Concept cars are built not only as a design exercise but also to show what a car maker can achieve with its engineering expertise. Especially at the auto shows around the world, manufacturers bring latest concepts to draw in people and generate interest for their cars. We run through the entire Paris Motor Show to list five such interesting concepts that might inspire cars in the future.
Lexus UX: The Lexus UX conceptualises the smallest crossover till date from the Japanese luxury car maker. The UX is supposed to fight it out against the Mercedes GLA and the Audi Q2 for the entry-level luxury crossovers. Mad angles, daring contours and weird shapes are a standard for Lexus concepts and sometimes even for their production cars and the UX brings all of them together aesthetically.
BMW Concept X2: The BMW Concept X2 is not as extravagant as other concepts. That is because it has been built as a preview of what the upcoming BMW X2 would be. To be positioned between the X1 and the X3, the X2 crossover, luckily, does not go Coupe as expected. It does look raucous with its sculpted butch lines and is certainly good looking. If the BMW X2 that is supposed to come in 2018 looks anything close to this, BMW will have a winner at hand.
Civic Type R Prototype: The Civic Type R is the Holy Grail for Honda purists who swear by the hatch for its performance. Honda has ensured that the Type-R goes faster with every iteration including the 2017 model displayed at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. With over 300 horsepower packed into the hatch, the Type R also skimps on weight with generous use of carbon-fibre. The lip spoiler on the air dam, the chunky rear splitter and the massive spoiler will ensure grip when you go for it.
Citroen CXperience Concept: This is Citroen’s interpretation of luxury mobility. Unlike majority car makers who have jumped on the crossover/SUV bandwagon, Citroen has kept it sleek with a low slung design. The coupe lines with the massive wheelbase and large 22-inch wheels look stunning and comes with active aerodynamic props. With the engine and the electric motors giving it all, the power is rated at 300bhp while when only on electricity, it can drive you around for more than 50kms.
Hyundai RN30: Hyundai is establishing itself as a strong player not only in India but also in the European and the American markets. The RN30 concept here, has been built for a purpose – to take on hot hatch legends like the VW Golf GTi, the Ford Focus RS and the Civic Type R. This one gets a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol developing 384bhp – same as the Mercedes A45 AMG and also gets the WRC inspired four-wheel-drive. The RN30 shows us what to expect from the i30 N hot hatch to be rolled out next year.
