Concepts galore. Michael McAleer reports
Whatever happened to the madcap concept cars of old; the flying boat cars that allegedly run on wind power or water? Throughout automotive history, the concept car was aimed as a physical definition of a shift in design or a mechanical stream of thought. They also offered a template upon which new technology could be practically demonstrated, from new power sources through to entertainment packages.
Yet, while there will be several wacky - and completely impractical - concepts on show at next week's Paris motor show, car firms are increasingly using the concept principle to offer very realistic previews of real-life models. If the public swoons, the car firm executives nod sagely and let it be known very publicly that they always planned it this way and this was just a taster for the real thing. If it bombs, then they dismiss criticism by assigning the car to the concept bin.
The reason for the coming together of concept and reality cars is an increasingly shorter lifespan for models - historically seven years with a minor facelift after three or four years - along with greater financial pressures that don't permit designers to spend millions on pie-in-the-sky models. While the design houses and some extremely niche small car firms can continue to build the flying cars of the future, mainstream firms have called time on such ideas.
Next week will see three concepts unveiled that are virtually identical to the final production versions; with the exception of the 21-inch alloys fitted to the show car.
Concepts from Hyundai, Lancia, and Volkswagen will all be featured under the faintest official guise of mere design directions for future models, yet the company executives will be tripping over themselves to confirm, with a wink and nod, that these are virtually the finished products.
Even the concept names are starting to be kept by the car companies. When Kia introduced its Cee'd concept, few thought the name would make it all the way to production. The same can be said of Nissan's Qashqai. Yet both will appear in Paris as full production versions, vastly similar to their first concept designs and carrying their concept names into reality. The move from crazy dreaming to definitive designs is a great boon to the future buyer, giving them an extra year of notice on a new arrival. Yet the initial principle of the concept models has lost some of its allure.What's missing these days are the true sci-fi models of old.
So what do you watch for in concept cars? Invariably they will feature three different hints these days. One will be the future design direction of the company. The other will be new technology that is likely to be several years down the road. And ignore the gullwing doors. They may have made it all the way into production on the Delorean - a real concept car rushed into production - and the 1950's Mercedes 300 SL but they only serve to give the public a better view of the car's interior. Car firms don't fancy leaving their customers stuck in multi-storey car parks.