As my colleague Marc Bouchard put it, ignoring a prototype or a concept at an auto show is a sure way to miss out on a window to the future. In fact, many of these cars are slated for production. This year's Detroit Auto Show had much to show us in terms of new and potentially up-coming models.
If we at Auto123.com have noticed anything recently, is that there is a clear convergence between green and the future as a large portion of the prototypes and concepts incorporated some form of green technology. Actually, we eliminated our Top 10 green list as most of them were featured in this Top 10.
So, here is my half of Auto123.com's Top 10 prototypes from the show in no particular order:
1- Tesla Model S
Although the model on display may be that of the concept, the Model S is a very real and production-ready car. Given the success and energy surrounding the Roadster, a 4-door was a logical step. But this is no regular sedan... Check this out: It can seat up to seven passengers (five adults and two children), it has two trunks (large one in the rear plus an additional one up front) and a unique oversized hatch design to easily load the rear. The cool stuff is that the car's range is of 300 miles (480 km), it will rocket to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.6 seconds and a QuickCharge requires only 45 minutes. The S will arrive in early 2011 and the US price has been fixed at $49,900.
2- MINI Beachcomber
This sport-cute beach-buggy utility concept is a real-world sampling of things to come from this manufacturer. Actually, MINI has clearly stated that it will bring a fourth model to its line-up and that it will be in the form of a mini crossover and will be called the Countryman. Inspired in some ways by the MINI Moke from the 60s, the Beachcomber combines ALL4 AWD, generous suspension travel and extra-large wheels to improve ground clearance (which was one of the keys issue with the Moke as it was no taller off the ground than a regular Cooper). Although the door-less-ness of the concept willnot find its way in the production model, the final product will have four doors and four full seats along with generous (for a MINI) cargo hold.
If we at Auto123.com have noticed anything recently, is that there is a clear convergence between green and the future as a large portion of the prototypes and concepts incorporated some form of green technology. Actually, we eliminated our Top 10 green list as most of them were featured in this Top 10.
So, here is my half of Auto123.com's Top 10 prototypes from the show in no particular order:
1- Tesla Model S
Although the model on display may be that of the concept, the Model S is a very real and production-ready car. Given the success and energy surrounding the Roadster, a 4-door was a logical step. But this is no regular sedan... Check this out: It can seat up to seven passengers (five adults and two children), it has two trunks (large one in the rear plus an additional one up front) and a unique oversized hatch design to easily load the rear. The cool stuff is that the car's range is of 300 miles (480 km), it will rocket to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.6 seconds and a QuickCharge requires only 45 minutes. The S will arrive in early 2011 and the US price has been fixed at $49,900.
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2- MINI Beachcomber
This sport-cute beach-buggy utility concept is a real-world sampling of things to come from this manufacturer. Actually, MINI has clearly stated that it will bring a fourth model to its line-up and that it will be in the form of a mini crossover and will be called the Countryman. Inspired in some ways by the MINI Moke from the 60s, the Beachcomber combines ALL4 AWD, generous suspension travel and extra-large wheels to improve ground clearance (which was one of the keys issue with the Moke as it was no taller off the ground than a regular Cooper). Although the door-less-ness of the concept willnot find its way in the production model, the final product will have four doors and four full seats along with generous (for a MINI) cargo hold.
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