Gloriously strange concept car interiors
RONAN GLON
The future of car design has always looked a bit outlandish. For many decades, car makers have experimented with unexpected ways to leverage technology to make cars safer and more comfortable. Some innovations have remained at the concept stage, but others have beaten the odds and trickled down into production cars. Let’s refresh your memory.
BMW Z13 1993
At the 1993 Geneva motor show, BMW previewed the city car of the 21st century. Designer Robert Powell explained how he envisioned a safe, quick and upmarket city car while commuting between his home in Stuttgart and his office in Munich in a 5 Series. Powell’s team placed the Z13’s steering wheel in the middle of the cockpit. Engineers argued that this packaging solution protected the driver from side impacts while making it possible to enter the car from either side. And had it reached production, the Z13’s mid-mounted steering wheel would have helped BMW save money by not having to build right- and left-hand-drive models. The Z13 was unique, being as nicely equipped as a 7 Series yet powered by a 1.1-litre four-pot borrowed from BMW’s K1100 motorcycle. It remained at the concept stage but nonetheless had a formative influence on the i3 of 2013.
Opel Junior 1983
This supermini concept was designed with an eye on minimalism. Its dashboard was reduced to a shelf onto which pods containing gauges and switches were attached. Familiar to Citroën 2CV owners, this layout emphasised the car’s sense of space, which was important in a concept as small as the Junior. The Junior’s innovative interior – complete with seat covers that doubled as sleeping bags – was developed by a then unheard-of designer named Chris Bangle.
Nissan Com Com 1985
Nissan created the Com Com concept for delivery drivers. Shown at the 1985 Tokyo motor show, the boxy, function-over-form body hid an interior that doubled as a mobile office, complete with a phone, a floppy disk drive and a receipt printer. Other Japanese car makers including Mazda toyed with the idea of making an office on wheels, but none dared turning the concept into a production model. Costs would have been high and demand would have been low.
Volkswagen Orbit 1986
Even an experienced pilot might have felt intimidated behind the wheel of this Volkswagen concept. Its dashboard was dominated by a wide panel that housed a selection of gauges, switch
