Concept cars are a thing of beauty. They are the stuff our dreams are made of. Some of them are futuristic while others are technologically superior, miles ahead of what the world of automobiles look like today. The thing about concept cars is also this that many never really make it to production. It's one thing to create a car out of science and imagination but the viability of many such ambitious projects depend upon their marketing value and sales numbers.

Some of these concept cars have been turned into prototypes, while some remain only on paper and in artist's renderings. But reality would be so cool if our almost-beater cars of today were replaced by an actual prototype belonging on this list. It’s not as if the cars of today aren’t technological marvels. With all cars coming stuffed with literally top notch features, the automobile industry is also on a revolution of sorts. Some of the concept cars seen below belong to famous brands while some are offerings from standalone Indie car designers and manufacturers. But one thing is clear; this may as well be the future of automobiles. Many of these are clean fuelled, running on electricity, hydrogen and even nuclear power. Sounds like something that belongs in a child’s cartoon TV series but this is not even augmented reality, it’s merely reality being served to us a little too soon to digest.

18 BMW Lovos

This extremely futuristic and exceedingly innovative car prototype was designed by Anne Forschner – a German designer trained at BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Mazda. She was 24 when she created this green concept car. The idea was to inspire people to get rid of the orthodoxy and embrace the dissidence. The Lovos stands for Lifestyle of Voluntary Simplicity.

The concept car uses 260 identical scales; these are interchangeable parts and are festooned all around its structure.

These identical scales function as solar panels when they are closed and as airbrakes when they are open like in airplanes. Furthermore, each wheel takes a set of 12 scales that look like turbines when the car is in motion.

17 General Motors Firebird 1

The GM Firebird is a creation of Harley Earl – an automotive designer. For the Firebird, he took his inspiration from fighter plane designs of that era. GM created this masterpiece just to flex its muscle by showcasing its indomitable capabilities in design and technology. In 1953, the Firebird 1 became the first gas turbine-powered car in history. It was armed with a 370 horsepower Whirlfire turbo-powered gas turbine engine. This bizarre creation looked like a jet aircraft on wheels. It had a fuselage made out of fiberglass and a single-seat cockpit covered with a bubble-shaped canopy. Plus, a vertical tail fin and short wings with aircraft-like flaps that act as airbrakes.

16 Genesis Essentia

The Essentia concept is a grand tourer of the 21st century that will be produced by Genesis Motors – Hyundai’s luxury division. This all-electric concept car’s design stands out and is one step further from its past Essentia. It wears a carbon fiber body to limit its weight. Plus, it carries several electric units that induce electricity from a lithium-ion battery pack.

This, in turn, propels the grand-touring car from zero to 60 mph in a flat 3 seconds.

Genesis unveiled it in the 2018 New York International Show with a lot of aplomb. The concept car looks very desirable and may have great success if launched.

15 Ford GT90

The GT90 is a high-performance concept car that was developed by Ford in 1995 under a secret project. Ford’s team took just six months to complete it. It was fitted with a 6.0-liter quad-turbocharged DOHC V12 engine tied to a five-speed FFD Ricardo manual transmission. The GT90’s stout mill thrashed out a whopping 720 horsepower and 660 ft-lb of torque. Plus, it achieved a zero to 60 mph sprint in a brisk 3.1 seconds with a lightning top mark of 253 mph. The GT90 concept was dubbed as the world’s fastest and most powerful car by the entire auto community when launched in 1995 Detroit Auto Show.

14 Lamborghini Terzo Millennio

As the company says, the Lamborghini Terzo Millennio is built on four pillars of Energy, Innovation in Materials, Powertrain & Vehicle Architecture and Sound & Emotion. This supercar is the outcome of a three-year partnership between Lamborghini and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Terzo Millennio is Italian for the third millennium and this futuristic concept car certainly lives up to its image in terms of design and technology.

Its sci-fi design is just the tip of the iceberg.

What is significant is its four electric units that source power from high-capacity supercapacitors instead of batteries. Plus, it wears a unique carbon fiber body that stores electricity and upon detecting cracks, it heals itself.

