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Ford coined the term " edge design " to describe its fresh way of thinking in design terms; Ford coined the term "edge design." Before production cars like the Ka and Puma took to the streets, Ford displayed numerous concept cars at motor shows worldwide, which dramatically demonstrated its new philosophy. Edge design burst onto the scene with the revolutionary GT90 in 1995. The name hinted at the inspiration for the car, Ford's highly successful GT40 road/race car of the 1960s. In format, there were similarities: this was a very low, mid-engine two-seater with fantastic performance potential, but in truth, the cars were wildly divergent. The GT90 resembled a Stealth bomber in the way that its flat triangular surfaces intersected one another. Under the skin, its technology was bang up-to-date racing-car: a honeycomb aluminum chassis, carbon fiber body, and space-shuttle-type ceramic exhaust. Powered by a quad-turbo 720bhp V-twelve engine, it was intended to be launched in a limited series of 100 cars, but the plan never materialized. Much more significant was the GT90's effect on the future of Ford design. Source: AUTO LEMON - USED CAR HISTORY CHECK Images: Ford

In 1995 Fiat presented a car with a hybrid-electric powertrain, developed based on the Zic prototype and built with components (light alloys, polymer composites) and innovative process technology (die-casting techniques, aluminum welding processes, and cohesion procedures). The Vanzic represents the second generation of electric prototypes Fiat, minivan for mainly urban use, driven by an electric motor with the assistance of a thermal energy generator to produce directly in the car part of the electricity needed to drive, in addition to that stored in the battery system, to increase the operating range of up to 200 km continuously, with an average consumption of 4.3 liters of gasoline per 100 km. The declared maximum speed is 105 km/h. Source: https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Vanzic (translated from Spanish) Images: Mario Buonocunto Concept Cars Page

Coachbuilder Maggiora developed a very nice little two-seater Barchetta coupé. It looks like a real production model because Maggiora already manufactures the Barchetta. After Andreas Zapatinas had drawn the first sketches of the regular barchetta, he thought of a coupé, but Fiat Auto president Paolo Cantarella rejected this idea... Maggiora's head of product development Alessandro Sopetti had the English two-seater coupés of the '60 and classic Italian cars in mind. In those years, coupés like the MGB-GT were derived from roadsters, unlike today. Because Maggiora does not have enough production capacity and Fiat already has a Coupé, this car will never hit the streets (which is a shame, really). Source: www.fiatbarchetta.com Images: Maggiora

