Concept Cars


SEMA 2009: What we didn't get to cover

Every year at SEMA, we fill the week with posts featuring special vehicles and products that we felt were important enough to share. Generally, they are the most newsworthy projects and new model introductions, but sometimes they are just things that caught our eye. When all is said and done, we think we've given all of you a good taste of what's on offer here in the desert. Of course, there are always things we see and shoot that don't make it into the regular posts from the days we are here. We end up with a few hundred photos of random ... Read more →

SEMA 2009: WD-40 Camaro looks cool, needs more stickers Frank Filipponio

With a 600-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 residing underhood, we'd happily spray ourselves into the seats of this WD-40 showcar. The legendary lubricant company actually contracted a slew of top-shelf ...

SEMA 2009: Mazda introduces us to a happy couple, inspires 3-some Frank Filipponio

For SEMA 2009, Mazda introduced us to a pair of the happiest Mazda3 derivatives we've ever seen. Part Le Mans-winning 787B tribute, part rolling showcase (for their Mazda accessories catalog) and ...

SEMA 2009: HTT Plethore LC-750, yet another ambitious supercar startup Damon Lavrinc

"I'm not an engineer. I'm an electrician," Luc Chartrand admits through his thick Quebecois accent. I believe him. Chartrand, a former karting and stock-car driver, is the lone designer, engineer ...

SEMA 2009: The mid-engine RM460 Hyundai Genesis Coupe has landed Frank Filipponio

It's arrived. Finally. The wickedly awesome Rhys Millen Racing mid-engine V8 version the Hyundai Genesis Coupe is here, and it took every fiber of our being not to hop in and drive it off the SEMA ...

SEMA 2009: A quintet of concept Scions leaves us hungry for more 3 days ago on Autoblog

Just like last year, Scion had a group of tuners develop a whole range of models for SEMA 2009. Clustered in one corner of the Central Hall, the group included the Brandon Leung pickup and 0-60 Rally xD we showed you earlier, as well as another handful of tricked out Toyota lites. First up ...

Mexico's Cimex Conin concept renderings looks like a Latino Lambo LM002 3 days ago on Autoblog

Though automakers too numerous to list operate plants and build cars in Mexico, the country South of the Border doesn't really have a homegrown auto industry to speak of. One model doesn't exactly constitute as an "industry," but the Cimex Conin concept certainly seems like a step in the right ...

SEMA 2009: Handful of Chevy Camaro concepts preview new options 3 days ago on Autoblog

While GM didn't bring a production Chevrolet Camaro convertible to SEMA, it did bring a handful of Camaro Coupe Concepts that offer a preview of things to come for the recently resurrected pony car. Besides the twin-turbo V6 Jay Leno Camaro we profiled earlier, we got to see Snergy, Chroma, ...

SEMA 2009: 0-60 takes the Scion xD rallying 3 days ago on Autoblog

Screw convention! Why do you have to build a rally car out of something sporty? Or powerful? Or off-road-worthy? According to 0-60 magazine at least, you don't have to. You can build a rally car out of just about anything. Take this Scion xD for instance. It's probably among the last cars you'd ...

SEMA 2009: Brandon Leung's Scion xB channels Bonneville circa 1955 3 days ago on Autoblog

When we look at a Scion xB we tend to think of a lot of things, few of which are very flattering. One thing we definitely don't think of is a Bonneville Salt Flats bike hauler from the '50s, until now. That's probably why we're bloggers and not designers. Fortunately for us there is Brandon ...

SEMA 2009: Breaker, breaker, we got ourselves a Bandit 3 days ago on Autoblog

Last year in Las Vegas, graphic designer Kevin Morgan showed off the first Trans Am rebody of the new Camaro at SEMA 2008. This year he is back with T/A version 2.0 for SEMA 2009. While the original "Phoenix" T/A 1.0 had the Bandit color combo we know and love, a few of the details were off in ...

SEMA 2009: Jay Leno Camaro a pre-emptive strike against EcoBoost 'Stang 3 days ago on Autoblog

What do you get the guy who has everything? For SEMA 2009, GM decided to go with the less-is-more approach and built Jay Leno his own special Camaro... with less. Less cylinders at any rate, as this V6 special more than makes up for its lack of firing pots by adding a pair of turbochargers. ...

