Concept

Concept cars are awesome. They not only show us the future of car brands but also give designers the opportunity to unleash their creativity, giving us some jaw-dropping automotive marvels. Due to the countless regulations, however, production models often look significantly different than the prototypes we see at car shows.

That said, every now and then we get to see concepts that actually come true with a design very close or sometimes identical to the initially-intended. Here are 10 concept cars that made great transitions to production.

We’re in the mid-’60s when the trends amongst sportscar makers pointed towards a transition to the rear, mid-mounted layout. Lamborghini showed everyone the way in 1966 with the Miura but others had already dabbled with the idea, including small-time Italian company ATS. Others, including Ferrari, were already racing mid-engined race cars and Ford joined in on the fun with 1964’s GT40. As history tells us, Mercedes-Benz wanted a seat at the table to kick back and relax away from the serious business of producing the world’s best luxury sedans.

Frank Stephenson has created a new mini-series in his YouTube channel detailing the concept vehicles that changed the automotive industry. In the pilot episode, the world-famous car designer discussed three major concept cars from the past: the Alfa Romeo BAT, the Ford Probe 3, and the BMW 02 Reminiscence.

Concept cars are often the result of an automaker’s desire to showcase possibilities. Very rarely, though, do these possibilities translate to reality. Some concepts get used as springboards for future production models. Some get used as blueprints for future technologies. But more often than not, a lot of concept cars get sent back to the shadows, never to be heard from again. It’s a shame because the concept cars on this list didn’t deserve that fates they received. These concepts should’ve been turned into production models. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, none of them did, and all we’re left with our thoughts of what could’ve been.

The Chiron has so far served as base for quite some limited-edition Bugattis. You’ve got the La Voiture Noire, the Centodieci, the Divo, and the Bolide. True to the carmaker’s heritage, these are either honoring past models or Bugatti’s motorsport ties. However, this fan-made design study takes the French brand where it never went before: off-roading.

The wind of change is blowing over Lotus. The British sports car maker is cleaning up its range to make room for a new entry and the Evija all-electric hypercar is just some whiskers away from making its market debut. And it looks like when they’re not working hard on production models, Lotus’ designers have the green light to work on concept cars such as the E-R9.

The year was 1948 when the first car to wear the Porsche logo left the assembly line in Gmund, Austria. Named the 356, the roadster was fitted with a 1.1-liter air-cooled flat-four engine borrowed from Volkswagen which cranked out about 35 horsepower.

The 356 is the car that paved the way for the 911 and in an interesting plot twist, it’s a 911 chassis that might bring to life the 356, albeit in restomod version.

Until a few years back, there was an unsaid notion that hatches and sedans would be electrified first (the urban commuters) and off-roaders would evolve at the end. But, that is definitely not the scene right now. Back in September 2020, Jeep introduced the Wrangler 4xe, a plug-in hybrid version of the standard Wrangler. Now the automaker has confirmed the concept electric version of the Wrangler on its “Road Ahead” site and it will be presented at the Easter Jeep Safari that’s scheduled to start on March 28, 2021.

Named TIGER, Hyundai’s latest concept isn’t about a fancy all-electric urban stroller meant to save the dolphins. In fact, TIGER stands for Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot and it doesn’t need a human presence to car its way through difficult terrain.

Lamborghini’s first contact with electrification goes back to 2014, when the Italian firm unveiled the Asterion, a hybrid concept car. Come 2021 and Lamborghini is offering a production hybrid supercar, the Sian FKP 37. Lamborghini has yet to develop an all-electric concept car, but it did unveil such a concept, called the Terzo Millennio, in 2017. A production EV is probably still a few years away, but if it looks like the E_X virtual concept shown here, we’re definitely excited to see what Lambo’s electric future holds.

The Formentor, Cupra’s first proprietary vehicle since it has parted ways with SEAT, can be currently had with a wide range of powertrains, including diesel, gasoline, and plug-in hybrid tech. None of these, however, will have the appeal of the recently teased Formentor VZ5, which is rumored to receive Audi’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine.

Ford has unveiled the Bronco 4600 race truck series that will take part in the Ultra4 Class races. This comes following the three 4400 rally class Broncos that the automaker showcased earlier this week. The Bronco 4600 will not be street legal, of course, but it comes with a plethora of equipment that can make you go weak in the knees. Ford has noted that it will be based on the two-door Bronco with the V-6 engine.

Although the M1 was the first and last BMW supercar to roam the streets, it is fair to say that the Bavarians have made up for not offering a similar-minded successor with the sheer amount of grunt packed by their M-badged contraptions - think the new M5 CS, for example.

Obviously, the i8 cannot be counted as a supercar, however, this design study would fit the bill rather nicely.

Back when Lamborghini was still teasing the Urus, we were served with a video that showcased the SUV’s Sabbia mode. By the way, Sabbia is the Italian word for sand. For the video, Lamborghini took a pre-production to Dubai, where it was let loose to raise clouds of dust to our entertainment.

Since then, the Urus has established itself a top seller in Lambo’s range and we are willing to bet that no customer took it off the beaten path. Not with the intent to genuinely punish it, that it. Which might change if this digitally rendered off-road kit gets made.

We don’t know about you, but whenever the words ‘bulletproof’ and ‘car’ are joined together, our minds immediately flash nameplates such as the Range Rover, BMW X5, 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, you get the point.

Heck, the business of adding ballistic protection to a given car is so lucrative that there are companies that manage to take the vehicle to the extreme – think of Rezvani and their Wrangler-based Tank.

On that note, we never thought Porsche would go this route. However, it did, for a one-time project that involved a 996-gen 911 Carrera.

Electrification and autonomous driving represent the future of the auto industry. That’s spurred automakers from all corners of the world to hitch their proverbial wagons on these two segments. Chinese auto giant BAIC is one of those automakers, and it’s jumping on board the electric SUV bandwagon through its sub-brand, Arcfox, which didn’t take long to roll out the ECF electric SUV Concept.

Designed by the great Walter de Silva, the ECF Concept is a stylistic concept SUV that may or may not end up in production. The SUV comes with a more minimalist design than Arcfox’s other concept offering, the all-electric GT sports car, and if it ends up getting the green light, it could serve as the tent pole for Arcfox’s future vehicle offerings. No pressure, right?

The Skoda Vision IN Concept is a big deal for the Czech automaker. Not only does it serve as the precursor to a production model that’ll largely be offered in India and other international markets, but it’s also being prepared to challenge several established models in those markets, including the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.

The Vision IN Concept is the first step to doing that, and for what it’s worth, the Czech automaker is making a good first impression with its new crossover. The Vision IN Concept will eventually translate into a production model, called Kushaq.

After dropping the Mulsanne from its lineup, it’s highly unlikely that Bentley is pondering to introduce a second SUV. In fact, why would it? The Bentayga is racking in big profit for Bentley and it will continue to do so for at least three or four years, as it was recently offered a mid-career revamp.

The 2021 Renault 5 Prototype is a concept car that the French automaker unveiled during the presentation of its "Renaulution" strategic plan in January 2021. A modern tribute to the iconic Renault 5 produced from 1972 to 1996, the Renault 5 Prototype previews a production model that will arrive by 2025. The modern Renault 5 will be one of seven all-electric vehicles that the French brand wants to launch over the next four years, but apparently it won’t replace the Zoe or the Clio. What makes the Renault 5 Prototype special and how much of it will go into production? Let’s find out in the review below.