6 Most Notable Concept Cars of All Time

Concept cars are how the auto industry introduces new designs to the market. Some future cars that have been introduced in car shows have been pretty wild, while others have just been minor variations of then current models. Below you will find a list with short descriptions of 6 of the most notable concept cars of all time.

Chevrolet Corvair

This car design, introduced in 1962, brought us the mid engine design concept which has lived on in various models from a variety of makers, most notably the Pontiac Fiero of the 1980's. This design concept was also known as the Corvair Monza GT. The other notable design feature on the Monza GT was that it had doors that swung upward and formed a front hinged canopy.  Other features of this show car were four wheel disc brakes, fixed seats and adjustable pedals and alloy wheels. 

Lincoln Futura

Fans of the original Batman series on TV will recognize the 1955 Lincoln Futura Concept Car. One surprising aspect of this show vehicle is that it only took three months to go from idea to prototype. Unfortunately, the design was considered excessive and was discarded. The Futura concept car incorporated a dash mounted compass and warning lights for engine and vehicle functions, such as battery, fuel and engine temperature.

Chevrolet Volt

This is one of Chevrolet's entries into the current hybrid market segment. This plug-in type hybrid is expected out soon and will be based around GM's new E-Flex platform, which will derive all of its motive force from the electric motor. The internal combustion engine is not mechanically connected to the drive wheels and will be connected to an onboard 71 hp generator after 40 miles have been traversed.

Ford SYNus

The SYNus is a new car design from Ford that superficially resembles current Scion models, but was designed with personal safety in mind. The name comes from a melding of the word Synthesis, which is a nod to the change from hard and tough on the outside to soft and luxurious on the inside; and US, which is an abbreviation for Urban Sanctuary. This show vehicle will be powered by a turbocharged, 16 cylinder two liter diesel engine producing 134 horsepower and backed by a manual transmission. In its "Urban Sanctuary" mode, the front seats can be swiveled around to face the vehicle's rear, enabling watching movies or just relaxing.

MIT Car

This concept car, conceived by engineers at MIT, was introduced to look at the concept of mobility in an urban environment and incorporated many disciplines, from power plant design to ergonomics. This design is being constantly modified to address the fluidity of urban mobility and introduce intelligent commuting methods coupled with ecology and architecture.

Holden Efijy

This show vehicle, introduced by Australia based Holden, was named the Concept Car of the Year in the United States in 2007.  The floor pan and frame from the Chevrolet Corvette makes up the basis of this car, with a Rootes Supercharged 6.0 liter V8 producing more than 640 horsepower. One of the most unique features of the Holden is that it sits or squats when it stops. This gives it a menacing look when stopped, but allows the undercarriage to clear minor road imperfections and go over speed bumps.

Concept cars over time have been everything from the personal flying car to cars with miniature nuclear reactors for propulsion and many other innovative concepts and designs. The above paragraph contain information of concepts that, except for the MIT Car can be found in current production models or models that will be introduced in the next few years.