Concept cars give auto designers the opportunity to stretch their imagination, to push the boundaries of design by showcasing radical styling, new technology or both. Most never make it to market in their original form, but often, new production models borrow elements of popular prototypes. Here are some of the coolest concepts we spied at the LA Auto Show.
Mercedes-Benz Vision AMG Gran Turismo
You might not be able to buy Mercedes’ ultra cool sports car, but you can drive it — sort of. Designed for PlayStation 3’s Gran Turismo 6, the Vision AMG is made of aluminum and carbon fiber, and has a theoretical twin-turbo 585-horsepower V-8 engine. With Mercedes announcing the retirement of the SLS AMG GT after the next model year, the Vision may eventually become a reality, at least some version of it.
Cadillac Elmiraj
Sculpted, streamlined, elegant. Elmiraj is Cadillac’s re-imagining of the two-door grand coupe. It’s a rear-wheel drive beauty that would glide down the highway via a 500-horsepower turbocharged V-8.
Jaguar C-X17
High on the ascendance of the F-Type, Jaguar used the C-X17 sport-utility concept to introduce its new aluminum unibody architecture, which will likely debut on a sedan. However, given the success of Porsche Cayenne and similarly auspicious expectations for the new Macan, it can’t be long before Jaguar enters the sport-utility fray.
Infiniti Q30
It’s a compact crossover. Or is it a hatchback coupe? The Q30 concept is an amalgam of those, a smallish, crossover type vehicle, that has the profile of a hatchback. Infiniti introduced it earlier this year in Frankfurt, but the Q30 had its North American coming-out party in LA. Looking to expand its offerings and attract younger buyers, Infiniti is expected to bring a production version of the Q30 to market in early 2015.
Honda FCEV
In a show of commitment to new vehicle technologies, Honda rolled out the FCEV (fuel-cell electric vehicle) concept. This futuristic, Jetson-esque vehicle would be powered by a combination of hydrogen gas and an electric motor. Honda expects to introduce fuel-cell technology into vehicles by 2015.
Ford Edge
The Edge concept is the one most likely to come to fruition in its current form. The styling may see a few tweaks, but we think the prominent grille, aggressive stance and highly touted technology features like remote self-parking from outside the vehicle will survive through the production phase.
