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As we are to bid 2010 adieu, it’s time to recapitulate the most amazing moments from the auto industry. These cars – concepts, production worthy or otherwise – simply stole the show away and mesmerize the masses with their one unique feature or the other. So, we present here a top list of cars that were simply amazing, rather mind boggling. Hit the jump to check out what auto industry offered you in 2010.
1 Lotus Esprit Concept
Lotus Esprit concept was one of the five concepts from Lotus revealed at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Esprit sports car which is described as the ultimate Lotus is powered by 5.0 liter V8 engine good enough for 620hp and 720 NM of torque. Engine is mated to 7 Speed DCT transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. The two-seater, mid-engined, rear wheel drive Lotus Esprit sports car gets from 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds and has top speed of 205mph/h. The concept will enter the production in 2012 and its first deliveries to start in 2013. The possible buyers have to shell out £110,000 ($175,000 at the current rates) to buy one.
2. Renault DeZir Concept
Renault Dezir Concept was revealed the 2010 Paris Motor show. It establishes the automaker’s new formal design language which conveys movement, sensuality and emotion through ideal proportions. Its power train includes an electric motor producing 150hp with 226 Nm of torque from its vertically mounted 24KWh lithium ion battery. Apart from a range of 100 miles, the other neat features include a full underbody and a rear diffuser to reduce the drag coefficient, gull-wing doors that are hinged to different sides of the door frames, and full-width front air. Renault has given no indication yet if DeZir will be produced.
3. Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept
Lamborghini Sestp Elemento Concept was also revealed at the Paris motor show and later was approved for the production. The future sports car concept is a masterpiece of the carbon fiber design and powering the road wrecking beast is Gallardo Superleggera’s revived V10 engine that generates 425kW and 540 Nm of torque. With super lightweight construction, Sesto Elemento weighs merely 999 kilograms enabling it to race from 0-100km/h in just 2.5 seconds, which is identical to Bugatti Veyron’s performance. Power is transferred to all the wheels via Lamborghini’s permanent all-wheel-drive system and its top speed is expected to go well beyond the 300km/h mark.
4. Mazda Shinari Concept
Unveiled at a private press event held in Milan in August, Shinari sets a precedent for Mazda’s design language for all the future vehicles to come. This new design language is the fruit of collaboration between Mazda’s US, German and Japanese design studios. With new front end design as well as the overall design language, Mazda has also coined a new term for its future design language – Kodo, which in Japanese means the soul of motion.
5. Jaguar C-X75 Concept
The blend of sporting looks and performance with the latest ‘green’ technology, Jaguar C-X75 RE-EV(range-extended electric vehicle) concept is inspired by XJ220. Propelling the vehicle are four electric motors working in conjunction with “micro gas-turbines. Each of the electric motors at the four corners produces 195hp, which takes the total tally of output to 780hp and 1180 lb-ft of torque. The vehicle runs from 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds, can travel up to 110km on full electric mode with a range of 900km before one need to fill the fuel tank and charge the lithium-ion batteries and has a top speed of 330 km/h. C-X75 RE-EV concept can run on LPG, diesel, biofuel or natural gas, plus four electric motors and produces just 28grams of CO2 per kilometer in non electric mode.
6. Mercedes’ Cyborg Sensation Concept
Inspired by the Mercedes F400 concept, this futuristic vehicle from Mercedes is dubbed as Mercedes Cyborg aka Cyborg Sensation Vehicle (C.S.V.) and is projected to hit the market or rather say to fit well in the auto sector in 2040. Designed by Derek Chik Kin Ng, this off-road capable 2-seater And has no steering wheel, not even the paddles for driver can control this vehicle with the power of mind. The whole concept of the vehicle works on the brain Computer Interface (BCI) that works as a conjunction between car and a specially-designed helmet for the driver. The brain impulse from the driver are collected by the helmet and transmitted to the vehicle that works accordingly.
7. Ferrari Testarossa 3 concept
Ferrari Testarossa 3 concept has been designed by Andrea Spaggiari as a replacement Ferrari Testarossa of 80s. Hailed as Testarossa 3, the concept is two-seater, central rear engine powered sports car, which is just an additional model in the Ferrari family’s spiritual successor to the 80s Testarossa. The concept features two volumes that flow into one another thus forming a sinuous and potent shape that highlights two intentions: the passion and sportivity. Made of material such as Carbon, aluminum and plastic, the interior of this super sports is an embodiment of extreme research and technological development in Ferrari.
