10 concept cars that got lost in translation (photos)
A concept car rarely makes it to the show room floor with its design intact. We present a collection of ten of the worst offenders.
What we saw: Nissan Sport concept
The Nissan Sport concept was unveiled in 2006, a hot hatch with a crisp angular aesthetic.
What we got: Nissan Versa
There was nothing hot about the hatch Nissan gave us a year later. The Versa lacked any sporty pretenses and had ballooned into what looks like a Japanese PT Cruiser.
What we saw: Pontiac Aztek concept
Pontiac's Aztek concept bowed in 1999 with aggressive good looks and a number of smart gimmicks that would make it useful for an active lifestyle.
What we got: Pontiac Aztek
The Aztek we got in 2001 was the poster child for misinterpreted concepts and is universally lauded as one of the ugliest production cars to hit American roads.
What we saw: BMW X-Coupe concept
In 2001, the BMW X-Coupe concept was shown with flowing curves and a windswept profile.
What we got: BMW 1-Series coupe
What we got was the BMW 1-Series, a more upright coupe that had lost much of the concept's character. Whether this is better or worse is subjective. (cough, worse, cough!)
What we saw: Jaguar C-XF concept
The C-XF was a concept that previewed the XF sedan. A long, low-slung sedan with a coupe-like profile, the C-XF was sex on wheels.
What we got: Jaguar XF
The very next year, Jaguar delivered the XF and while it was still a handsome sedan, the more upright production model was seriously lacking in the sex appeal department.
What we saw: Lexus LF-Xh concept
With a major redesign coming up for the aging Lexus RX and RX hybrid, we looked to the high-waisted profile and L-Finesse styling of the 2007 LF-Xh concept for hints of what to expect.
What we got: Lexus RX 350
While we won't try to tell you that the RX 350 and 350h models that we got in 2009 aren't good looking crossovers, we will say that we were disappointed to see that Lexus had completely disregarded the profile and proportions of the concept.
What we saw: Chevrolet Volt concept
When we first met the Chevy Volt in 2007, it was an electric sports car with a long hood and a low roof.
What we got: Chevrolet Volt pre-production concept
The next time we saw the Volt, it had transformed into a completely different vehicle.
What we saw: Mitsubishi Eclipse Concept-E
When the time came to redesign the Eclipse in 2004, Mitsubishi gave us the Concept-E, a look to the future with its electrified hybrid powertrain, forward swept organic looks, all-wheel drive system, and glass roof.
What we got: Mitsubishi Eclipse
The Eclipse that we got seemed to keep the organic looks intact, but subtle proportion changes, the omission of the all-wheel drive option, and obvious lack of a glass roof took the Eclipse from lust-worthy to lackluster.
What we saw: Honda Odyssey concept
The Honda Odyssey concept debuted this year and we have to say, it was a pretty good looking van.
What we got: Honda Odyssey
At first glance, the production Odyssey that debuted a few months later appears to keep true to the concept, but something just seems a bit off. We suppose it's the devil in the details.
What we saw: Dodge Avenger concept
In 2003, Dodge debuted the Avenger, a big wheeled sedan that echoed back to the AMC Eagle.
What we got: Dodge Avenger
The Avenger that hit show room floors was a bit more, well, humdrum.
What we saw: Saturn Sky concept
The Saturn Sky concept debuted in 2002. This little 2+2 roadster featured a fun, but simple, style.
What we saw later: Saturn Curve concept
Two years later, Saturn's roadster was back with a radically altered style and a new name. Now known as the Curve, the concept featured two fewer seats and a hard top.
What we got: Saturn Sky
The very next year, Saturn began producing its roadster. The Sky moniker had returned, but the design had taken off in a completely different direction. The cause for this big change? GM decided that it would be better to rebadge an existing roadster from its European Opel division, rather than to produce the Saturn concepts.
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