CAFÉ RACER 76

2035 ZAIRE all-terrain concept envisioned

Designed for National Geographic's photography team

The 2035 ZAIRE is an all-terrain concept designed for National Geographic's photography team.

If you liked the Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force you will probably appreciate this radical ZAIRE all-terrain concept envisioned for the year 2035. If there will ever be a production model, it would help out the photographers from National Geographic to tackle the difficult African terrain.

It has enough room for five people and comes with several interesting features like a seat extendable above the vehicle, along with a special transforming maglev wheel system. The chassis was designed by Volkswagen and it remains relatively horizontal even when the ZAIRE is driven at extreme angles. It benefits from a suspension which "allows for movement similar to human joints."

Source: yankodesign.com via jalopnik.com and Worldcafans

BMW R100/7 BY CAFE RACER DREAMS

The BMW R-series has joined the Honda CB750 and Triumph Bonneville in the pantheon of custom motorcycle platforms. With a remarkably distinctive-looking engine and a bulky, high-capacity tank, it’s not a conventionally ‘pretty’ bike. But love it or loathe it, the big BMW sure looks the business.

This is the 27th build from the Spanish workshop Cafe Racer Dreams. A 1978 R100/7, it amplifies the strengths of the vintage BMW aesthetic. The back end is completely new, sporting a hand-made leather seat and supported by Harley-Davidson XR1200 shocks rebranded with the BMW logo.

The tank has been stripped back to metal, partially repainted in Marine Blue, and clear-coated. The fenders are custom-fabricated and the frame has been refinished in satin black.

CRD’s signature Renthal Ultra Low bars are fitted with new enduro-style controls, a compact speedometer and classy brown Ariete grips. And in a welcome departure from the ubiquitous Firestone Champion Deluxe tires, the BMW is shod with Pirelli’s highly-rated MT 43 Pro trial bike rubber: A modern DOT-legal tire that works well on the road, as well as on looser surfaces. The MT 43 is only available in 18” and 21” sizes, so the BMW’s front wheel has been dropped down a size to 18”—the same as the rear.

The result is practical and stylish in equal measure: A dash of Latin flair added to Teutonic efficiency.

More, please,

Images by Cesar Serrano of Love For Iron. Head over to the Cafe Racer Dreams Facebook page to keep up with the latest news from Madrid.

Ducati Kelevra

KELEVRA by SOUTHGARAGE

Buckle Up, Baby: Our perfect co-drivers from 5 eras

Have you ever considered the qualities required for a perfect co-driver? We have – and we present our favourites from five eras here.

The 1960s – Jane Birkin

Jane Birkin was a wild child of the 60s. Attractive, self-educated and self-assured, many saw her as the frontwoman for the sexual revolution. She proved her ‘shotgun’ qualities to both Bond composer John Barry and French singer Serge Gainsbourg, and would surely have some interesting tales to tell from the filming of Michelangelo Antonioni's masterpiece Blow Up.

The 1970s - Tamara Dobson

We feel American actress and star of the blaxploitation genre Tamara Dobson is the perfect co-driver from the 70s. Her self-confidence was evident throughout her career, meaning she would also be able to take the wheel in ‘extreme cases’ – as she did several times in the movies she starred in.

The 1980s – Kim Wilde

Her single ‘Kids in America’ was one of the road trip anthems of the 80s; so what would be more appropriate for a time-warp voyage than having it sung to you in stereo? Nothing could be more ‘Eighties’ – assuming your steed is a Porsche 944 and your sunglasses Aviator.

The 1990s – Michelle Pfeiffer

Recall Pfeiffer’s legendary performance as Catwoman in Batman Returns, and you’ll understand why we chose her as the perfect co-driver of the 90s. Perhaps there would be a stumbling block, though: would she only accept the Batmobile as an adequate form of transportation? We’re sure a Bentley Continental T could help to persuade her otherwise.

Today – Lana Del Rey

She’s not only one of the most talented singers of her generation (a feat more easily achieved nowadays, admittedly), but she also brings back 1960s elegance in her own way. For these reasons, Jaguar picked her as the ‘face’ of its extensive marketing efforts for the F-type – and we've chosen her as the ultimate co-driver of the present for the very same reasons. We’re sure those pretty eyes can spot a speed camera from quite a distance, too.

Text: Classic Driver

Photos: Corbis (1) / Getty Images