REPORT: Mini's future models roadmapped 4 days ago on Autoblog

If you'll please forgive us our one tired cliché of the day... BMW has big plans in store for its smallest brand. In this case, quite literally as the next model that comes from Mini will reportedly be the long-expected Countryman crossover, which we can expect to hit the market in the ...

Chevrolet releases 50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept. Again. 4 days ago on Autoblog

It's perfectly common for an automaker to release details and photos of a concept car in the months or weeks ramping up to its official debut at a major auto show. Not so much several months later, though. So you can imagine our confusion as to why Chevrolet has revealed the 50th Anniversary ...

Suzuki dresses up a Kizashi for Halloween 5 days ago on Autoblog

The boys and girls at Suzuki got into the Halloween spirit and dressed up a new Kizashi to celebrate the day. So what kind of costume would you put on a new sedan that aspires to redefine the company and show that this small carmaker can play with the big boys? Much like a kid who slaps a ...

The Lingenfelter 455 T/A Concept really is badass 6 days ago on Autoblog

Car and Driver is the first outlet to post real live photos of the SEMA-bound Lingenfelter 455 T/A Concept. By taking the looks of the '70 Trans Am and adapting them to the new Chevrolet Camaro, Lingenfelter has created something that will have you playing "What if.." scenarios regarding Pontiac ...

Many Happy Returns? Russian designer pens Maserati Kuba concept 8 days ago on Autoblog

It was only a few years ago, but how quickly we forget. Maserati actually toyed with the idea of building a crossover back in 2003, even going so far as to unveil a concept for the project called the Kubang GT Wagon at the Detroit Auto Show. The shape was penned by Giugiaro's ItalDesign, but ...

Mitsubishi sketches out Concept-cX-influenced compact crossover for 2010 8 days ago on Autoblog

It's been two years since Mitsubishi took the wraps off its Concept-cX crossover at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, but before we see the production version at next year's Geneva Motor Show, Mitsubishi has released a teaser sketch of its all-new compact CUV. Aimed at competing with segment ...

BMW creates an M5 CSL, and no, you can't have it 9 days ago on Autoblog

To celebrate 25 years of the M5, BMW has created a one-off version of the E60 super saloon that Albert Biermann, head of BMW's M division calls, "the M5 CSL we never built." The transformation began with a modified version of the standard M5's 5.0-liter V10, which has been stroked to ...

SEMA Preview: Street Concepts to create custom painted Hyundai Genesis on show floor 9 days ago on Autoblog

Over the years, thousands of cars with custom paint jobs have littered the floor at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. But almost all of them arrive already painted and ready to show. At next week's SEMA Show in Las Vegas, however, Street Concepts will be ...

Rendered for Your Pleasure: Subaru WRX-powered Kickboxer motorcycle concept 10 days ago on Autoblog

There's a longstanding tradition of using horizontally-opposed boxer engines in motorcycles – and not just from BMW – the flat configuration has found a home in a slew of two-wheelers ranging from Russia's Ural to the current Honda Goldwing. So, it's not too much of a stretch to ...

Toyota Celica or Scion tC? Toyota reportedly deliberating over production FT-86 nameplate 12 days ago on Autoblog

Although the Toyota FT-86, freshly unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, is billed strictly as a concept car, we're fully expecting the rear-wheel-drive coupe to foreshadow a new production car from Toyota. The question on everyone's lips, then, is what Toyota will call the final version when it ...

Tokyo 2009: Toyota FT-EV II concept features funky looks, zero emissions 14 days ago on Autoblog

Toyota has revealed its latest plug-in electric concept car here at the Tokyo Motor Show. The FT-EV II is a followup to the iQ-based FT-EV that we saw in Detroit earlier this year but appears to be a ground-up design that takes advantage of the electric drive architecture. The iQ is promoted as ...

Tokyo 2009: Mazda RX-500 still awesome nearly 40 years later 16 days ago on Autoblog

One of the coolest concept cars here at the Tokyo Motor Show isn't even new. In fact, it's almost forty years old. Originally displayed at the Tokyo show in 1970, this Mazda RX-500 Concept features styling similar to the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO Breadvan, gullwing doors that swing forward, and ...

Tokyo 2009: Daihatsu's Deca Deca concept is the most popular "super box" in the world 16 days ago on Autoblog

Daihatsu has a way with words: the company calls its Deca Deca concept a "super box," and we'll call it a super super box. A funky little piece of chunk, the Deca Deca has a flat floor – and a flat everything else -- along with pillarless doors that render the interior absolutely ...

