Discover everything you need to know about Concept Cars.

A concept car is an automobile prototype, essentially an 'experimental' car of which only one example is built. It serves as a preview of what the manufacturer might create in the future. When designing a concept car, both aesthetic and technological aspects are worked on. Typically, a concept car represents a 'car idea,' characterized by new solutions in aesthetics, mechanics, and technology, embodying a new or different concept of a car.

For example, a concept car aims to set new standards in fields such as style, technology, or aerodynamics.

Inspiration for Concept Cars

The basic inspiration for the creation of a concept car can be represented by various aspects of a car, including:

• Design: Proposing particularly bold and unusual solutions, both from a technical and aerodynamic perspective.
• Mechanics: A concept car may have many horsepower (in the case of sports prototypes or hypercars) or use a different fuel system (as in the case of electric cars).
• Body: Enhancing the car's basic structure, allowing concept cars to experiment with the use of materials such as carbon fiber or special metal alloys.
• Emissions and Fuel Consumption: Creating new solutions to reduce emissions, such as an improved version of existing technology or a new system to limit the production of polluting emissions.

From Concept Car to Production

Generally, when a concept car reaches the market, it often omits certain elements due to the requirements of production models, both in design, especially to comply with homologation regulations, and at the mechanical level. Additionally, there can be up to five years between a concept car and the final production vehicle, but they maintain the inspiration and philosophy of the initial concept car prototype.

Currently, concept cars represent significant advancements not only in terms of design and mechanics but also in areas such as connectivity, autonomous driving, and electrification of future models.

Involvement of Autoparts from Spain Companies in the Development of New Concept Cars

One distinguishing feature of automotive component suppliers affiliated with Autoparts from Spain is their significant focus on research, development, and innovation to create advanced automotive solutions.

In this regard, the entities and companies within Autoparts from Spain contribute to the development of innovative concept cars. A recent example is the concept car developed by Grupo Antolin, known as in-Pulse. This concept car previews a new generation of air purification and interior surface sterilization solutions for vehicles.

This new concept car offers solutions that are already available for commercialization, combined with technologies expected to reach the market in the medium term. The prototype represents an electric SUV, an autonomous vehicle with level 4 autonomy, and an adaptive interior to accommodate passenger cargo and storage needs.

The goal of this concept car is to create a safer and healthier environment for passengers. Grupo Antolin's proposal also aims to provide a welcoming and comfortable interior space that transforms to offer passengers a personalized driving experience. This is achieved through technology such as active acoustic systems, information projection onto interior surfaces, and personalized functional lighting integrated into the roof substrate. Additionally, it features retractable sun visors that automatically deploy only when needed, allowing the creation of individual comfort zones.

In terms of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), it includes the integration of cameras utilizing artificial intelligence technologies, such as driver monitoring systems (DMS) and occupant monitoring systems (OMS). These technologies can also be used to configure passenger preferences for comfort, information, and entertainment.