There's nothing better in this business than a concept car to stir my imagination.
I can visualize myself in a brand new wondermobile as I crest a hill before diving into the next bend, holding a starship steering wheel (or maybe I am just kicking back and relaxing in some mechanical automaton), surrounded by glass and Star Trek-esque touchpanels with commands such as SPORT, HYPERBOOST, and OIL SLICK.
Yet, when those fancy-shmancy concepts make their way to production, sometimes their essence is lost. Other times, what arrives on the dealer lot is a completely different car altogether.
The Chevrolet Volt Concept from 2007 was one of these wondermobiles conceived by very smart people at General Motors. Between Bob Lutz and a team of designers, we were teased with what you see above. At the time, the Volt Concept offered up some very interesting design cues not seen anywhere else, such as the transparent panels in front of the windows, giving the car a seemingly lower beltline.
What we got was entirely different. Between the bean counters and aerodynamicists, the Volt, with its aggressive fascia and long-hood proportions turned into an amorphous blob. Gone were all details that made the concept such a compelling eye-catcher.
Lowered beltline? Nope. Chevrolet decided to add a black strip of plastic instead to give it the impression of having a lowered beltline. Coupe profile? Gone. Big wheels? See ya. Long, flat hood? Nadda.
The Volt went from electrified phallic four-door coupe to energized egg in one foul swoop.
What's worse: the newest Volt looks almost exactly like a Honda Civic. Say goodbye, personality.
So, Best & Brightest, what production cars do you think lacked delivery on its concept's promise?
The post QOTD: What Production Car Didn't Deliver On Its Concept's Promise? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
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