Concept cars are vehicles which are developed by auto companies to showcase new technologies they have developed, and new styling touches which their designers have created. These concept cars are usually first shown off at auto shows around the world, as a way of highlighting the innovative work being done by car manufacturers, but are not destined to be sold to ordinary customers. Think of high-end fashion shows; the clothes on the catwalk won’t appear in shops, but they will heavily influence the outfits which do make it to the designer boutiques.
Visitors to the top auto shows and exhibitions around the world may find themselves fascinated by the concept cars made by supercar companies like Porsche, Lamborghini, and Lotus, but auto fans will have to accept the fact that they may well never get the chance to get their hands on one of these amazing vehicles. They are destined to be nothing but expensive and very well-engineered works of art!
It’s a shame that the amazing supercars on this list never made it into production – especially as many of them are way better than the cars which actually did go into production in the end. All of the cars on this list would have sold like hotcakes to auto aficionados, and it would have been so much better to see these vehicles driving around on the streets, rather than sitting on stalls at auto shows.
19 1972 BMW Turbo
The BMW Turbo concept car which made its debut at the 1972 Paris Motor Show was years ahead of its time in many ways. For starters, it looks like it has driven back in time from the 1980s with that supercar styling, including the iconic gullwing doors, and it also featured a turbocharged engine, decades before the first turbo BMW actually went into production in 2002. The BMW Turbo may have been destined to remain a museum piece, but the design and technology behind this concept car did go on to influence some of BMW’s most successful cars of the 1970s and 1980s.
18 2017 Lamborghini Terzo Millenio
Lamborghini is the biggest name when it comes to supercars, so it is hardly surprising that the Italian car manufacturer has also come up with some of the most impressive concept cars of all time.
In 2017, Lamborghini and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) joined forces to create what could easily be called the supercar of the future – and not just in the way that it looks!
The Terzo Millenio – which literally translates as the third millennium – boasts some futuristic technology which could well become par for the course in years to come, such as body panels which are actually the power source for the electric vehicle.
17 2018 Genesis Essentia
One of the highlights of the 2018 New York Motor Show was the stunning Genesis Essentia concept car. Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury brand, may not be as famous as Lamborghini, but their recent concept cars have been turning heads in the auto industry, and with the gorgeously styled Essentia, it is easy to see why. Fully embracing modern technology and modern environmental sensibilities, the Genesis Essentia is a fully electric vehicle designed by Manfred Fitzgerald, who used to head up Lamborghini, design boss Luc Donckerwolke, formerly of Bentley, BMW and Lamborghini and Albert Bierman, previously in charge of BMW’s M Division.
16 2002 Cadillac Cien
Like Chrysler, Cadillac is not a name that you normally associate with supercars, so when the auto industry giant came up with the Cadillac Cien concept car in 2002, it raised a few eyebrows.
Given the name “Cien” to celebrate the Cadillac’s 100th birthday, this concept car couldn’t be any further from the first vehicles produced by the company in the early years of the 20th century.
Its angular appearance was inspired by the F-22 stealth fighter and features a specially designed and built V12 engine, visible through a clear panel in the hood, capable of generating 750hp, all with the fuel economy of a less powerful V8 engine.
15 1995 Ford GT90
Despite making its debut at the 1995 Detroit Auto Show, over twenty years ago, the high-performance Ford GT90 concept car still remains curiously popular today. It may have looked futuristic in the mid-1990s, but even today, the GT90 manages to look like a unique creation – nothing like any of the supercars you can actually take out for a drive. Powered by a 6-liter V12 engine with an impressive four turbochargers, the GT90 took just three seconds to get from 0 to 60mph and had a top speed of 230mph. The GT90 may be popular among auto aficionados, but there are no signs that the car will ever go into production.