This Pininfarina styling mock-up of the Ferrari F50 was manufactured in Maranello in a limited number. Its objective was to synthesize the best racing characteristics of an F1 single-seater with those of a road car: high technology, excellent aerodynamic efficiency, extreme performances combined with absolute reliability and safety. “Our market research says Ferrari customers believe F1 is the pinnacle of all automotive technology, the highest peak of their motoring aspirations,” former Ferrari sales and marketing director Dr. Michele Scannavini said in the mid 1990s. “By offering them a chance to buy an F1 car dressed as a road car, we’re going as close as we can to meeting those aspirations.” An “F1 car dressed as a road car” sums up the Ferrari F50. The idea for this F40 successor came from Piero Ferrari, then the company’s vice chairman. He drove an F40 to the office daily, and with Ferrari concentrating its racing focus on Formula 1, that made F1 a perfect starting point for Maranello’s highest performing new road car. In 1990, when work on the Ferrari F50 began, Ferrari’s F1 cars used a carbon-fiber chassis, a naturally aspirated V-12 engine, pushrod suspension, and paddle-shift transmission. All would make it to the Ferrari F50, save the shift paddles because of durability concerns. The tub followed Formula 1 engineering principles. It was the central part of the car’s structure and was made entirely of lightweight carbon composites and adhesive materials. Acting as a support for the rear suspension and for the carbon-fiber bodywork was the centrally mounted engine. And what an engine it was. The 4700cc V-12 used the 1990 F1 car’s block. It employed a similar design for the heads and crankshaft; this made the latter items easier to manufacture. Everything else was new so the engine could meet emissions laws and be drivable on the street. At 513 horsepower, the Ferrari F50 was Ferrari’s most-powerful road car ever. The gearbox was a conventional six-speed manual mounted longitudinally. The suspension featured upper and lower wishbones, pushrods, and electronically controlled shocks managed by an ECU that took into account steering angles and lateral and longitudinal forces. This not only minimized body roll but made the ride more comfortable. The brakes were large ventilated Brembo discs and were not power assisted. Originally, Ferrari wanted Pininfarina to make two different bodies for the car -- a slinky aerodynamic coupe and a barchetta. Pininfarina’s head of design was Lorenzo Ramaciotti, and the earliest Ferrari F50 proposals drew from his stunning Ferrari Mythos show car of 1989. To pass U.S. crash tests, the body of the road car had to be lengthened, and once the general shape was decided, it underwent extensive aerodynamic testing. “Our priority was to find a good balance between airflow on and inside the car by utilizing underbody aerodynamics,” Ramaciotti said. Spoilers were added as necessary, and lessons learned developing the Ferrari F50’s flat underbody were tapped for the smaller F355. A full-scale styling model was presented to Ferrari in 1991. At that point, Ferrari management told Pininfarina to merge the coupe and barchetta into a single car. The design of the resulting open two-seater with a lift-off roof panel was barely touched until shortly before the car’s introduction at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show, when roll bars were added for additional occupant protection. Ferrari capped Ferrari F50 production at just 349 units, one fewer than it figured it would be able to sell. Most of the earliest cars went to America, delivered before emissions regulations tightened in 1997. Ferrari had no trouble selling out the production run, even at a factory sticker of nearly $520,000. That was roughly half the asking price of the other preeminent supercar of the day, the McLaren F1. That the Ferrari F50 couldn’t quite match the McLaren’s performance numbers was of no importance to Ferrari. Its goal was to construct the world’s most involving drive, and that’s exactly what Ferrari F50 owners got. Not that 0-100 mph in 8 seconds and the quarter-mile in 12.1 was slow. It was about the experience. As Road & Track summed up in the test that recorded those figures, “More than anything the [Ferrari F50] feels like a racing car.” Ferrari had hit its target, and the car was so special inside the company that it had its own production line. When the last Ferrari F50 rolled out in 1997, few were sadder to see it go than Ferrari test driver Dario Benuzzi. “Developing the car has been a wonderful adventure,” he told Autocar. “I do not want it to end.” Sources: pininfarina spa.; auto.howstuffworks.com Images: pininfarina spa.

The aerodynamic gumdrop Jazz, a representation of Eagle’s future, is a possible future Eagle JA entry. In 1994, the Eagle Jazz concept car was developed for the 1995 automobile show circuit. Eagle Jazz was a sporty sedan with a rounded hatchback tail. Built into that was a hatch-within-a-hatch, so a driver could easily open the rear end to store cargo. Some consider the Eagle Jazz concept to have a strange resemblance to a 4-door Eagle Talon. Source: wiki Images: Chrysler Corporation

The company describes this as a "short-nosed mini-van." It bears an uncanny resemblance to the Lightburn Zeta, a stupendously hideous Australian production car of the 1960s from the washing machine manufacturer. At least it was original; the X-1 looks like it's made of unwanted body parts people chucked into the cobwebbed corners of their garages. The automatic transmission shift lever is in the dash, a brilliant innovation every Japanese designer seems to have discovered this year, except that it was used in a zillion Renault R4s and Citroen 2CVs from 1950-something on. Daihatsu's stand motto read: "TH!NK". Somebody should also have written, "STOP!" Source: Bill Tuckey - The Age via www.darwinmovers.com.au Images: Daihatsu; history-of-cars.com

The 1995 Daihatsu Town Cube concept was intended as a humorous take on the Kei Car's limits. Engine & performance: Type: 4-cylinder, DOHC Capacity: 659 cc Dimensions: Length: 3295 mm Width: 1395 mm Height: 1990 mm Sources: Reddit; allcarindex

