If you think about it, the idea behind the concept car is rather twisted. These mechanical and technological marvels provide a way for automakers to garner public interest in a machine that we’ll only see at an auto show. After that, we’re left to quell our thirst with a car that doesn’t even contain half of the cool features we saw on that radical concept.
It’s like drenching someone in steak aroma before serving them beef stew. It’s evil.
But that’s the point. High public interest means a less-laden, cheaper to produce brother would sell in droves compared to that complex, futuristic, and expensive concept they wooed gearheads with in the first place. And in some instances, it’s just an automaker’s way of bragging how better they can design cars compared to their American, German, French, or Japanese competitors, then leave it at that.
America has developed quite a knack for building such radical and ghostly concepts. The following 10 American examples were concepts we should have received production versions of but didn’t.
10 Cadillac Sixteen (2003)
The Cadillac Sixteen concept car was launched at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show as Cadillac’s way of paying tribute to the V16 cars they were famous for in the past. That means this bad boy also packed an absurd number of cylinders. Specifically, the power unit under the hood ran on 16 cylinders, 32-valves, with a total displacement of 13.6 liters. This engine was exclusive to the Cadillac Sixteen.
Since 16 cylinders in a V configuration firing together are not that efficient, the Cadillac Sixteen was given “Active Fuel Management Displacement on Demand” technology that would shut twelve cylinders at max, giving a final rated consumption of 16.65 mpg.
Yes, the raw numbers were nowhere near practical. But who would have cared about fuel economy when you’re sending 1000hp and 1000lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels?
9 Chrysler Firepower (2005)
Looking at this car, you might spot a few subtle Aston Martin DB9 design cues. But it would be absurd to claim that Chrysler’s design team stole the Brit’s homework, moreso because this “not a redesigned DB9” was also a grand tourer.
Ignoring the heavily inspired design cues taken from the DB9, this was a proper American grand tourer. It was as heavy as a GT car should be, ran on a sports car chassis from the Dodge Viper, packed a 6.1-liter Hemi engine with a ridiculous 425 hp output, and had a lavish, two-tone interior that would make a drive from the East to the West Coast lovely.
Sadly, the Firepower didn’t make it to production as many had hoped. According to Trevor Creed, then senior vice president-design, they could not find “a viable way to do it” in a quote from Ward's Auto. But who would have cared if it was a budget Aston Martin? This was a great car.
8 Ford Indigo (1996)
This is the concept car that a Need for Speed II gamer would have killed for. The Ford Indigo was an open-top, menacing, open-wheel speedster. Essentially, it was what the Mazda Miata should have been in the first place.
Everything was tuned to the absolute max. It packed a massive 6.0-liter DOHC V12 that produced a tire-ripping 435 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. The 1-ton speedster ran on a six-speed manual, which together with that V12 took this mad machine from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds before maxing the top gear at 180 mph.
That performance, along with its Indy car heritage from which Ford sourced its design inspiration, made the Indigo one of the fastest speedsters ever made. But that was just it. Ford didn’t trust this car with the masses, so only one functional unit was built and owned by Ford, with another shelf-unit sold at auction.
7 Ford GT90 (1995)
Unveiled in January 1995, the Ford GT90 was the most powerful high-performance concept car Ford had unveiled yet. Even more importantly, this was poised to be the spiritual successor of the iconic GT40 that made Enzo Ferrari look like an Italian clown.
That meant that under the hood lied no tame beast, and that is exactly what the quad-turbocharged V12 proved. Churning out 720 hp, that 5.9-liter V12 was hooked to a 5-speed FFD-Ricardo manual transmission that helped rocket this car from 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds, 0-100 mph in 6.2 seconds, and rip the quarter-mile in 10.9 seconds at 140 mph.
The stage was lit for another Le Mans showdown with the GT90. However, Ford decided not to mass-produce this beauty and ended up with the Ford GT succeeding the GT40 instead.
