Xelestine transforming sportcar-wagon-truck concept intrigues

A design concept from design firm Xelestine for a 2-door sports car that transforms into a station wagon and a pickup truck is intriguingly practical, but largely unrealistic.

A design firm in Delaware, Xelestine, has introduced a new conceptual design for a Fastback, Wagon and Pickup Truck" all in one car.

The concept is patent-pending, but would be every mid-life family man's dream. Imagine a front-engine fast back like the Nissan Altima or Lexus LFA or even, dare we say it, the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Now imagine that when you have to tote the spouse and kids along, it can transform into a wagon for the purpose and on the weekends when you have to make that run to the hardware store and need a pickup truck.. yep, it can do that too.

Pretty big step up from the minivan or sport utility you're tooling around in now. Eh, Vern?

The design is obviously very intriguing, but has a few kinks that will need to be worked out if anyone were to ever take this to production.

For example, in order for the extended (lifted) roofline to be useful in "wagon" mode, there would have to be rear seating. A 2+3 seating arrangement extending to a full 5-seat option when the roofline lifts so the seats can push back would be obvious. Where does that extra row go, however, when the roof folds in for "pick-up truck" mode?

Speaking of that pick-up truck option, with all that glass now becoming your truck's bed casing, wouldn't it be prone to breaking if anything even remotely substantial were placed in there? Anyone who's owned and used a pickup truck knows that eventually, no matter how much you don't want it to, there will be something that scratches and dents your bed walls. If those walls (even just one of them) is glass.

So while this concept is intriguingly practical, it's unrealistic. If you disagree, let us know below. Here is video of the transformations in action:

Fastback to Shooting Break from Xelestine on Vimeo.

Fastback to Pickup Truck from Xelestine on Vimeo.