Why is it that concept cars always look like this:



. . . but they look like this when they go into production?

 

I think just a few years ago it mostly had to do with the tooling/molding the manufacturer had in the plants. It’s a huge overhaul and too big of a cost risk because of the downtime it takes to switch everything out. Plus you have all the testing that will eliminate some of the concepts original lines and curves because of the old engineering adage “looks great on paper” .

Fortunately today these concept drawings are starting to make it to the production line because they can do trial and error through data crunching instead of real life build and breakdown setups.

 

mostly safety regulations ruin cars, and to have creases in sheet-metal is expensive.

 

Design teams like to have fun/dream.

-Cost of Production vs. Profit/Sticker Price
-Safety Laws and Regulations
-Factory Capabilities
-Practical/Durability of Designs

 

I think it all depends on who you look at when it comes to concept to reality designs. If you talk to Nokia you'd think the whole mobil industry is doomed and going down hill but appearently only their side of the yard is raining if you talk to Apple.

A lot of manufactures out there have no idea what the definition of the word concept is and Honda is one of be biggest offenders out there from their half assed drawings to slaping front to *** on a current model with a plate "concept" written on it and call it a day.

But a lot of other brands also got it right for example Mercedes F800 style concept which is really well done, it clearly shows that MB understands what the meaning of concept is and they are not just coming up with one hastely done because they need "something for the next show". Their concept usually have a lot of influence on it's new cars for example CLS and SL.

 

Love concepts, real deal is usually watered down. Blame regulations

 

Notice that concept drawings never seem to have door handles or provisions for a front plate. there are federal regs regarding bumper height, headlight shape and height, taillight visibility, wheel openings (have to be able to fit snow chains), and a full set of specifications that relate to the driver's being able to see.

If anyone remembers the Lancia Stratos Zero concept car that wowed 'em at the Turin auto show in 1971, it was probably the peak realization of the popular "wedge" design" . . . and a watershed mark in automotive design.



The public demanded that it be built and a few wealthy automobilistas started putting down deposits. The problem was that the car, as drawn, was completely impractical to the point it couldn't be driven.

Note that there was a continuous slope from the front bumper to the top of the windshield, which was flush-mounted in the body skin. For access, the windshield tilted forward to admit the driver and passenger. headlights supposedly dropped down from beneath the thin leading edge, although that would put them only a couple of inches above the pavement. The upper sliding side windows were too small to permit human egress and a lower side glass was needed for the driver to have some view of the ground on the opposite side of the car . . . his left leg would block the view on his own side. The mid-engined car was a thinly disguised F1 with a body by Bertone.

After undergoing a seriously long gestation period of development, a streetable version of the Stratos, known as the HF (High Fidelity) was put on the market in 1974. Born with a racing heritage, the Lancia HF dominated European rally events for nearly eight years although it had emerged from development as a rather odd combination of curves and angles, quite unlike the Stratos Zero concept.

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Lancia Stratos HF, World Rally Champion, 1974, 1975, 1976

Although the Stratos HF was a sporting success, it never really achieved the market penetration it probably deserved. Marketed as the Stradale with a Ferrari Dino V6, it was understandably expensive - and just too much of a committee creation to be attractive. Its spirit was probably best expressed in the little Fiat X1/9 that came to America from 1972 until 1989, and sold moderately well for a Fiat.



That's a long way from the artist's pen to steel - or in this case, aluminum. The Stratos concept found respect, but the HF and Fiat X1/9 production cars shared only their engine location with the concept.

 

storm, what you have there is the concept style coupe and that technically came after the CLS. It is supposed to be the baby CLS, the CLC