Concept

Following Audi’s last teaser for the Grand Sphere concept – a flagship sedan with RS6-like proportions and potentially a hint at the next-gen A8, Audi has shown off another teaser. This time, we’re looking at the Sky Sphere which is, appropriately, a roofless car that also features sporty proportions. However, there’s something about this specific concept that doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Manufacturers have created a number of weird one-off concepts and design studies over the years. Some were brilliant ideas, while others incorporated components that were later employed in other vehicles.

The folks at General Motor Design recently published photographs of a 1962 2+2 Corvette concept that never made it to production.

Hyundai’s mid-engined halo car has a history that dates back nearly a decade, and that’s just the history that we know about. It’s been more than a year since we really last heard about what was going on with the car – now known as the RM19 Concept – but we’ve finally heard something fresh. As it turns out, Hyundai didn’t forget about it. On the contrary, the company has actually been busy making some modifications that includes a new engine. Does that mean more power?

Daimler is in pursuit to develop world’s most energy-efficient electric car. The Mercedes Benz EQXX is expected to travel 6.2 miles on a single kWh of charge, beating the current-best Lucid Air’s efficiency by over a mile. Their Mercedes Benz Formula 1 team, among others, has provided assistance in the development of their new flagship.

The German automaker gave us a taste of how they want to transition to electric, during the strategy day event for investors on October 6, last year. That transition strategy now has an update, along with a more in-depth look at the future and the much-hyped long-range flagship EQXX.

The topic of BMW’s large kidney grille is still a much-debated one. The prolonged grille design is actually a design cue that dates back to the 1930s, with cars like the 1936 BMW 328. Now, the long kidney grills have made a return, with most of BMW’s current lineup proudly wearing it (or shamefully, depending on how you’re looking at it). However, BMW’s recent decision to bring back this grille design isn’t as recent as you may think. Back in 1996, Joji Nagashima – the exterior designer behind the E36 and E90 3 Series came up with an interesting concept that paved the way for the controversial E65 7er. It was called the ZBF 7er and was the first concept to bring back the long kidney grille.

Here’s a look at Audi’s Grand Sphere Concept, which will usher in the next-gen of the flagship luxury sedan from Ingolstadt. What started as a design exercise three years ago is now ready to be showcased as a concept to take on the likes of other luxury EV’s like the Mercedes Benz EQS, the yet to be announced BMW i7, and the electric Jag XJ.

There was something for everyone at Stellentis’ Electric Vehicle Day last week. Be it the electric Ram or the Jeep Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid, not to mention a Dodge electric muscle car. However, the company did not forget Chrysler, whose illustrious past is little more than a shadow of what it used to be.

Many would argue that aesthetics would outlive everything. All cars eventually become old and obsolete in terms of technical specs, except high-achievers, such as the McLaren F1 or Bugatti Chiron SS. The point is, eventually, aesthetics become the main definitive characteristic for most cars, and this is what people will remember. Some cars, however, are just weird, like the Alfa Romeo SZ/RZ we recently covered. then you’ve got cars like the Castagna Vittoria, which is named after the synonymous coachbuilder from Milan, that is just as weird and even more obscure.

While some automakers are making switches to the future by plonking in electric powertrains to existing models, a few of them are revealing concepts to show what the future holds for them. Toyota unveiled the bZ4x concept last month and it gave us a preview of what the Japanese automaker’s future holds. Now, Volvo has given us a peek of what the Scandinavian design philosophy will look like.

Volvo has revealed the Concept Recharge in the form of a two-row SUV. At the onset, it sure looks futuristic. The Swedish automaker has retained the core aesthetic elements, like the Thor headlights, the prominent Volvo logo up front, etc. But, the question is – Can the automaker be a top dog in this paradigm shift?

““The”” Mini Vision Urbanaut is not really a new concept as the design of the vehicle was first showcased back in November last year. The Vision Urbanaut concept has now been ultimately realized from those 3D mockups and can be experienced at BMWs Design studio in Munich, come July the 1st.

The Porsche 928 came in 1977 with the intention of succeeding 911. Although that never happened, the 2+2 gran tourer still left a mark and, even today, has a cult following. The recent transition to electrification on behalf of carmakers (Porsche included) suddenly created new opportunities for car companies to bring back iconic names. This is where ex VW designer Guilherme Knop, with help from CGI expert João Schendel, come in. Together, they created a hypothetical modern-day successor to the Porsche 928.

The 2004 Shelby Cobra concept is as good as concept cars get. Unlike most other concepts which are just clay models or physical shells without a powertrain, this one-off Cobra is one that actually runs and can be driven. This one-of-a-kind lightweight roadster packs a lot of power under the hood, and it’s about to be auction off for, probably, big bucks.

