The craziest concept cars that never got a production model

These amazing concept cars gave us something to dream about but unfortunately, our dreams were shattered when they were stopped dead in their tracks.

From James Bond’s Jaguar C-X75 to the Volkswagen W12 supercar we forgot about, these are the craziest concept cars that never made it past the prototype phase.

6. Jaguar C-X75

We start with arguably the most famous car on the list, partly because it’s a Jag, and also because it featured in the 2015 James Bond movie Spectre.

Powered by a hybrid powertrain, the Jaguar C-X75 is capable of delivering 890 horsepower in total.

It was designed as a spiritual successor to the iconic XJ220 but Jaguar decided to kill off the project due to the (then ongoing) global economic recession.

After building six prototypes between 2010 and 2013, the automaker eventually pulled the plug.

“It seems the wrong time to launch a $1 million supercar”, Jaguar said at the time.

Pity.

5. Lamborghini Estoque

Lamborghini came up with the Estoque in 2008, back when luxury automakers were keen to develop four-door sports sedans.

Porsche and Aston Martin were working on the Panamera and the Rapide respectively, and Lambo wanted a piece of the pie.

It’s big, beautiful and powered by a V10.

It’s also the first front-engine Lambo since the LM002.

However, just a few months later, Lambo decided to ditch the project.

Even though it was never produced, the Estoque served as the inspiration for the Urus SUV, which is now Lambo’s best-selling model.

4. Bugatti Atlantic

Remember the Bugatti Atlantic?

Don’t feel bad if the answer’s no because most people forgot about it.

Unveiled in 2015, the Atlantic was designed as an ultra-luxurious grand tourer.

It’s powered by a twin-turbo V8 located at the front, paired to four electric motors – one at each wheel.

Bugatti decided to put the project on the back-burner for two reasons.

One, because Bugatti’s parent company VW was still involved in the emission scandal at the time.

And two, to focus on the Chiron.

Considering the Chiron’s commercial and critical success, it’s fair to say they made the right call.

3. Chrysler ME Four-Twelve

If you can gloss over the weird name, the ME Four-Twelve is an interesting concept.

Designed in 2004 by the same man that gave us the second-gen Dodge Viper, the Four-Twelve is a mid-engine sportscar powered by a Mercedes-sourced V12.

It’s fast, with a top speed of 400 km/h (248 mph), and lightweight, thanks to its carbon fiber body.

However, a V12 supercar was not exactly on-brand for Chrysler, and ultimately that’s why the project was abandoned.

2. VW Nardò

Named after the legendary oval racetrack in Italy, the Nardò is a Volkswagen powered by a W12 engine.

All we have to do is read that sentence out loud a couple of times to realize why it wasn’t made.

It’s a shame, though.

Aside from the powerful 591-horsepower engine and the mind-blowing 357 km/h top speed, the Nardò looks tremendous.

It was designed in 2001 and it aged like fine wine.

1. Peugeot Onyx

This concept car is beautiful, and absolutely mental.

The body is made from carbon fiber and copper, and the seats are made from recycled newspapers.

The engine, borrowed from a Le Mans-winning race car, is a hybrid unit that combines an electric motor and a diesel V8.

Thanks to its lightweight construction, the Onyx can reach 60 mph from standstill in just 2.9 seconds.

Unfortunately, Peugeot never actually built a production version.

The Onyx is now just a museum piece used by Peugeot to showcase what they’re capable of. 

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