See all Motoring News There is no better way for a car company to tease a new model or future design direction than with a show-stopping concept car. These can sometimes be a pure flight of fancy, though they can also be little more than a pair of production-ready door mirrors and smaller wheels away from the showroom version. With international motor shows making a proper return post-Covid and car companies showcasing their shift to an electric future, it has been a bumper year for glitzy concept cars. Here are some of the best.
Porsche Mission X
Every decade or so, Porsche produces a limited-run hypercar such as the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder. The Mission X concept could preview a fully electric hypercar of the near future. It was presented in the build-up to this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour race, with Porsche claiming the Mission X will “be the fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife.” That’s a further hint that it will go into production. Its doors are hinged upwards, similar to Porsche’s past Le Mans racers, but it also features a luxurious leather interior.
BMW Concept Touring Coupe
After so many opinion-dividing designs in its current crop of production cars, BMW proved it could still do classically beautiful when it revealed the Concept Touring Coupe at Villa d’Este. It is basically a coupe version of the Z4 roadster, with a hint of Z3 M Coupe to the overall proportions. When BMW teamed up with Toyota, the result was the Z4 and the Supra, but this concept shows how a Z4 coupe — something BMW said it wouldn’t produce — could look. Sadly, this one isn’t planned for production, although design bosses have hinted that it could be made as part of an extremely limited run. Here’s hoping.
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven
If you’re a Mercedes fan, then you’ll know that this Vision One-Eleven concept car is a modern-day take on the C111 concept car series from 1969 that explored aerodynamics and other technologies. Unlike those mid-engined cars, the Vision One-Eleven is electrically powered. It retains gullwing style doors and is painted orange as the original concepts were. In proper concept car style, the interior is equally spectacular, with quilted silver seats that are a throwback to the 1960s. There’s an F1-style steering wheel and a small touchpad next to the driver, while the full-width dashboard features a retro LCD design.
Volkswagen ID. 2all
Proof that not all of 2023’s concept cars have been highly futuristic and exotic, the ID. 2all is a realistic preview of what to expect when Volkswagen launches its next small electric car. Around the same size as a Volkswagen Polo, the ID. 2all aims to be an affordable EV with less radical styling than found in other ID models. Despite its small size, it packs in plenty, with a 440-litre boot and room for five.
Porsche 357 Vision Coupe and Speedster
Porsche gets a further mention as it has been churning out concept cars this year, all as part of its 75th anniversary. Created as a modern-day interpretation of its classic 356, the 357 Vision Coupe uses the 718 Cayman GT4 RS underpinnings. That means a 4.0-litre mid-mounted flat-six producing 500hp. Porsche also created an open-top version called the 357 Speedster that looks even more beautiful. This uses the running gear from the 718 Cayman GT4 e-Performance prototype that produced 1,088hp in qualifying mode thanks to two electric motors.
Alpine A290_ß
The storied French brand is making big moves to become more widely known, and the A290_ß (pronounced A290 beta) previews its next mainstream model, which will be its first fully electric production car. This battery-powered hot hatch concept looks radical in every way, from its central driving position to its X-shaped lights that are a nod to Alpine’s rallying heritage. The three-door design will eventually give way to a more conventional five-door layout, and sadly that central driving position won’t reach production. But when the A290 goes on sale, it promises to be a punchy and fun electric hot hatch.
BMW i Vision Dee
Another BMW concept that debuted earlier this year was the i Vision Dee, which hints at what the company’s next dedicated electric saloon could look like based on its ‘Neue Klasse’ architecture. The most impressive aspect of this three-box saloon concept is the bodywork. It is covered in 240 E-ink segments that can change colour on command to alter the car’s colour entirely or create patterned designs. Inside, a mixed reality slider lets the driver choose how much information is projected onto the windscreen as they drive.
Opel Experimental
The Opel Experimental is a bold statement highlighting the new design direction that the German marque is taking. Not only does it debut the new company logo, which replaces the Opel Blitz symbol with an electric bolt (signifying its battery-based future), but it also previews a potential new crossover model. Active bodywork at the front and rear adjusts according to driving conditions to boost aerodynamics. At the same time, the steering wheel inside can retract out of the way when not in use or when driving autonomously. Rather than touchscreens, the information is projected onto a transparent screen between the front seats. A vast panoramic glass roof stretches to the rear of the car.
Lancia Pu+Ra HPE
Having spent years in the doldrums, selling only one model in its native market, the Lancia brand is being revived now that it is part of the larger Stellantis group, and the striking Pu+Ra HPE is a hint at what’s to come. Rather than previewing one particular model, the Pu+Ra HPE showcases Lancia’s design direction as it expands its line-up and moves to more European markets. The HPE part of the name is a play on the High Performance Estate from the original Lancia Beta. Now it has been reworked to mean High Performance Electric. There are other nods to Lancia’s past, with the rear being reminiscent of the Stratos. Even the colour is a hat tip to the Lancia Flaminia’s Azzurro Vincennes, a classic colour from the 1950s.