13 Alfa Romeo Caimano

The Alfa Romeo Caimano was an ambitious creation of Giorgetto Giugiaro – a world-renowned Italian automobile designer. He fitted this concept car with a 1.2-liter Alfa Romeo Boxer flat-four engine that was tied to a five-speed manual transmission. Back in 1971 when the car was showcased in Turin Motor Show, its design was rather unique for its era. It featured pop-up headlamps, a cylinder-shaped dashboard and two small windows on the doors meant for air circulation. The Caimano also had an unusual dome-shaped windshield that integrated the doors as well. The car was based on the mechanics of its cousin, the Alfa Romeo Alfasud.

12 Honda Urban EV

The Honda Urban EV is a tribute to its first generation of forefathers – the 1972 Honda Civic. It is an all-electric compact concept car primarily meant for city commuters. It made a successful debut last year at the 2017 International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany. It features two reverse doors that are rear-hinged and were common in the old-era of horse-drawn carriages.

The Urban EV is a retro-inspired design and Honda has promised to make a production model by the end of 2019.

It is slated for a European release in 2019 followed by Japan in 2020. Unfortunately, looking at its brand positioning, it may not reach domestic shores.

11 Audi Shark

The Audi Shark was conceptualized by Kazim Doku. This futuristic concept car features a very distinctive design. The Shark’s design was inspired from planes and motorcycles combined with a shark’s underwater appearance. A shark’s tail-like spoiler on the rear substantiates why the car has been named Shark. Paddles are fitted on the back of the car for precise maneuvering at high speeds. It also has a sporty seat in the interior that is incorporated with its cockpit-like structure. Plus, the Audi hologram sits precisely between the LED headlamps in the front and tail lamps at the back.

10 Mazda Nagare

The Nagare is pronounced as nah-gah-reh and is Japanese for flow. This concept car was unveiled in the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show. According to its designer and Mazda’s Global Design Director at the time, Laurens van den Acker, the Mazda Nagare is a celebration of proportions and surface language. This concept car’s body lines move smooth like liquid all across its unified design. It features forceful hefty wheels wrapped nicely on the wheel wells. The large windshield molds itself into its glass roof. Plus, the cars doors open upwards like the wings of a butterfly, also known as gull wings. The Nagare is expected to come fitted with a Mazda hydrogen-fuelled rotary engine.

9 Cadillac World Thorium Fuel

The Cadillac World Thorium Fuel or Cadillac WTF is the work of its designer Loren Kulesus. As the company claims, this nuclear-powered vehicle can achieve a 100-year maintenance-free lifespan. The WTF is fuelled by thorium, a somewhat radioactive metal that can otherwise be used as a nuclear fuel.

Each of this futuristic car’s wheels consists of six separate mini-wheels powered by their own motor.

That means there are 24 wheels and 24 induction motors in total that generates the power. According to Kulesus, the car will never need a fresh set of tires, and that is definitely great news for the environment conscious buyers.

8 Lincoln Continental Concept

Lincoln Continental is a name synonymous with luxury, comfort, and elegance. The brand has witnessed ten generations across nearly eight decades and has made an indelible mark on the history of automobiles globally. This Continental Concept was unveiled in 2002 and it carried a 414 horsepower 6.0-liter Aston Martin V12 engine sourced from the Aston Martin DB7. With long and flat fenders, a tall belt line and reverse rear doors, this concept actually took the best of the 1960s Continental and was twisted around to get a modern appearance. But it never reached production lines and people never got to use it.

7 Mercedes Benz F105

Dubbed more as a research car than a concept car, the Mercedes-Benz F105 not only can drive itself but can ascertain your presence too. It happens because of a high-density laser that is fixed under the F105’s badge. This badge can project symbols onto the road. The gorgeous exterior consists of metallic windows and two rear suicide doors. Plus, the interior cabin is a blend of leather, timber, and elegant aluminum. This innovative four-seater is, in fact, a self-driving lounge with all the modern luxury and intelligence of Mercedes, which has forged many groundbreaking technologies in the past. As the Mercedes truly says, it’s a luxury in motion.

