Concept cars are one of the first steps for an automotive designer to turn their dream from a sketch to something consumers can live with every day. Some concepts make it, but many more don’t. These are the 10 greatest concept cars that never saw the green light.
10.) Jeep Mighty FC
Built as a throwback to the original Jeep Forward Control vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s, the Jeep Mighty FC concept was built to give the world a taste of what a modern American-built Soviet GAZ hauler might feel like.
Powered by Chrysler’s 300 horsepower Pentastar V6 motor with the same transmission and transfer case setup from the Wrangler of its time, only with air lockers on each of its massive axles. It even had a completely modern interior with plaid seats. Plaid seats!
Suggested By: — Wacko —, Photo Credit: Jeep
9.) Audi Sport Quattro Hybrid
This is the car that would’ve been Audi’s first real hurrah since the days of their original Audi Ur Quattro. Though a bit overweight at 4,079 pounds, the Sport Quattro Hybrid was set to be a 700 horsepower all-wheel drive hybrid with 590 pound feet of torque and a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds.
But did any of that happen? Did Audi ever take their chances with the car and production? Nope! It could’ve been another rally monster! Sorry, nope!
Suggested By: fairlady77, Photo Credit: Audi
8.) Volvo Concept Estate
Volvo, what’s going on? You gave the world the beautiful XC90 with technology that might as well be from the future, you give us brilliantly tuned smurfblue cars by Polestar.
So why can’t you just follow up on one more good deed and give the world your insanely beautiful Volvo Concept Estate? Don’t just dangle it in front of our eyes! What did we do to you?
But hey, there’s still time, right? Just don’t forget to write your weekly letter to Volvo and nag them with a reminder that we all need more Concept Estate in our lives.
Suggested By: TheStigSpanishCousin, Photo Credit: Volvo
7.) Ford Bronco
What you’re looking at here is the Ford Bronco concept that was making its auto show rounds years ago. This is the truck that probably could have knocked Jeep off their high horse with the Wrangler and very well may have even been able to scoop up some of those Hampton-goers who are dying for a turn behind the wheel in a classic Bronco or a Land Rover Defender.
Now a real new Bronco looks like it may head to production, but who knows if it will look like this badass concept or not.
Suggested By: My X-type is too a real Jaguar, Photo Credit: Ford via favcars.com
6.) Lancia Stratos
If mass produced, this car could’ve been one of the most beautiful and drawing sports cars of this decade. With a 540 HP Ferrari V8, a power-to-weight ratio of 5 lb/hp and a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds, the new Lancia Stratos could’ve been our everything.
Why would anyone care about a Porsche Cayman or an Alfa Romeo 4C when you could have a LANCIA STRATOS! They even painted it in the old school Alitalia Rally livery.
Thanks a lot Ferrari.
Suggested By: KirkyV, Photo Credit: Lancia via Jalopnik
5.) Lamborghini Asterion
The Lamborghini Asterion was Lamborghini’s look into the future. A look into where they know they have to go, but are just too scared to saddle up and go. The Asterion was a 282 MPG, 610HP 5.2L V10 matched with a whole lotta batteries, combined to pump out over 900 HP.
Come on Lamborghini, you know one of these days you’re going to have to say “fuck it” and go ahead with a mass-production ready hybrid. You’re only hurting yourself.
Suggested By: stillthrottledown, Photo Credit: Lamborghini via Jalopnik
4.) Volkswagen W12 Coupe
In the late 90s and early 2000s, VW faced an ongoing (and rather unsuccessful) craze to prove to the world that they were capable of producing their own luxury vehicles, like the Phaeton and the Touareg. VW planned to continue with that craze by designing a W12-powered, mid-engined, all-wheel-drive luxury sports car. Though the car never saw production, the W12 has gone down in history as one of the most batshit and amazing designs VW never made.
Suggested By: Sn210, Photo Credit: VW via automobilemag
3.) Nissan IDx Nismo
Do we even need a reminder about the IDx? It was Nissan’s modern reincarnation of the Datsun 510. The low-priced, manual, classically styled, rear-wheel drive sports car that I dream about every other night.
Suggested By: As Du Volant, Photo Credit: Nissan
2.) Mustang Mach 2
The Ford Mustang Mach 2 debuted as a concept in 1967 at the Chicago Auto Show. With much of its design sharing characteristics with those of some of the most highly-praised european sports car designs of its time, the Mustang Mach 2 was one of the most uniquely designed American cars to come out of that decade.
If it were up to me, this is the car that Ford would have been making for the past 50 years.
Suggested By: JohnGeorgeHill, Photo Credit: via Jalopnik
1.) Lamborghini Miura
In 2006, Lamborghini decided to take a step back from their world of sharp angles and boxy lines and take a look to their past and to what made them what they are today. The concept was built off of Lamborghini’s Gallardo and to be powered by the Muricelago’s V12, rumored to be priced around $350,000 with a release date of some time in 2008, but it never happened.
That’s an utter tragedy
Suggested By: Vin, Photo Credit: smartvital via Wikipedia
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Top Photo Credit: Ford