Geely itself, despite its acquisition of lotus and even owning Volvo, isn’t exactly known for making attractive cars. In fact, one could even say that Geely cars are about as dull as unsalted crackers and a glass of lemon juice. Take the Geely GE11, for example – that’s about as exciting as a Ford focus – or the Geely Mk-Cross that looks like a 90’s crossover with upgraded headlights. It did show off a concept of a new crossover coupe that looked decent until we realized it was a rip-off of the BMW X4, so I guess there’s that. The point is that Geely, isn’t exactly an interesting car maker, but that could soon change if the new Starburst Concept is any indication of what the future holds.

Every now and then, Volkswagen releases a random concept that showcases aftermarket mods and the potential of said model in the hands of someone willing to make some mods. Cars like the Volkswagen Golf GTE HyRacer showed us what was possible with the Golf while the Jetta GLI concept most likely gave birth to a few stunning blue Jettas on the road. There was also the Tiguan SE R-Line Black Rino Concept that somehow blended functionality with a low-rider stance. Now, Volkswagen is growing its enthusiast fleet again with the Arteon Big Sur concept.

Porsche have been romancing the idea of a four-door performance sedan long before the Panamera came to be. The original idea actually came around 1982. At that point, Porsche had already started moving towards more luxurious models. The 928, for example, was much more of a gran-tourer than a proper sports car – that was the 911’s occupation. Although the 989 never made it to production, its development involved some interesting ideas, as well as thinking “outside the box”, which we are now sharing.

By now, we know that Ferrari is planning to join the performance SUV club, as it is a well-known fact that Ferrari is developing the

the first Ferrari SUV ever. It is believed that the design will be heavily influenced by the Ferrari Roma. However, Dejan Hristov – an avid graphic designer and evident car enthusiast – has shared his take on what a Ferrari SUV should look like. Meet the Ferrari Simoom, named after one of the most famous desert winds.

The Volkswagen Golf has been a mainstay in VW’s lineup since the Mk1 was introduced way back in 1974. Over nearly 50 years of history the Golf hasn’t changed a lot. Sure the body has changed, and the technology has be drastically improved as you’d expect, but it’s followed the same general recipe over all these years – it’s a compact hatchback (and wagon) that can be both economical and fun, the latter of which being true if you find yourself behind the wheel of a Golf GTi or Golf R. No Golf that VW has sold to the public even comes close to the level of cool that’s exuded by the car you see here: a mid-engined Golf GTI with the heart of a Bentley Continental GT. You want the definition of hot hatch? Well, this is it.

Volkswagen has a plan to slap its EV performance badge – aka GTX – on every single model in its electric fleet. This means that everything from compact cars to sedans and SUVs will all be offered with a higher level performance in their top trims. Thanks to Volkswagen’s CEO, Ralf Brandstätter, we might know what the brand’s first hot hatch will be, and it’s not what you’re thinking….or maybe it is.

Not long ago, we shared information about MG’s return to making exciting sports cars. The Cyberster, as they call it, is a futuristic concept, with a retro throwback. What isn’t retro is the drivetrain, as the roadster will be powered by electricity. In any case, the MG Cyberster boasts some pretty epic figures. Although we still don’t know all the details, we do know that the 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint will happen in under 3.0 seconds. In addition, you’ll be able to drive 500 miles (800 km) on a single charge – more than any other EV currently on sale.

The Hoonigans YouTube channel is the place to go if you are looking to see some of the most interesting and madly-modified vehicles, as well as some truly crazy stunts. This video is a bit different, however, as it takes us into the Peterson Automotive Museum. The place is home to well over 100 cars and some of the most unique ones are held in “The Vault”. These include some of the first vehicles ever made, movie cars, “001” chassis cars (the first of their kind), as well as some awesome concept cars.

Cars and smart devices may sound like an odd mix, but nowadays pretty much any big corporation is having a go at making cars. Some years ago Google tried it and now manufacturers like Huawei have announced their first car. We also know that Apple is working on a car and is aiming for a debut in 2024. But what happens when you take already existing cars that we know, and apply design elements, taken straight off the Apple product lineup? These five renderings answer the question.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse was one of the most praised compact Japanese sports coupes. Sadly, the third generation of the car (2000-2005) was a letdown, compared to the success of the previous two. The fourth-generation was significantly better, but shared too many similarities with the previous model, like the lazy transversely-mounted V-6, which at least had power this time and the front-wheel-drive layout.

Although the 3.8-liter 24-valve SOHC V-6 had a decent output, everyone wanted it to be the sleeker two-door equivalent of the Lancer Evolution. This meant a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and all-wheel-drive. Apparently, the specialists from Mitsubishi’s Ralliart department thought the same, which is why they got to work on making the Eclipse we all wanted. This resulted in the, introduced at the 2005 NAIAS, Mitsubishi Eclipse Ralliart Concept.