Concept cars date back to the late 1930’s when legendary designer Harley Earl introduced the Buick Y-Job; a futuristic car that set the design style for Buick for the next 20 years.  Car designers have longed used concept cars to gauge the public’s reaction and to introduce radical new designs or engine concepts.  Many Concept cars today feature new hybrid engine technology or the use of exotic materials like Lamborghini Sesto Elemento which is made out of expensive carbon fiber.

The glory days of the concept car was in the 1950’s and 1960’s when companies like General Motors held its annual Motorama to introduce new cars. Some concepts made it into productions like the 1953 Corvette while other like the Oldsmobile F-88  were rumored to be scrapped only to surface decades later.

Recently there has been resurgence in concept cars taking place at auto shows like the North American Auto show held in annually in Detroit and the International Geneva Motor Show held in Switzerland.

1954 Packard Mitchell Panther Supercharged Concept Car

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1954 Packard Panther

The 1954 Packard Mitchell Panther Supercharged Concept Car is a piece of exquisite machinery. The refined elegance portrays the look of style and grace. Any auto enthusiast would be pleased to have this rare beauty as a part of their collection. In all there are only four Panthers that were built. The first two productions were built as show cars. The next two were designed with one as a hard top, and the other a convertible.

The Panther was an all fiberglass body that featured a 122″ wheel base. The Packard Ultramatic transmission. The Ultramatic was a marvelous piece of machinery perfected by Packard engineers that became overshadowed by competing Hydra-matic self-shifting transmission by Cadillac.

Performance was no stranger to the Panther, even though just a concept car to reinvigorate auto buyers to go with the Packard line. All four cars were fitted with a straight eight 359ci engine. With a power output of 212 HP and 275 HP with the supercharger added in 2 of the vehicles, performance was never a question. Forced draft carburator with the McCulloch superchargers afforded the Panther the kick it needed to put it in the class of the Roadster.

The 1954 Packard Mitchell Panther Supercharged Concept Cars were introduced at a time when sports cars and roadsters were feverishly sought out by everyone who was anyone. It came at a wonderful time, but could not withstand the fierce competition of competitors like Corvette, the Darrin, Thunderbird, or Nash-Healey.

The panther was a stylish sport convertible that took personal luxory seriously to try and be competitive in a hard market. The design of the beauty was similar to other models previously produced by Packard. The taillights were the same as those found on the Clipper, but were replaced later with a cathedral style lighting.

One thing that may have helped lead to the demise of the Panther is that it was being displayed at the same time that Packard was introducing a V8 OHC. This strategic mistake and the popularity of other cars of the time have all led to the 1954 Packard Mitchell Bentley Panther becoming quite the collectors item. Of the four originally crafted, only two are said to still be in existence. Recently at auction a fetching price of $700,000 was sought and met. Not to bad for a car that never progressed past the concept stage.

Lexus LF-CC

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The Lexus LF-CC made its debut at the Paris Auto Show in 2012. Lead designer on this project, Takeshi Tanabe, claims this concept is not just a thing of beauty, it “represents a new era of Lexus design and products.”

In keeping with the current L-Finesse design of Lexus, the LF-CC fits right in with a few very handsome modifications. Starting with the grille, Lexus has made the LF-CC unique with what they call the spindle design. In any case, the grille is huge; spanning from just under the hood to the bottom lip of the vehicle. Moving to the headlamps, you’ll see three separate LED bulbs on each side, each encased in its own crystal sphere. Absent is the normal one-piece headlight cover.

From the side, the LF-CC is enhanced with lines. The sporty appearance has lines that increase in height until they reach around to the taillights. Speaking of taillights, each light looks like it is split up with a series of check marks, which is actually indicative of the ’L’ logo. The car is dressed with a sleek titanium paint, which enhances the sleek lines of the vehicle.

Inside this vehicle is nothing but the best. Lexus has outfitted the interior with what they call the HMI, which stands for Human Machine Interface technology. The driver will see a dash that is divided into two different zones: the upper display zone that has multiple displays in a location that’s easy to see when you only have time to glance at the dash. The lower section is called the operation zone. This area has the shift lever as well as other features that allow for remote system control.

Under the hood the LF-CC boasts a 2.5L full hybrid powertrain. There’s a 4-cylinder petrol-powered engine coupled with the water-cooled magnet electric motor. The drive system also contains a generator and power device split that focuses power to the area that it is most needed. This new powertrain is expected to appear in the new Lexus models in the near future.

Lexus LF-CC Photos

McLaren X-1 Concept

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McLaren X1 Concept

The McLaren X-1 concept car is incredible. This car surpasses all other concept vehicles in styling and details. The McLaren X-1 is so over the top that the vehicle’s designer has not even been named.

The controversial car was based off of the McLaren MP4-12C and built for an undisclosed car collector. The McLaren X-1 took more than three years of planning and consultation with the buyer for the vehicle to come to fruition. The car was based on a number of classic cars plus futuristic design elements while still allowing for the vehicle to be road worthy.

The incredible McLaren X-1 offers a wide body that is reminiscent of a super hero’s vehicle. The rear fenders are rounded adding more than seven inches to the width and four inches to the length. A carbon fiber body is painted a shiny black with nickel plated aluminum accents on the exterior.

McLaren X-1 Concept InteriorThe interior of the McLaren X-1 is covered in Harissa Red leather and nickel coated aluminum bezel finishes. A titanium weave carbon fiber offers the interior a 3-D effect that has never been attempted or achieved on any other vehicle.

The McLaren X-1 was appointed with the McLaren MP4-12C, 616 horsepower twin turbo 3.8 liter V-8 engine. The engine allows the vehicle to reach incredible speeds. Every inch of the McLaren X-1 was custom designed and made to give the owner a road worthy yet unique vehicle.

McLaren X-1 Photo Gallery