According to Wikipedia, a concept car is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. Here at Toxel, we also believe that concept cars are made to inspire!
Therefore, today’s post showcases creative concept car designs.
Audi O Concept Car by Ondrej Jirec
The 2008 Audi O concept was designed by Ondrej Jirec, a design student from the Czech Republic who is beginning studies at the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California in 2008. [link]
MAG Magnetic Vehicle Concept
Winner of the unseen technology award at the Interior motives design award 2007, the MAG magnetic vehicle concept from Slovak designer Matúš Procháczka showcases two special technologies in one vehicle. Using magnetic power, the vehicle uses an electric engine that has a polarity which is the same as in road. Of course this will also require the roads to be made of huge concrete panels with magnets formed in them. [link]
Royal College of Art Concept Cars
Vehicle design at the Royal College of Art turns 40 next year. The postgraduate course, with a global reputation for nurturing up-and-coming car designers, boasts an alumni that reads like the who’s who of the car design world.
This year’s fourteen graduates kept the flag flying. Competing for the 2008 Pilkington Automotive Vehicle Design award, their projects ranged from a fresh take on eco-design to finding new ways of expressing personalisation. A couple of the students even challenged the status quo by designing boats for an imaginary future destroyed by global warming. [link]
- Phoenix concept by Sergio Loureiro Da Silva
- Airflow concept by Pierre Sabas
- Nuaero concept by Jon Radbrink
- Nereus concept by Ceri Yorath
- Iomega concept by Joonas Vartola
- Noah concept by Jung Hoon Rhee
- Enigma concept by Paul Howse
BRB Evolution Folding Concept Car
BRB Evolution concept is not only capable of fitting into tight spots with it’s Dyson vacuum-like design, but it’s also intended to be “green.” The concept car’s powered by electricity or hydrogen, in effect solving what Bailey considers to be the two main problems of the city of the future: pollution and overpopulation. [link]
BMW 2015 Concept Car
The final projects of the Transportation Design students at Turin-based IED (istituto Europeo di Design), developed in partnership with BMW with the goal of creating a car for 2015 interpreting the language evolution and the brand’s philosophy. [link]
balla
so when can i buy one of these
Aug 18th, 2008
Yuce Zerey
Really cool!
Aug 18th, 2008
balla
tose are one ugly pieces of cars.
Aug 18th, 2008
sandra
those cars are cool i dont want to wait twenty years for them to come out.
Aug 18th, 2008
Dave
I think designers live in their own private world that has no solid connection to reality. Most people wouldn’t be seen dead in cars out unusually styled (with a few exceptions, there are already cars like the Audi O out there). Sure, some will, maybe even more then some, but not near enough to make them economically viable.
Aug 18th, 2008
Dill
these cars arent coming out… this is concept art.
Aug 18th, 2008
Laura
What a shame :(
But we may get them in the future :)
Aug 18th, 2008
snf
These cars are great!!!
Aug 18th, 2008
Ciantarah
To Dave:
Designs like these aren’t aimed at producing cars that are currently marketable. The point of concept art is to push the envelope, imagine what the future many years from now will be like. In order to create something new, you have to be rather outrageous; dream big. You can always tone things down and make it more subtle later.
Some ideas from these designs might make it into production models, but it’s unlikely any of them will translate directly into cars you can buy.
I actually think a lot of people would like to own a unique-looking car, but can’t afford the ones that really stand out (nor do they want the associated headaches and expenses of maintaining and repairing an exotic car… take it from me; I’ve had one and it’s fun only till the darn thing breaks).
Anyway, the most unique design ceases to be unique when every company is mass producing something like it… which is why everybody drives similar cars. At one time, the concepts modern cars were based on were groundbreaking. So, never fear… you’ll still be able to be part of the herd that drives boring, normal cars thirty years from now. It’s just that “normal” will have been redefined by then.
Aug 18th, 2008
leo
I am really really tired of just SEEING concepts. They never ever mass produce the concepts. I want everyday average life to be futuristic already. when will we ever see the true future that we always see in movies and tv shows and commercials? It’s taking way too long.
Aug 18th, 2008
vhxn.com
These are well-designed cars but we do not know that how long the concept will explore the same resemblance, anyhow congrats for all the students for their energetic concepts.
Aug 18th, 2008
SD
@Leo, you sir… Are truly right!
Aug 18th, 2008
T
The folding concept is ridiculous. The passenger compartment would be unable to fold at all, for risk of killing someone inside, so the whole point is moot. You wouldn’t be able to compress most of the unusable space. If there were no risk of crushing occupants, it might be an interesting design, but since we don’t live in that world…
Aug 18th, 2008
T2
@T
Maybe the idea behind the folding car isn’t so you can use it while driving. Clearly all 4 wheels are not on the ground, so it wouldn’t be usable anyway. Maybe it’s meant for storing? Parking lots could hold a lot more cars if they all folded in half…
Think treadmill.
Aug 18th, 2008
jj
Some seriously nice looking designs, but cant help wondering if the designers spend as much time and energy in working out a solution to powering these vehicles that does not involve the use of carbon energy or carbon technology in the fabrication process.
Would be great to see these designs backed up with a thought process that takes the power unit and construction into consideration. The mag car is a start, but seriously - huge concrete panels - do a google for concrete and its effect on the environment!
Concepts are great, i’m not knocking them, I just would like to see the designs backed up by a serious thought process about how these things can be made viable in our current climate.
Just my take on it.
