The Vandenbrink Carver is a crossover vehicle of a different sort: Its enclosed cabin is reminiscent of a car's (specifically, the New Beetle's), but it seats just two-a driver and a petite passenger-in tandem like a motorcycle. It leans into turns (motorcycle), a motion controlled by the steering wheel and not the weight of a driver (car). Its three wheels split the difference.

Popular ScienceWhy do you have such a passion for design?Bob LutzThe exterior is the first contact a potential buyer has with a car. If a person falls in love with the exterior, they'll go to a dealership, look at the interior, inquire about pricing-they're already on their way to buying it. Twenty or 30 years ago, people would say, "It's not very good looking, but the engineering is great and the quality is good." But now everything is great. Everything handles wonderfully. Everything has great brakes.