5 early 2000s concepts that should have gone into production

Ever daydream about alternative realities? Like a world in which we don’t sit in cars but stand in them, or a timeline in which the Miata was front-wheel drive, or what would have happened if Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s car hadn’t made that wrong turn in Sarajevo?

Well, I certainly do, but with promising concept cars that never made it to …

Read the rest of the story

And for the record, there were a lot of really awesome concepts from the early 2000s, so it was hard to narrow down my top 5 list.

I would love a modern 510,maybe Nissan wouldn't be in the position it is if they hadn't gone down the boring vehicle road.

I like this one; Hayabusa engine in the back!

In reply to jerel77494 :

I recall driving that one a ton in GT4 when I was a kid. I didn't really understand what it was at the time, but I knew I liked the way it looked.

Now that I know more about it, I love it even more.

"And now we enter the weird Chrysler portion of our tour":

Ah, yes, I remember the iDx and thought it would actually make it into production.  Silly me.

Every time early 2000's concept cars get brought up, I always think about how mad I was that Pontiac never released the Grand Am SC/T:





It was your standard Grand Am but had a supercharged 260hp V6 and a 5-speed manual. Pretty sure it had limited slip, too.  Thing was basically production ready, but in classic GM fashion, the only thing that made it to the showroom was a non-functional version of the hood. Back then in the early 00's, this would have made a really fun daily driver. 

Honorable Mention: The Grand Prix G8


Grand Prix, except with an AWD drivetrain and V8 LS power. Also close to production but never made it. I do like the actual G8 that did eventually get released, especially the GXP version. 

In reply to STM317 :

Tom Gale made some incredible looking concepts in the '90s.

The 1991 Chrysler 300 concept, based on a stretched Viper has been one of my favorites.  I still think about building a homage to the cockpit style interior with the blacked out driver section.

Some of those look fun. The 2012 Chevy 130R looks like it had the 2015+ S550 Mustang headlights ahead of Ford, though. 

The Chrysler Firepower has curves on the rear fenders that are dangerously close to being sexy. 

I loved the idea of a new Nissan 510 but that back pillar, hood length, grill inset and front windshield made it feel like it was more of a new 1977 Nissan Celica.  
 

This is the 510 we needed. 
 

And I think I'll have to do another one of these, but on 90s concepts. Plenty of rad examples from that decade. 

I also want a new 510. That's how I ended up messing with E30s years ago. Clean 510s were almost impossible to find at prices someone who had only graduated college a couple of years earlier could afford.

In the early 2000's Saturn said "We've got a great Idea for a sporty roadster" and GM said "That's a great Idea. Pontiac, get on it"

And thus the Sky was stolen and the Solstice born. At one point along the way there were plans to make a line of cars on the platform.

Pontiac would make the roadster, the Solstice, largely as it appears today.

Saturn would produce a hardtop coupe called the Curve.

Chevrolet would produce a hatchback called the Nomad, with styling calling back to the original 50s corvette based concept car.

There was even talk of a jeep style mini off roader that would be the Hummer H3.

These were so close to production that brochures actually made it into Saturn showrooms.

In reply to Tony Sestito :

I realize where the design came from, but the hood is just too short to pull it off.

In reply to AClockworkGarage :

I miss Saturn. 

In reply to AClockworkGarage :

That Nomad would have been a fantastic option.  I'd rock one, especially if it eventually got the turbo ecotec that the GXP/Redline had later on.  

So many concepts from Dodge / Chrysler look like they are for a Villain character in a comic book.

The Nissan IDx still makes me angry. I would have bought a manual nismo when they hit showrooms. I still want one. I've not owned a nissan since then so I guess they lost another customer. They didn't want my money anyway.

In reply to STM317 :

I think I might sell a kidney for the first one.  But that would probably just be the down payment.

Noddaz said:

In reply to Tony Sestito :

I realize where the design came from, but the hood is just too short to pull it off.

Agreed. Would have been much better with recessed scoops rather than the  nostrils.

Colin Wood said:

In reply to AClockworkGarage :

I miss Saturn. 

I miss when Saturn wasn't Geo of Europe.

They made an awesome car for 1991 and then sort of rode it to the ground.  The 1996 refresh was half hearted at best, it was still the same basic car with new panels.

Would still love a 1995 SL2 in that wonderful blue color.  1995 because it was the old body with the new interior and those amazing gauges.  Also, didja know that the automatic and manual shared enough parts that a Quaife would work in the automatic too?

I've always had a soft spot for the Ford GT90 concept:

As I understand it, the GT90 project was responsible for the development of what ultimately became the Aston Martin 5.9L V12 engine. So that makes it even cooler. 

The Cadillac Sixteen.