Concept car fascination
It's the eyecatcher at motor shows, but what does the concept car really stand for?
Big wheels, slick design and an outlandish interior, concept cars are meant to
capture the imagination of the crowd. Sometimes it's a clear preview of the production version, a design study or technological experiment. In any case, the concept car is food for thought.
In Paris I had a chat with DS Design director Thierry Metroz. He penned the DS Divine concept car, with a morphing interior design a special concept indeed. But even more meaningful, the DS Divine was the kick-off for the Citroën sub-brand. This allowed the design team to build a car with more distinctive elements, with the purpose to increase the distance to the normal citroën cars. But the team had to stay true to it's DS-heritage DNA. This is one of the best examples of what a concept car should be.
DS Design director Thierry Metroz in his DS Divine concept car.
Another great example is the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo which was revealed at the 2015 IAA Frankfurt. When revealed it was immediately clear that the model was a preview to the Veyron-replacing Chiron. Furthermore Bugatti partnered up with the Gran Turismo franchice to maximize it's outreach.
Revealed only 6 months later at the Geneva Motor Show, the Chiron proved to be very much alike the Vision Gran Turismo concept car.
There is a clear distinction between a design-study and a ordinary concept car. Every year multiple car design firms such as Pininfarina, Touring Superleggera and Giugiaro show off what they're capable of. On the other end of the spectrum brands create concept cars to provoke opinions. In 2012 Bentley showed their take on a SUV, dubbed the EXP 9 F. The design from Dirk van Braeckel sure got some strong opinions, most likely caused by it's customers getting used to a Bentley SUV.
The design team from Dirk van Braeckel didn't hold back when penning the bold SUV.
Sometimes a concept car has a even wilder design, in a bid to emphasize on the technology aspect. Revealed in 2011, the BMW Vision Connected Drive showcased a idea bigger than the design of it's concept car. The model proposed the idea of driving in a connected world. Some of it's technology trickled down to cars that are on the road now.
But for the most part a concept car encapsulates what a brand stands for and it shows the direction it will be heading.
The Alfieri concept was part of Maserati's centenary celebration.
Join In
Comments (1)
The Mission E concept was the first time I've truly desired an all-electric powertrain.