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LA Autoshow: Concept Vehicles

toyota_conc It's November which means it's LA Autoshow time - one of the largest Autoshows in North America is taking place right now and we've got some of the latest Concept vehicles debuting this week! toyota_conc2 Toyota is always dropping the coolest stuff - case in point, the "Future Mobility Vehicle" - FV2. toyota=con3 toy_con3 Designed to show off Toyota's "Fun to Drive" philosophy, the concept plans to bond both physically and emotionally with the driver, becoming more fun to drive the more it is used. I'd drive it EVERYDAY, although it doesn't look super comfortable... toyota_idrive2 toyota_iroad It's not an Apple cross-branded product, although the name sounds it. The Toyota i-Road is another concept vehicle which mimics skiing. The body articulates in a skiing motion for handling, taking turns with the best combination of both cars and motorbikes. The iRoad provides next generation performance in terms of driving, size and environmental performance. You may remember a similar concept, minus the exterior protection, being tested out by Richard from Top Gear BBC a number of years ago. toyota_ft1_c Toyota's best concept (yes, I'm biased of course) - showed up again fresh from SEMA. The Toyota FT-1...please make this car and please make it similar to the concept, it will sell out...and if it doesn't, I will personally buy remaining inventory. mirai_toy Toyota also debuted their hydrogen solution, the Mirai. Odd styling, but amazing technology. mirai_toy copy Similar to Tesla Supercharging, Toyota is providing free hydrogen at specific stations it is setting up throughout the US. audi_pro3 audi_pro5 The crazy Germans over at Audi Group dropped a bombshell in the form of the Audi A9 Prologue. A Mercedes S-Coupe competitor or any Grand Coupe for that matter - this thing was the talk of the show. audi_pro7 A simple and spacious cabin full of digital readouts and supple leather - it really did feel like a living room...a nice living room...a really nice and expensive living room. audi_pro audi_pro2 audi_pro4 The design queues were amazing, especially that b-pillar-less profile - and trunklid. Wrap around LED taillights really finished off the backend nicely. Once this concept is refined to production, Audi will have a nice option for large, 2-door coupes. Did I mention it's powered by a twin-turbo 4.0 liter V8? 605HP...Mercedes, Bentley and Rolls Royce better look out! infiniti_con5 maserati_alf3 Maserati brought out their Alfieri concept, named after the oldest brother of the Maserati family. This is a Porsche 911 - smaller coupe 2+2 fighter and not a GranTursimo replacement as some have thought. maserati_alfieri That rear 3/4 hatch really accentuates the wide hips and side exits - super aggressive yet classy at the same time. infiniti_con infiniti_con2 The amazingly gorgeous Infinity Q80 Inspiration was on a 360 turntable showing off it's low slung and sculpted profile. Some styling queues looked very "infiniti-ish" - especially that rear 3/4 window that looks eerily similar to their current large SUV on the market. infiniti_con4 French doors allow for an unobstructed view of the luxurious (and spacious) interior. This thing also happens to move, using a 550HP Twin Turbo V6! mitsu4 mitsu1 mitsu2 The rumors of the premature Death of Mitsubishi in the US are... rumors. Per Mitsubishi, the Concept XR-PHEV is a next-generation compact SUV developed to take driving pleasure to new levels. The Mitsubishi Concept XR-PHEV uses a front engine, front-wheel drive layout PHEV system that is configured with a downsized 1.1-liter direct-injection turbocharged MIVEC engine and a lightweight, compact and high-efficiency motor with a high-capacity battery. vw_gt1 vw_gt2 Last but not least, my favorite - the Volkswagen GTI Roadster Gran Turismo Vision Concept. An in-game vehicle that will never see the light of day, but some styling of it hopefully will. vw_gt4 vw_gt3 Similar to the AMG Vision GT concept from last years show, it's both incredibly striking and aggressive - with future written all over it. We'll definitely see some design queues from these concepts make their way to production vehicles in the next few years - with some full concepts taking as much as 5-10 years. No matter how long it takes, it looks like it will be worth the wait! In the meantime, checkout some video from the show below for a better look at these new concept cars.
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