It looks strangely like something Adam West's Batman might drive in 2013, but Aston Martin's 100th anniversary CC100 speedster was not designed with superheroes in mind, camp or otherwise. Instead, the yellow-and-blue-grey speedster is a homage to the company's heritage as a manufacturer of luxury sports cars.

Which do you prefer?

The Aston Martin CC100

The Lamborghini Egoista

Vote View Votes

Loading

The design is based on the 1959 Le Mans and Nürburgring-winning DBR1, with materials and design elements that look to the future, according to the company. Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez said, "CC100 is the epitome of everything that is great about Aston Martin. Fantastic heritage, exceptional design, superb engineering and an adventurous spirit."

With no cover, it would certainly not be of any use as a day-to-day car - but as it was designed as and remains a concept, we don't think Batman would have to worry about getting his 'do mussed.

It's a little-known fact that every year, an average of 18,000 new species are discovered around the world. Some of these discoveries are tremendously exciting - we were huge fans of the arachnid puppet master that builds a decoy in its web.

But there's a lot that we don't hear about. To help raise awareness of the discoveries and studies in biodiversity, the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University has for six years been releasing an annual list of the top 10 new discoveries, announced on 23 May - the birthday of Carolus Linnaeus, the 18th-century Swedish botanist who devised the modern system of scientific names and classifications.

"We have identified only about 2 million of an estimated 10 to 12 million living species, and that does not count most of the microbial world," said Quentin Wheeler, founding director of the International Institute for Species Exploration. "For decades, we have averaged 18,000 species discoveries per year, which seemed reasonable before the biodiversity crisis. Now, knowing that millions of species may not survive the 21st century, it is time to pick up the pace.

"We are calling for a NASA-like mission to discover 10 million species in the next 50 years. This would lead to discovering countless options for a more sustainable future, while securing evidence of the origins of the biosphere."

This year, the list includes the world's smallest vertebrate, a stunning glowing cockroach, a 165-million-year-old insect and a monkey with human-like eyes.

With so many discoveries to choose from, the International Institute for Species Exploration has a set of criteria that includes unexpected features or size; organisms found in rare or difficult-to-reach habitats; and organisms that have some significance to humans, whether they're a close relative or play a role in human habitat.

Previous top 10 new species lists can be seen on ASU's Species page, and nominations for 2014's top 10 can be made here.

Click through the gallery below to see the institute's selections for discoveries in 2012. Note that the species are not ranked, and the list is presented in no particular order.