The Mid-Engined XP-880 Concept "Astro II" and first shown at the 1968 New York Auto Show. This was a wild 2-seater with a slippery body shape that screamed Corvette! The Experimental Prototype was fitted with the 427 Mark II big block V8 mounted mid-ship, driven through a Pontiac transaxle. Rack-and-pinion steering was used and has an ideal 40/60 front/rear weight distribution. The Astro was a valid proposal for a mid-engine Corvette that Zora Arkus-Duntov had long desired.
Ford Mustang Milano
Designed in 1969 for debut at the February 1970 Chicago Auto Show, Ford's "Milano" was a styling concept for the upcoming redesigned 1971 Mustang. Milano's sweeping, nearly flat rear roof portion previewed the production '71 Mustang, and the rest of the car definitely had an aggressive flavor in its styling elements. The sides of the body included a character line that had also appeared on Dodge's Challenger model that had just been released. Milano was presented in an Ultra Violet color with lace-spoke aluminum wheels, wrapped with Firestone wide ovals. This body shape still looks current today.
Jeep Wrangler
The 2013 Jeep Wrangler Flattop Concept has a single-piece hardtop completely flat roof design, which received a two-inch chop from the production version. The fitting of 37-inch diameter rolling stock provides increased ground clearance and power coming from the 3.6L Jeep V8. Custom high-line fender flares complete the package.
Dodge Firearrow
In the early years of the 1950s, Dodge's were known for reliability and dependability however, they lacked excitement. Designer Virgil Exner did a lot to change that image, including creating the Firearrow III Coupe done in a dazzling Opal Blue Metallic color. The sport coupe measured 55-inches high with an aerodynamic body shell made in Turin, Italy, by Carrozzeria Ghia. It ran on a standard 119-inch wheelbase production chassis, incorporating the Dodge "Red Ram" Hemi 241-cid V8 with 150 horsepower. According to speed records, this car set a new all-time record for women. Betty Skelton, race driver, pilot and model, ran 143.44 mph at the Chrysler Proving Grounds, in September 1954. This dream car wasn't just built for show!
Dodge Zeo
The Dodge ZEO came in 2008, and the name stood for "Zero Emissions Operation." An electrically-powered 2+2 Sport Wagon that featured 23-inch diameter wheels, it was promoted as being a "new youthful breed of the muscle-machine interface." The rear-wheel-drive four-passenger vehicle had a top speed of 130 miles per hour and could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.7-seconds.
Shelby Cobra
This futuristic version came in 2004, fitted with a double overhead camshaft, a 605-horsepower Ford 6.4-liter prototype V10 engine, backed by a 6-speed manual transaxle. Fat 18-inch front, 19-inch rear Z-rated rubber provides traction, huge cross-drilled disc brakes and a sleekly-styled aerodynamic body that had a 21st-century take on the original Cobras from the 1960s. A fun, fast and compact roadster with a theoretical top speed of 260 miles per hour, radical enough to have Carroll Shelby give it his stamp of approval.
Mercury XM-800
The Dramatic "Experimental Mercury" with the Aggressive Front Styling and Low Profile. The 1954 XM-800 was a show car featuring daring styling elements including severely sloping front fender tips, forward-facing windshield posts, large bullet-tipped bumper tips, and a full-width concave grille. It sat just 55.6 inches high, was equipped with small fins atop the quarter panels, the first ever for any Ford vehicle, and had a functional hood scoop. Created in fiberglass, the Pearlescent White with copper roof car was rather dramatic for its time and miniature XM-800s were found in boxes of Post Grape Nut Flakes cereal boxes.
Created in fiberglass, the Pearlescent White with copper roof car was rather dramatic for its time and miniature XM-800s were found in boxes of Post Grape Nut Flakes cereal boxes.
Chrysler Four-Twelve
Built on a carbon-fiber and aluminum honeycomb monocoque tub, the Mid Engine with four-turbochargers and twelve-cylinder engine from Chrysler back in 2004, was an all-out performer, and with a carbon fiber wind-tunnel body shell designed for high-speed down-force stability. Power came from an AMG-developed V12 quad turbo developing some 850 horsepower, and shifted through a 7-speed double-clutch transmission. With an overall weight of just 2880 pounds, it ran the 1/4-mile in 10.6 seconds at 142 mph, thanks to the uninterrupted torque to the rear wheels as a result of 200 millisecond shift times. Top speed in excess of 245 mph. It was the fastest, most advanced Chrysler product ever produced!
