The 50 Coolest Concept Cars of the Past Decade

Throngs of people regularly descend upon convention centers all over the country hoping to see all the latest mobility machinery to come from the world's top carmakers. But more than looking at cars scheduled to come out in the next year, people really pack the show floors to see all the concept cars that they will never, ever be able to purchase.

First used by Buick as a marketing tool in 1938 with the Y-Job, the concept car has become a mainstay of the automotive industry, showcasing technologies, materials, designa languages and ideas that could possibly change the way we commute. Some concept cars look like they could drive out of the booth and be at home on a modern-day street, while some look as if they were built by Hollywood prop artists. The past decade has given us some of the most inventive concept creations—from cars grown from the earth to minivans that could double as living rooms. Check out the 50 Coolest Concept Cars of the Past Decade.

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Debut: Frankfurt Motor Show
Year: 2013

We love coupes and we love shooting brakes. So we especially love when we come across a shooting brake with coupe styling. This sly Opel concept brings back the Monza name from the '70s and '80s with a look that is 100x more attractive. It's also a plug-in hybrid (the same tech as the Chevy Volt and has an LED projection infotainment system.

Debut: Geneva Motor Show
Year: 2013

The Korean automaker is already in extremely good standing amongst auto reviewers and customers, but its lineup still lasts a bit of gusto. And that's what this Provo concept, as well as a GT concept introduced this year are here to help provide. The sporty b-segment hatchback has a turbo GDI engine and a seven-speed transmission. Let's hope we see some of this DNA in a future Kia.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2013

We had to have at least one beastly truck, and the Atlas, which previews what the 2015 Ford F-150 will look like is deserving of the spot. It has a tailgate step that doubles as a cargo cradle, an LED-lite cargo box, loading ramps, 360 cameras, active aerodynamics and a 20-percent more efficient EcoBoost engine. The truck game is the tightest it's been in years.

Debut: Frankfurt Motor Show
Year: 2013

Please, please, please, Volvo, listen to everybody who said, "damn, I wish Volvo would actually make this car." It looks sporty, it still has a sophisticated, composed nature, and everybody loves it. You've said it's here to preview current design architecture. Prove it.

Debut: Paris Motor Show
Year: 2008

Earlier this year, Juicy J had a verse on a Dorrough song called "Drugs in Da Club" in which he said "four-door lambo, I'm buying that/I'm mad cause them bitches ain't designed it yet." But he's wrong. There was a four-door Lambo designed called the Estoque, and it was shown in public in '08. It's not exactly the most striking design, and unfortunately the engine is in the front, but the fact that a non-SUV, four-door Lambo exists is its own type of historic.

Debut: Beijing Motor Show
Year: 2012

The new Numéro 9 Concept is the spearhead for a more chic line of DS vehicles in Citroën's future. Although the French company did not reveal whether or not the Numéro 9 would see production, it did make clear that a future C-segment premium sedan, an SUV, and a D-segment executive car would take styling cues from the concept.

Debut: Geneva Motor Show
Year: 2006

You've heard of a SuperSports coupe, but have you seen the SuperSports Utility Vehicle? (SSUV) Repeat these words: suicide doors, all-aluminum construction, 500hp, VW-sourced W16, and 0-60 mph in five seconds. It's named after the Peking to Paris race of 1907 and calls upon its historical background from the 1919 Spyker "Aerocoque."

Debut: Monaco Grand Prix
Year: 2012

Instead of unveiling this bright blue animal at an auto show, Renault decided to display its new concept at a house of speed: the Monaco Grand Prix. It's based on a Megane Trophy race car with a 400-hp Nissan VQ V6 and has styling cues modeled after the original Renault A110.

Debut: Geneva Motor Show
Year: 2010

This ferocious sports car you see above is built on a 100 percent electric drivetrain. The small racer has two electric motors that produce 300bhp and gets up to 162 mph. There were talks of making a small one-make racing series, but it never took form.

