Forget being an auto freak, if you’ve ever flipped the pages of an Auto magazine, or were dragged to an auto show by a friend who’s one, you must have noticed crazy
They are the show stoppers who grab headlines, get the most attention, and the most selfies. They look and feel exciting, all those aerodynamic swooping lines, sexy curves, futuristic interiors and uber-cool gadgetry. They seem like aliens just visited us, or vehicles from the future just visited the car show with a time machine.
The sad part is that almost none of this ever makes it to a real street car. So why burn cash showing off these fancy concepts if you’re not making them? Here’s the reason.
Keeping up with the Joneses
I know it may be hard to accept, but the main reason any auto company builds concepts is to get a cool image about them in the media.
If it were a real production car, mainstream media like as newspapers and magazines will wait until you let them drive that car to seriously consider it for coverage. Press releases and fancy models don’t cut it here.
But if your concept car is sexy enough, it'll get headlines everywhere. A few of those eye catching digital illustrations, and the month’s magazine edition is sold out like lemonade on a hot summer day. Every Editor knows that.
Car manufacturers expect the reader to have a cooler perception of the brand when they flip through these futuristic images. If you want to project your brand as sporty and youthful, showcase a colorful and sporty concept, and buyer perception would change in tandem.
Showcasing New Tech
If you invented some new technology, you won’t fit it into a regular car that sells at a fraction of what you put into designing it!
You would show off your new invention with a sexy concept. Hybrid drive-trains are the in-thing now-a-days. You’ll see several auto-makers developing hybrids concepts. That way you get to put an eye-grabbing piece of automotive without the fuss of fitting that into a typical production model that comes with power and cost constraints.
Testing New Waters
Another important reason concepts are made is to find out if car buyers like it or not. You can showcase this concept across several auto shows, get feedback, and keep the possibility of production open if the demand is strong.
These are few of the reasons companies build concepts. The next time you see one, remember, the auto company put a lot more thought into it than just letting its designers go wild. This ain’t no nursery school drawing contest.
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