<< CONCEPT CARS >>

by Kun-Pyo Hong

A concept car or show car is a car prototype made to showcase a new design of vehicle, new styling, technology and more. They are often shown at motor shows to see customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced in the factory for people to drive on the street.
Concept cars never go into production directly; in modern times all would have to have many changes made to them before any decision is made to introduce them in any way to anyone outside of the company.
Because previous models of car are judged by both themselves, other car manufacturers and the population alike, car companies are constantly trying to make and out-do eachother in the war to make the best car for that year. Today you can see new ideas coming through such as, electric cars and bio fuels... all of which certain things have to bee changed to accomodate, like engines and power sources.
Materials for concept cars are endless, the materials range from cheap paper and plastics to the most expensive like carbon fiber and alloy. Manufacturers are constantly thinking of new materials and futuristic "looks" that they can incorperate into a new car, from the dash to the seatbelt configuration, everything is rigourously tested to achieve optamim performance, styling a driving satisfaction.

Below I will try to explain certain examples of concept design and explain design features of what you are seeing in the pictures.

Some examples of new concepts of styling and performances can be seen here

BMW

There isn't a four-door sedan on the road right now—sorry Jag—that's as sexy as Maserati's Quatroporte. But if BMW actually brings this CS Concept to market, Maser is won't be king of the hill anymore. While it's irritating the company is calling it a "four-door coupe"—coupes have four doors!—the CS Concept looks incredibly sleek, and its presence in showrooms would probably send most of their competitors back to the drawing board. With its sleek and stylish lines to its BMW trademark grill sticking out from the front this car oozes looks and technology. Sometimes you just have to say WOW. . Presented first as a concept at the Shanghai Auto Show, this will probably be the next 8 series BMW, which will compete the Mercedes CLS and the upcoming Porsche Panamera, in the sporty 4 doors coupe class.Measuring at 5.1 m in length, the high-end car features 21 inch wheels, giving the concept an aggressive look. Apparently, BMW will fit the production car with a 6.0L V12 engine.

AUDI

Surfing around the web, I came across this concept car, Audi Locus by Ugur Sahin. Looking like TT and R8’s son from the future, this concept car impresses with its curved design, creating a continuous flow from front until the back of the car. The Audi Locus looks really nice, too bad we’ll probably never gonna see it on the streets.

The main characteristics of the design are the way its surface shapes are formed with a continuous flow from the front end until the back of the car. The front has an aggressive look with the traditional Audi grille. The air intakes are shaped like the headlights to create a coherent feeling.
The rear section has very defined curves and subtle details, tail lights are designed to have integrated air outtakes underneath. The sleek design of the rear volume is defined by the dual exhaust tail pipes located at the very sides and by the dark surfaces of the diffuser.

LEXUS

The LF-A Roadster is based on the sturdy yet lightweight carbon-fiber and aluminum body used for the LF-A Coupe which helps maintain the cars strength and rigidity even without a top.
The LF-A Roadster is powered by a 5.0 liters V10 engine, capable of more than 500 horsepower and test-track speeds greater than 200 mph. (FAST)

The "F" logo, located on each front fender of the Roadster, indicates the vehicle's status as a part of the new "F" marque.
The name is derived from the original "F" designation for the first Lexus LS prototype. That vehicle was internally coded "Circle-F," with the "F" standing for "flagship." Luxury that is intriguing, subtle and slightly surprising. The key to the formula is how the visual contrast between simplicity and elegance creates a look that is dynamic, forceful and vigorous.

HUMMER

Unveiled at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the two-door HX Concept is more compact than a HUMMER H3 – (81 inches)The HX concept can be easily tranformed into a convertible thanks to its removable roof panels above the driver and front passenger, and a modular, removable rear roof assembly.“The HX is HUMMER’s vision of an agile, trail-ready, open-air vehicle that fits the lifestyles of everyone who needs or wants to drive off road," said Martin Walsh, HUMMER general manager. "Of course, it carries exceptional off-road capability and the distinctive styling for which all HUMMERs are known.”And while the headlamps and grille are clearly HUMMER cues, they’ve evolved on the HX with a “chopped circle” shape. The grille slots and headlamps, as well as elements on the interior, have the appearance of circles or ovals that have been clipped at the top and bottom, creating a unique appearance that speaks to the vehicle’s purposeful looks.
From aircraft-inspired seats to integrated, off-road-ready tools, the HUMMER HX’s interior has a beauty that lies in its purposeful intent. It was inspired by the functional and lightweight elements found in aircraft. The console also houses a resting place for phones, MP3 player and iPods or iPhones. Altogether a very tidy piece of finetuned and powerfuly ruggered machinery.

I have tried to explain what the purpose of a concept car is and how car makers strive for eyecatching and various design perfection; Taking an idea and turning it into a road legal (or not) machine capable of capturing the minds and hearts of auto lovers alike. I have tried to explain certain design feature and spec so that you may know more about the pictures and the cars themselves.... here are more pictures below for you veiwing pleasure.

.......NISSAN PIVO 2 ............................. MAZDA TAIKI............................SHELBY COBRA Kc427.....