In the interest of avoiding seasonal excess, we’re not recommending you splash out on a new set of wheels for Christmas – unless it’s two, not four. Here’s a selection of accessories, innovations and distractions, all of which bring a transport-related theme to the season, from art cars to the age of exploration, old and new.
Iconic Transit Maps: The World's Best Designs
A book for fans of mass transit and information design, Mark Ovenden’s latest monograph looks at the very best of subway graphics and overland rail diagrams from around the world. Naturally there’s a strong focus on pioneering designs like the London Tube map and NYC’s iconic diagram, as well as lesser-known city-wide systems. The introduction is by designer Erik Spiekermann.
Iconic Transit Maps: The World's Best Designs, Mark Ovenden, Prestel Publishing, £30, PrestelPublishing.PenguinRandomHouse.de, Amazon.co.uk
The Endurance, by Lego
The latest big build from Lego is this impressive model of The Endurance, the ship that took Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team of doughty explorers to the Antarctic in 1914. The real Endurance ended up in an icy grave, but Lego’s 3,000-piece replica is rich in detail and historical accuracy.
The Endurance Set, £229.99, Lego.com
London Underground Map by Traintrackr
Traintrackr build LED maps that tap into the open-source data coming out of the UK rail network. This creates a pleasing synthesis of art and function that hums away showing live updates across the tracks, handy if you’re checking which lines are up or down, or if you simply like the idea of watching the world spin away from the comfort of your desk.
London Underground Map, Traintrackr, £249 (large), Traintrackr.com
Ventete aH-1 Bike Helmet
Swiss start-up Ventete thinks it has solved the problem of bulky bike helmets. The company’s new aH-1 helmet is inflatable, which a strong pneumatic structural system that can be inflated with the included electric pump (which doubles as a tyre pump) in around 30 seconds. When you’ve parked up, the ribbed structure can be deflated down to 90% of its original size and popped in a pocket or back-back.
Ventente aH-1 Bike Helmet, £350, Ventete.com
CLIP E-bike Convertor
Billed as the ‘world’s first and only no-tools e-bike conversion kit’, the Brooklyn-based CLIP is a removable lithium-ion-powered motor unit that clips over the front wheel of a wide variety of standard bikes (not if you have front suspension forks, though). It installs in seconds to add an instant torque boost thanks to the 450W motor and adds 10km of electric range. Simply remove to charge, and even swap it over to another bike.
CLIP, from £450, Clip.Bike
Mars. Photographs from the NASA Archives
Ok, so it’s not exactly a travel book, nor are the transportation systems described open to anyone except robots, but this is probably the best (and only) way to get a good look at the red planet for the foreseeable future. Produced with typical Taschen aplomb, Mars is an out of this world atlas for true armchair travel.
Mars. Photographs from the NASA Archives, £50, Taschen.com
Schuco x Arsham Studio Porsche 911 Turbo
Schuco has created this limited edition 1:12 model of the Daniel Arsham Porsche 911 Turbo (930A), complete with custom Arsham Studio packaging. Finished with Schuco’s trademark attention to detail, it’s an art car in miniature that replicates the livery and graphics of the original with perfect fidelity.
Schuco x Arsham Studio Porsche 911 Turbo, €930, DanielArsham.Schuco.de
Lemmo One E+ Bike Engineer's Edition
Limited to just 200 units, the Engineer's Edition of the Lemmo One E+ Bike stands out from the crowded racks of rugged e-bikes with its forged aluminium, weld-free frame. This limited edition comes with a special hand-brushed metal finish, ‘Stealth Suspension Seat System’, phone holder, and up to 100km of range.
Lemmo One E+ Bike Engineer's Edition, €2,999, LemmoFuture.com
