5.Lamborghini Asterion Concept
McLaren has the P1, Ferrari has the LaFerrari and Porsche has the 918. But for the past year we’ve been wondering “What about Lamborghini?” Well the Italian brand took the wraps off its next generation hypercar at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, and it was nothing short of impressive. It’s a plug-in hybrid, with three electric motors and a 5.2-liter V10 engine that send an unbelievable 910 hp to all four wheels. Not only that, but this big bull gets 56 MPG. Capable of going 30 miles on electic power alone, this concept can also hit 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. While Lamborghini says the Asterion uses parts that are currently available to the brand, it hasn’t yet decided if the plug-in hypercar will hit production.
Concept cars are supposed to be out of this world and that’s exactly what the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X. A borderling space-ship, this race-car concept debuted at the 2014 LA Auto Show. It’s powered by an imaginary laser propulsion system that pulses beams of light that create shock waves to generate thrust. It hits 60 mph in an unimaginable 1.5-seconds. Chevy deserves kudos, not just for having the imagination to show this concept, but for delivering it into Gran Turismo 6, where gamers can see what the race-car of the future is like to drive.
The Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge is a strange car on this list. At first glance its just a hopped up luxury sport-sedan, essentially Infiniti’s answer to the BMW M3’s and Mercedes AMGs out there. But for some reason we couldn’t stop ourselves from getting excited about it every time it popped up in the news. Likely it was the the Eau Rouge’s GT-R insides that got us so giddy. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 at work in this Q50 makes 560 hp and just over 442 lb-ft of torque, allowing this car to hit 60 mph in under 4 seconds.
Another car we just can’t get enough of is the Honda Civic Type R Concept. Here are the facts: it looks awesome. It has a new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that makes just about 280 hp. It’s gunning for the fastest FWD Nurburgring time. It won’t come to North America.
All of those things make us want to learn more about this hot-hatch. We’re all crossing our fingers that the production version of the car makes its mark, and eventually finds its way to North America.
One of the first concept cars we saw in 2014 is also one of the best. The Toyota FT-1 Concept started the 2014 Detroit Auto Show off with a serious bang and we’ve been in love with it ever since. This front-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car reminds us so much of the Supra it hurts. The styling is defined as setting the pace for the Toyota brand. It’s exterior evokes the brands once proud sporting heritage, full of cars like the Celica, Supra, MR2 and of course the modern Scion FR-S. Toyota’s was once known for brilliant sports cars, but has been typecasted as an automaker for the mainstream. The reveal of the FT-1 signaled that a change may be on the way and we can’t wait to see what’s next.
