Motorized wheelchairs have come a long way. These days, you can get models that are so powerful and robust that you’ll see people in them whipping down Manhattan streets, moving at speeds that outpace the gridlocked traffic. Of course, these people are not necessarily out in the streets by choice; often, they’re stuck out there because curbside design prevents them from easily getting back onto the sidewalk. The wheelchairs may be awfully good, but they’re still stymied by urban design that discriminates against people using the devices.

That’s why I was so tickled to run across Permobil. It’s a company that produces the most insanely hotrodded, tricked-out, powerful wheelchairs I’ve ever seen in my life. They’re designed to be fearless with outdoor environments, particularly the TRAXCorpus — the model pictured above. It’s got a 22-to-31-mile range, with a top speed of 9 miles per hour. Damn.

(Thanks to Plastic for this one!)