4-813: The Audi Sportback concept is a concept car produced by Audi , shown at the 2009 North American International Auto Show . The Sportback concept, a luxury five-door fastback model, was regarded as a preview of two future models: the Audi A5 Sportback variant and the Audi A7 . The Audi A5 Sportback later debuted in July 2009, followed by the launch of the A7 Sportback at the Pinakothek der Moderne art museum in Munich in July 2010. This article about
8-424: A modern automobile produced after 1975 is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle or show vehicle ) is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not be produced . General Motors designer Harley Earl
12-422: A working drivetrain and accessories. The state of most concept cars lies somewhere in between and does not represent the final product. A very small proportion of concept cars are functional to any useful extent, and some cannot move safely at speeds above 10 miles per hour (16 km/h). Inoperative " mock-ups " are usually made of wax, clay, metal, fiberglass, plastic, or a combination thereof. If drivable,
16-994: Is generally credited with inventing the concept car, and did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s. Concept cars never go into production directly. In modern times, all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety , regulatory compliance , and cost. A "production-intent" prototype , as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose. Concept cars are often radical in engine or design . Some use non-traditional, exotic, or expensive materials, ranging from paper to carbon fiber to refined alloys . Others have unique layouts , such as gullwing doors , three or five (or more) wheels , or special abilities not usually found on cars. Because of these often impractical or unprofitable leanings, many concept cars never get past scale models or even drawings in computer design . Other more traditional concepts can be developed into fully drivable (operational) vehicles with
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