Debut: Frankfurt Motor Show
Year: 2007

Winner of the 2007 Peugeot International Design Competition, the Flux was designed to be a hydrogen-powered sports car that could handle itself if its driver ever took it off-road. It was so good, the developers behind Project Gotham Racing 4 included it as a downloadable car.

Debut: Geneva Motor Show
Year: 2013

On July 3, 2012 an 85-year-old legend, Sergio Pininfarina passed away. This car is a tribute to the brilliant visionary and designer. The sweeping roadster is based on a Ferrari 458 Spider but has completely new carbon exterior bodywork. Fortunately, this car is actually in the process of prep for a small production run.

Debut: Easter Jeep Safari
Year: 2012

You should know from our love of retro sneakers that we really enjoy throwback design. This J12 pickup is based on the Gladiator and unfortunately is just an exercise in design flexing. This saddens us, considering we know people would snatch this thing up faster than kids grabbing candy under a busted pinata.

Debut: Geneva Motor Show
Year: 2012

The LFA might be gone, but Lexus has been amping up the sex and sport appeal of its entire lineup, lead by flagship previews like this sharp supercar. At 498 horses, LF-LC (Lexus Future-Luxury Coupe), this guy would attract a ton of attention if it were ever made.

Debut: Paris Motor Show
Year: 2008

Celebrating 25 years of making jets convertibles, Saab produced this open-air study that ran on electricity and ethanol. We're guessing that if it didn't get purchased by Spyker, GM would have built it. Yeah, you're right. Maybe not.

Debut: Los Angeles Motor Show
Year: 2010

What if your car didn't come from a factory, but from a garden, spawned right next to the tomatoes and broccoli? That's the what-if? that Mercedes-Benz asked the Los Angeles Motor Show a few years ago, when it released the BIOME, a car that has no rigid metal materials, but instead is made of a material called BioFiber. Mercedes-Benz wanted to create a car that took in all of its energy from the sun and only emitted oxygen as a byproduct, an idea that means cars would not only be okay for the environment but that they'd actually be good for the earth. It doesn't hurt that it looks like a silent killer, too.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2007

Ford described the Interceptor as looking like a "Marine in uniform." We say it looks like the car Robocop should be pushing. With a 5.0L Ford Racing engine pushing 400 hp to the rear wheels, it was way badder than that Taurus that was out at the time, which apparently took all of its cues.

Debut: Tokyo Motor Show
Year: 2007

According to Mazda, the Taiki, which means atmosphere, "reflects one possible direction for a future generation of Mazda sports cars aimed at helping to create a sustainable society." That was back in '07. We've since also seen the creation of the Furai (you'll see that later in this list), but Mazda still doesn't have a production supersports car in its near future (that we know of). When is all this design going to pop up in showrooms?

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2004

In '04, Ford attempted to revive O.J. Simpson's favorite car by taking the Ford Escape platform and making it super-rugged. Rugged enough to, say, run through a few roadblocks? Certainly.

Debut: BMW Museum
Year: 2008

Regardless of any jokes abou tthe name, The GINA (Geometry, Function, N -infinite number, of Adaptations) is an extremely unique design study that questions the real definition of a car's exterior. The vehicle is made out of a space-age flexible cloth that allows for free movement, requires less energy to produce, removes weight, and allows the car to speak and interact in much different manners. How would you like for your car's eyes to wake up with yours?

Debut: Minority Report
Year: 2004

You gotta love Steven Spielberg. Before production began on Minority Report, Spielberg hit up Lexus and asked it to design a car that would look at home 50 years in the future. We can only pray that cars look this dope when our grandkids are whipping around.

Debut: Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este
Year: 2008

As a celebration of the M1's 30th anniversary, BMW unveiled a low-slung sports car concept called the M1 Hommage back in 2008. It was shown off at the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este, and at the time was purely a design exercise. No powertrain specs were released, and the car didn't even have an interior.

