Virtually nothing is off limits when car designers are let loose on devising a new concept car. ‘The wilder, the better’ is often the most commonly played tactic and the most extreme concepts are naturally going to stir up more online buzz and anticipation.
In some cases, the concept is nothing more than a showpiece, never intended to touch public tarmac. But what about concepts for actual production models? How can yet another humdrum hatchback set tongues-a-wagging without any crazy ideas to stir up some excitement?
Here, we look at concept cars that promised so much but delivered so little…
Pontiac Trans Sport
Long before Tesla’s Model X was busting out gullwing doors, there was this minivan concept. It used those upward opening doors to offer access to the three rows of seats, and in addition to a futuristic wraparound windscreen, there was some new tech like a TV-like display console that was really exciting for 1986.
By the time the Trans Sport hit the market, the super cool doors had gone and safety regulations meant A-pillars had to be introduced, spelling an end to the curved windscreen. It is commonly referred to as “the dustbuster” due to its resemblance to a certain popular hand-vac; others just call it the greatest letdown in automotive history.
Chevrolet Volt
Struggling Chevrolet had pulled out of the UK and European markets before the first generation Volt could see out its natural lifecycle, so it’d be unfair to say that this plug-in hybrid could’ve saved Chevy.
On a technical front, the Volt that made it to showrooms was a success in some ways. It could drive for up to 40 miles on electric power alone, which made it something of an eco-champion.
But look at the difference from motor show to motorway. The concept shares the low, flat roofline of the iconic Camaro, while the final product is about as exciting as an accountant’s Astra.
Renault Wind
What was going through the minds of Renault’s naming department when they dubbed their two-seater roadster ‘Wind’? Maybe they were trying to emphasise the ‘wind in your hair’ sensation of driving with the roof down but for everyone else, it made them think of flatulence, to put it politely. Wind’s transition from concept to production was just as unfortunate as its nameplate.
In pre-production shots from 2004, Wind looked like Renault had put the Mazda MX-5 through a Japanese-to-French Google Translator. Raked-back embedded headlights sprawled up the extended front-end, it had a rounded nose, and an MR-2-esque bonnet vent beneath an upright windscreen.
The car’s ‘lipstick’ shape continued throughout the rest of the car’s length with the shoulder line feeding into the rear lights. Things took a markedly less cool turn by the time you actually saw the back but overall, Wind had the potential to blow the competition away.
What actually made it to market in 2010 was definitely not cool and the car now resembled a triangle – a very uncomfortable isosceles triangle – thanks to a sloping rear third that seemed to serve neither form nor function.
Gone were the piercing headlights, replaced by dorky bulbous efforts. The bonnet looked much shorter and the front windscreen had been angled to flow with this new trajectory.
Fortunately, Wind only lasted three years before it was culled by recession-hit Renault.
Chrysler PT Cruiser
One of the most spectacular car fails of recent times, the PT Cruiser went from the slick Beetle-inspired Pronto Cruizer Concept to little more than a glorified hearse and a regular fixture in ‘ugliest cars ever’ lists.
As with Renault’s Wind, the rear is the biggest let down. The concept’s curved roofline is bulked out and continues almost to the end of the car with seemingly enough space to accommodate a six-foot coffin.
Fans says the ghastly PT Cruiser is an acquired taste but as it is also one of the most unreliable cars on the road, even their patience and fondness must be tested regularly.
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