We tend to think that concept cars are design exercises in which the designers of the firms let their imagination run wild , playing with the technological and connectivity elements of the moment, within the creative innovation of car manufacturers. However, these projects end up being much more than simple drawn lines of what is to come. The concepts become guidelines for the future, models to follow for the next generations of cars that will arrive in the coming years.
The manufacturing processes of a concept car are long and expensive , although with very defined steps that can take between six months and a year – depending on the work processes of each brand. However, almost all manufacturers begin the conceptualization wondering what the concept will serve, ultimately, its reason for being. After defining the general concepts, the more practical part of the project begins. First, basic sketches are drawn to finish with detailed drawings made from various perspectives. Then, two models are built, one at a 1: 4 scale and one made of clay at a 1: 1 scale, that is, on a real scale.
Once ready, the concept will try to fulfill the objectives for which it was created. Sometimes your main goal is to attract attention with surprising ideas or complicated designs. Other times, instead, try to measure the degree of public acceptance of a possible launch. At best, it represents the advancement of a future model. What is clear is that all brands take advantage of these prototypes to give the green light to new ideas that allow them, in turn, to create, innovate and reinvent themselves. For us, they help us get into the minds of designers and the approach that brands could have in the not too distant future.
These five historical Seat examples shown below demonstrate that the concepts anticipate the models that will end up on the streets a few years later.
