Concept Cars
Chevy’s Gas-Turbine Express Concept Was an ’80s Take on Futuristic Mobility
Almost a decade before Chevrolet pinned the Express moniker to its full-size van, the American brand showed off the Express concept car. Designed specifically for use on a proposed government high-speed highway network, the bar-shaped gas-turbine-powered Express could theoretically cruise from point-to-point at 150 mph, at roughly 25 miles per gallon (of kerosene). Despite packing as little as 120 hp, the limited mass and aerodynamic shape of the Express (its coefficient of drag was less than 0.20), not to mention the powertrain’s healthy 350 lb-ft of torque, allowed the vehicle to reach and maintain triple-digit speeds with relative ease. See all 27 photos Although neither the highway network nor the powertrain of the four-seat Express would ever materialize, the concept s...
Off-Road Superhero? Jeep Wrangler Magneto Concept Previews Electric 4×4
Jeep has some concept car tricks up its proverbial sleeves for the 2021 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, which kicks off March 27. Specifically, the brand plans to reveal an electric variant of its iconic Wrangler, which may go by the name “Magneto” after earlier being referred to by the rather uncreative name of the Wrangler BEV—or battery-electric vehicle—concept. Likely one of the many concept vehicles Jeep will presumably bring to the annual off-roading event—or in this age of coronavirus, perhaps just digitally reveal around the event—the Magneto/Wrangler BEV builds upon the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid. Unlike the Wrangler 4xe, which relies on a pair of electric motors and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for motivation, ...
The Buick Signia Was What the Rendezvous Should’ve Been
As such, the concept car cribbed its underpinnings from the Buick Park Avenue full-size sedan. The use of the flagship Buick model’s unibody architecture afforded the Signia a low step-in height while also offering a raised, SUV-like seating position. See all 10 photos Although the Signia was no beauty pageant contender, its design certainly included a number of attractive styling elements. Look past the concept’s dowdy mug and details such as the concept’s prominent rear fender line (gracefully mirrored by the rear window, too), steeply raked C-pillar, and single-piece rear hatch glass—that covers the entirety of the cargo hold— come together to give the illusion of a rear-drive powertrain. In reality, the concept’s transverse-mounted supercharged 3.8-l...
Cadillac Teases Celestiq Flagship EV at CES 2021
General Motors surprised us almost a year ago with a teaser of its long and slinky electric concept car: the Cadillac Celestiq. The Celestiq is more than a fantasy, though. GM chairman and chief executive officer Mary Barra used CES 2021 to show the massive four-door flagship to the viewing public, where we were able to see a few more details of this concept’s opulent design. See all 15 photos Personalize Your Quadrant of the Glass Roof We knew the Celestiq had a huge glass roof that stretched all the way to its weird hatch at the back. Now, we know the roof is divided into four quadrants of smart glass and each passenger can set their desired level of transparency. The feature complements the overall high-end nature of the car, which includes a curated selection of materials an...
Is This Proof Chevy’s Working on a Corvette Electric SUV?
In announcing a rash of new electric vehicles across its portfolio of brands, General Motors let slip an image of what sure appears to be a C8 Corvette-inspired SUV. This isn’t just a wild assumption; during a virtual presentation of GM’s EV plans for Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC, as well as its Hummer sub-brand, vice president of global design Michael Simcoe noted how electric full-size pickups, compact crossovers, and even “high-performance vehicles” are headed for Chevy showrooms. Pair up the very Corvette-like SUV pictured with the promise of an inbound high-performance Chevy EV, and it’s not so great a leap. Starting on looks alone, the SUV is that’s parked behind a Cadillac and the new GMC Hummer EV sure looks like it was cooked in...
No, Not That EV1: Saab’s EV-1 Wasn’t Electric But It Was Awesome
Half a decade before the GM EV1 electric car burst onto the scene, beginning a saga that would last until the controversial end of the lease program in the 2000s, Saab had its own EV-1. The acronym held a different meaning, and the two cars couldn’t be different in concept or execution. But the EV1 is still remembered, and the EV-1 is as obscure as they come. We think the Saab EV-1 deserves its day in the sun, too. See all 4 photos The 1985 Experimental Vehicle 1 wasn’t driven by electricity, although interestingly enough it featured roof-mounted solar panels that powered a cabin cooling fan—take a look at its solar-oven-like greenhouse and you’ll understand why that was a necessity. Mechanically, it was heavily based on the 900 Turbo, with a turbocharged inline-four powe...
Before the First Jeep Grand Cherokee, There Was the Concept 1
Before the first Jeep Grand Cherokee drove up the stairs and through a giant glass window at the 1992 Detroit Auto Show, a dramatic entrance for a vehicle that generated huge interest at the time, Jeep had previously shown off the Concept 1. The Concept 1’s lines were a direct preview of the “ZJ” Grand Cherokee to come, but that wasn’t the intent at the time. This was supposed to be the next Cherokee. Jeep wanted its next Cherokee to be roomier, with greater passenger comfort and cargo space. They also wanted to update the Cherokee’s appearance, with a smoother and more elegant look. The XJ Cherokee is a cult classic now, but by the late ’80s it was simply a boxy SUV starting to age. The Concept 1, using the same unibody architecture underneath, brought ...
Mini Vision Urbanaut Concept First Look: Mini Takes on #VanLife
Launched in 1959, the original Mini revolutionized automotive design. With its engine mounted transversely across the front of the car and driving the front wheels, the Mini’s space-efficient mechanical layout became the blueprint for small and medium-size cars the world over. The second-generation Mini, launched in 2001 by BMW, was a digitally remastered homage to the original’s cheeky design that also amped up its fun-to-drive dynamics. BMW’s new Mini Vision Urbanaut concept is less a car than a lounge on disco-lit wheels. Think of the Urbanaut as a small minivan stuffed with a hipster loft interior. According to BMW, it has a “daybed” and a “street balcony” at the front and a “cosy corner” at the rear. Pop a token into one of three slots on the ...
Infiniti QX60 Monograph Concept First Look: Designed for the Future
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “monograph” is defined as “a written account of a single thing.” In the case of the Infiniti QX60 Monograph concept, it is a designed account of a single thing and, perhaps unsurprisingly, that thing is an SUV. It previews the changes that are coming to Infiniti’s design language that will likely feature on a number of their upcoming models, starting with the brand’s most popular model, the QX60. Originally called the JX35, the current QX60 has been around since the 2013 model year with only minor tweaks since its release. That means a full redesign is overdue, and the Monograph shows where the revised QX60 is headed. Infiniti says the new design is both “elegant and muscular,” a...
Ram Dishes on the Differences Between the 1500 TRX and TRX Concept
It’s finally here in all its glory, Ram’s long-awaited, much-anticipated contender to the Ford Raptor’s OEM high-speed off-road throne, the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. But for fans of the Ram truck brand, or of off-roading in general, the TRX has been in the works for years now, ever since the original concept truck was unveiled in 2016. We caught up with the 2021 Ram TRX’s exterior-design lead, Mike Gillam, ahead of the TRX’s unveiling to see what has changed in the intervening four years. Gillam is the perfect interview subject for our quest, as he was part of the team that designed, developed, and built the original TRX concept. He also led the production TRX’s exterior design. What changed from the original TRX concept to the production 2021 Ram 1500 TRX, in ...