It's similarities to the 2009 Vision EfficientDynamics Concept and the i8 Spyder Concept are pretty obvious. Although the kidney bean grilles aren't as small, the front fascias lines swoop to the center (kind of reminds us of Gladiator's/MFDoom's mask), the laser headlights on the i8 are nearly identically shaped, the air scoops that pump cooling into the rear brakes are still there, and the rear panels slide under the hatch. They knew what they were doing all along.

Debut: Paris Auto Show
Year: 2012

We'll admit that we still think of the Pokemon everytime we hear the word Onyx, but this car might have changed that. The extremely slip-through-the-air profile of this Peugeot concept defines a flat-on-the-ground supercar draped in beautiful design and filled with tech. In addition to the stunning shiny copper and flat black two-tone, the Onyx has a double bubble roof and sculpted wheel arches. It weighs less than 2,500 lbs and hybrid-petrol system that produces a total of 680 horses. We'll take two, please.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2009

To prove there's a future for the Hemi-loving Dodge in the electronic age, Chrysler's main face built a two-door sports car with a non-electric-figured, 200-kW (268-hp) electric motor, 480 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-60 time of under five seconds.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2006

If this were the Toyota Sienna, we would buy a minivan. Crack open the door and you'll see three rows of stadium seating that can be arranged any way you like, including a really cool lounge mode. It's like a Scion XB for adults.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2007

Ford called it a crossover, but to us, the plug-in, hydrogen-fueled, cell-powered Airstream looked like what people in the '30s would have thought minivans would look like in the future-if people in the '30s knew what minivans were.

Debut: Geneva Motor Show
Year: 2008

Though released in 2008, the BAT 11 can trace its roots back to the 1950s. The latest collaboration between Alfa Romeo and famed automotive design house Bertone, the BAT 11 was based on the drop-dead-gorgeous Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, but styled to resemble its ancestors.

Debut: Tokyo Motor Show
Year: 2006

According to legend, during the Pivo's design process, the designers consumed a lot of Pilsner Urquels-a Czech beer-which lead to the car being named after the Czech word for beer. We guess you would have to be drunk to design a car that didn't need reverse because its body and wheels could rotate in any direction.

Debut: Geneva Motor Show
Year: 2012

The term electric supercar would have been scoffed at 10 years ago. Now they're seemingly popping up all over the place. With high performance, however, comes low range. The car does come with a petrol tank to extend the range from its dual electric motors, but 30 miles isn't really much when you think about how you'd use this kind of car. If you want some fun, this little two-seater beast will get you to 60 in 4 seconds and can go 130 mph.

Debut: Tokyo Motor Show
Year: 2011

The point of the Fun Vii is all about connectivity inside and out of your car. The entire vehicle is interactive, including an exterior LED display that the owner can customize through a smartphone app. The car has the ability to fuse with surrounding infrastructure, other cars and drivers, and roadways. Inside, the Vii presents augmented reality for navigation. If only there were a way to get glass to pass safety tests ...

Debut: Paris Motor Show
Year: 2004

Conceived and built in 10 months' time, the H2R (Hydrogen Record Car) is what future race cars may look like. The overly phallic dragster is powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 engine that chugs liquid nitrogen. It may look like the T-1000 in mid-morph, but this whip has broken nine international speed records.

Debut: Frankfurt Motor Show
Year: 2009

It might look like the Audi version of the Steve Urkel mobile, but this car could get 170 mpg and was the precursor to the XL1, which was a 261 mpg diesel-hybrid. Recent news told us that Ducati is actually getting to play around with the car and is dropping a 1,198-cc, 190 hp V-twin in the engine bay.

Debut: Paris Motor Show
Year: 2010

Two doors. Four-wheel drive. Four hundred-plus horsepower. Six speeds. This was the concept Audi dropped that commemorated the 30th anniversary of the four-wheel-drive system it created and the concept that had every car lover's eyes bulging.