14 2004 Chrysler ME412
The Art Deco-styled Chrysler Atlantic is far from the only time the car manufacturer has entered the high-cost world of concept supercars. The 2004 Chrysler ME412 – or to give the car its proper name, the Chrysler ME-Four-Twelve – also made its debut at the prestigious Detroit Auto Show, but has only ever remained a concept car, a result perhaps of poor management at Chrysler in the mid-2000s. The ME-Four-Twelve name stood for mid-engine, four turbochargers and twelve cylinders, capable of generating a more than impressive 850hp. Best of all, this gorgeous concept vehicle weighed less than 3,000 pounds, thanks to its super-light carbon-fiber bodywork.
13 2001 Honda Dualnote
Developed using what was at the time the most advanced hybrid technologies, the Honda Dualnote concept car may have never made it into production, but many of its innovations are standard features in hybrid vehicles today.
The Dualnote made its domestic debut at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show, before going on to turn heads at the 2002 New York Motor Show, thanks to its unusual appearance, three electric motor engine, and 400hp output.
The Honda Dualnote itself may not be available for sale, but much of its technology can be found in the Honda NSX if you want to enjoy a little taste of driving a concept supercar.
12 2009 Infiniti Essence
From companies like Lamborghini, Ford, and Chrysler, who all boast a long and celebrated heritage behind their modern concept vehicles, to an auto company which has been around for only thirty years, but which has still managed to create some really head-turning vehicles in their short existence. Infiniti created their concept supercar, the Essence in 2009, to celebrate their 20th anniversary, and it was certainly one of the star attractions at the Geneva Motor Show that year. Co-designed with fashion star Louis Vuitton, the Infiniti Essence oozes luxury, both inside and out, and is powered by a hefty 592hp hybrid engine.
11 2006 Lamborghini Miura
Lamborghini doesn’t just do supercars well; they are also the masters when it comes to creating dreamy concept cars, like the 2006 Lamborghini Miura.
Unlike most concept cars, the Lamborghini Miura was, once upon a time, a production car, built by the Italian auto maestros between 1966 and 1973.
The 2006 concept car, which was made to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original vehicle, was launched at the Detroit Motor Show and looks just how fans would imagine an updated 1960s Lamborghini would look. The one-off creation is now housed at the world-famous Lamborghini Museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy.
10 2010 Lotus Elan
Another British car maker who is giving the Italians and Germans a run for their money when it comes to concept supercars is Lotus. In 2010, Lotus bombarded the Paris Auto Show with not one, now two, but an astonishing five concept vehicles; the Esprit, Elan, Elite, Elise and the Eterne.
It was, however, the Lotus Elan concept which caused the biggest stir at the show and among motoring journalists and car lovers.
Weighing less than 3,000 pounds, the 450-horsepower supercharged 4.0-liter V6 engine can take you from 0 to 60mph in just 3.5 seconds, and the car has a top speed of an impressive 193mph.
9 1995 Chrysler Atlantic
Chrysler may be better known for building solid and dependable American automobiles, but in 1995 even they decided to show off their impressive design skills at various motor shows around the world with the Chrysler Atlantic.
Designed by Bob Hubbach, who was inspired by the Bugatti Atlantique from the 1930s (even as far as the name is concerned, apparently), the Chrysler version still boasted the same Art Deco curves as the original.
Hardcore Chrysler fans may not have bought into the look of the Atlantic but had it ever gone into production, it would surely have been a big seller.
8 1999 Bentley Hunaudieres
Bentley and supercars isn’t a combination which usually mixes well. Vehicles made by Bentley are usually owned by royal families, prime ministers, and presidents, who are all attracted by their stately and respectable image; an image which the very sleek and sexy Bentley Hunaudieres turns on its head. One of the stars of the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, the Hunaudieres was based roughly on the Lamborghini Diablo and went onto inspire one of the most iconic supercars of all time – the $1.5 million Bugatti Veyron. A Bentley supercar would certainly have turned a few heads, but most car lovers would rather have the Bugatti Veyron than the Bentley Hunaudieres.
