Photographs: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
There are 'concept cars', vehicles designed by imaginative souls, accepted at pitch meetings and displayed at auto shows, without ever achieving production-model status, according to CNBC.
Let's take a look at some vehicles that remained a concept and never reached the showroom.
Source: CNBC
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: Sebastien Rondet/Wikipedia Commons
2010 Audi Quattro
The Audi quattro concept is a concept car produced by Audi and presented at the Paris Motor Show in 2010. It commemorates the 30th anniversary of the original Audi Quattro and the Audi quattro four wheel drive system. Based on the Audi RS5, it features a modified 2.5L five-cylinder TFSI engine and the sixth generation of quattro transmission.
It had been reported that Audi are considering a limited production model (200-500 cars) based on the quattro concept, but the project was shelved in 2012.
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: BrokenSphere/Wikipedia Commons
2003 Cadillac Sixteen
Cadillac Sixteen is a stylish and high performance concept car first presented by Cadillac in 2003. The vehicle is equipped with a Cadillac proprietary-developed 32-valve V16 engine displacing 13.6 litres, which was exclusive to the Sixteen model only, it is mated to a four-speed, electronically controlled, automatic transmission driving the rear wheels.
Ever since the Sixteen was first unveiled there have been resurfacing rumours, speculation and high hopes of automotive journalists and aficionados about its possible very limited production.
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: Pingping/Wikipedia Commons
2004 Chrysler ME Four-Twelve
The ME Four-Twelve is a concept car produced by Chrysler under the Chrysler brand in 2004. There were two ME Four-Twelve vehicles produced.
The engine in the ME 412 is a very light, aluminium engine. This V12, coupled with the four turbochargers, is one of the lightest V12 engines in any production car, as well as one of the most powerful, with 850 horsepower.
The car can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds, and 0-100 mph in 6.2 seconds. It can cover a quarter mile in 10.6 seconds, with a trap speed of 219 km/h.
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: IG-2000/Wikipedia Commons
2005 Ford GR-1
The Ford Shelby GR-1 was a $2.2 million concept car that was created by the Ford Motor Company. It was first introduced at the 2005 North American International Auto Show.
The GR-1 was created with the inspiration from the Shelby brand. It was inspired by and bears resemblance to the Shelby Daytona.
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: Thesupermat/Wikipedia Commons
2012 Infiniti Emerg-e
The Infiniti Emerg-e is a concept car developed by the Infiniti division of Nissan Motors and was unveiled to the public at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
It is based on the Lotus Evora platform and the hybrid powertrain shown in 2012 as the Lotus 414E concept car. The Emerg-e has two electric motors, one powering each rear wheel, producing a total of 402 bhp (300 kW; 408 PS) with 738 lb ft (1,001 N m) of torque, and providing acceleration to 60 mph in four seconds.
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: Dmitry Valberg/Wikipedia Commons
2010 Jaguar C-X75
Jaguar C-X75 is an hybrid-electric, two-seat, concept car from Jaguar which debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
The C-X75 concept produces 778 horsepower through four electric motors, each of which drives one of the four wheels. The batteries driving these motors are recharged using two diesel-fed micro gas turbines instead of a conventional four-stroke engine.
It is described as an ideas model that will influence future design and technology.
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: conceptcarz.com
2002 Lincoln Continental
At the 2002 Los Angeles Auto Show, Lincoln unveiled this Continental concept. The Continental concept was developed concurrently with the Mk 9 concept first seen at the 2001 New York Auto Show.
Research and development of the Lincoln Continental concept began in early 2000, shortly after dedicated Lincoln design, engineering and manufacturing organisations were established.
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: Tronno/Wikipedia Commons
2012 Mazda Furai
Mazda Furai is a concept car revealed on December 27, 2007, and manufactured by Mazda. A teaser image of the vehicle was released on December 11, 2007.
The Furai officially debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Furai. meaning "sound of the wind", is the fifth and last of the Mazda Nagare line of concept cars that have been made by Mazda since 2006.
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: Elambeth/Wikipedia Commons
2003 Dodge Tomahawk
The Dodge Tomahawk was a non-street legal concept vehicle introduced by Dodge at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.
Dodge's extraordinary claims of a top speed of 680 km/h were derided by experts in land speed records, and the Tomahawk never demonstrated a speed above 160 km/h.
The Art Deco design was the work of Chrysler staff designer Mark Walters and featured the 500 hp (370 kW) 8.3-litre (510 cu in) V10 SRT10 engine from the Dodge Viper.
The vehicle has two front wheels and two rear wheels, making it a kind of motorized quadricycle rather than a typical motorcycle. The pairs of wheels move independently, allowing it to countersteer and lean in turns like a motorcycle.
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Vehicles that will NEVER hit the roads
Photographs: Source: ChiemseeMan/Wikipedia Commons
2001 Volkswagen Microbus
The Volkswagen Microbus Concept Car (also known as the Volkswagen New Microbus and Volkswagen Microbus Concept) was a concept car recalling the original Volkswagen Microbus and first presented at the 2001 North American International Auto Show.
In June 2002 Volkswagen announced that the Microbus, using the platform of the forthcoming T5 light van, was scheduled for production commencing during 2003 at the company's Hannover plant, ramping up to 80,000 units annually by 2005.
The launch was deferred, however, and the project was formally cancelled in early 2005.
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