|
Top 10 Production-Likely Concept Cars
Which recent show cars might wind up at dealerships one day?
James M. Flammang / autoMedia.com
|
Show cars have played a growing and pivotal role in automobile development over the past half-century. Rather than make an educated guess about the likelihood that a proposed model will enjoy public acceptance, manufacturers can unveil that new vehicle first in concept form. Millions of people might have an opportunity to see it and comment upon it, helping developers to gauge the likely response to a production decision.
Some cars that eventually turn up at U.S. dealerships first saw the light of day as concepts at European auto shows. Honda, for example, premiered its Insight Hybrid concept at the Paris Motor Show in October 2008. Three months later, the production version appeared in Detroit. Chevrolet unveiled its Orlando show car in Paris, along with the planned-for-production Cruze. Several of the likelier prospects hail from GM's design studio, though the chance for eventual production is inextricably tied to the fate of that financially troubled corporation.
Most of the recent prospects for production were unveiled at Detroit's North American International Auto Show, in January 2009. Only one turned up at the Chicago Auto Show, a month later. Two saw the light of day at the Los Angeles show, in November 2008.
Chevrolet Sting Ray Concept: Looking Back at Special Corvettes
At the Chicago Auto Show in February, General Motors focused on movies, promoting concept cars that will appear in the next Transformers production. In the first film, a Camaro named Bumblebee played a pivotal role. This time, the Chevrolet Volt—due for sale in 2010—is transformed into the Jolt.
Even more enticing to enthusiasts was the debut of a startling concept car in Chicago, dubbed the Sting Ray but named Sideswipe in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Low and rakish, frantic in detail, the flamboyant coupe was created to call to mind the original Corvette Sting Ray racecar of 1959, under the direction of GM design chief Bill Mitchell. Elements of the 1963-67 Corvette split-window coupe also may be evident to the receptive eye. Ed Welburn, GM's design vice-president, called it a "futuristic vision of an American performance icon ... part of the free exploration of future products." No, a modern-day Sting Ray won't look like this show car. But it's not much of a stretch to envision a specially built current-generation Corvette of this caliber.