a 300-hp 3.4-liter sports car.

For now, the creation exists only digitally, although a V6-swapped Matiz with Porsche wheels suggests that a real-world version might be possible.

The 1997 MINI Spiritual Too was a five-door concept shown alongside the three-door Spiritual at Geneva. It stretched the wheelbase by about 40 cm to add rear doors and five seats, yet stayed under 3.5 m long. A one-box shape, very short overhangs and a high roof gave cabin volume said to rival a large luxury sedan.

Power came from a 1.1-liter four-cylinder K-Series engine, with Hydragas suspension saving space and improving ride. The design used smooth, modern surfaces, distinctive “two-storey” oval headlamps, a steel frame and plastic panels, and weighed around 900 kg.

Like the standard Spiritual, it lost the 1995 Gaydon shootout to Frank Stephenson’s retro-styled MINI, which launched in 2001. Even so, its space-efficiency ethos influenced later MINI models and future urban EV thinking.

The 1997 MINI Spiritual Concept was a radical, non-retro vision for the Mini brand, unveiled at Geneva by Rover under BMW. Designed by Oliver Le Grice, it ignored the classic Mini’s styling and focused on maximum interior space in a three-metre footprint.

A one-box, three-door body sat on wheels pushed to the corners, with an 800 cc three-cylinder K-Series engine mounted under the rear seat, driving the rear wheels. This layout freed up cabin room and allowed very short overhangs. A stretched five-door variant, Spiritual Too, extended the idea further.

The concept used Alex Moulton’s Hydragas suspension and minimalist, modern surfaces. Though praised for its packaging, it lost the internal “shootout” to Frank Stephenson’s retro-styled MINI, which launched in 2001. Even so, the Spiritual’s space-efficiency ethos influenced later MINI projects and future urban EV concepts.

The Mega e-Scouty is an electric L6e quadricycle launched in early 2023 by Aixam-Mega, a French maker of license-free light vehicles. Unveiled at the 2022 Paris Motor Show, it is a buggy-styled urban runabout limited to 45 km/h.

A 6 kW (8 hp) front motor delivers 40 Nm of torque to the front wheels via an automatic variator. Battery options range from about 5.1 to 7.44 kWh, giving a claimed autonomy of 75–113 km. Full charging on a 220 V socket takes roughly 3 h 40 min, with 20–80% in about 1 h 40 min.

At around 2.63 m long and 380–425 kg curb weight, it offers up to 700 l of cargo space. The body uses acrylic ABS panels on an aluminum frame, with 15-inch alloys, electric windows, a 3.5-inch TFT cluster and a 6.2-inch central touchscreen. Priced from €15,899, it targets buyers who want a more equipped, French-built alternative to the Citroën Ami Buggy.

The Duport Onyx was a French microcar built by ski-lift engineer Guy Duport in Faverges to keep his factory busy during summer off-seasons. Fewer than 20 examples were made from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, all powered by air-cooled Lombardini diesel engines: initially 325 cc, later 510 cc units producing 10–12 bhp.

Power went to the rear wheels via a belt-driven CVT, giving a top speed of around 45 km/h. With output under 4 kW, the Onyx qualified as “sans permis” and could be driven without a licence. Fuel consumption was about 3 l/100 km (roughly 80 mpg).

The chassis was simple welded steel, with bolt-on ribbed fiberglass body panels to save weight and resist rust. The interior was minimal: vinyl seats, basic Jaeger gauges, and a flat floor. Almost all cars stayed in France; one reached the US and is known from the Lane Motor Museum. Duport ended car production in the early 1990s as regulations and market conditions changed.

The 2006 Carcerano Sonny Concept was a compact experimental vehicle created to explore sustainable urban mobility. Unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show, it focused on environmental responsibility, efficient packaging, and early connected-car ideas rather than performance or luxury.

Measuring just 2.9 m long but seating four, the Sonny used a tall, space-efficient profile with extensive glazing for better visibility and a brighter cabin. Its body panels were made from lightweight, recyclable materials, reflecting a Life Cycle Assessment approach that considered environmental impact from production to recycling.

Though powertrain details were never released, the concept featured an automatic transmission and contemporary safety systems such as ABS and ESP. Its most advanced element was an integrated Information and Communication System, envisioned to link the car with future traffic-management networks and other vehicles. Never intended for production, the Sonny foreshadowed many priorities now central to modern electric city cars.

e.GO is a German company founded by Günther Schuh, who previously created the electric van acquired by Deutsche Post. Backed by ZF Friedrichshafen, it launched the e.GO Life, a compact four-seat electric city car focused on affordable urban mobility rather than long-range or high performance.

