TOP 10 CONCEPT CARS - Even if a future other than the one anticipated by the company does not always materialise, concept cars remain fascinating artefacts. Concept cars are frequently the unattainable supermodels of the automotive industry. They are frequently outrageously styled as a test of consumer interest in cutting-edge technology or innovative design concepts.

While some are nearly ready for production, others are hastily assembled scraps of plastic and fibreglass held together with tape and a prayer. The best ones are usually in the middle, giving us a glimpse of the future while still having enough working technology to give us hope that they might become production. Our list of the best concept cars of all time includes a diverse range of vehicles that have left an indelible mark on the automotive industry. Some were honoured for the advanced technology they pioneered, while others were honoured for their outrageous and daring designs that shaped the cars we see on the roads today.

1. Audi LeMans Concept (2003)

Audi developed a sporty concept car to commemorate their early-2000s success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to gauge consumer interest in a mid-engined sports car. The Audi Le Mans Quattro concept car's 5.0-litre V10 engine and two turbochargers delivered 602 horsepower to all four wheels, making it, unlike anything Audi had ever made before.

Without a doubt, the audience loved it, and the Audi R8 was born in 2007. The 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 from the concept was retained for the road-going version, while a V10 was added a few years later. The Audi R8, now in its second generation, provides supercar performance for sports car money, with its non-turbocharged 5.2-litre V10 engine producing up to 612 horsepower.

2. BMW Nazca C2 (1991)

The BMW Nazca M12 is the result of German engineering meeting Italian design. The spectacular lines of the Nazca M12, designed by Italdesign's Fabrizio Giugiaro (who was only 26 at the time), were inspired by Group C and Formula 1 race cars.

It had a glass roof, gullwing side windows, and a carbon fibre body. In the centre was a 5.0-litre V12 engine producing 295 horsepower. The Nazca C2 and C2 Spider prototypes, which provided more power and performance, debuted the following year. Unfortunately, this concept was never developed into a television series.

3. Buick Y-Job

The Buick Y-Job, widely regarded as the father of concept cars, was possibly the first vehicle designed solely to showcase cutting-edge design and technology. Harley Earl, a GM designer, pioneered radical ideas like aerodynamic bodywork, hidden headlights, and electric windows. Earl drove the Y-Job for many years while it was in perfect working order. Many of its features and concepts were incorporated into later GM models, ushering in the concept car era.

4. Cadillac Sixteen

Even though Cadillac's current focus is on expensive SUVs, the company has a long history of producing lavish and extravagant saloon vehicles, particularly between the 1930s and the early 1970s. The Cadillac Sixteen is a futuristic concept car inspired by the opulent Cadillac V-16 of the 1930s. The 13.6-litre, 16-cylinder engine under the hood, which produced 1,000 horsepower, was never used in a production car, but many of the Cadillac Sixteen's design concepts were.

5. Ferrari Mythos

Pininfarina's Mythos was a stylistic study designed to evoke vintage Ferraris from the 1960s with a futuristic twist. It was built with the same components as the Ferrari Testarossa, so the 4.9-litre flat-12 engine with 390 horsepower was hidden behind the driver. This meant it could be driven in its entirety, and given its lightweight design, it was most likely quite fast. After the initial prototype was sold to a Japanese collector, the Brunei Sultan ordered two more vehicles to add to his collection.

6. Jaguar C-X75

The Jaguar C-X75 was supposed to be a cutting-edge sports car with a hybrid-electric drivetrain that would offer record-breaking performance while also being extremely fuel efficient. Four electric motors were installed in each tyre of the concept car, and the battery was charged using two diesel-powered gas turbines. The advertised power output was 778 horsepower. Despite the fact that only a few road-legal C-X75s were planned (albeit with a less ambitious petrol-hybrid system), only five development models were created to meet these more straightforward requirements. Although this mid-engined concept was never realised, it had an impact on the design of products such as the F-Type and I-Pace.

7. Ford Nucleon

In 1957, the Ford Nucleon was not a vehicle of the future. However, you can't blame Ford for considering a vehicle powered by a uranium-fueled nuclear reactor; after all, this was a time of rapid technological advancement, and Ford, Studebaker Packard, and Simcal were just a few of the automakers toying with the idea. Chrysler took a different route, designing the jet-powered Turbine automobile, of which 55 were built and 50 were loaned to the public. Aside from the safety concerns, Chrysler reasoned that a nuclear power station capable of driving a car would be 36 tonnes in weight.

8. Lamborghini Terzo Millenio

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Lamborghini worked together to create the Terzo Millenio concept, which translates to "third millennium" in Italian (MIT). It featured cutting-edge concepts such as using supercapacitors instead of batteries to power the four electric motors and nanomaterial technologies that could use the vehicle's body panels as electrical storage devices. This is currently more of a pure futuristic concept than a functioning automobile, but some of these concepts are being worked on. The extremely rare Lamborghini Sian truly used supercapacitor technology, and future Lamborghinis will undoubtedly benefit from Terzo Millenio's aerodynamics and electric architecture.

9. Mercedes Vision CLS

The Mercedes Vision CLS concept car was more of a statement of intent than a fanciful glimpse into the distant future. The Vision CLS featured the brand's current automatic transmission and diesel engine, as well as a sloping rear roofline that gave it a coupe-like appearance. The CLS was born when the E-Class saloon was given a swoopy design that transformed it from a conventionally looking car into a much sportier one. The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and the Audi A7 are just two examples of coupe-profiled premium fastback saloons pioneered by the CLS.

10. Renault Espace F1

A concept car is sometimes just a ridiculous marketing gimmick. The Renault Espace F1 is an example. In 1994, Renault decided to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the family-friendly Espace MPV by installing a 1993 3.5-litre V10 Formula 1 engine in one. The top speed was increased from around 100 mph to a slightly faster 193 mph. Because the engine was now located where the children's seats were previously located, the Espace received a brand new carbon fibre body shell and a completely redesigned interior. Minor adjustments were required. Due to the car's approximately 800 horsepower, school runs necessitated the use of racing seats with six-point harnesses and helmets. Renault never produced a road-legal version.