Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid Concept

See that enormous futureland Jacobean ruff coming out of the Volvo V60? It's a fold-away portable solar charging pavilion that tops up the plug-in hybrid underneath.

The pavilion is a flexible mesh structure held in place by carbon fibre rods, and it's embedded with photovoltaic cells so it can create energy from indoor lighting as well as the sun. Finished charging? Fold it up in the boot and pootle off.

Thing is, it doesn't actually exist. The design's the winning entry from a contest run by Volvo Italy, and developed by Synthesis Design + Architecture, Buro Happold, and Fabric Images. But it's not some flim-flam drawing - Volvo assures us that there's actual science and physics involved, and one will be built...

Presumably, the Neck Frill edition also gets incredible radio reception.

Want one, TopGear.commers?