Given all the column inches devoted to the wild and sometimes wacky vehicles at this year's CES, you'd be forgiven for thinking the event was dedicated to cars - not tech in general. But unlike regular car shows, CES is being used by car-makers to show off their most ambitious four (and two) wheeled projects, most of which, we might add, are a long way from entering full production. That said, aspects of these new technologies may find their way into more suburban models relatively soon.

 

Here are 10 vehicles that got us most excited here in the startrescue.co.uk office...

 

Hyundai Elevate

This idea may seem crazy, but the boffins at Hyundai think it has legs. The Elevate functions just like a normal car, but when the terrain gets too bumpy and uneven for wheels, the car unfolds its legs - upon each of which is a wheel - and rise over obstacles. It's early days for this walking car concept, but it seems to offer solutions to emergency services that even the most rugged SUV cannot.

 

Byton M-Byte

While the exterior of the M-Byte is futuristic and snazzy enough, it's the vast touch-screen that will turn most heads. Alongside this 48 inch screen will be four other touch-screens, which, when one considers the base price of $45,000, demands the question: where are they cutting corners? It will launch in China in 2019 and USA in 2020, with no European/UK launch planned as yet.

 

Nissan Leaf Plus

iStock/sjo

Yes, it's another electric car, but this 'Plus' version of the popular Leaf has a range of 226 miles - that's around 76 miles more than the basic model. While the extended range will be a crowd pleaser, Nissan hasn't given any idea of pricing.

 

Harley-Davidson LiveWire

Speak to most die-hard Harley fans and they'll tell you they wouldn’t be seen dead on an electric Harley. And if the US motorcycle marque is meeting resistance from the old faithful, things aren't improved by the short 110 mile range - or the $30,000 price tag!

 

BMW Vision iNEXT

If you thought the M-Byte looked futuristic, take a gander at BMW's Vision iNext. While it looks like another ambitious concept car, the iNEXT will indeed be available to buy - in two years' time. It's a crossover for the 22nd century, never mind the 21st.

 

Mercedes-Benz CLA 250

iStock/tomeng

As Mercedes-Benz' very first semi-autonomous production car, the CLA 250 is a landmark product for the German auto outfit. Yet underneath all the glitz the 250 is a classic sports sedan, with a 2-litre turbocharged four cylinder, producing 221 horsepower and 258lb/ft of torque. Among the most impressive self-driving aspects of this car are its ability to take control on motorways and while overtaking.

 

Mercedes-Benz Vision Urbanetic

Mercedes-Benz has long had a finger in the public transportation pie through its bus manufacturing division, but the Urbanetic is a dramatic departure from the classic omnibus. The bulbous cabin has been designed to give passengers maximum space, while the autonomous systems promise to maximise safety - and minimise congestion.

 

BMW Riderless R 1200 GS Motorcycle

iStock/RapidEye

We've already covered this revolutionary bike in this blog, but it's worth re-iterating how much BMW's riderless bike could improve safety. The bike can keep itself upright and harnesses adaptive cruise control and emergency braking systems to keep the rider safe at all times. In the future, the possibility of communicating with other vehicles could see even more dramatic road safety improvements.

 

Audi Aicon

Another mind-bogglingly futuristic car appeared at CES, in the form of the Audi Aicon. Due to launch in 2021 - like the BMW iNEXT - the Aicon delivers an even more super-chilled sci-fi aesthetic than the Beamer. Indeed, there's so much cabin space, the seats can almost fully recline.

 

Mercedes-Benz Vision EQ Silver Arrow

Inspired by the legendary W 125 Silver Arrow of 1937, the stunning EQ Silver Arrow is much more than aesthetic grand-standing; this beauty actually goes. Under the shell is a 750-horsepower electric motor, which perfectly compliments the silvery carbon-fibre-and-copper exterior.