Performance vs practicality: 12 great concept cars you need to see

A first crack at a mini-Espace by Renault, designed by Anne Asensio and built for Renault by Caggiola in 1991. Essentially a big, useful, glassy box, it had sliding doors and lots of useful space for children to be sick in. 

The HYdrogen drive-by-Wire was a GM concept from 2002 that featured full autonomy, hydrogen fuel cells driving electric motors and various plug ’n’ play bodystyles based on a “skateboard” chassis which held all the hardware. 

The Sport Turismo was basically a Panamera Shooting Brake and Porsche’s first-ever estate with 550 litres of luggage space. Much better looking than a Cayenne and if you combined it with the MissionE’s electric drivetrain, attractive. 

It is 1972 and Toyota unveils the RV2 – a shooting brake that unfurls its rear end into a rather ungainly … tent. Like some sort of mutant butterfly. Saying that, the idea is actually quite neat, although rigidity may be compromised. 

A nine-seater with a pull-out luggage drawer inspired by the Type-H Citroen from days of yore, 2011’s Tubik had a hybrid drivetrain, swivelly seats and much complex concept thinking. Looks more like a space-age camper to us. 

Thought the four-seat Estoque was as far as a practical Lambo went? Wrong: the Genesis was a Lamborghini MPV way back in 1988. Styled by Bertone, it was Countach V12 powered, RWD and not as military as the LM002. 

A mid-engined Isuzu sportscar? Yup, 1989 saw the 2+2 4200R sporting a 4.2-litre V8 and Lotus-tuned active suspension back when Isuzu still had half an eye on the non-commercial world. It also had a video player and a fax machine. 

Toyota said that the FT-1 was Not A Supra replacement, but this 2015 concept definitely donated many design cues to what eventually arrived as a production Supra, built on BMW Z4 underpinnings. The result was something of a disappointment - maybe it should've stayed a concept after all? 

The gorgeous, swoopy RX-Vision was designed by Kevin Rice and received huge acclaim when it was revealed at the 2016 Villa d’Este Concours. The RX part of the name also blatantly refers to rotary power. We can but live in hope. 

Two doors, rear/mid-engined, two seats. The Cien was unveiled in 2002 with a 750bhp, 7.5 V12 providing the motivation. Weirdly, the all-American confection was designed by Simon Cox at GM’s Advanced Design Studio in the UK. 

A 2006 re-working of the-then 40-year-old Miura’s original concept, this forged strong links between the old car and new surfacing. But despite a fantastic reception for de’Silva’s design, it was never intended to make production. 

Basically an off-road Skyline, the coupe-concept Trailrunner featured a 2.0-litre turbo four, ATTESA four-wheel drive and a CVT. It never made it to production, but we wish it had, long before the Lambo Sterrato and 911 Dakar took sports cars off road.