7 1999 Pontiac GTO
Europe doesn’t have the monopoly on creating great supercars, however. Even the USA has managed to come up with some cracking concepts over the years, not the least the Pontiac GTO from 1999. Like the Lamborghini Miura, the 1999 Pontiac was based on an old GTO model which had been previously been in production for ten years between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s, only the modern designers gave their end-of-the-millennium concept vehicle a very 21st-century look to bring it right up to date. Sadly, the Pontiac concept never made it into production, but it did inspire other car makers to look into their own back catalogs for new vehicle opportunities.
6 2008 Mazda Furai
The 2008 Mazda Furai looks like it would be more at home on a race track than parked in a suburban garage, which probably goes a long way towards explaining why it was only ever designed as a concept car for the global auto shows.
The car’s sleek carbon-fiber bodywork covered up a super-powerful 460bhp rotary race engine which ran on pure ethanol.
As test drivers found, it was very fast and very noisy. And also, unfortunately for Mazda, very flammable. It was during one of these test drives by a top motoring magazine that the only Mazda Furai in existence sadly burned to a crisp.
5 2013 Lamborghini Egoista
Lamborghini may be making more than its fair share of appearances on this list, but remember that it is a compilation of some of the best concept cars never made – and when it comes to concept cars, the Italians really are the masters of their domain. Take the unusual-looking Lamborghini Egoista from 2013, for example. Not perhaps the curves Lamborghini lovers have come to expect from their favorite car manufacturer – the concept vehicle looks more like something created in an origami class – but there is little doubt that this is a car that would get heads turning if you were lucky enough to get behind the wheel.
4 2005 Ford Shelby GR-1
For those who prefer their supercars to look a little bit more American, look no further than the Ford Shelby GR-1 concept car created in 2005.
Ford may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think “supercar,” but this impressive recreation of the 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupe roadster shows that Ford is not just about reliable family cars!
This faithful homage to the 1960s – right down to the original 12-spoke, 19-inch wheels – certainly packed more under the hood than the Shelby Daytona, thanks to the powerful 6.4-liter V10 engine with 605hp, and despite never making it into production, it still manages to look timeless and refreshing over ten years later.
3 2000 Audi Rosemeyer
There is more than a touch of the ever-popular Audi TT about this 2000 Audi concept car – although at the same time it is like no Audi TT ever seen on the autobahns of Germany! The Audi Rosemeyer concept car, created in 2000 for a motor show at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, manages to be both futuristic in its design and to hark back to Audi cars of days gone by, such as the iconic Silver Arrow race cars of the 1930s. The company even named the vehicle, which was never intended for production, after one of the most famous drivers of those Silver Arrow cars, Bernd Rosemeyer.
2 2001 Citroen Osee
If the presence of a Ford supercar on this list raised a few eyebrows, then jaws will hit the floor when you see where the next super concept car originated from. Citroen, one of France’s leading car makers, is not well known in the US. In fact, the most famous Citroen car on the American side of the Atlantic is the comical Citroen 2CV, a Beetle lookalike with, at its most powerful, a 602cc, 29hp engine. The 2001 Citroen Osee, on the other hand, looks more like it has driven off the set of a sci-fi movie than out of the winding streets of a French village.
1 1996 Lamborghini Raptor
Last but by no means least, is the 1996 Lamborghini Raptor. A concept supercar with a name to match its ferocious styling. Sometimes referred to as the Zagato Raptor, this car was created thanks to a partnership between the two companies, and made its debut at the prestigious Geneva Auto Show in 1996. Powered by the classic Lamborghini V12 engine, the Lamborghini/Zagato Raptor nevertheless had some features that were unconventional, even for a supercar. For example, instead of the usual Lambo doors, the whole of the car roof lifted up horizontally, in order for driver and passenger to get into their seats.
Sources: Autotrader.com, zeroto60times.com, topspeed.com, topgear.com, classicdriver.com