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The evolution of a concept car is akin to creating a piece of sculpture, and the aesthetic ideals of purity, line, shape, and texture are evident in these four vehicles

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They’re born on sketchpads, computer screens, and even on restaurant napkins. And only a few of those inspired renderings become actual concept cars. But those that manage to evolve from paper to 3-D virtual reality to clay modeling, eventually emerge — like social debutantes — as the shining stars of international auto shows.

Concept cars are the automotive version of museum-quality sculpture or couture fashion on the runway. Their designers — artists trained in the process of guiding ideas from abstract to metal — are responsible for creating visions that can determine auto executives’ billion-dollar decisions.

They also serve as vehicles for other purposes. Some concept cars are creative-license showcases with little practical constraint. Others are technology test beds that wrap jaw-dropping shapes around far-down-the-road engineering technology. Today, given the limited resources and budgets facing even the luxury automakers, concept cars serve the more practical role of testing media and public reaction to ideas and production vehicles that are not so far down the road.

Whether created for purposes practical or inspirational, the concept car is rooted in a kind of aesthetic purity that’s almost foreign to the production-line process that produces our personal transportation. “The shape of a vehicle is art,” says Edward Welburn Jr., General Motors Global Design vice president. “The challenge there is taking textures — some hard, some soft — and placing them next to each other in harmony. It has a strong influence on how you feel about it.”

Following are four concept cars — the production-intent Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln, and Buick, and a high-tech type from Chrysler — accompanied by perspectives from their design leaders that underscore Welburn’s words.

TECH TALK //

Car designers speak a language all their own.
Here’s a quick vocabulary lesson.

Muscular:
A design that mimics animal or human forms with muscle-like definition.

Noble:
Proportions that command attention and suggest success and social distinction.

Organic:
Forms that appear to have grown biologically, with surfaces that blend seamlessly.

Attitude:
Aggressive, intimidating, playful shapes with personality.

Gesture:
Lines and shapes that imply motion, a vehicle looking as if it’s ready to leap, for example.

Tension:
When lines and surfaces suggest direction, like a fighter jet or an archer with a drawn bow.

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