10 Concept Cars That Should Have Gone Into Production

It's rather disappointing that the world never got to enjoy these remarkable concept cars as production cars

It can be easy to dismiss concept cars as wastes of money - most outrageous concept cars don't make it into production. However, concept cars are essential for manufacturers and benefit the car industry. A concept car with giant rims and huge screens on the outside may not head into production, but some of its components might feature in future models.

Conversely, some concept cars are modest and realistic. These provide genuine glimpses into the manufacturer's plans for the future, sparking expectations of a new and exciting car model. However, even the realistic and most-hyped car concepts can get shelved by manufacturers, as demonstrated by this list of 10 concept cars that should’ve gone into production.

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Saleen built its reputation by collaborating with manufacturers like Ford to produce high-performance versions of their cars. In 2000, Saleen proved it had the expertise to build its own car, debuting the rapid Saleen S7. Eight years later, Saleen debuted the S5S Raptor at the New York International Auto Show. The S5S Raptor had a supercharged 5.0-liter Saleen engine, yielding 650 horsepower.

It came with a paddle-shifting sequential gearbox or a close ratio 6-speed manual. Mounted to a rigid, lightweight aluminum chassis, the engine could accelerate the S5S from zero to 60 MPH in 3.2 seconds. The Saleen S5S had an alleged top speed of 200+ MPH. It was expected to go into production in at least two years and be much less expensive than the S7. However, the Saleen S5S never got into the public realm.

The 2006 Lamborghini Miura was designed to look similar to the pioneering 1966 Miura. The Miura is considered a supercar icon, as it introduced the mid-engined two-seat layout. Designer Walter de’ Silva succeeded in modernizing the Miura's iconic design. However, some components, including the rear lights, had a futuristic feel and would feature in subsequent Lamborghini models.

Despite Lamborghini saying the Miura wouldn't return to production, some expected it to succeed the Murcielago. Lamborghini remained true to its word, insisting through CEO Stefan Winkelmann that the 2006 Miura was simply built to commemorate the Miura's 40th anniversary.

The 1999 Charger was the first Dodge Charger designed with four doors. The declining preference for sport coupes in North America inspired the vehicle's design team to add two doors to the original Charger's design. However, they crafted the panels to make it seem like the 1999 Dodge Charger R/T had two doors.

Chrysler built the 1999 Dodge Charger on a modified Chrysler LH platform. A supercharged 4.7-liter V-8 sending 325 horsepower to the rear wheels powered the Charger concept. The vehicle drew excitement when it debuted at the 1999 North American International Auto Show. However, when the eighth-generation Dodge Charger debuted in 2005, it shared few similarities with the stylish 1999 Charger concept.

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The Audi Avus Quattro debuted at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show. It wowed attendees with its shiny, aluminum body, spaceship-like shape, and wheels that comprised half the vehicle's height. Audi intended to introduce its new W-12 engine on the Audi Quattro, but it wasn't ready when the Tokyo Motor Show arrived. Therefore, Audi fashioned a fake engine out of wood and plastic, painted it to look like a genuine engine, and placed it inside the Avus Quattro concept.

The real Audi W-12 produced 509 horsepower, capable of accelerating the Quattro concept from zero to 62 MPH in 3.0 seconds and thrusting the car to a top speed of 211 MPH. Despite receiving extravagant offers, Audi declined to produce the car.

The 1989 Ferrari Mythos by Pininfarina and Ferrari blended the retro designs of the 1960s with the modern, sleek edge of the late 1980s. Ferrari's flat-12 engine configuration facilitated the car's unique, wedge-shaped design. The vehicle had the insides of a Ferrari Testarossa - a 4.9-liter 12-cylinder engine generating 390 horsepower. It weighed a mere 2,756 pounds, as Ferrari crafted the body using lightweight composite materials.

The Mythos didn't go into production, but it inspired the design of the F50. Pininfarina sold the original vehicle to Shiro Kosaka, a car collector, who displayed it in the Gallery Abarth Museum. Ferrari also built two more examples - one red and one blue - for the Sultan of Brunei.

The 2016 Buick Avista was the stand-out car at the North American International Auto Show. Despite sporting a modern design, some of the vehicle's design aspects, including the front fascia, were inspired by the 1954 Buick Wildcat concept. The vehicle's chassis was similar to the ones in the ATS and the Camaro, but it featured different mounting points and suspension to give the designers more freedom.