6 Ford Shelby Cobra (2004 & 2005)
Despite having a front fascia that seems heavily lifted from the Ford GT, the Ford GR-1 concept actually drew its inspiration from the Shelby Daytona. And yes, they do bear some resemblance too.
But that’s not true for the power unit. The GR-1 was built to be a more aggressive machine. Through its Advanced Product Creation group, Ford fitted a menacing all-aluminum 6.4-liter V10 engine into the GR-1, building a 605 hp beast. The GR-1 was estimated to hit 60mph from 0 in 3.9 seconds before maxing out at 190 mph.
Against public expectation, the GR-1 was never produced. However, Superformance has announced that they’ll be producing limited examples of the GR-1 with a more than 700-bhp supercharged V8.
5 Chrysler ME Four-Twelve (2004)
This was Chrysler’s radical mid-engine supercar. Armed with an AMG-sourced quad-turbocharged V12, the final output at the wheels was a whopping 850 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque. The ME Four-Twelve also packed a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which was very rare at the time.
At the time, Chrysler dubbed it the “most advanced Chrysler ever built.” It had a carbon fiber body with an aluminum honeycomb monocoque tub that helped greatly reduce the car’s weight. Yes, this also never went into production. But it was one of the very few Chrysler concepts that almost touched the sun.
4 Chevrolet Aerovette (1970)
If this car ever made it to the masses, it would have been the certified AMC AMX/3, Ford Pantera, and Mercedes Benz C111 killer. Unveiled at the New York Auto Show in 1970, the Aerovette didn’t just come with radical new looks—it also packed a performance package that would leave the competition in the dust.
Yes, the engine was not a big-block V8. However, that 400 cu-in small block V8 was paired with an Old Toronado Turbo 400 transmission that sent power to the wheels of the first mid-engine Corvette, which was 700 pounds lighter than a 1970 Corvette at the time. This is exactly what Corvette diehards had been longing for—a smaller, lighter Corvette.
Sadly, the beef stew scenario kicked in and this sweet steak was chopped up in the corridors of Chevrolet. The next time the market saw a mid-engine Corvette was decades later with the C8.
3 Chrysler 300 Hemi C (2000)
Chrysler was on a great concept car design streak through the ‘90s and early 2000s, and this Chrysler 300 Hemi C came at a time when they’d just showcased the wild Dodge Charger R/T concept, so expectations were high.
And they didn’t fail to deliver. This Mopar seamlessly blended elegance and luxury with the muscular styling of the Chrysler 300M sedan. That exotic design was paired with a Hemi V8 motor that was no slouch either. It produced 353 hp and 353 lb-ft of torque which earned this concept car the badge of the “ultimate banker’s hotrod.”
The market was already ready for the 300 Hemi C. However, Chrysler decided to offer a watered-down version of it, which still went on to be wildly successful.
2 Ford Interceptor (2007)
This was Ford’s modern interpretation of the sporty American muscle cars of the ‘60s. Launched in 2007, Ford poetically described the interceptor, “much like a Marine in dress uniform. He looks smart and elegant but you can see the raw power that lies beneath.”
Well, that raw power surely didn’t lack. The central verse of that poem was a 5.0-liter V8 that ran on ethanol. That liquor powered engine was capable of 600 hp that was channeled to the wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
Despite the car truly living up to the poetic marine’s character, Ford didn’t live up to the promise of producing this car for the masses. Rather, they lifted design cues from the Interceptor and used them in the sixth-generation Ford Taurus.
1 Cadillac Cien (2002)
Despite being American, Cadillac decided to celebrate its 100th birthday in a very Spanish way. They decided to launch a supercar that would make an Italian bull and horse look like a sloth on sedatives.
The Cien, which translates in Spanish to “100,” was Cadillac’s two-door, rear-wheel-drive, and rear mid-engine high-performance concept car. It had a 7.5-liter Northstar XV12 engine, scissor doors, and 750 hp on tap.
Sadly, Cadillac was stingy with their birthday cake. So, instead of producing a few units for the general public, they called a few movie executives like Michael Bay and featured the car in films and games such as 2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction.