This Car-Swallowing Contraption Is Actually a Futuristic City Bus

UPDATE: China's Car-Swallowing Bus Is Apparently for Real

At first glance, this thing looks like some sci-fi contraption that swallows up cars. Actually, the idea is a lot less aggressive. It's the city bus of the future.

Plans for this elevated bus were unveiled at the recent China Beijing International High-Tech Expo, according to the Shanghaiist. The basic idea is that passengers can ride higher up, allowing usual traffic to pass by underneath.

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One can imagine that the people behind this project are aiming to reduce traffic problems and congestion on Chinese roadways.

In the video above, the model appears to be moving along a set of rails in the road. Sort of one part bus, one part trolly, and a whole lotta weird. Each bus could someday hold as many as 1,200 people, the project's engineers said at the big tech event.

These buses could start showing up in China before the end of the year, the report says.

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I don't know about you, but if I saw this thing in my rearview, barreling down at me, I'd pray I had some adult diapers in my glove compartment, if you know what I mean.