Concept Car reviews

If you ever looked at the Ferrari Monza SP1 and thought to yourself that Maserati, the once-great Italian supercar maker that’s nowadays stuck with sub-standard SUVs and luxury sedans, should make something similar, your prayers have been heard. Sadly, not by Maserati but by freelance designer Luca Serafini who came up with this. If there’s still good left in the world, the MilleMiglia Concept will become a reality.

Imagine taking the best design cues from legendary Maserati models such as the 250F and 6CM, mix in a little bit of McLaren Elva and a sprinkle of Infiniti’s Prototype 10 and you end up with the bold, curvaceous, and utterly beautiful Maserati MilleMiglia Concept. As the name suggests, it would be perfect for a dash down Italy’s tight and twisting B roads, if only it were real...

The Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR is a futuristic concept car that explores new design options and technologies, as well as the "vision of designers, engineers, and trend researches for mobility in the distant future." The AVTR name stands for Advanced Vehicle Transformation, but it also represents the company’s collaboration with the team that produced Avatar, a science fiction film directed and produced by James Cameron and released in 2009. While previous Vision concepts from Mercedes-Benz were also futuristic, they still featured technologies and styling cues linked to production cars, while some of the design actually made it on vehicles you can buy in dealerships. The Vision AVTR is an entirely different story as its features and technologies won’t be transferred to production cars in the near future.

Just as we were prepared to suck it up and live with the painfully small amount of vehicles presented at CES 2020, Sony, known mostly for its electronics and PlayStation gaming consoles, drops the bomb by unveiling an all-electric car prototype.

No, it’s not a Porsche although it looks a lot like one, don’t you think? This contraption here is called Vision-S and with it, Sony wants to brag about its ability to keep up with the latest mobility trends that will ultimately turn our cars into downright entertainment spaces, especially once Level 5 autonomy begins to shift from exception to norm. Here’s what you need to know about the Sony Vision-S.

The 2019 Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato is an experimental concept car that the Italian firm launched in June 2019. As the name suggests, the Sterrato is based on the 2019 Huracan supercar, but unlike standard sibling it includes off-road-specific features and technology from the Urus SUV. Described as a "super sportscar for challenging environments," the Huracan Sterrato also pays tribute to similar experimental vehicles from Lamborghini’s storied past.

The 2019 Huracan Sterrato may be an usual vehicle for a company like Lamborghini, but it’s not the first of its kind. Back in the 1970s, test driver Bob Wallace modified several production Lamborghini’s to create unique performance cars. Two of them, the Jarama Rally (1973) and Urraco Rally (1974), featured off-road-specific suspensions and upgrades designed for rally racing. Almost 50 years later and Lamborghini is revisiting its off-road supercar legacy with the 2019 Huracan Sterrato.

Pininfarina, once Ferrari’s preferred coachbuilder, is now busy establishing itself as a standalone automaker. It put its best foot forward by unveiling the radical Battista hypercar that promises to be one of the fastest four-wheeled things on the planet and now it’s doubling it down by announcing a whole range of models, the first of which will be an SUV. Fear not, however, as the Pura Vision isn’t your average sporty SUV as Pininfarina aims to deliver supercar-level performance under a skin that both resembles a four-door GT and the existing Battista. It sounds like a match made in heaven.

Coming with an outlandishly appointed cabin and a class-bending profile, the Pininfarina Pura Vision could seriously reduce the market share of Lamborghini’s Urus and Ferrari’s upcoming Purosangue. While we’re yet to feast our eyes with the pre-production prototype showcased to prospective customers during a series of VIP events held by Pininfarina in August during the Monterey Car Week, those that have are talking about a sleek and not overly complicated design so typical of Pininfarina, one that’ll only be matched by its impressive performance. At this stage of the game, the Pura Vision might become Pininfarina’s most important product so they have to get it right.

Just when you thought it was safe to call the recently unveiled Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo one of the edgiest VGT cars to come out of the video game racing program, a certain Italian automaker comes out and smacks you over the head with its own Vision Gran Turismo. This one comes from Lamborghini, and it’s called the V12 Vision Gran Turismo. For a company that’s known for designing some of the most aerodynamically outrageous cars in the world, the V12 Vision Gran Turismo makes all of those models look like doodles on a sketch pad. It doesn’t hurt that the V12 VGT carries the same powertrain as Lambo’s other recent madness-of-a-creation, the Sian FKP 37. Just like every other Vision Gran Turismo model that has come before, the Lamborghini V12 Vision Gran Turismo is not earmarked for real-world production. It will instead be available in Gran Turismo Sport for the PlayStation 4 in 2020.

The 2019 Hyundai Vision T Plug-In concept is an SUV concept that the Korean automaker introduced at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show. A somewhat futuristic design with unique styling cues, the Vision T showcases a brand-new design language. It’s also described as global, so it could inspire a new lineup of SUVs. The crossover is slightly larger than the Hyundai Tucson and it’s a plug-in hybrid. Sadly, there’s no info about the drivetrain and no photos of the Vision T’s interior. But let’s find out what it could mean for the future of the Korean brand.

Kia glided through the design process of its latest coupe SUV concept, the Futuron, drawing inspiration from outer space. With Level 4 autonomy, this SUV with a "360-degree core" represents a look at the future of Kia design with its novel approach to the tiger nose front grille and the eye-catching Star Cloud headlights and taillights. In fact, the concept features light sources all over the luscious bodywork that suggests this EV’s got some grunt. Expect to see at least some cues inside and out on future models of the Korean automaker.

