1996 Toyota Prius Prototype

Back in 1996 Toyota reveled their Prius project prototype to the world. Toyota had been working on making the car of the future that would be fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. The first generation Toyota Prius would catch the automotive world off guard. Only Honda had beaten them to the American Market with the first generation Honda Insight. The Prius would be a full two years ahead of the other competition. Even the redesigned Honda Insight would have a very similar four-door body design as the Prius. The Prius would become an automotive icon and a sign of where the automotive industry will be heading for the next 50 years.

Toyota Prius C Concept

The Toyota Prius C Concept was first shown at the 2011 North American International Auto Show, also known as the Detroit Auto Show. Toyota said the C stands for City as it is smaller than the standard Toyota Prius. Luckily the Prius C is in production however the wild design of the concept was toned down.

The Prius C is now the entry level hybrid in the Toyota lineup. The full production version of the Prius C was unveiled at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The Prius C is called the Toyota Aqua in Japan.

Lamborghini Urus Concept

The Lamborghini Urus SUV Concept was unveiled today at the 2012 Bejing International Motor Show. This has been big news, its been a while since Lamborghini built a SUV. Lamborghini has decided to diversify its offerings because so many new exotic sports car are coming out that they feel the market will decline for exotic sports cars above the $100,000 mark. Mean while the market for ultra expensive all-wheel drive models is increasing.

Chevrolet Code 130R Concept

The Chevrolet Code 130R Concept was unveiled at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. This rear wheel drive sports coupe is aimed at the affordable sports car market that has been heating up of late with cars such as the Scion FR-S. The design looks like a mix between the Camero and the Cruze. GM is probably testing the waters to see if the Code 130R will get any attention but it will most likely not enter production.

Here is some footage of the Chevrolet Code 130R Concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

Toyota iQ Concept

The Toyota iQ Concept was first shown at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show and is a super compact city car that is now a production car. This car is sold as the Scion iQ in the North American market. This design was done by Toyota European design and development studio in Nice, France. This car was designed around the principles of low fuel consumption, maneuverability and maximizing interior room. This car is a direct competitor of the Smart Fortwo.

Around the world the iQ is available with three engines with one of them being a diesel. Its a shame that the Scion iQ Diesel isn't available to buy in the United States.

Nissan 240Z Concept

The Nissan 240Z Concept was shown at the 1999 North American International Auto Show also known as the Detroit Auto Show, and the Los Angeles Auto Expo. The design was clearly retro styling similar to the classic Nissan S30. Another car that was a hit with buyers during this time was the Volkswagen New Beetle that featured the same kind of throw back styling. This concept was fully functional and was powered by the Nissan KA24DE engine, a 2.4L DOHC four-cylinder that produced around 155 horsepower and 160 lb-ft of torque. The concept was built in an impressive 12 weeks. As we all know this car never made it into production. A lot of critics thought that it was a cool design but they wanted to see a new model. This new model would come to be the Nissan Z33 chassis better known as the 350Z in North America or the Z33 Fairlady Z in Japan. 

I'm glad that this car never made it into production. The under powered four-cylinder just doesn't do the Z car justice. The Z33 i believe is a worth successor to such an important car to the Nissan brand.

Infiniti Essence Concept

The Infiniti Essence Concept was first shown at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The Essence was built to honor the 20th anniversary of the Infiniti brand and to show case some new features that would make it in to future models. The Essence Concept was built using some of the parts from the Nissan GT-R super car, such as brakes and its powerful 3.7L twin turbocharged V6 engine. This car is also a hybrid equipped with an electric motor. The Essence won't reach production but it will be nice to see some of the design and styling elements trickle down to all the other production models.

Infiniti Emerg-E Concept

The Infiniti Emerg-E Concept was shown at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. This car is a 2-seater mid engined exotic that uses two electric motors and a range extending 3 cylinder gasoline engine for its power train. The electric motors combine for an impressive 400 horsepower that is good enough to move the Emerg-E from 0-60 in just 4 seconds. 130 mph can be reached in just 30 seconds. If built this car should be positioned to compete with the 2015 Acura NSX.

Infiniti LE Concept

The Infiniti LE Concept is an all electric concept car that was shown at the 2012 New York Auto Show. This car will make it into production within the next couple of years. This car uses the same battery pack that is used in the Nissan Leaf and is equipped with a slightly more powerful electric motor. This car produces zero emissions and is perfect for customers looking for a more stylish electric vehicles.

Lotus Ethos

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Lotus unveiled the Lotus Ethos also known as the Lotus City Car. This ultra compact plug-in hybrid city car uses a range extending 1.2L three cylinder engine to provide a 307 mile range. In all electric mode the Ethos has a 37 mile range. This car is scheduled to go into production and become available to purchase at a price around $45,000 at the end of 2013, making it a 2014 model. The Lotus Ethos is slightly bigger than its rivals the Smart car or the Scion IQ. Top speed of the Ethos is expected to be in excess of 100 mph.