You may find them synonymous

with outrageous designs, exaggerated interiors,

and features that have never been seen

in a production car,

like this floating key.

They're typically revealed at auto shows

where enthusiasts and the media "ooh" and "ahh"

at the future of mobility.

It's no secret that these one-off designs

can be expensive to build,

sometimes with a seven-figure price tag.

With so much invested in these cars,

why does it seem like we rarely see

these concepts make it to production?

And why does it seem like the coolest elements

are stripped away when they do?

We spoke with the design department

of some of the top automakers

to find out why automakers spend millions

on concept cars they don't plan on making.

Ralph: First of all,

people don't realize that concept cars, yes,

we would show them at auto shows typically,

and they're there for the media to enjoy.

But long after the media is gone,

the auto show's around for a couple weeks,

and the public comes around,

and they may not know much

about the brand sometimes,

and they go, "Whoa,"

and they come across this concept car

that makes an unmistakable statement

about where the brand wants to go with technology.

Narrator: That's Ralph Giles.

He's the head of global design

for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

He's worked on the design

of the 2005 Chrysler 300,

2014 SRT Viper,

and many more.

Ralph: So vehicles like the Prowler,

the Jeep Rescue, and the Challenger,

and even the Viper,

all of those were concept cars at one time.

And what happened there is again

the public reacted to them in a visceral way,

in a way that says, "You have to build that car."

Sometimes, people will mail us checks,

deposits to see this car through

and very passionate letters.

None of that would've happened

had the concept not been there.

So when we see that,

we think we might've struck something here.

Narrator: Concept cars can also be used

to hype up a model

that is actually planned for production.

David: If we have a new launch of a new version

in our portfolio,

we would tease that

with a specific type of concept

that would be a slight exaggeration

of the production car.

So it would be slightly more idealized.

And of course that's to generate interest

but also awareness that this product

is coming to market a year or two later.

Narrator: Like the Lincoln Navigator concept,

it boasted gull wing doors

and steps that deployed

when the door lifted open,

almost inviting the passengers in.

These exaggerated features didn't make it

to the 2018 production car,

which had standard doors

and a single retracting step.

But the concept did capture attention

and brought excitement for the production version

of the car.

David: Those really extreme ones are the hardest,

but they would still have an influence

on the market ahead.

So you might not have seen them

in the first couple of years

after you first experienced them,

but maybe the longer run,

10 years down the line, maybe they had

a big influence on the trend

of automotive design.

Narrator: Like BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics

concept car in 2009,

it was designed to be a high-performance hybrid,

balancing speed and fuel efficiency.

Five years later,

it became the BMW i8.

The design stayed intact,

but some of the flashy features

like the see-through doors and moving grill

didn't make it to production.

The i8 was a success for BMW,

and now we're seeing performance hybrids

from almost every brand.

But concept cars aren't just

to gauge consumer interest

or create excitement for a version of the concept

that will be released.

There's yet another reason.

Car companies use concepts to test out

how new technology might work

in cars of the future,

even if the exact concept will never hit the market.

Taro: We are approaching, as I discuss,

a more interesting technology innovation era,

and then we will try out future potential.

Using that technology

means we are not just making the show car

for the marketing purpose.

Narrator: Take driverless cars for example.

That technology is popping up

in almost every concept,

yet the technology itself seems so far away.

Turns out these concepts are testing out

how driverless technology could respond

to the way people interact with cars in the future.

According to Volkswagen's Klaus Bischoff,

the way people interact with cars today

is already different than how they used to.

We have ride-sharing services like Uber

and on-the-go rental services like Zipcar.

Driverless cars could be the next step

in the evolution of those services.

Klaus: We are at the transition

of a new era of mobility.

Electric cars will only be the beginning.

The concept cars today are the pioneers

of this new age of mobility.

Narrator: So concepts today are paving the way

for how we ride in cars tomorrow.

Take the Renault EZ-GO concept as an example.

The designers imagined a future

where passengers hopped in a driverless car

and take them to their destination.

Will the car of the future look exactly

like this concept?

Probably not,

but we know automakers are working on a future

where these types of services could be possible.

Ralph: I think many of what you see

will ultimately make it into production.

Again, elements, it'll take time.

Concept cars are a great way for designers

to explore the ideas and in a way compare notes

'cause as more and more competitors

show their work,

they travel the internet.

But at the end of the day,

I think it keeps...

it raises the bar.

It really does make us go back

and wanna compete that much harder.

Narrator: Concepts are complex.

They come in many shapes and sizes

and are made for a variety of reasons.

From testing public opinion

to testing the latest technology,

concept cars are the first step

in moving the auto industry forward.

Without the opportunity to explore innovations

and see what other automakers are experimenting with,

cars would simply stay the same.