Fahrradi Farfalla FFX offers an exotic Ferrari look, gas-free driving

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Ferrari only built 30 of its supreme FXX sports cars for a select group of clients, and doesn't let the 650-hp cars leave its possession. For those who want something like the FXX but don't want to be seen following the crowd too closely, an Australian artist has ridden to the rescue in this, the $1.9 million Fahrradi Farfalla FFX. In this case, "FF" stands for the icon of its power choice, Fred Flintstone.

Built by Austrian artist Johannes Langeder as a sequel to his pedal-powered Porsche 911, the 220-lb Fahrradi Farfalla FFX can carry two passengers. Its 11-gear, pedal power system offers speeds that Langeder calls "a serious rival for pedestrians in street traffic" -- and it can cruise those streets legally, thanks to its Ferrari-like headlights holding 200 LEDs.

Those of who you know foreign languages already see the joke in the name: "fahrrad" is German for bicycle, and "farfalla" is Italian for butterfly -- which Langeder chose since the gullwing doors can open in motion, allowing the FFX in theory to lift off the ground.  You can go here to explore the artistic theories behind the FFX, which involves the concepts of magic mimesis and references to Karl Marx and Burt Reynolds in "Cannonball Run." Or you can see the FFX do a barrel roll in a mountain tunnel below.

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