Top 10 Cars of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show

[AutoGuide.com]

As has become the tradition, there was no shortage of big debuts at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.

Ranging from concepts so bold they border on absurdity to production cars that kept enthusiasts clicking, this is AutoGuide.com's list of the top 10 cars unveiled during the North American International Auto Show.

More: Top 10 Cars of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show on AutoGuide.com

[subiesailor]

Originally Posted by AutoGuide.com

As has become the tradition, there was no shortage of big debuts at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.

Ranging from concepts so bold they border on absurdity to production cars that kept enthusiasts clicking, this is AutoGuide.com's list of the top 10 cars unveiled during the North American International Auto Show.

More: Top 10 Cars of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show on AutoGuide.com

I stopped going to auto shows and lost interest in them when it became a show about vehicles that more or less never ever make it to production. Concept cars are nothing but fluff with zero value to anyone driving a vehicle built and sold in the US.

I'm still waiting for Auto show organizers to start telling Auto Makers that no Concept cars are allowed at an AUTO show unless they are announcing that it goes into production at that specific Auto show.

[AO River]

When 50% of the "Top 10" vehicles at the auto show are concept cars I definitely agree. But they do serve a [sad] purpose..marketing. Automakers these days are all about branding their product and less about the substance. BMW in particular, which I follow closer than most other car makers, has really sacrificed their "Ultimate Driving Machine" moniker to marketing to the masses, becoming the ultimate passenger machine. Yawn.

Occasionally a concept car will sneak to production or contribute some technological advancement to the design of a new vehicle. But for the most part..marketing and design freedom with little purpose.

[jogosub]

While concept cars themselves may not make it to market, they provide the basic DNA for cars to come. Many of the features in modern cars, including the hybrid-electric drive train, showed up in concept cars first, sometimes decades before these features made it to market.
When automakers are ready to roll out a new production car, they don't make a concept car first. They make a production intent vehicle, which really works and is actually intended for the marketplace. But concept cars rarely get beyond the auto show circuit.

[AO River]

I think a complaint about concept cars is that the majority of the design is trash[ed], and rarely do the production cars mirror the original concept - so what's the point besides being showy to the public?

One of those rare circumstances: Porsche 989 concept car, first attempt at a four-door Porsche. 20+ years later comes the Panamera, which admittedly looks a lot like the concept. But you can argue all Porsches look like Porsches, so not the best supporting example haha.

Then there's the slightly more common concept --> production with major changes: Chevy Volt. Besides the drivetrain and some similarities in the side mirrors and wheels, the concept and production car could be unrelated.



And then the other 99.5% of concept cars end up in the trash bin.

[SwamiSalami]

The 2013 Subaru Crosstrek.

They're quite buzzing and fun to drive. We've got one.