Phoenix Bamboo Car Defies Convention

So you think your Prius is green? How about a car made from bamboo and rattan for a set of sustainable wheels?

The Phoenix, unveiled at the "Imagination and Innovation" exhibition in Milan is an experimental vehicle from furniture designer Kenneth Cabonpue. The car borrows heavily from his furniture designs, which highlight natural materials, flowing lines and quality craftsmanship. The end product is a thing of bird-like beauty, with little resemblance to a vehicle churned out of a factory.

An experimental design, the Phoenix is unlikely to make it on to the streets. Although it does use steel and carbon fibre in the frame, the display model has no engine although there is space for one. Perhaps putting a combustion engine in a largely wooden vehicle could end up with the Phoenix living up to its name.

[via habitusliving]