Concept cars.

Pacesetting prototypes enable automotive engineers to test the practical application of new body designs, innovative chassis construction methods, and alternative propulsion systems using electricity or natural gas.

The Mercedes-benz F100, for example, has electrically operated front

and rear doors that swing forward and slide back to reveal the absence of a central body pillar. When the doors are closed to engage the body, they serve the same structural function as the missing pillar. The Ford Contour has a lightweight aluminum spaceframe built from extruded components fitted together like Lego blocks (see "Contour: The Shape of Cars to Come?" May 1991, pages 36-42). The General Motors HX3 is driven by two electric motors. When its battery pack begins to run down, a small gasoline engine starts up automatically and turns a generator that supplies a recharge.

It is the visual appeal of many concept cars, however, that brings traffic to a halt. In creating the Chrysler 300, international design director Neil Walling said the company "wanted a car that would make people stop and stare." Observers might be reminded of a 1950s Jaguar. The 300 has a 126-inch wheelbase and is powered by a massive 8-liter V-10 engine. Leather seats, touches of wood, and a wraparound instrument cluster complete the attempt to combine panache with performance.

Yet concept cars rarely find their way into production. One notable exception is the Dodge Viper, which stirred so much interest that Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca recently decided to add it to the line. A Viper powered by a V-10 engine served as the pace car for the 1991 Indianapolis 500.

Most often, concept cars provide glimpses of some of the features of tomorrow's production automobiles. "Our philosophy is to do show cars that push the design envelope as far as possible," said John Manoogian, design team leader for Pontiac's ProtoSport4, a bright red four-door sports car that looks like an updated Fiero. "This is a way to test public reaction and to help us decide what is--and isn't--viable for future Pontiacs."

At Ford, for example, the micro-sized Zag concept car is an attempt to anticipate the marketplace of the late 1990s. This fuel-efficient urban automobile, which was designed by Ford's Ghia Studio in Turin, Italy, has modular body parts that allow it to serve as the base for a family of delivery trucks, pickups, sedans, and sport coupes. The Zag is powered by an experimental two-stroke Orbital engine that produces 80 horsepower. The vehicle is equipped with a fiber-optic lighting system that delivers its beams through a row of miniature lenses molded into a slot above the bumper.

Sometimes, concept cars act as a launching pad for advanced features. For example, Mitsubishi's HSR-II included an electronically controlled four-wheel independent suspension that served as the basis for the design used on the company's newest sports car, the 1991 3000GT VR-4. At Volkswagen, the Futura is being used to test an electronic navigation and all-wheel steering system that enables the car to park itself at the driver's command. Ultrasonic distance sensors located along the body scan the curb and send data to a computer that maneuvers the Futura into tight spaces. Volkswagen noted that the automatic parking feature will probably be too expensive to include on a production vehicle, but the company could forsee incorporating the system's display, which could show the driver when and how far to turn the steering wheel to minimize wasteful maneuvering.