Debut: Seoul Motor Show
Year: 2013

A 3.3L turbocharged GDi engine. An 8-speed automatic transmission. And one of the most beautiful sports cars we've seen in the past year. This is the new Hyundai. There is an extremely bright future in Korea.

Debut: Paris Motor Show
Year: 2010

It's impossible for Jaguar to make a supercar without people automatically thinking of the XJ220. It doesn't help that the C-X75 closely resembles Jag's legendary model. And though the X75 sorta, kinda harkens back to the XJ, it is a completely different animal. This one can hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and has a 205-mph top speed, thanks to the 96-hp micro gas turbines that power a plug-in lithium-ion battery pack. This, in turn, powers four 195-hp electric motors-one at each wheel-for a total of 780 hp and 1,187 lb-ft of torque. Beast.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2008

There have been two Shelby Cobra concepts presented by Ford. The first one was a lackluster roadster, and the other was this: an aluminum-bodied sports coupe with a 605-hp V10 under the hood that could propel it to 60 mph in under four seconds. Now that is what we call an heir to the throne.

Debut: Pebble Beach Concors d'Elegance
Year: 2013

Cadillac is planning something huge. And the Elmiraj is a strong indication of what that "something" is going to be. The car is fresh off its debut, and is gearing up to be the flagship for the General Motors luxury brand, standing atop the already beautifully refreshed lineup. "Elmiraj is about poise and proportion," said Niki Smart, lead exterior designer. "We wanted a mature statement for Cadillac, where simplicity and subtle adornments create a purposeful presence."

This definitely translates into the car with a dramatically long hood that hides a 4.5L, twin-turbo V8 underneath and an elegant interior that has titanium trim, transparent analog guages, high-performance sculpted seats, Brazilian rosewood, a 10-inch touchscreen, and camel leather.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2006

The Super Chief's front end is modeled after locomotives, but it seems like style cues were taken from Geordi from Star Trek and Cyclops from X-Men (just like the Interceptor). And we say that in the sense that this truck looks completely badass. Trucks normally go for a tough and rigid exterior, but this one's masculinity is never questioned, despite of having extremely smooth lines. Under the hood is an 585hp supercharged V10 engine that can suck in gasoline, E85 ethanol or hydrogen. That's a chief if we've ever heard of one.

Debut: Los Angeles Auto Show
Year: 2009

Naturally, a Bugatti sedan would have an extremely flashy exteior and the engine would produce more than 1,000hp. But look at how elegant this thing is? It was originally introduced back in '09 and rumors about the car popped back up last year, but news just a few weeks ago confirmed that four doors is not in the near future for the company. At least a new Veyron is on the way.

Debut: Geneva Motor Show
Year: 2005

In the '60s, Maserati built a number of Le Mans racers dubbed "birdcages" due to their intricate, tubular, space-frame chassis. When it came time for it to build a new concept car, Maserati reached out to longtime collaborator Pininfarina, which was also celebrating its 75th birthday. The result was a car that didn't quite carry on the birdcage heritage. But thanks to its Maserati MC12 GT1 race-car base and Ferrari Dino F140 V12 engine, we didn't really care.

Debut: Paris Motor Show
Year: 2008

Everybodys dream is for a video game racer to come to life. This is what it would look like, if that dream were to come true. The wildly cutting concept is a collaboration between Citroën and Polyphony, the designer of Gran Turismo 5. It could seemingly also function as a horizontal guillotine in reverse.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2005

Considering the go-anywhere nature of Jeeps, it's inevitable that the off-road kings will get into some not-so-favorable situations. So what if we remove one of the variables that can make getting out of those situations more difficult? The Hurricane, which has two Hemi engines, 670hp, and 740 lb-ft of torque, has wheels that flare out, enabling the car to turn in any direction at any time, much like an item placed on a twirling vinyl. It can turn around without actually moving from it's stationary point on the turf. And it has 14.3 inches of ground clearance. Long live the Jeep.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2013