The 1995 Daihatsu Midget 3 may seem like a deja vu from the bubble cars of the 1950s like the Messerschmitt. It has a central steering wheel with two passengers in an egg-shaped body with big ol’ headlamps perched on good ol’ mudguards. OK, with the 660 cm three-cylinder engine from the Micra and a three-speed automatic packed into just 2785 millimeters. Overall, it’s a great little city car. Source: Bill Tuckey - The Age via www.darwinmovers.com.au Image: www.shorey.net

The Daihatsu FX-21 is a concept car that was unveiled at the 1995 Tokyo Car Show. At the time, the company was now more than one-third owned by Toyota, which meant the designers had been sharing notes. The FX-21 was designed to be a mini-car for the 21st Century, with a 1-liter three-cylinder air-cooled engine in the rear. That's very reminiscent of the Volkswagen Beetle. The styling is somewhat odd given the air scoops in front of the rear wheels. Yes, the engine is air-cooled, but they belong on a sportscar and not a supermini. Source: classiccars.fandom.com

I.DE.A Institute built the Daewoo No.2 concept minivan. The two individual seats for passengers sitting in the rear are fitted in a raised position, thereby providing passengers with an unimpeded field of vision and better protection in case of side impacts. In the Daewoo No. 2, an in-line 6-cylinder engine is installed. Furthermore, the construction allows other types of drivetrains as well. The aluminum block was developed especially for front-driven vehicles, and it's a part of a forthcoming range that encompasses 3 to 6-cylinder with displacements from 0.8 to 2.5 liters. Images: www.idea.institute.it; www.renestaud.com

I.DE.A Institute built this electric propulsion-styled static model. It was presented at the Seoul Motor Show in 1995. Images: www.idea.institute.it; oldcar-korea.tistory.com

The 1995 Daewoo Bucrane by ItalDesign was a stylish, prestigious four-seater hatchback coupé with formal references to the design of the 1960s: a long bonnet with pronounced wings and a sloping rear end. The appearance was decidedly sporting: a stylish, prestigious four-seater hatchback coupé with formal references to the design of the 1960s: a long bonnet with pronounced wings and a sloping rear end. The window glazing continued after the door opened as far as the roll bar to offer maximum interior visibility. The two-stage system of access to the passenger compartment involved a door-opening maneuver that triggered the raising of the window and the transparent half-roof in a wing-like movement. A cross-section through the two raised tops describes an "M," precisely like a gull in flight. Once the two window-roof elements are removed, the Bucrane becomes an open-topped car with excellent structural stiffening of the chassis, windscreen, and roll-bar. The body is carbon fiber and steel. Its six-cylinder engine is in a front longitudinal position. The engine is a 3200 cc 240 hp V6, front-wheel drive with four-speed automatic transmission. Source: www.italdesign.it Images: ItalDesign

One of the most beautiful of recent concept cars, the Chrysler Atlantic recalled the styling of the classic Bugatti grand tourer of the same name. With its sculpted body, the Atlantic wore huge chrome wheels, and was powered by a straight-eight engine that was constructed with two Chrysler Neon fours. At four liters, the Atlantic engine produced an estimated 325 horsepower delivered through an Autostick hybrid transmission that allowed assisted manual shifting or fully automatic operation. The car was shown in a deep gold paint scheme that highlighted its gorgeously sculpted body. Source: www.chicagoautoshow.com Images: Concept Car Central, Chrysler Corporation