Aug 18th, 2008
girl4coolness
Very nice. The Audi O looks like a spin on the Think OX variant. What about goss132? I’ve been reading about this car, and I’ve got to say the battery program kicks tail! I would love a car like that. Any Goss132 pics out there?
Aug 18th, 2008
Phil
Anyone remember the Pontiac Banshee? In the early 90s (i think) it was a state-of-the-art concept car with fancy things like rear-view cameras. Now, the car itself looked pretty ugly and dumb in my opinion, but the concepts that went into designing it eventually came to the market. how many cars come with back-up cameras and proximity sensors these days? plenty.
The point is that companies need to think ten to twenty years into the future as far as innovation goes. You ask for them to make cars “viable in our current climate”? thats what they’ve BEEN doing. if we want new cars to still viable in the climate ten years from now, then companies need to try out these crazy ideas on paper first. Companies like BMW and Lexus hire newbie Art students to come up with crazy ideas. some ideas stick, others (for good reason) don’t. It’s called brainstorming. thus, concept cars.
Let’s be fair: these renders amount to nothing more than pornography for car-lovers. So just sit back and enjoy the over-the-top vehicles for what they are. Besides, if we didn’t have concept cars, who would hire all those Art majors?
Aug 18th, 2008
Reid
Too bad they are not real yet. Amazing designs.
Aug 18th, 2008
Dan
Less is more.
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1947
The BMW design has a nice seating structure. Combine with the GINA concept, and simplify. Leverage the reduced skin weight by reducing the chassis mass. It should then be feasible to run all-electric for ideal efficiency and simplicity, though you still have an energy density storage problem.
Best,
Dan
Aug 18th, 2008
Chris
Art Majors?
Most of leading car designers have Bachelors of science or a masters in industrial/transportation design.
Yes they can draw but then again they can figure out the vehicles drag coefficient too!
But you are right these are open ended studies, not for production what are called blue sky- where anything is possible. The designers are saying “wouldn’t it be cool if….”
Aug 19th, 2008
Mark
That Audi reminds me very much of the Volvo C30 we can all buy today. (http://www.greencarsite.co.uk/GREENNEWS/NewsPhotos/volvo-c30.jpg). Wonder where they got their inspiration from…
Aug 19th, 2008
Girls On You Tube
Oh my gosh! They are super cool!
Aug 19th, 2008
Car Mechanic
I like the BRB Evolution. It’s got a good stance.
Aug 19th, 2008
rish
dang, never seen anythin like them b4..nice post bro..keep it up!
Aug 19th, 2008
Michael
Nearly all of these look pretty close to a normal car, 4 wheels, side by side seating etc. The Aptera which goes into production this year is at least as unusual looking as most of these, and it is actually practical. http://www.aptera.com
Aug 19th, 2008
shabbir
cannot be implemented when it goes to the factory
Aug 19th, 2008
Krazd
I can see a lot of cars in the future taking the kind of styling shown on this page. more curves / more innovations
Aug 20th, 2008
General Pepper
in that BMW, make sure you look for cyclists before you open the door!
Aug 21st, 2008
Radko
BMW is off the limit… others are cool too.. the green one have no weals? how will that work?
Aug 21st, 2008
melee
The BMW is a disaster. Sure, it’s pretty, but a giant stinking A-pillar at about 30 degrees like that? I wouldn’t want to be at an intersection with that thing.
Yeah, I know it’s a concept, but a little nod to actual workability would be nice.
(And just to show I’m being kind, I’m totally skipping, because it’s a concept, the impossible front wheels, ridiculous powered seat/doors, absence of space for mechanicals, and, most damning, the lack of any kidney grills.)
Aug 21st, 2008
Willy
Concept cars go way too over the top these days to really achieve anything. They just look retarded, end up being far more environmentally disastrous than simpler, more reliable designs mostly due to amount of required materials, and they simply aren’t at all practical for any sort of daily use, and you can bet they won’t be financially feasible for close to 50 years.
Aug 25th, 2008
NYC
whoever says there ugly.. etc. mad dumb ppl// think about the gas prices and what not… they made a nice 4 pasanger car with 65mpg but they dont let it in USA why.. b.c gov.. needs cars that are crazy in MPG
Sep 11th, 2008
Matt
The Audi O looks a lot like the Volvo C30.
Sep 21st, 2008
kirtasiye
he BMW design has a nice seating structure. Combine with the GINA concept, and simplify. Leverage the reduced skin weight by reducing the chassis mass. It should then be feasible to run all-electric for ideal efficiency and simplicity, though you still have an energy density storage problem.
Oct 1st, 2008
ingilizce
Art Majors?
Most of leading car designers have Bachelors of science or a masters in industrial/transportation design.
Yes they can draw but then again they can figure out the vehicles drag coefficient too!
But you are right these are open ended studies, not for production what are called blue sky- where anything is possible. The designers are saying “wouldn’t it be cool if….”
Oct 14th, 2008
baba
he BMW design has a nice seating structure. Combine with the GINA concept, and simplify. Leverage the reduced skin weight by reducing the chassis mass. It should then be feasible to run all-electric for ideal efficiency and simplicity, though you still have an energy density storage problem.
Oct 17th, 2008
kingrex
i dont care what anyone wants to say
these cars ar wicked
i abolutly love over the top designs
that BMW is insane
definately my favorite one
Nov 4th, 2008
gazeteci
woooow Incredible…. ver very loved :d
Nov 6th, 2008
lalaland
cool BMW
Nov 9th, 2008