This car was named the 2013 concept car of the year by a panel of esteemed automotive journalists. And we 100 percent agree with that decision. Seeing this beaut in person put our hair at attention. While the exterior is nicely sculpted with an imposing grille and nifty head and tail lamps, the interior is really what impressed. The dash and center console is double-teamed by extremely smooth leather and wood that relaxes you in its big, cozy cabin. We hope the next-gen Genesis sticks to this concept's key features.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2008

Furai means "the sound of wind" in Japanese, though we have an inkling you'd hear a lot more than that if you witnessed this beast on a racetrack. Based on a Mazda Le Mans prototype and powered by ethanol, it was Mazda's vision of a greener zoom-zoom future. Too bad Top Gear killed it.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2003

OK, so this isn't a car. But with four wheels, it's not really a motorcycle, either. Besides, the 500-hp lump that smokes the rear two tires came out of a Dodge Viper. So there.

Debut: Frankfurt Motor Show
Year: 2005

This is how Maybach does performance. Gothic in design, exorbitant in price ($8 million) and power (700 hp), the Excelero was unlike anything anyone in the automotive world had ever seen. It was developed to help design a new generation of wide tires...and to be Jay-Z's chariot in his "Lost Ones" video. OK, OK, it was only built to test tires.

Debut: Lamborghini 50th Anniversary
Year: 2013

With the Egoista, Lamborghini took a couple of open wires and clamped them to the nipples of the auto industry, showing off an absolutely bananas concept that challenges everything you'd think about a typical sports or supercar. It's a car made for one extremely self-centered person. And everybody wanted a look at the Apache helicopter-inspired design, when it was unveiled.

Debut: Frankurt Motor Show
Year: 2009

This was the pre-production to the pre-production version of the i8 Concept, which just recently made it into full-on production spec. Of the few concepts in this line, we decided to go with the one that started BMW's dream of creating a gorgeous supercar with hybrid technology as a part of its new "i" line.

In this car is a three-cylinder turbodiesel engine as part of a plug-in hybrid system. Its drag coefficient is only 0.22, and yes, those are polycarbonate glass doors. The final production model ended up with 94 MPGe and looks absolutely stunning.

Debut: Frankfurt Motor Show
Year: 2009

The Tesla Roadster proved that electronic vehicles could be fast, sporty, and sexy. The Audi E-Tron, which was originally scheduled for production this year, proved just how fast, sporty, and sexy it could be. Styled in the same vein as Audi's R8, the E-Tron boasts similar performance specs, while sporting a much greener disposition. In the most recent Iron Man we even saw an R8 E-Tron.

Debut: North American International Auto Show
Year: 2003

Three years after the Imaj, Caddy took another go at mocking up a world-class luxury sedan, this time taking a cue from the V-16s of the '30s. And although its exterior is what we're first drawn to, the Sixteen derived its name from the monstrous engine crammed beneath its butterfly-winged hood.

These days, the 1,000 horsepower bullet point isn't nearly as unheard of, but think about these digits: 13.6 liters, 16 cylinders, and a hp-matching 1,000 ft-lb of torque. An engine of that size may sound a little intimidating, and portly, but using an engine-management system, the Sixteen would only use as many cylinders as needed. If Caddy wanted a wheel up on the competition, we think this would have done the trick.

Debut: Paris Motor Show
Year: 2010

Angular, made entirely of carbon fiber, and faster than your finger-clicking when the new Jordan just dropped, the Sesto Elemento is the toughest Lambo we've ever laid our eyes on (the Veneno and the Egoista are just plain maniacle). It has 570 horspower from a V10, all-wheel drive, and only weighs 2,202 pounds. Its 1 horsepower to 3.86 pounds ratio means 0-62 in 2.5 seconds. Best of all? They're making a limited run of this animal.