The 1995 Castagna Vittoria was an Alfa Romeo SZ-based prototype and debuted at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show. Castagna was a historic coachbuilder from the 1920s and 1930s, producing famous bodies for Alfa Romeo and Lancias amongst others before disappearing into history like so many famous names. However, in 1995 Italian businessman Uberto Petra revived the name and produced this Alfa SZ-based prototype, designed by Gioacchino Acampora, named the "Vittoria" after Petra's eldest daughter. Based on the SZ/RZ limited run Alfa Romeo sportscar, which itself was based on an uprated Alfa Romeo 75 3.0 V6 floorpan and mechanicals. Castagna claims that their reworked 3.0 V6 engine produced 320 bhp @ 7,000 rpm ( against the standard car's 180 bhp ) while retaining the original single camshaft per head setup. The Alfa Romeo's front wishbone and rear de Dion suspension was upgraded with stiffer springs and dampers, nylon and rose jointed bushes, and revised geometry. The brakes were uprated with Brembo 6-pot caliper, cross-drilled, and vented discs, while the prototype ran on 18in magnesium alloy wheels. The styling was controversial. The front and rear ends seemed to have chunks missing. The front had an uncomfortable sop to the traditional heart, which sat in a void where the front bodywork should sit. The rear looked as if the designer had attempted to recreate the styling of the famous TZ models, but again it seemed as if sections were missing. The white color scheme with the front and rear ends detailed in black did nothing for the car's aesthetic looks, the overall appearance being disjointed and untidy. Source: www.italiaspeed.com Images: Castagna; www.finarte.it

At the 1995 Moscow International Motor Show, the CARDI BODY roadster was presented to the automotive community. The success that followed the presentation - rave press reviews and public admiration - instilled confidence in the project's organizers. This is how CARDI made its debut on the Russian market for the first time. Images: www.cardi.ru

This is an elegant rear-wheel-drive sedan showcasing advanced technology to enhance passengers' convenience, comfort, safety, and excellent packaging - the length of a mid-size Regal, wheelbase of a Roadmaster, and interior space of a Park Avenue. XP2000 is a five-passenger car with a pearlescent silver-gold exterior color. It also has a full-size five-liter V-8. The heart of XP2000 is a conceptual network of advanced computers that tailors the car to the needs and desires of the individual driver and allows it to use the Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems planned for the next century. These computers also link XP2000 to the rapidly growing "information superhighway," making it easier for the driver to work and relax while in the car. Among specific features is a remote keyless fob that can position the car's seats, climate controls, and even driving response to a specific driver's tastes; a "Smart Card" setup in which a plastic card may be inserted into the instrument panel, allowing the driver to charge tools, fuel, food, and other services; an advanced head-up display, and an instrument-panel display that can be adapted for use with a personal computer; a navigation system with arrows guiding the driver along with a map display; and an array of safety features, ranging from eight airbags (including one in each door panel) to a detection system for obstacles near the path of the car. Source: www.welovebuicks.com Images: General Motors Corp.