With an overall weight of just 2880 pounds, it ran the 1/4-mile in 10.6 seconds at 142 mph, thanks to the uninterrupted torque to the rear wheels as a result of 200 millisecond shift times. Top speed in excess of 245 mph. It was the fastest, most advanced Chrysler product ever produced!
Plymouth Belmont
This prototype was built as an "idea car" with a fiberglass roadster body rolling on a 114-inch wheelbase and power from a 150-horsepower V8 from the Dodge division. This 1954 two-seater was developed for its debut at the Chicago Auto Show. The sleek design sat just 49 inches tall, and the vehicle was featured in the Tony Curtis Mister Corey three years later, where assuredly viewers had no idea that had it made production status, it would have been a competitor to the Corvette and Thunderbird.
Buick Riviera
The 2013 Riviera Plug-In Hybrid Design Study is a Buick that never saw production but if it had, it would have raised the bar on the "wow" factor. Featuring dramatic styling cues and wild gullwing doors, the concept resurrected the Riviera nameplate all the while featuring advanced engineering. Four-wheel electrically-assisted steering, electromagnetic suspension, and electric hybrid propulsion were among the technical advancements. Outside, the waterfall grille and steeply raked windshield provided a look that would have turned heads. Painted a jade-inspired monochromatic blue-green paint finish, this car debuted at the Shanghai Motor Show on the world stage.
Chevrolet Milray
This Hybrid Electric/Gasoline Sports Roadster was built to celebrate Chevrolet's 100th anniversary. The Miray Roadster Concept came in 2011 complete with an open top and scissor doors. While not exactly practical for all weather conditions, what a fun Summer time driving experience it would provide! Power comes from electric motors located at the front wheels, combined with a mid-ship 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. 20-inch diameter wheels up front, 21s on the rear, with huge cross-drilled Brembo brakes front and rear. The aerodynamic carbon fiber fuselage has a jet fighter styling theme, and as the GM Advanced Design Studio listed when released to journalists, "a design vision for tomorrow."
Buick Centurion
For the 1956 Motorama Auto Show series, Buick showcased this experimental vehicle, a glass-topped, fiberglass-bodied aircraft styled "Centurion". A four-passenger coupe with its headlights set deeply in nacelles designed as an extension of the front fenders with the rear-view mirror replaced with a rear-facing "Seeing Eye" TV Camera. Power came from a 325-horsepower production V8 and in addition to the modernistic closed-circuit rear camera, there was a digital clock in the center dash. Both features were to become standard on passenger car decades later.
Cadillac Ciel
"The Car that Ushered in Angular Styling for the Cadillac Division" was built to celebrate Cadillac's 100-year anniversary. The 2005 Cien, Spanish for 100, was a mid-engine Supercar that was constructed with a composite material called Aerogel and was used in the monocoque chassis and inspired by the F-22 Raptor Fighter Aircraft. Power came from a Cadillac V12 that displaced 7.5 liters in size, an enlarged version of the production Northstar V8. The 750-horsepower engine was coupled with a paddle-shifted six-speed transmission, an automatic in the Cadillac tradition. A unique feature was the use of night vision suited for situations well beyond the flush-mounted headlights. Said to be strictly a prototype machine to gauge public tastes, had it seen production it would have without question outshined the Corvette!
Ford FT90
Ford's V12 Quad Turbo Supercar incorporates a body shape with an unusual mix of triangular shapes combined with flat planes, this one-off Ford GT90 was built for the show circuit. Mounted mid-ship was a 6.0 liter V12 that developed 720 horsepower courtesy of four Garrett T2 turbochargers matched with twin intercoolers. The 48-valve powerplant was based on the company's 90-degree Modular engine, and fed fresh air via large side intake ducts. A five-speed Ricardo gearbox put the power to the ground, providing 0-100 mph time of 6.2 seconds. A wild supercar with aesthetics that has been seen by tens of millions on the PlayStation Need for Speed II video game.
Shelby Mustang
In 2018 Shelby did up a limited run of 1000-horsepower wide-body Mustangs, said to be 50 examples. The extra output was the result of a Whipple supercharger atop the 5.2L V8 engine, featuring re-worked GT350 cylinder heads. 20-inch diameter wheels and larger diameter Brembo brakes on all four corners were fitted, along with adjustable coil-overs. These were track-only cars and were not street-legal!
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