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6 Bad Concept Cars That Became Great
By Michael Karant -- AutoTrader.ca
Concept cars generally have better styling than their production counterparts. This is due to designers having more freedom when creating a concept, and not needing to account for safety regulations or the costs associated with mass production, resulting in much more striking designs. Concept cars don't need to be practical; they just need to generate buzz and hint at what could be in an automaker's future. Sometimes, concept cars closely preview a production model, other times, they're wild for the sake of it. Typically, production versions are much more toned down compared to their concepts and can often fail to capture the same excitement once their designs become more realistic.
However, there are rare instances when greater design freedom works against designers, resulting in concept cars that don't hit the mark. Fortunately, some designs improve significantly by the time they reach production. Here are six examples of production cars whose final looks surpassed the original concepts.
Nissan GT-R concept (2001) to Nissan GT-R (2007)
The Nissan GT-R Concept was showcased in 2001, a design study to demonstrate what the GT-R would look like in the 21st century. Unlike previous generations, the R35 GT-R would not be based on a Skyline sedan, but instead be a bespoke standalone model, a halo car for the brand. The overall body shape of the 2001 GT-R is far sleeker than the production version. Meanwhile, the headlights are very long on the concept, starting midway at the hood and integrating into the air vents on the bumper. This results in an odd fascia for the concept, something that was thankfully fixed for the production version. Most notably, the 2001 concept is missing a Skyline hallmark: a spoiler. The 2001 concept resembles the Infiniti G35 much more than a GT-R, a definite problem when creating a special halo car.
Bugatti 18/4 Veyron (1999) to Bugatti Veyron (2005)
The Bugatti Veyron was the hypercar of the early 2000s and managed to break every existing speed record. The 8.0L quad-turbo W16 engine makes an astonishing 987 hp, taking the Veyron to a top speed of 408 km/h. The concept for the Veyron was not quite as impressive.
Showcased in 1999, the Veyron 18/4 featured a naturally aspirated 6.3L W18 engine, a massive engine made by combining three inline six engines in a W shape. Power output was just 547 hp, not an impressive figure when considering the Lamborghini Murcielago came out in 2001 and produced 572 hp from a naturally aspirated V12. The front-end styling of the 18/4 was also slightly different, with the grille placed higher up on the hood. It didn't have the most attractive design. This was fixed with the production Veyron, and the horseshoe grille was moved down to the splitter, making the overall look far more elegant.
Mercedes-Benz Vision SLA (2000) to Mercedes-Benz SLK (2004)
The Mercedes Vision SLA was shown off in 2000 and was a compact roadster based on the front-wheel-drive Mercedes A-Class. The SLA and second-generation SLK weren't really related, with one exception: styling. The similarities between the Vision SLA and the second-gen SLK are clear, from the overall shape to the front end design; it's obvious how one car influenced the other. The F1-inspired hood protrudes wildly on the Vision SLA, and paired with the three small headlights on each side and massive hood vents, it results in a very strange-looking roadster.
These design elements were better adapted to the production SLK; the F1 hood still makes an appearance, but is far less pronounced. Meanwhile, the headlights were changed for a far more traditional look. Luckily, the massive hood vents remained strictly in concept form, as they were far too ugly and likely impractical to ever put in production. It's hard to call the second-generation SLK a pretty car, but at least it's not the monstrosity that is the Vision SLA.
See who else makes the list HERE!
Source: 6 Bad Concept Cars That Became Great | AutoTrader.ca
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