Tokyo 2009: Suzuki Alto Concept tries to be a cooler kei 16 days ago on Autoblog

The Suzuki Alto concept is The Kei You Would Never Suspect: unassuming looks belie the fact that this is car Suzuki is going to use to reach a wider audience. The exterior – which, frankly, looks like a ton of other itty bitty already plying on Japan's streets -- has been subtly tweaked to ...

Tokyo 2009: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo is bigger, o-kei! 16 days ago on Autoblog

You can make anything bigger and better if you just add a hump, and that's what Mitsubishi has done to its i-MiEV to create the i-MiEV Cargo. For those who find Ford's Transit Connect simply too monstrous and don't want to pay for gas – like, oh, a commercial concern in Tokyo – ...

Tokyo 2009: Honda SkyDeck, is this the future of the Odyssey? 17 days ago on Autoblog

Unlike the CR-Z which is nothing more than a thinly veiled preview of an upcoming production model, the Honda Skydeck remains a pure design study at this point. While most automakers would provide a full list of specifications for a concept that is nothing more than a fiberglass buck, Honda isn't ...

Tokyo 2009: Daihatsu Basket concept looking for Little Green Riding Hood 17 days ago on Autoblog

We're sure it wasn't meant this way, but standing beside the Daihatsu Basket concept, you do feel like you could throw things in it, pick the thing up by its t-top crossbar, and take it to a picnic. And carrying it that way would probably be better than driving it. A thoroughly JDM offering, it ...

Tokyo 2009: Honda EV-N concept combines future drive with retro style 17 days ago on Autoblog

Honda's new CEO Takanobu Ito started off his tenure at the head of the company today by unveiling a new plug-in battery electric concept. The EV-N showcar hides its futuristic electron pumping powertrain in a decidedly retro bodystyle thanks to a design reminiscent of the subcompact 600N of the ...

Tokyo 2009: Subaru Hybrid Tourer concept previews Fuji Heavy's new design language 17 days ago on Autoblog

The Subaru Hybrid Tourer is sharp-nosed and an all-out sharp piece of car. The car's flat floor hides two electric motors, one aft that powers the car in low-speed acceleration and assists with acceleration, and one up front connected to a direct-injection turbocharged gas engine. The Tourer is ...

Tokyo 2009: Honda CR-Z coming to America next fall with six-speed manual! 17 days ago on Autoblog

Honda fans of all sorts have cause to celebrate today with the reveal of the 2009 iteration of the CR-Z coupe. In typical Honda fashion, this CR-Z remains a concept in name and detail only. What you see here is essentially the production coupe that will go on sale in Japan next February and then ...

Tokyo 2009: Toyota unveils FT-86 Concept, keeps mum on details 17 days ago on Autoblog

We got a sneak peak of the FT-86 earlier this month, and now Toyota has just officially revealed its new 2+2 concept here at the Tokyo Motor Show. It's been a while since the Japanese automaker has offered anything resembling a sports car – especially one with rear-wheel drive – so ...

Tokyo 2009: Carlos Ghosn carves up the stage with the Nissan Land Glider concept 17 days ago on Autoblog

At the Tokyo Motor Show this morning, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn rolled silently onto the stage in the company's latest battery powered concept, the Land Glider. Like Volkswagen's One-Liter concep from the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Land Glider is a narrow-gauge tandem two-seater. However, that's ...

Tokyo 2009: Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV shows its more conventional face 17 days ago on Autoblog

Mitsubishi has put its plug-in hybrid Concept PX-MiEV crossover concept on a pedestal here at the Tokyo Motor Show, touting the CUV's "environmental and on-road performance," as well as its serial and parallel modes and wireless charging capabilities. The crossover's design language ...

REPORT: Mazda's design chief working on new RX-7 17 days ago on Autoblog

We've been hearing rumblings about a Mazda RX-7 revival for so long, we've almost gotten numb to the idea of a next-generation, rotary-powered coupe. But Mazda's new design chief, Ikua Maeda, has given us a desperately needed hope injection when he told Autocar that initial sketches have been ...

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Autoblog Podcast #151: With Car and Driver's Eddie Alterman

Eddie Alterman wades in with Sam, Chris, Dan, and Jonny to talk about SEMA and other recent events.

 
 

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