Love/Hate Relationship with Concept Cars

Concept cars are awesome. Automakers get to showcase the latest and greatest features, while at the same time innovating the next generation of vehicle specifications. As cool as concept cars are though, the version that eventually makes it to production is usually a watered down shell of what could have been the greatest thing ever. An epic concept with a revolutionary car navigation system that integrates with your smartphone turns into a base production model  that you feel lucky they included a car CD player in. Lame.

 

Lamorghini Spiga concept

 Still, even getting to set eyes on some of these is worth it. Just look at this Lambo Spiga concept. Its wheels look like a revolver chamber. The world is a cooler place because this exists, even if no one will get to drive it. Hopefully they will take feedback from what people like about these cars, and incorporate it into later production models. Even if they don’t, making concepts allows automakers free reign to design new crazy features and innovate the most cutting edge technology for automobiles today.

 Even better, occasionally a company will sell a concept car so at least a tiny handful of lucky people get to drive it around. This was the case with the Ferrari Avendator J we wrote about the other day. They only sold the one unit they made –to the tune of 2.8 million dollars – but someone gets to take it home and put it in their garage. Same with FAB Design’s take on the McLaren MP4-12C Terso on display at Geneva this year – they’re making and selling five units, so a handful of people can create an extra-exclusive cool kids club of vehicles that storm troopers drive.

These are not the concepts you're looking for.

 All in all, even with the frustration of knowing they won’t make it to production, concepts are an interesting and necessary fixture in the auto industry to push the limits and discover new technologies. Even if we don’t get the chance to drive these ourselves, at least we can admire them and hope the features we fall in love with will make it to production someday. How do you feel about concept cars?