Featuring a celebrity-like intro, the BMW Z3 was first spotlighted in the James Bond flick Goldeneye, even before its introduced for model-year 1996. Along with being featured in Neiman Marcus' 1995 Christmas catalog that showcased the sports car as the 'perfect Christmas gift,' the Z3 launched a sales stampede that resulted in sold-out Z3 numbers for the BMW before the first model even made it to the showroom floors. The first 'modern mass-market roadster produced by BMW, the BMW Z3 was also the first new BMW model assembled in the U.S. The Z3 was one of the first vehicles to roll out from BMW's Spartanburg, SC plant. Unveiled in the 1996 model year, the Z3's claim to fame appeared in the James Bond movie, GoldenEye. Production on the Z3 continued until 2002 and was eventually replaced by the BMW Z4, showcased at the 2002 Paris Auto Show. The Motorsports division of BMW produced the M Roadster, which included suspension upgrades and the engine from the BMW M3 from 1998 through 2002. The Z3 originally came in only one version, a base-model convertible powered by a 1.9-liter inline-4 that could achieve 138 hp. This first model, built from 1996 through 2002, came with standard features that included an AM/FM cassette player and cruise control. Also standard was a five-speed manual transmission, but a four-speed automatic was available for those that wanted more. Other available options were leather seats and traction control. In 1997 BMW added an exciting model to the lineup that featured a 2.8-liter inline-6 engine, along with a 190-hp six-cylinder. The Z3 now featured heated seats and a CD changer on the options list. Developed from the E36 platform of the 3 Series, the Z3 ended up on a platform sometimes dubbed as the E36/7 (roadster) or E36/8 (coupe). Initially, the 1.9 L M44B19 straight-4 engine was available, but consumers weren't impressed with its mere 138 hp. Rather than using the more refined multilink suspension from the E36, BMW instead chose to use the rear semi-trailing arm suspension from the E30. Buyers also weren't impressed with the interior of the BMW and felt that it wasn't up to the standards usually met by BMW. The plastic rear windows were also a sore point for consumers compared to the glass unit on the much less expensive '99 Mazda MX5. The inline-4 engine was nicely balanced with the larger straight-6 engine in 1997, the 2.8 L M52B28. This engine was very similar to the BMW M52 in the 328i, except it came with an all-aluminum block and head and was very popular with its 189 hp. The 1.9 L 4-cylinder engine was replaced with a 2.5 L Straight-6 M52TUB25 engine capable of producing 170 hp. BMW renamed the 2.3 just like the 3. Series 323i, which came with a 2.5 L engine to distinguish the 2.8 L engine further. In 1998 the BMW Z3 became even more adaptable to inclement weather with an optical power convertible top. The Z3 coupe arrived in 1999, and it came with a 2.8-liter engine only, and its hatchback design added extra body stiffness and versatility. Unfortunately, the public wasn't overjoyed with the strange tail now on the Z3. A new 170-hp inline-6 engine replaced the 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine. This model was called the Z3 2.3 for both 1999 and 2000. This year, a popular new feature was a Harman Kardon stereo and a hardtop roof optional on convertible models. Standard features now included side airbags on all Z3 sports cars. For 2000 the BMW Z3 received stability control on its standard features list. The following year the 2.8 trim in both the coupe and convertible became the 3.0i with the introduction of a 3.0-liter engine that was good for 225 hp and 214 pound-feet of torque. The updated 2.5i received a power increase of 14 horses, and the Z3's optional four-speed automatic transmission was replaced with a five-speed automatic with manual shifting capability. The BMW Z3 received a CD player to its standard features list in 2002, its final year on the market. For 2001 all of the available engines were replaced. The 2.2 L M54B22, the 2.5 L M54B25, 3.0 L M54B30, and the 3.2 L S54B32 for the M Roadster were available outside of North America. Until the car was replaced in 2002, all three of these straight-6 engines continued this way. The plastic window remained in the BMW Z3, while the vehicle's interior was also updated this year. From 1999 to 2001, BMW also released a coupe that was available as the Z3 coupe, that featured a chassis-stiffening rear hatch area and featured the Shooting-brake styling. BMW also introduced the BMW Motorsport-enhanced M- coupe. The main problem that the Z3 had was the bad oxygen sensors, failing rear shock mounts, and an unreliable plastic water pump. The BMW Z3 continued to be a popular vehicle even after it ceased to be produced. Source: https://www.conceptcarz.com/ Images: Bayern Motoren-Werke AG

Another prototype offering the prospect of driving fun that had previously been confined to the realms of the motorcycle captivated the driving public at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995. The BMW Z21 project launched in the same year saw engineers at BMW Technik GmbH transferring their focus from off-road capability to enhanced driving pleasure on metalled roads. The result was a minimalist two-seater that left its engineering delights exposed to public view and truly lived up to the formulation of “Just 4/2” enshrined in its name. Only rudimentary vestiges of bodywork can be seen in the BMW Just 4/2, and the wheels are freestanding to emulate a formula racing car. The four-cylinder power unit generating 73 kW/100 hp loaned from the BMW K 1100 model was more than a match for the prototype weighing only 550 kilograms. The two-seater accelerated from a standing start to 100 km/h in around 6 seconds and notched up a top speed of 180 km/h. Specially developed clothing and helmets provided enhanced protection for the occupants alongside airbags for driver and passenger and side-impact protection to transform the Z21 project into a complete work of art at the premiere in Tokyo. Source: BMW Technik GmbH Images: BMW

