Concept cars
A concept car, also known as a show car is a prototype car made to showcase a concept. A concept car illustrates what a company is going to do, want to do or just might one day do. This car shows off new styling or technology. The concept cars are often presented at motor shows to boost customer’s interest for new and radical concepts that will maybe one day be produced. Concept cars do not go into production immediately and have to be redesigned in order to make the car more practical, safer and cheaper.
Who designs the concept cars? Usually, concept cars are designed by a designer working for a car company. This designer draws a possible new production vehicle, made by that manufacturer. However, the concept car is totally unpractical and often does not work at all. It usually consists of some non-working parts, likely just essentially tack-welded together. The parts can even be glued together. Remember that a concept car is only meant to be a show piece, and many changes and improvements are needed before these vehicles hit the roads. Concept cars are often radical in design or engine. Some concept cars even use exotic or new materials including carbon fiber and some have special abilities that you can not find in other cars. These cars deliver new concepts in engines, fueling systems, external designs, materials, or other aspects of a vehicle. Concept cars are usually impractical and don’t get to the production lines. In fact, a small percentage of all these cars reach the stage of computer design. Very few are even functional and one might have some problems when driving them at over 15 km/h (10mph). If drivable, concept cars have e drive-train taken from another car from that same producer.
Nowadays, concept cars tend to split into two main groups. The first group, called the blue-sky, tends to push the limits of the automotive thinking and design. The cars in this category will most probably not be ever produced due to their lack of practical uses. The second group is a more conservative group, focusing on advancements we will probably see in the future. It looks like the Kia KOUP is a very good concept car for the year 2008. Featuring aggressive exterior lines, it has a 2.0 liter Theta II turbocharged engine. The engine delivers 290 horse power and 289 lb-force at 2000-4000 rpm.
There are hundreds of concept cars out there, but only a select few manage to get into production. These selected concept cars illustrate the models for the future cars that will be out for sale. However, it could months or even years until the first car is produced. During this time we tend to forget the concept car that amazed us at an Auto Show. Only when we see the final product we remember that in fact this was the car that attracted everyone’s attention at that particular Auto Show.