America, Europe, and Japan all end up on this list that they’d love to avoid
- Readers voted for concept cars so bizarre, you’re glad they never reached production.
- From odd luxury to a V12 truck, these design experiments truly stretched boundaries.
Concept cars can be a riot, ranging from quirky and experimental to often downright bizarre. They give designers a rare chance to stretch their creative legs, though, sometimes with results that are less “futuristic” and more “what were they thinking?” Recently, we asked you to name the concept cars that made you thankful they never made it to production. Here are the most memorable (and regrettable) picks.
Chrysler Atlantic: A Misfire of Grand Aspirations
Let’s start with the Chrysler Atlantic from 1995, a car that aimed to ooze class but ended up looking more suited for a bad ‘90s sci-fi film than a luxury showroom. The name itself seems fitting: it’s large, it tries to evoke a sense of grandeur, and it has that aspirational vibe. Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t quite live up to the promise.
Read: Zagato’s Redesigning The Most Beautiful Modern Alfa Romeo, But It’s Probably Not This One
Sadly for Chrysler, the concept wasn’t any of those things. In a way, it almost looks like a modernized Bugatti Atlantic. The proportions aren’t executed as beautifully, though.
It’s tough to say if it’s the teardrop motifs that face opposite directions or the odd rear end, but it just doesn’t look great. Commenter Buyfire said of it “Hispano Suiza should have taken Chrysler’s lead and not made their version of this.”
Isuzu Como F1 Super Truck: Why Not, Right?
Next up is the Isuzu Como F1 Super Truck from 1991. Yes, those are a lot of strange words when put together. Somehow, the concept is even more bizarre. It’s exactly what it sounds like, though.
This is a two-door vehicle with a truck bed and a V12 under the hood. And not just “any” V12, but one that was designed specifically for F1, too. Sure, the design is wild but frankly, I think I kinda like it. The world can use some more wild stuff like this.
The Isuzu Zen is Robocop’s Ride to Yoga Class
Continuing on with another Isuzu, we find ourselves looking at the Zen. That’s right, a word that means peace and calm also represents a concept that looks like this.
To my eye it appears as though it’s leaped out of a Robocop (dating myself there) movie and is searching for someone to arrest. It’s almost the precursor to the Pontiac Aztek, it seems, although, to be honest, it’s not that bad looking. Come to think of it, nothing really is. In any case, it’s hard to argue against this pick, which sits in third place.
BMW Fun Car: For the Motorcycle Enthusiast Who Hates Balance
Silver goes to the BMW Fun Car. Yes, that’s the real name but this is only sort of a BMW concept. The automaker itself didn’t design this for any particular production hope. In fact, the car comes from a student challenge organized by the car brand.
The point, according to Story-Cars, was to combine the advantages of a motorcycle with the safety of a car. If legacy BMW fans hated the grille direction the brand has gone recently, we can only imagine how they’d have felt about this.
Rolls-Royce 103EX: The Future You Never Asked For
Finally, the winner, or maybe loser here, is the Rolls-Royce 103EX Concept. Designed to be what the brand expects to make in 100 years, it features some of the strangest design cues ever seen.
The doors open via rearward hinges. The roof flips up like a gullwing. And it doesn’t have a steering wheel. To my eye, it looks more realistic than the rest of these. Still, you lot really dislike it.
Those are your most hated concepts. Is there another one that deserves attention? Post it below and let’s see if it gets more votes than these.
