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What is a concept car?What is a concept car?
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How have concept cars evolved over the years?How have concept cars evolved over the years?
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Are concept cars the same as prototypes?Are concept cars the same as prototypes?
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The 10 best concept cars of modern timesThe 10 best concept cars of modern times
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1. Porsche Mission X1. Porsche Mission X
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2. Lamborghini Terzo Millennio2. Lamborghini Terzo Millennio
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3. Mazda Iconic SP3. Mazda Iconic SP
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4. 2023 Ford Supervan 4.24. 2023 Ford Supervan 4.2
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5. BMW Concept Touring Coupe5. BMW Concept Touring Coupe
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6. Genesis X Convertible6. Genesis X Convertible
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7. Peugeot Inception Concept EV7. Peugeot Inception Concept EV
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8. Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven8. Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
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9. Tesla Cybertruck9. Tesla Cybertruck
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10. BMW Vision Neue Klasse10. BMW Vision Neue Klasse
Whether it’s you or me, most of us are car enthusiasts who genuinely like seeing new advancements in the industry. Similarly, most automakers consistently meet or exceed our expectations; if asked, we can easily think of five to ten names of the top car companies. Let’s now look into the concept of concept cars and talk about their potential. But first, let’s understand what these cars are.
What is a concept car?
In simple terms, a concept car is a manufacturer’s blueprint or idea of what a future car should look like in terms of cut, design and appearance. It is a foundational concept of a car’s design drawn out on a board. You can also call it the ‘car that could have been’ as most designs don’t see the light of the day.
Most car companies have experts involved in the many aspects of creating a concept car. The design has to meet a list of standards such as practicality, cost, safety and compatibility to reach the production phase and enter the market.
The design sets the foundation and expectations for the actual car. It helps to decide the body type of the final product – SUV, MPV, Hatchback, Coupe, or Sedan.
Concept cars are not similar to usual 4-wheelers. They involve a higher cost and have more extravagant designs and interiors. Nowadays, most designers like to showcase their concept car designs on social media to garner the attention of car enthusiasts.
How have concept cars evolved over the years?
About seventy or eight years ago, when the automotive industry was not so futuristic or technologically advanced, the idea of concept cars was just models with metal sheets and wooden structures that didn’t communicate how the car would look.
But in modern times, when computing technology is much more advanced, designers have the means to lay out more glamorous and sophisticated designs and specify every little detail of the car even before the production process begins. As a result, concept cars today are more fascinating than ever, especially when we talk about designs.
Are concept cars the same as prototypes?
When you hear these names, it’s easy to get confused and think they mean the same thing. However, it’s not true. Concept cars come even before the stage of prototype. If a manufacturer likes the design of a concept car, then they will put resources into it to produce a working prototype. And they will work on it even further to make it more practical before they launch it in the market.
A prototype is needed to test how the concept car will perform in the real world. These tests will identify the shortcomings and faults to be rectified before the official launch.
The 10 best concept cars of modern times
Porsche Mission X
Porsche is known to push the boundaries to gain an edge over its competitors. The sports car manufacturer is keeping the tradition with its Mission X concept car.
The Mission X concept is about 4.5 meters in length and 2 meters in width, making it somewhat of a small hypercar. Its dimensions are comparable to the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder, with a wheelbase of 2.73 meters. The prototype automobile uses mixed-size tyres on its 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels for aerodynamic purposes.
With its electric powertrain that delivers exceptional performance and its Le Mans-style doors that open forward and up, the Mission X is a stunning reimagining of a hypercar.
With 1,500PS (1,103kW) and a lightweight body that should make it one of the lightest performance EVs, the all-electric Mission X is a technological trailblazer for futuristic sports cars. Although Mission X hasn’t officially confirmed production, Porsche has one objective in mind should this ultra-high-performance racer ever come to pass: breaking the lap record for the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Lamborghini Terzo Millennio
One of Lamborghini’s newest designs, the Terzo Millennio, shows what the business is considering for the future of its car development. The Terzo Millennio is an all-electric concept car that was developed in 2017 in collaboration with MIT. It is arguably the most avant-garde design that the Sant’Agata Bolognese firm has ever produced.
Although Lamborghini’s strong V12 engine has played a significant role in its history, the firm is also renowned for pushing the envelope and staying ahead of its competitors. In keeping with this philosophy, the vehicle was created as a test project to show how to construct an EV the Lamborghini way—that is, by pushing all limits. Right now, the Terzo Millenio is merely a prototype automobile, thus the only external boundary being pushed is in design. This proposal is just an exercise, unlike other corporate production-ready ideas.
But it’s a real research project with MIT to develop innovative approaches to electric mobility, such as supercapacitors, which can provide enormous power on demand and charge and discharge instantly.
It is a great success as a style experiment. This car’s unconventional shape is made up of amazing curves and angles. More than anything else, the long, sloping windshield that ends nearly at the car’s front line suggests that the driving position is moved forward. The integrated spoilers and LED wheels give it a unique appearance that is both distinctly Lamborghini and modern.
Mazda Iconic SP
Although Mazda’s Iconic SP isn’t the quickest or most costly sports vehicle here, it is undoubtedly the most significant since it gives us a sneak peek at the upcoming Mazda MX-5’s design, which is stunning. The Mazda SP emerged as one of the most notable vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2023 thanks to its masterful blend of a sharp face and flowing curves.