8. Porsche 918 Spyder
POrsche 918 Spyder was premiered at 2010 Geneva Motor show and after five months was confirmed for the production. This Porsche plug in hybrid will be powered by mid mounted 3.4 liter V8 engine that produces massive 500hp. V8 engine will be supported by two lithium-ion battery powered electric motors, adding additional 218hp to 918’s tally. Engine is mated to 7-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe PDK transmission that enables 918 Spyder to sprint from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds en route to 198mph. The total weight of this limited edition car is 1490kg and it is expected to price around 500,000 Euros.
9. Bugatti Aerolithe Concept
Conceived by the design student, Douglas Hogg, for his final project at Coventry University, Bugatti Aerolithe Concept is a design study of futuristic sports coupe with dramatic swooping lines. The concept has been created for the year 2025 and draws inspiration for its name from the legendary Bugatti Electron Aerolithe prototype, unveiled at 1935 Paris Motor Show. The 1935 prototype featured a body made of Electron, an aeronautical grade magnesium alloy and gave birth to three Atlantic models. Douglas’ Bugatti Aerolithe Concept reinterprets the styling cues from the original Aerolithe and that include the pronounced shoulders, the split windshield and rear window, the aeronautical-inspired doors and the trademark grille.
10. Toyota FT-86 G Sports Concept
Toyota revealed the FT-86 G Sports Conceptcar on the very first day of the Tokyo Auto Salon 2010. With an array of upgrades, particularly turbo charging of the Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine, the example was developed to help promote Toyota’s new G Sports styling kits, exclusive to the Japanese market. The concept flaunts a wide-body kit to accommodate a wider track, along with a lower yet more open front and rear bumpers as well as jumbo-size rear wing. Also, it has blistered wheel arches and a carbon-fiber hood with air-vents. Toyota FT-86 G has rounded off exterior mods with a new set of 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance Potenza RE050 tires size 245/40 R19 up front and 275/35 R19 at the rear.
11. Nissan Ellure Concept
Nissan Ellure Concept was revealed att the 2010 LA Auto Show, which, as per its chief creative officer, Shiro Nakamura, is ‘sedan re-imagined’. Showing its commitment to sedans, the Ellure boasts elegant and aggressive aerodynamic design and four-door coupe styling. Powering the Ellure concept is a supercharged 2.5-liter inline-four supported by a 25-kilowatt electric motor. Engine is aligned with automaker’s Xtronic CVT transmission. With front wheel drive layout, the concept has an independent suspension, regenerative braking and an advanced drive-by-wire electric/hydraulic steering system. Other prominent highlights include steeply raked windscreen, a glass roof, reverse opening rear doors, and 21-inch five-spoke aluminum wheels. Although Nissan Ellure isn’t a future production model, yet it is to expected to considerably influence the future scenario of Nissan’s production of sedans.
12. Mercedes Biome concept
Mercedes Benz’s entry into this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge, Mercedes Biome concept is revealed as 1:1 scale model. The car was designed in Mercedes Benz’s Carlsbad studio and exploits technologies from nature to achieve unparalleled efficiency and seamless integration into the ecosystem. The futuristic model plays with the belief that an organic structure can actually be grown into an awesome minimalist bio-futuristic car. The vehicle features fierce plane like nose, wheels resembles plane turbines and it has a tron like glow. The interior structure allows passengers sit comfortably; it has a layout resembling seeds in a pod, with their heads coming together in the center of the car.
13. Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept
The small hatchback renaissance is imminent with Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept which will come out to be the contender of GM’s upcoming entries like 2011 Ford Fiesta. Chevrolet Aveo with attractive and edgy European-inspired hot hatch looks will definitely reveal Chev’s future goals to take the hatch designing up to. This concept is longer, wider, and having more interior space than its predecessor. The engine specification include a 1.4-liter, 138-hp turbocharged four-cylinder that is mated with six speed manual gearbox for driving enthusiasts and power will be delivered to the road through five spoke wheels and tires. It has large brake calipers that are visible through the wheels.
14. Toyota MOB concept
The brainchild of Spanish designer Jorge Marti Vidal, Toyota MOB concept is a strikingly beautiful car with many of its parts taking inspiration from nature. The unusual bodywork is inspired by the idea of the Mobius strip and the shape of the somewhat bizarre looking five part wheels are inspired by the appearance of blooming flowers. Additionally, this car has green credentials as the main material used in the making of this vehicle is liquid wood, which makes Toyota MOB concept a green, recycled and recyclable vehicle. Adding more to Concept’s green factor is an all electric drivetrain, wherein all the wheels have individual motors to propel the car.
