Rinspeed Dock+Go Adds On-Demand Third Axle to Smart, Makes It Look Awkward

What if you could have a larger car only when you needed one? You could drive a tiny, city car to work all week and attach an extra axle on the weekend to go grocery shopping. This is precisely the concept of Frank RInderknect, the automotive mad man behind Rinspeed.

The Rinspeed Dock+Go takes a modified Smart Fortwo with the ability to attach an extra axle to the rear when necessary for hauling larger loads. The concept was designed by Peter Kagi with the idea of a backpack for your car. 

Different packs allow drivers to transform the car to fit their needs. Rinspeed has produced three examples. The first is for pizza delivery drivers and has integrated iso-thermal containers. The other is for winter sports fans and allows them to fit their gear in a Smart. The final example is by Harman and is a sound pack that makes the car a rolling stack of amps. 

Rinspeed speculates that it could also make an energy pack for electric cars that would contain extra batteries to boost range. 

Because the grill of an electric vehicle is basically useless, due to no need for cooling like an internal combustion engine, the Dock+Go replaces the Smart's grill with an LED display that can display news, internet information or personalized messages. 

The inside is done in red and black with a transparant roof. It has a 12.1in digital display with infotainment purposes.

There are no real plans for production of the Dock+Go currently. Swiss watch maker C.F. Bucherer is looking into production possibilities, but there are no solid plans for production now. 

The Dock+Go will be on display at the Geneva Motor Show from March 8-18.