South Korea has quickly risen, in the span of about two decades, from the doldrums of the auto industry to the very top and concepts such as Kia’s Futuron (in itself a pun on the words "future" and "on") signals to the world that Kia plans to stay at the top in the foreseeable future by incorporating the latest EV technology coupled with autonomous systems, all draped in a futuristic body with clean surfaces but also aggressive ridges and angles. We like it if it’s a sign that the two-door SUV is bound to make a comeback.

A year after unveiling a tricked-out TRD version of the Avalon, Toyota is back at it with an even more radical setup for its resident full-size four-door sedan. It’s called the Toyota Avalon TRD Pro Concept, and it’s loaded to the brim with track-spec modifications that enhance every detail of the sedan.

From aerodynamic modifications to powertrain enhancements, the Avalon TRD Pro Concept has them all. It’s a fitting homage to TRD’s 40th anniversary, though it would probably be even cooler if Toyota has plans to produce it in some capacity. For now, we can enjoy the Avalon TRD Pro Concept for what it is: a glimpse into what a full-blown, track-spec Toyota Avalon could look like if it was left in the hands of TRD. Maybe someday we can also find out what it feels like to drive.

The Nissan Frontier Desert Runner doesn’t have the racing pedigree of the Nissan Global Time Attack TT 370Z or the sheer tuning audacity of the Nissan Kicks Street Sport, but if you’re looking for a rugged version of Nissan’s long-standing pickup with some serious off-road chops, the Frontier Desert Runner should be right up your alley. Developed by the Nissan Motorsports team in collaboration with MA Motorsports, the Frontier Desert Runner is teeming with purpose-specific upgrades that help enhance the pickup’s already impressive form and functionality. Nissan has yet to give any indication of potential production plans for the tricked-out pickup, but that could come soon if there’s decent enough demand for it. For now, though, the Nissan Frontier Desert Runner takes center stage at the 2019 SEMA Auto Show.

The 2019 Nissan Kicks Street Sport is a concept car developed by Nissan Motorsports and MA Motorsports for the 2019 SEMA Show. A more aggressive version of the small crossover, it looks a lot like a Nismo-built model thanks to its sportier stance and race-inspired upgrades inside the cabin. It even features a more powerful engine, although specific performance information is not available. Sadly, this beefed-up Kicks won’t come to a dealerships near you anytime soon. Here’s why you should be upset about it.

Chevrolet brought a very unique pickup truck to SEMA that is a sweet blend of the company’s rich history and the ‘electrifying’ future. Called the E-10 concept, the product has reincarnated from a 1962 Chevrolet C-10 pickup truck. If you’ve been following the concepts at SEMA this year, you will immediately strike a comparison with the Dodge Lowliner. However, this low-slung pickup truck comes with an electric powertrain under the hood. So, does this bold truck live up to the hype it has created over the last couple of days? It sure does!

The 2019 Ford Mustang Lithium is an all-electric version of the sixth-generation Mustang developed by Ford in collaboration with Webasto. Showcased at the 2019 SEMA Show, the Mustang Lithium is just a concept car, but it paves the way toward the Mustang-inspired electric SUV that Ford will launch in 2020. The latter is part of Ford’s plans to invest more than $11.5 billion in electric cars by 2022, so the Mustang Lithium likely features technology that will make it into production vehicles. Is this the future of Ford?

Volkswagen will be in attendance at the 2019 SEMA Auto Show, and it’s bringing with it a host of tricked-out SUVs that are built for the American outdoors. Arguably the coolest of these concepts is the Atlas Adventure Concept. It looks the part of an SUV that can handle itself in the Nevada desert with the kind of ease you won’t see from a lot of SUVs offered at SEMA. It comes with a menu of unique equipment, including a clever housing accommodation setup that should make it comfortable for you and yours to enjoy a good night’s sleep under the stars. The Volkswagen Atlas Adventure Concept is one of three Atlas concepts that will be on display at Volkswagen’s booth in the world’s biggest aftermarket auto show.

Aftermarket companies love SEMA. It is the one hot spot that garners attention from all over the world and allows aftermarket companies to highlight their creations without worrying about automakers stealing the limelight. Mopar, one of the biggest aftermarket parts suppliers (and one that is backed by Dodge,) is gracing the show with its presence. The company has worked on two trucks, one being the Dodge Lowliner Concept, and the other one, the Ram Rebel 1500 OTG. OTG, by the way, stands for Off The Grid. Unlike the Lowliner, the Rebel 1500 OTG is a practical concept and could very well make its way into production. Will Ram consider making it a mainstream model?

Thanks to shows like SEMA, aftermarket companies are able to exercise their creative sides in bringing out the funkiest concepts which, otherwise, wouldn’t have garnered a lot of attention. And, when the products are from brands like Mopar, you know that you’re in for a treat. Mopar will be bringing two concept trucks to the SEMA – a Dodge D200-series ‘Lowliner’ pickup truck and a 1500 Rebel-based concept. We’ll be talking about the former one here, and to say the least, Dodge sure had fun reimagining this truck from the 1960s.

As if the Hyundai Veloster N isn’t hot enough, Hyundai’s all set to unwrap an even hotter version of the hot hatchback at the 2019 SEMA Auto Show. This new variant is called the Veloster N Performance Concept, and it is a spicy piece created by Hyundai to give Veloster N owners a preview of how the hot hatch could be transformed if it got introduced into the aftermarket world. The Veloster N Performance Concept comes with exterior enhancements, interior upgrades, and technical improvements. In other words, it’s the full cocktail of the tuning world. Unfortunately, don’t expect the Veloster N Performance Concept to make its way to dealerships anytime soon. This concept is strictly for showcase purposes. On that end, the Veloster N Performance Concept will be in attendance at SEMA in Las Vegas, Nevada next month.