THIS FUTURISTIC sports car powered by natural gas can transform into a pickup truck. Based on a Porsche, the 911 Turbo-based Rinspeed Bedouin was created to show how a powerful car can also use renewable energy. Frank M. Rinderknecht, CEO for Swiss-based manufacturer Rinspeed has been building concept-cars for the Geneva Motor Show for over 20 years. He calls himself “an automotive futurist”, with the Rinspeed Bedouin being just one of his many innovative creations. He told Ridiculous Rides: “The Bedouin was created to show sustainability, powered by natural CMG gas.” The vehicle was built in 2003, at that time the batteries were still too weak to power a car like this one. By taking on this project Frank was faced with big challenges to maintain the basic shape of the Porsche. “We did not want to obstruct the original design, but to compliment it," he said. “Then we had to fit all the technology in a relatively small amount of space." The Bedouin still provides the luxuries of a sports car, with soft leather seats, engraved with thousands of crystals. Of course, the main feature of this innovative creation is how the backside can be transformed at the touch of a button into a pickup truck, a rare find in the motoring world because of the cost of manufacturing. Frank explained: "It's cheaper to have like two different vehicles instead of combining two in one, but it's still in the people's heart to have a car which serves many purposes.”
