Concept cars are usually the ones to grab a lot of attention at auto shows and exhibitions. These cars give a peek into the future of the auto industry – somehow, we never see them in the commercial market. Therefore, the question remains: why do automotive companies spend millions on a car that might not go into production.
Today, we will explore what concept cars are and why manufacturers spend so much money and resources on these concepts.
The Purpose of Concept Cars
The point of concept cars is not to just create a buzz in the media, but to highlight the direction of the company in terms of innovation. With concept cars, engineers and designers are given the freedom to express ideas and experiment with the technology. Such projects create a pathway and set goals for future implementations of new technology and ideas.
Investment of Automotive Companies
To build a futuristic car and make it a reality, you first need a concept. In most cases, the concept car will not make it past the design phase due to a non-profitable scenario. That’s when brands present their non-functional prototypes. However, when it comes to the marketing and projection of a company in the competitive automotive industry, a functional concept car is one way to flex and attract attention.
Functional concept cars could cost millions in research, development and manufacturing. Expensive materials like carbon fibre are often used for these prototypes. Some have distinguishing features like gullwing doors and see-through body. However, due to a lot of untested technology, these concepts take years to become a commercial reality.
Sometimes concept cars are used to hype a practical model planned to be released in a year or two. Consider the BMW’s Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car in 2009. The prototype hybrid design for speed and fuel efficiency took around 5 years to become a reality as BMW i8.
Not to mention, many features from the concept were toned down or removed to make the car more practical. However, the success of such a vision led the trend of hybrid cars and many other brands followed suit.
Testing the New Technology
New technology may revolutionize the future of the auto industry, but it takes real-time testing on actual roads and real environment to understand its practicality. Take the driverless technology, for instance. With the use of high tech sensors and simulation data, fully autonomous cars are not far away from reality. However, it took years of testing concept cars in controlled and confined environments to get where we are.
Even now, most brands offer level 3 autonomy, whereas level 4 autonomy is in the testing phase. With the innovation techs from emerging companies like Tesla and Google, it is expected that level 5 autonomy may take two years or more to begin the age of driverless cars.
Worth-checking Concept Cars of 2020-2021
Some concepts seem too far-fetched but they actually offer a glimpse into the future. Here is a list of recently spotted concept cars that are bound to make an impact in the industry.
Honda Augmented Driving Concept
The concept car offers both semi and fully autonomous mode as per user requirement. To redefine driving experience, Honda has redesigned the steering wheel. Patting twice on the steering wheel will start the engine. Pulling and pushing the steering wheel will decelerate or accelerate the vehicle. These are some innovative features that come along with various autonomous modes.
Aston Martin Lagonda Vision
The Lagonda next vision for its 2023 models includes zero-emission cars driven by electric technology. The luxury concept evolves the standard rear door setting to open in the opposite direction along with a roof opening to give an open seating space for both passenger and driver. Passengers can actually stand before being seated. The front seats can be rotated to face the rear for a lounge-like experience.
Lamborghini Terzo Millennio
The futuristic concept car is a collaborative project of Lamborghini and MIT. The self-healing car can detect cracks and repair via Nanotechnology through a health monitoring system. It utilizes supercapacitors to quickly store and discharge energy. Even the rims come equipped with their own electric motor for individual torque controllability.
The autonomous system is capable of creating virtual ghost cars just like in video games to teach drivers to run race laps on their own.
DS X E-Tense
This one will remain in the books as the design is meant for implementation in 2035. The asymmetrical concept looks like two different cars merged into one. The all-electric car features a cockpit for a thrilling manual ride and a cocoon with a gullwing door for an autonomous experience. Instead of standard lights, the vehicle itself controls light and colour around the body as per user requirement. Additionally, the design also incorporates the ability to self-heal on impact.
Audi Ai TRAIL
Imagine two drones lighting up the roadway for your electric SUV, making the journey look like a tactical operation. The Audi concept car comes with the feature, expected to be implemented by 2030. With self-pressurizing tyres and wide windows, the vehicle offers considerable storage space. The vehicle is completely controllable via cell phone.
Mercedes Benz Vision AVTR
Our list would be incomplete without mentioning the most pivotal concept inspired by the movie ‘Avatar’. Zero-emission, organic battery, flashy holistic interior, spherical tires and high tech controls are some key features that make the Mercedes Benz concept car stand out. The most mind-boggling feature is the use of bionic fins that adjust the aerodynamic in real-time according to the speed.
Defining the Future
There are many other car concept designs that have set achievable goals for the whole industry. In the near future, we can expect standard cars to modify and utilize such innovative technologies for an improved driving experience.
And while you are waiting for the concept cars to become a reality, check out our list of some modern used cars for sale in Dubai:
- Used BMW for sale
- Second-hand Lamborghini for sale
- Used Mercedes Benz for sale
- Second-hand Audi for sale
Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blogs for more information on car parts, market trends, repairing and more.
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