In 1995 the BMW Z18 concept vehicle went down in history as the first off-road roadster developed by BMW. This was a period when the desire for versatile mobility under the open skies and the yearning to explore off-road terrain had triggered a boom in the segment of Enduro motorcycles. BMW Technik GmbH took the initiative and transferred this expression of sheer driving pleasure to an automobile concept. The BMW Z18 crossed category boundaries by combining the feelings of a convertible with the robustness and versatility of an off-road vehicle. An eight-cylinder engine packing 260 kW/355 hp powered the roadworthy prototype, while a four-wheel-drive designed with technical complexity provided the necessary off-road capability. The plastic body was mounted on a frame structure made from steel extrusions and was not dissimilar to a boat – the BMW Z18 was able to drive effortlessly through flat stretches of water. The variable interior concept – configurations as a two-seater, four-seater, and pick-up were engineered into the design – made the unusual concept vehicle a true multi-tasker from several points of view. The BMW Z18 was premiered on the public stage five years after it had been created. Source: BMW Technik GmbH Images: BMW

As a variation on the theme of the Audi TT Coupé presented with such success at the German Motor Show (the "IAA") in Frankfurt, Audi followed up quickly at the Tokyo Show with the first public showing of the Audi TTS Roadster, also based on the same Quattro running gear as the Coupé. One of the most captivating ideas of Audi's young, avant-garde team of designers and engineers thus developed into what could almost be regarded as a small model program all its own. Apart from its open body styling with fixed, integral roll bars over which a soft fabric top can be stretched tent-style, specific other major components of the TTS Roadster differ from those in the TT Coupé: distinguished by the "S" in the "TTS" badging, the roadster's engine is a concept study for a powerful sports version of the 1.8-liter turbocharged unit with five valves per cylinder, developing 154 kW (210 bhp) and with 250 Nm of muscular torque for vigorous pulling power. The Roadster has larger, 18-inch wheels, side-panel air outlets from the engine compartment, and leather-covered sports seats with thong lacing that suggests baseball gloves. The "plus two" seats at the rear have been deleted to provide space for stowing the soft top. As in all Audis, two airbags are a standard safety feature. Every visual and technical detail has been scrutinized to eliminate the unnecessary and create an effect of substance and maturity. The sense of the absolute which the Audi TTS Roadster conveys is emphasized by the use of aluminum for body elements, by the fundamental character of the interior equipment and trim, and of course by the impressive performance data: acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in about 6 seconds, top speed in the region of 240 km/h, average fuel consumption by the standard test method below 9 liters per 100 kilometers. History of a compression process The Audi TT Coupé, the undoubted star of the German Motor Show, could be described as a "highly compressed" design. The same process has effectively been taken a stage further in the Roadster: by omitting the roof! The team that redefined sports car design in a one-year 'tour de force' by producing the TT Coupé has, in parallel as it were, re-interpreted open-car driving too, by creating the Audi TTS Roadster. Although Coupé and Roadster are individual concepts, each with its character, the relationship is still evident. In the words of Peter Schreyer, the young chief stylist at Audi: "The Roadster was the first step in our mental search for the 'new sports car,' but we were soon aware of how effectively the Coupé and the Roadster fit together and complement each other. They're members of a single-family, with all the mutual support and firm foundation this implies. This confirms quite clearly that they're more than just a one-night stand or 'Motor Show sensation' - they're part of a model structure with clearly defined lateral links." This basis provides ample scope for new ideas. Although the Audi TTS Roadster is a car that captivates feelings at first glance, its technical pedigree is flawless (something that matters to the Audi development engineers responsible for this concept car), with many high-tech elements included. The spin-off that results: the new car is neither a highly sensitive experimental technology carrier nor a fraudulent fresh-up only moderately exciting standard features under a new, suggestive outer skin. The TT Coupé and TTS Roadster make no claims whatsoever to be anything they're not. Pretensions without pretense - surely this is the highest goal to which our modem car-owning society can aspire? To discard illusions of prestige and social maneuvering, to build a "driving machine" so systematically that the usual rational arguments cease to apply, a car that "reaches the heart" immediately and instinctively. Source: www.audi.com Images: Audi AG