Technology is equally fascinating. It offers a sneak peek at a new electric MX5, which maintains Mazda’s dedication to Wankel engines with a two-rotor motor producing 370PS (272kW), acting as a powerful range extender to keep the Mazda’s batteries fully charged. Due to Mazda’s ability to maintain modest battery sizes, the SP has a comparatively light curb weight of 1,450 kg and a 50:50 kerb weight, making the MX-5 appealing to a new generation of drivers. Anticipate its disclosure in 2026.
2023 Ford Supervan 4.2
As participants in the 2024 Bathurst 12-Hour saw, Ford’s electric Supervan 4.2 is a powerful vehicle even by the standards of this list.
The fourth Supervan, the electric 4.2 packs a monstrous 1050kW, weighs 1500kg and can generate 1996kg of downforce at 241km/h. The original Supervan was built in the 1970s using the same V8 in a GT40.
It makes sense that Romain Dumas, driving it, took home the Open Class title at Pikes Peak last year. Its time of 8:47.682 minutes was only seven seconds slower than the overall winning mark, which was essentially set by an open-wheeler.
BMW Concept Touring Coupe
Not every idea that exists is brilliant, nor is every idea so ridiculous that you can’t fathom it ever being put into production in its current form. Among these is the BMW Concept Touring Coupe, a shooting brake based on the Z4 Roadster’s chassis.
On the good side, BMW has hinted that it would be willing to produce the hardtop Z4 as part of a limited run. Unfortunately, none of those attributes assures that it will ever be anything more than a design experiment. Nevertheless, the Concept Touring Coupe is among the most amazing vehicles of the year just because it has a shooting brake and a stylish Bimmer.
Genesis X Convertible
Hyundai debuted the 2008 Genesis sedan, its first premium car, fifteen years ago. At first, the original Genesis four-door was viewed as a competitor to the luxury brands of Japan, specifically Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus. However, it was also compared to the modern BMW 5 Series, which signified the brand’s higher aspirations. With the latest Genesis X Convertible concept, the stand-alone luxury brand continues to develop, offering a comprehensive range of cars and SUVs with gas, hybrid, and electric drivetrains.
The open-roof, four-door Genesis X Convertible is the third of three range-topping Genesis ideas offering a sneak peek at important style cues that will feature on the luxury automaker’s upcoming electric vehicles. The other two concepts are the Genesis X Concept two-door and the Genesis X Speedium Coupe. Design highlights include a redesigned, illuminated version of the brand’s crest grille and a few elements that are already present in current models, for example, the horizontal quad rear lights of the idea closely resemble those of the Electrified GV70.
Peugeot Inception Concept EV
The Peugeot Inception concept offers a preview of what the French automaker has in store for the future. Making its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 in Las Vegas, the back end of the Inception, which has a rather sharp edge, is the most striking aspect of its exterior. Peugeot outfits the Inception’s interior with a remarkably minimalist dashboard and a rectangular steering wheel.
The Inception is a formidable performer when it comes to stagecraft. Peugeot boasts that the electric concept car can reach 62 mph in less than 3.0 seconds, thanks to two electric motors that can provide up to 680 horsepower.
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
The majority of concept automobiles are electric. That also applies to the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven; yet, even though the technology is cutting edge, the design skillfully nods to the past. The futuristic dashboard, virtual reality, and gullwing doors may seem like features that won’t find their way into regular cars, but the throwback concept also has next-generation axial-flux motors, which may offer Merc an advantage in the EV era. But we’re getting off-topic. The Vision One-Eleven is cool because it resembles the revolutionary C 111 idea from the 1970s, even if that concept didn’t have the bright silver interior that the present one does.
Tesla Cybertruck
Regardless of one’s feelings about Elon Musk, Tesla has had a major impact on the automobile industry over the past ten years. The bold and audacious concept cars the company has produced are also not to be missed.
Take the Tesla Cybertruck, for example. It’s difficult to recall another concept car whose introduction made headlines around the globe; it was the talk of the town if only the town were the entire planet.
The design combined with practicality inspired enthusiasm among car lovers.
Putting everything aside, the Cybertruck was and is a remarkable creation. A futuristic car resembling a cyborg and adorned with a lot of sharp angles, next-generation driving technology, artificial intelligence, and an all-electric drivetrain sounds like a crazy idea. It won’t be long until it, or something similar enters the production stage.
BMW Vision Neue Klasse
The 2023 BMW Vision Neue Klasse concept heralds a significant shift in the company’s upcoming models, much like the original Neue Klasse (German for “new class”) cars that turned around the company’s fortunes in the 1960s. BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive battery technology, which will power a range of electric vehicles based on the Neue Klasse architecture, promises a 25% boost in total efficiency over the company’s current EVs.
The forward-slanted shark nose, the iconic kidney grille—redesigned for the Neue Klasse solely using lighting—and the barely noticeable monochrome BMW logo are the most distinctive aspects of the car.
Because of the Neue Klasse’s size, design, and sixth-generation eDrive technology, BMW claims that it will have a 30% more range, 30% quicker charging times, and 25% greater efficiency. Moreover, the new round battery cells provide a 20 per cent increase in energy density over the prismatic cells seen in the previous models of BMW’s electric vehicles.
Conclusion
Here are the top ten most outrageous concept cars of modern times! These amazing automobiles demonstrate the auto industry’s boundless potential as designers and engineers keep pushing the boundaries. Which concept vehicle is your best? Did you spot your favourite on the list? We promise to keep you updated with the latest happenings and inventions in the automotive world through our blogs.
