Some of the world’s best designers took on the task of devising the potential look, shape and feel of the cars of 2030. Sometimes, you can tell a lot about what drives society – by looking at what’s being driven. Technology, aesthetic values, even the price of petrol at a particular time often finds form in the popular automobiles of an era.

In the 1950s and 1960s the station wagon (or estate car) was an iconic symbol of  nuclear families, nine-to-five jobs, weekend picnics and a house in the suburbs. Likewise, the sport-utility generation of recent years tells of relatively cheap fuel and increased disposable income. We are now facing the buffers of a worldwide energy crisis as oil becomes more precious and the economy takes a turn for the austere. 

But what will the cars of tomorrow be like? Maybe not unlike the cars featured here, designed by six of the automobile industry’s finest for 2030.

The Design Competition, sponsored by last month’s Los Angeles Auto Show, asked contestants to take into account the changing face of modern society – smart phones, social networking websites and emerging ideas in public transportation. What kind of cars will the hyper-connected hordes of tomorrow want to drive? And how do you get drivers to connect with their rides on an emotional level?

Heady stuff. Fortunately, the prestigious competition engaged some of the brightest minds in the industry, with representatives from the world’s top automakers – Volkswagen/Audi, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota – taking a long shot at the future.

“Automotive designers have always been fascinated with the next generation of drivers,” says Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and a judge in this year’s competition.

Indeed, the future finds its way into most of the contestant’s themes as, in previous years, designers have been asked to envision everything from what an entirely recyclable car might look like to the racing machines of 2025.

And the winner of this year’s competition? The Nissan V2G.  “In the end, it came down to which team had the most inventive and solution-orientated design,” Pelly said. “Nissan’s designers showed passion and were able to create the ultimate Youthmobile for 2030 with their V2G design.”

According to its design team, the V2G uses “bioresin-impregnated carbon nanotube cloth” technology. What that means hasn’t been made clear, but by 2030 it might make sense. 

Honda Helix

Designer: Honda Research and Development, North America

Under the Bonnet: uses driver’s DNA to shift shapes

Imagine a car as unique as you and you have the new meaning given to the word “hybrid” by Honda. The Helix taps into your DNA to alter its body via adaptive polymers that not only change the shape of the car but also its colour and function, allowing you to shape-shift through even the tightest jam.

GM Car Hero

Designer: General Motors Advanced Design

Under the Bonnet: the ultimate video game accessory. GM invites you to be the protagonist in your own customised, real-time video game. Punch in co-ordinates for your destination and the Hero takes care of the rest. As you drive, though, the car challenges you to match the system’s skill level. If you do, bonuses are unlocked as missions grow increasingly complicated, even if you’re just going out for a pint of milk.

Nissan V2G

Designer: Nissan Design America

Under the Bonnet: mass-transit on an electrically charged roadway.

Nissan’s designers believe tomorrow’s roads will be electrically charged conduits, hauling commuters to the daily grind. Cheap and stylish, the car would operate on a grid chosen by the car’s owner, much the way people choose a mobile phone plan or a route through today’s cities.

Audi eSpira

Designer: Volkswagen/Audi of America Design Center California

Under the Bonnet: twitch-controlled steering. The car reacts to the driver’s every twitch. Synchronisation between car and driver is so thorough the model “feels” gestures and inclinations then responds. Already warming up its 2030 marketing campaign, Audi claims: “the most direct, fluid form of vehicle control is only thoughts away.”

Toyota Link

Designer: Toyota’s Calty Design Research

Under the Bonnet: Toyota’s vision is all about connectivity. The students of tomorrow will start their day walking to their nearest hub where they will board a Link, which then whirrs its way through the transit network, meeting up with friends along the way. The Link’s four “spheres” convert energy into friction to recharge the batteries. 

Mazda Souga

Designer: Mazda R&D of North America

Under the Bonnet: designed to let you be the designer. Log into a virtual playground at Mazda’s website and design your own car. Then pay $2,000 and pick up the finished product at the factory. That’s the premise behind the Souga, which runs on electricity and eschews on-board gadgetry to deliver a driver-focused experience.