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These Are Your Favorite 'Car Of The Future' Cars

Screenshot: <a class="link " href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1yxFDvqALI" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Wall Street Journal/YouTube;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">Wall Street Journal/YouTube</a>

The future is going to be here any second now, and when it comes there will be cars. Future cars are wild and imaginative things, and there are decades of them to choose from.

I asked for your favorites, and they run the gamut of real cars from all the way back in the 1950s to imaginary cars blown up in the fictional nuclear war of 2077. Click through and take a look!

The Buick Wildcat Concept

Image: Buick
Image: Buick

The Buick Wildcat from 1985. I saw one of these in-person at Expo ‘86 in Vancouver. It sported a McLaren engine, AWD, a heads-up display, and the entire canopy lifted forward to give access to the interior.

To my the 15-year-old eyes, it might as well have been a damn spaceship. It still looks amazing 40 years later.

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JohnnyWasASchoolBoy

Pontiac Banshee Concept

Image: <a class="link " href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Banshee#/media/File:Pontiac_Banshee_IV_Rear.png" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:SouthShoreSRT;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">SouthShoreSRT</a>

One of my favorite concept cars, just for the sheer audacity of the design.

Pontiac followed a few years later with their sort-of-similar Banshee concept, which had an impressively buttontastic interior.

AKBrian

Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion

Image: <a class="link " href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dymaxion_car#/media/File:Dynamixion_car_by_Buckminster_Fuller_1933_(side_views).jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Starysatyr/Wikicommons;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">Starysatyr/Wikicommons</a>

Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion. I was lucky enough to see one of the few remaining prototypes at a Concours d’Elegance once, and it is every bit as bizarre as you’d imagine. Believe it or not, Fuller’s original intent was for this thing to have VTOL capabilities. He pitched it as “A ‘zoomobile’ that could hop off the road at will, fly about, then, as deftly as a bird, settle back into a place in traffic.”

From Hankel_Wankel

1934 Chrysler Airflow

Image: <a class="link " href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Airflow#/media/File:1934_Chrysler_Airflow_sdn_-_blue_-_fvl.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Rex Gray/Wikicommons;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">Rex Gray/Wikicommons</a>

The 1934 Chrysler Airflow:

During an age of body-on-frame cars with huge running boards and exposed fenders (think the ‘34 Fords), Chrysler used wind tunnel testing and came up with this slippery car. Notice how the windshield is a V to help it cut through the air. It had unibody construction—a first for the industry—which is used everywhere nowadays.

And due to its paradigm-shift of radical modern styling dragged down by poor build quality, the car was a failure. But someone had to have the guts to demonstrate the future of the car industry—that’s what Chrysler accomplished.

From the1969DodgeChargerFan

Ford Seattle-ite XXI

Image: Ford Heritage Vault
Image: Ford Heritage Vault

The Ford Seattle-ite XXI, because I really want to live in the future where cars have 6 wheels and gullwing bubbletops.

This crazy thing is supposed to have a detachable engine module, too.

From Garland - Last Top Comment on Splinter

Hyundai N Vision 74

Image: Hyundai
Image: Hyundai

This is what the CyberTruck wishes it would be. Pulls off the future dystopian look quite well. Would look great right beside Akira’s Bike and judge Dredd

From darthspartan117

Elio Motors

Image: <a class="link " href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elio_Motors#/media/File:Elio-motors-sss-1024x625.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Balansboy/Wikicommons;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">Balansboy/Wikicommons</a>

Elio Motors. They were supposed to be a super cheap 3 wheel EV (at first they were an 84mpg ICE) that was under $15k and had an amazing range. The reality is they are vaporware and I’m not sure if they’ve put out a single production car.

From klone121

Police Cars From ‘Demolition Man’

The police cars from Demolition man. Self-driving, EV (based on the sound effects), highly functional computer setup on the internet.

And most importantly, they turning into a Canoli if needed.

From hoser68

AMG Vision GT

Image: <a class="link " href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_AMG_Vision_Gran_Turismo#/media/File:Mercedes-Benz_AMG_Vision_Gran_Turismo_LA.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Shelby Asistio/Wikicommons;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">Shelby Asistio/Wikicommons</a>

My second entry, the AMG vision GT looks to be about 20 years out. I have seen this car in person and it’s stunning

From darthspartan117

Dodge M4S

Image: <a class="link " href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bGgNzBwxA8" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Retro Car;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">Retro Car</a>
Image: Retro Car

Got to be the Dodge M4S. The Wraith was not a great movie, but the car was sweet.

and

Respectfully disagree. The Wraith is one of the best bad movies ever made. And as a car movie, it is >>> Bullitt. There, I said it.

From Jerk Gently, Hole-istic Detective and preparetosurgetosublightspeed

Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S Signature is shown during a media preview day at the 2012 North American International Auto Show January 10, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. The NAIAS opens to the public January 14th and continues through January 22nd. - Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images (Getty Images)
The Tesla Model S Signature is shown during a media preview day at the 2012 North American International Auto Show January 10, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. The NAIAS opens to the public January 14th and continues through January 22nd. - Photo: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images (Getty Images)

Tesla model S, 12 years already!

The car that demonstrated EVs could be great cars.

From PetroNiko

Chrysler Turbine Car

UNITED STATES - JUNE 15: 1966 Chrysler Turbine Car - Image: Fred Enke/The Enthusiast Network (Getty Images)
UNITED STATES - JUNE 15: 1966 Chrysler Turbine Car - Image: Fred Enke/The Enthusiast Network (Getty Images)

Hands down the car that actually almost was THE future car. Chrysler Turbine Car!

From Batphreak

Landmaster From Damnation Alley

Screenshot: 20th Century Fox
Screenshot: 20th Century Fox

It is more an RV, but the Landmaster from Damnation Alley allows you to ride out the apocalypse in style. And it can serve briefly as a boat too.

From skeffles

Crawl Out Through The Fallout, Baby

Screenshot: <a class="link " href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVgibPBVCMo&t=317s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Oxhorn/YouTube;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">Oxhorn/YouTube</a>
Screenshot: Oxhorn/YouTube

The Chryslus Corvega. Sure, it tends to blow up (the whole city block) when overheated, but you can’t beat the mileage. And it’s a looker!

From Bindolaf

The Ride From ‘Robocop’

Screenshot: <a class="link " href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6v_nrf9nFQ" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Greendub420;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">Greendub420</a>
Screenshot: Greendub420

How is the 6000 SUX not been mentioned yet?

From Anthony Thornton

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