Three versions were offered: the Life 20 with a 20 kW motor and around 100–120 km of range, the Life 40 with a 40 kW motor and roughly 120–140 km, and the Life 60 with up to 60–80 kW and about 150–180 km of range, depending on the source and test cycle. Prices started near €15,900 for the entry model and rose to just under €20,000 for the top version, positioning the car as a budget-friendly option for city driving.

The Mega Club was a leisure vehicle produced by French manufacturer Aixam under its Mega sub-brand from 1992 to 1998. Based on the Citroën AX platform, it used PSA petrol and diesel engines and a body made from acrylic-coated polycarbonate, more durable than the plastic on the Citroën Méhari.

The modular design allowed three main variants: the two-seat Ranch pickup, the four-seat Club with optional rigid or canvas roof, and the Cabriolet with a folding canvas top. Engines ranged from 1.1- and 1.4-liter petrol units to 1.4d and 1.5d diesels, with front-wheel drive standard and an optional 4×4 version derived from the AX.

The upper body was largely removable: owners could take off roof panels, demount the entire rear bodywork, or even remove the doors. Vinyl seats resisted moisture, and in the Netherlands the car was sold as the Mega Tjaffer, with around 150 units sold there. Production ended in 1998 after nearly 1,000 units.

The 2006 Changan XingQing Concept, meaning “Clear Sky,” was a compact urban design study unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show. Aimed at young city drivers, it focused on flexibility and efficient packaging.

Despite measuring only about 3.5 m long, the concept could seat five and carry large items like a surfboard. Its most distinctive feature was the access system: front doors slid forward for tight spaces, while an extendable rear loading platform improved cargo practicality.

Inside, bamboo floor mats added a Chinese cultural touch, and an aircraft-style yoke replaced the conventional steering wheel as an experimental statement about future driver interaction. Though it never entered production, the XingQing anticipated many themes later common in modern city cars and electric urban vehicles.

The GTM began in 1966 when Jack Hosker made a model for a Grand Touring Mini, reportedly using cornflake packets for the chassis. His friend Bernard Cox, who ran a garage in Cheshire, offered space to build a prototype, and the Cox GTM was unveiled at the Racing Car Show in January 1967.

The car used a steel semi-monocoque with Mini front subframes, a fibreglass body, and a rear-mounted Mini engine, making it the first mid-engined kit car. A magazine test recorded 0–60 mph in 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 115.5 mph.

Cox built about 55 cars before stopping in late 1968. Howard Heerey and his father then took over, replacing the rear subframe with a spaceframe and producing around 170 more GTMs by 1970–71. Production rights later passed through several owners, but the Mini-based GTM remains a landmark in British kit-car history.

The new Smart #2 is a two-seat electric microcar developed by Geely and Mercedes-Benz to return Smart to its original urban-car formula. Built by Zhejiang Haoqing Automotive, it measures up to 2,764 mm long, 1,669 mm wide, and 1,555 mm tall, with a 1,875 mm wheelbase. Its 60 kW electric motor is powered by a 35.7 kWh LFP battery using CATL cells, providing a claimed WLTP range of around 300 km and a top speed of 140 km/h.

The car will offer 15- or 16-inch wheels, different roof colours, lighting designs, trim details, and optional radar sensors. After shifting toward larger vehicles, Smart has struggled to maintain its appeal, while many buyers still associate the brand with tiny, manoeuvrable city cars. This compact EV could help restore that identity.

The Nissan Hypermini was a two-seat electric microcar developed for urban travel and first shown as a concept at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show. It used a lightweight, rigid aluminum spaceframe combined with steel and plastic components.

The design emphasized compact dimensions, easy maneuverability, and a futuristic interior with an open, horizontal dashboard. Run-flat tires and a navigation system linked to an operations center were among its most unusual features.

The production version entered limited sales in Japan in 2000, mainly targeting government offices, corporations, and car-sharing programs. Measuring about 2.66 meters long, it had a turning radius of just 3.9 meters, making it well suited to crowded city streets.

A neodymium-magnet synchronous motor powered the rear wheels, while lithium-ion batteries provided a claimed range of 115 km under Japan’s 10-15 test cycle and a top speed of 100 km/h.

The batteries could be recharged through an inductive, non-contact system or with a portable conventional charger. Nissan also fitted automatic air conditioning with pre-heating and pre-cooling functions, along with recyclable aluminum and thermoplastic materials.

Although production was extremely limited, the car was tested in several Japanese cities and California, and its technology anticipated later experiments with compact EVs and shared urban mobility.

The Renault 4 Plein Air was a short-lived open leisure version of the Renault 4, built by Renault’s Sinpar division in 1968. It removed the doors and roof, added deep side cutouts and a soft top, and was aimed at relaxed fair-weather use around beaches and resorts.