6 Jaguar Mark XXI

The Jaguar XXI exemplifies the synergy of luxury and eco-technology. Most of its outsides are covered with moving photovoltaic panels that looked like humble leaves. These panels automatically change its position following the sun’s location. Once the concept is parked, these panels rise up and charge the onboard batteries which in turn propel the car.

The Mark XXI is also dubbed as a bionomic autonomous limousine and was designed by Chris Pollard, a Coventry alumna.

The interior of the car is weighed down with leisure and luxury. The laid-back seats and diffusive lighting creates a relaxed ambiance inside the cabin.

5 Bentley Hunaudières

The Hunaudières was named after a straightaway of the same name at Le Mans. It was built by Bentley for the 1999 International Geneva Motor Show. In 1998, Bentley was acquired by the Volkswagen Group and consequently, the new management decided to roll out a master plan to strengthen Bentley’s brand equity in the auto industry. The Hunaudières concept was the company’s first step in that direction. It carried a Volkswagen 8.0-liter W16 engine under its belly that was modified by Bentley to crank out a massive 623 horsepower and 560 ft-lb worth of torque. The naturally-aspirated engine was paired with a five-speed manual transmission. This concept was capable of achieving a top speed mark of 220 mph.

4 Chrysler Atlantic

The Chrysler Atlantic's design was a tribute to the late 30s Bugatti Atlantique, a Jean Bugatti creation. In 1995, Chrysler unveiled this retro concept car for the people. It received a warm welcome from its audience. The car carried a 4.0-liter 32-valve inline-eight engine based on two 2.0-liter Chrysler Neon inline-four engines under its hood. The powerful engine was tied to a four-speed Autostick transmission. The unit was capable of thrashing out a considerable 360 horsepower. This concept car was one of the best from Chrysler’s stable but it never went into production and became Chrysler’s halo car briefly during the 90s.

3 BMW Gina

This BMW is a shape-shifter – the body of Gina changes its shape according to the peripheral state of affairs and speeds. Plus, it wears an elastic, impermeable, translucent artificial fabric skin.

The fabric is polyurethane-coated Spandex known for its elasticity and toughness.

This sports car concept was designed by BMW’s key design team that was spearheaded by Chris Bangle. GINA is an abbreviation for "Geometry and functions In 'N' Adaptations". Besides, this GINA Light Visionary Model’s interior apparatuses, like the steering wheel, sit in the idle position on the center console when the car is parked. This allows for an easy and stress-free access when the commuters board it.

2 Toyota Kikai

The Toyota Kikai was unveiled in the 2015 Tokyo Auto Show. The Kikai is a three-seat center-drive mid-rear mean machine that appears to be exquisite in every term. This self-defying Kikai finds its existence at the juncture of hotrods, dune buggies, and equally-wild concept cars. This concept car was essentially designed to highlight the intricacy and central appeal of the machines, its fine dexterity, and their charming motion. That’s why the Kikai’s gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain is clearly visible which is otherwise hidden in cars. The Kikai is armed with a mid-rear-mounted inline-four mill and is a rear-wheel-drive. It features motorcycle-like fenders so that the mechanisms can be visible to everyone.

1 BMW 42-Wheeler

The story behind this 42-wheeler is rather uncanny. BMW was in pursuit of fulfilling the dream of a four-year-old boy named Eli. The boy wanted his dream machine to be exclusively a Bimmer. Plus this Bimmer should have had 42 wheels, at least 19 Porsche’s 459-horsepower engines to power the car and three steering wheels. Most importantly, this 42-wheeled monster has a large trunk that is full of toys and a kiddie zone. Eli’s uncle reached out to a few designers and artists before BMW decided to take the plunge and give the boy his best gift ever. Undoubtedly, what came out looks stunning making it one of the best in the concept car’s arena.

Sources: AutoEvolution.com, AutoBlog.com, AutoExpress.co.uk