Buick installed a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 at the front of the rear-wheel-drive Buick Avista. The vehicle featured modern tech, including a wide touchscreen and Magnetic Ride Control. Given the hype generated by the Buick Avista, Buick considered producing the Avista or a version of it. Eventually, Buick affirmed that the Avista would remain a design study.

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The 2001 Volkswagen was an evolution of the 1997 W12 Syncro and the 1998 W12 Roadster. The Nardo was powerful, featuring a massive 6.0-liter w-12 engine pumping out 591 horsepower and 458 pound-foot. It had a claimed zero to 62 MPH time of 3.5 seconds and an alleged top speed of 217 MPH.

Like several other cars in this list, the Nardo was designed in Italy: Volkswagen contracted Moncalieri-based Italdesign to craft the vehicle's exterior.

The Nardo had a 50:50 weight distribution and an active rear spoiler. Volkswagen initially stated that it would build 50 Nardos for sale to the public. However, Volkswagen broke its promise. Nevertheless, the N12 Nardo made its mark, breaking several records during testing and inspiring future cars, including the Bugatti Veyron.

The 1992 BMW Nazca C2 was a lighter, more powerful version of the Nazca M12, which debuted at the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show. It featured a 5.0-liter V-12 engine producing 295 horsepower. Thanks to its featherweight carbon fiber construction, the vehicle weighed 2,425 pounds.

The Nazca C2 shared plenty with the M-12, including the gullwing windows. However, Italdesign redesigned some exterior parts, including the nose. The C2 featured an Alpina-tuned engine generating 350 horsepower and was lighter than its predecessor. It could accelerate from a standstill to 60 MPH in 3.7 seconds and had a reported top speed of 203 MPH. The Nazca C2 was a brilliant car - it got to 60 MPH from zero faster than the Ferrari F40, which in 1992 was the world's fastest accelerating production car. BMW really should have put it into production.

The Maserati Birdcage 75th took the 2005 Geneva Motor Show by storm, winning the Best Concept award. It was designed by Pininfarina - the Italian designers behind legendary Ferraris like the 288 GTO, Enzo, F50, Testarossa, and several more - to mark the company's 75th anniversary. Maserati named the concept after the manufacturer's successful Birdcage race cars of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The 75th shared many components with the Maserati MC12 GT1 race car, including the chassis and engine. It featured a Maserati F140 V-12 engine producing 700 horsepower mated to a carbon fiber chassis. Maserati engineered the active spoilers on the rear to automatically extend, increasing downforce at high speeds.

The vehicle was a design masterpiece, featuring a Perspex Canopy that ran from the front to the back. It allowed the driver to see clearly from their low-seat position and people to view the engine and futuristic interior from the outside. Motorola designed parts of the interior, including the head-up display that projected information onto a transparent panel. Impressively, it took Motorola, Pininfarina, and Maserati just two months to create this automotive wonder.

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The Mercedes C112 was way ahead of its time in the early 1990s. Mercedes built it as a developmental prototype; to showcase advancement that would feature in future models. The head-turner was designed by the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Coggiola; it had Kevlar and aluminum body panels.

Aerodynamics were at the heart of the C112's design. The vehicle eschewed pop-up headlights, the popular choice on most sports cars at the time, for fixed headlights: fixed headlights were much less draggy than pop-up headlights. Mercedes embedded the indicator lamps and fog lamps into the Kevlar front bumper. To reduce aerodynamic turbulence, the vehicle had three air intakes - one at the front and two at the back.

The 5.0-liter V-8 powering the C112 could reportedly blast the car from zero to 62 MPH in 4.9 seconds. Max out, the C112 could reach 192 MPH. These figures are theoretical, as the vehicle was never tested. Nevertheless, the C112's lightweight construction, active aero, and 408-horsepower engine are features of a fast car. If the vehicle's driver got into a nasty accident, Mercedes made it easier for them to get out by installing gullwing doors designed to bend.

Moses Karomo is an enthusiastic automotive writer who can talk and write endlessly about EVs. He has extensive automotive reporting experience, writing about all manner of automotive topics. He keeps up with innovations and trends in the car industry to provide readers with up-to-date information about the ever-evolving automotive industry. When not writing, Moses is traveling or cooking.