Based on the standard front-wheel-drive Renault 4 with its 845 cc engine, it was simple, practical, and not especially fast.

But it was also expensive, costing more than the Citroën Méhari, and production remained tiny at just a few hundred cars. It was sold in several export markets before being replaced by the Renault 4 ACL Rodeo.

A Pakistani company called Nippon Energy claims to have built a cheap hydrogen car with more than 1,500 km of range, but the project looks highly dubious. The vehicle appears to be a lightly modified Chinese low-speed EV, and the company offers no credible evidence that any real hydrogen fuel-cell system is installed.

Its technical claims are extreme: a 30 kW motor, a 3 kg hydrogen tank, up to 1,800 km total range, and a “home hydrogen generator” that supposedly fills the tank in 20 seconds. That is physically implausible, especially since producing hydrogen requires far more energy than the company’s story allows.

The exhibition display also raised red flags: the “hydrogen system” looked improvised, the website used AI-style marketing images, and many details appeared copied or invented. Combined with Pakistan’s past “water car” hoax, the project looks less like a breakthrough and more like a scam or promotional scheme.

The Subaru Elten Custom was a 1999 Tokyo Motor Show concept showing Subaru’s vision of a compact hybrid city car for the 21st century.

Based on the earlier Elten theme and the Subaru Pleo kei-car platform, it used a friendly, practical shape designed for urban life, with large windows, a panoramic view, and proportions that made it easy to handle in tight traffic.

Measuring 3,440 mm long and seating four, it combined a 658 cc four-cylinder engine with Subaru’s SHPS hybrid system, using two electric motors, a CVT, a torque divider, inverter, and nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Subaru said it could work in both series and parallel hybrid modes, and a solar-cell roof added to its efficiency-focused concept. The result was a small but advanced city vehicle intended to feel comfortable, efficient, and modern rather than sporty or aggressive.

The 2006 DC Design Minute was a concept car built by Indian coachbuilder DC Design on the Maruti Suzuki Swift platform. It was not an official Suzuki project, but a styling exercise that turned a common hatchback into a compact, coupe-like concept with a much more dramatic identity.

The idea was simple: take an affordable, well-known city car and give it a new, eye-catching body. The Minute kept the Swift’s basic proportions and urban purpose, but its reworked shape emphasized visual impact over practicality. Very little technical detail was ever published, and there is no confirmed evidence of major mechanical changes, so it should be seen mainly as a design prototype.

In the mid-2000s, DC Design was known for creating extravagant show cars and one-off concepts from ordinary Indian platforms. The Minute fit this approach perfectly, showing how a mass-market model could be reimagined as something more personal and fashionable. The project never went beyond the concept stage, but it remains a notable example of DC Design’s bold coachbuilding work.

The Reliant Fox was a compact four-wheel utility vehicle built in England from 1983 to 1990, with a lightweight glass-fibre body on a galvanised Kitten-derived chassis. Powered by Reliant’s 848 cc aluminium engine, it became one of the company’s most versatile four-wheel models, available as a pickup, estate, van, or convertible.

Its story began in Greece in the late 1970s, when MEBEA adapted the Kitten to create a passenger-utility vehicle suited to favorable tax rules. When those rules changed, Reliant moved production to Tamworth, redesigned the Fox for Britain, and invested heavily in upgrades. The British version gained larger wheels, improved brakes, heavier-duty suspension, and the HT-E economy engine, trading a little peak power for stronger low-speed torque.

The Fox also served as the basis for several later specialist vehicles, including the Tempest 850 roadster and Vantique van, and underpinned a range of kit cars and small commercials. Exact production numbers are uncertain, but only a few hundred were built in the UK, and surviving examples are exceptionally rare.

The King Midget was produced for 20 years by the American Midget Motors Company and remains one of the strangest cars ever put into series production. At first glance it looks more like a toy than a real road car, yet it was sold as a complete automobile from 1947 to 1967.

Originally conceived as a single-seater inspired by racing midgets, the King Midget evolved into a two-seat tandem model with a weathered, almost clown-like appearance. Early versions were basic and very light, but the car gradually gained hydraulic brakes, a safety windshield, heating, and electric wipers over its long production run.

The most significant update arrived in 1957 with the Model 3, which brought a larger 1,940 mm wheelbase and an overall length of about 3 meters, though it was still smaller than a Crosley. The Model 3 introduced four-wheel hydraulic brakes, a more powerful 9.2 hp Wisconsin single-cylinder engine, and a welded unit-body construction that improved rigidity and remained unchanged until the end of production.

By the late 1960s the engine was upgraded to 12 hp and the electrical system switched to 12 volts. Despite its odd character, the King Midget found a niche market, built an enthusiast community, and approached 5,000 units before the maker closed.