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Porsche 918 Spyder
When a car dominates a motor show, you know it’s quite a car. The Porsche 918 Spyder concept was as innovative as it was gorgeous; as insanely brilliant aesthetically as it was technically challenging.
For those who fancied a piece of the action, Porsche has recently announced they will be making a small number of the 918 – albeit a slightly watered-down version of the 2010 Geneva show stopper.
Hyundai Curb
The Hyundai Curb was a concept car at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show, and it didn’t look too far away from production ready status. Despite the computer screens and extreme-styled tyres, the Curb, as a basic design, looked promising.
Will we see the Curb crawling down a road near you? Don’t bet against it.
Lotus Esprit
This one is a bit of a ‘will they, won’t they?’ saga. The Lotus Esprit concept at last year’s Paris Motor Show was, according to Lotus, a certain production model for 2013-ish.
Things change, people move on and money becomes tighter, and Lotus has seemingly bitten off a little more than it can chew, as the government has declined its request for a grant that would help the Esprit get off the ground.
So, yes, the Esprit may be a future model, but then again, it might not. It all depends on if Lotus can secure funding elsewhere. Let’s hope they do.
Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept
When Lamborghini unleashed the Sesto Elemento Concept last year, the whole world gasped – probably. The car promised innovative, new lightweight technology that would mean a kerb weight of just 999kg and a 0-62mph time of just 2.5 seconds.
Thankfully, Lamborghini is producing the Sesto – sort of. The basic concept, design and technology have been transfused into the new Murcielago replacement, the Aventador.
Audi Quattro
You know the original Quattro – the fire breathing, rallying monster that dominated world rally in the ‘80s – well, Audi produced a one-off 21st century Quattro last year and they were instantly pressurised to produce it in large numbers.
Such was the demand; Audi announced it was seriously considering a limited production run of the Quattro. With those serial-killer looks, V8 power and the stance of a west-coast gangster, let’s hope they do.
Mazda Shinari Concept
The Japanese and concept cars go together like cheese and chives, Tango and Cash, Simon and Garfunkel – you get the idea. And when Mazda designed the Shinari concept, they knew it was going to be a template for its future designs, so it had to be good.
With an ethos that blended technology with workable design prinicples, the Shinari concept will dictate how future Mazdas look. Keep your eye out for hints of this car in the next few years.
Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake
What do you do when you’ve designed a properly nice concept but then Ferrari goes an steals the basic platform? That’s basically what happened to Mercedes when they unveiled the Shooting Brake CLS, as Ferrari now has the FF – which, you’ve guessed it, features a shooting brake design.
Whatever, though, there’s word that the German marque has plans to make the CLS SB and show the Italians how it’s done.
Kia Soulster
Incredibly awful name aside, the Kia Soulster is very likely to go into production very soon, and with its funky looks, it’ll be a sure-fire hit for people who like surfing, Kias, cars with odd names and, erm… Kias.
Kia dubs the Soulster as an SUV with utility – which effectively means it’s a big car that can do big car stuff.
BMW ActiveE
The big manufacturers have invested millions into clean technology. They’ve had to reduce emissions to keep their precious engines in production, they’ve had to amend their design principles to keep the green party happy and they’ve had to roll with the times and look into alternative fuels. And that’s why the BMW ActiveE is likely to hit production very soon.
The ActiveE is based on the current 1-Series, and BMW says that its 170hp electric motor will help it hit 0-60mph in just 4.5 seconds but still manage a range of 100 miles – which is impressive.
Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta by Pininfarina
The Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta by Pininfarina is unlikely to ever hit production, but who cares? Just look at the thing. Seriously, take your time and have a look.
Did you take a look? Good. It’s pretty, isn’t it? So pretty you’d happily trade your other half in for just a 30 minute drive? Yep, thought so.
