Rinspeed Presto

Rinspeed is no stranger to quirky concepts, habitually rolling out a show car for the annual Geneva Motor Show. The Presto was revealed at the 2002 event, as an unusual solution to offering two cars in one.

In its two-seat mode, the overall length is less then three metres, which makes the Presto a cinch to get into the smallest parking bays. It's a little toy car like in its appearance in this form, but it's fully driveable and makes for a usefully nippy city car. Once out of the tight parking space, an electric motor lengthens the car to about 3.74-metres, revealing a second pair of seats in the back with plenty of legroom. Admittedly the Presto looks a little awkward in this mode, but it certainly works.

Since Rinspeed exhibited the Presto in Geneva, it's been all quiet on the production front, though the company openly admits that it will produce any of its concept cars if a buyer is willing to pay the price.

Shane O' Donoghue

Thursday August 7