Category Archives: CONCEPT CARS

CONCEPT CARS

Saleen S11 Aims to Revive the American Supercar—This Time, You Get a Say

Two decades ago, the name Saleen meant something. It was shorthand for big-horsepower Mustangs, tuner wizardry, and the outrageous S7—an American-built, mid-engined supercar that actually scared Europe’s best. Back in the early 2000s, the S7 wasn’t just a bold claim; it was proof that a U.S. startup could play in the same league as Ferrari and McLaren.

Fast-forward twenty years, and Saleen is trying to capture that lightning again. The difference this time? The next act, called the S11, isn’t being dreamt up in total secrecy behind California shop doors. Instead, it’s being shaped—quite literally—by committee.

Unveiled at The Birth of the American Supercar exhibit at LeMay America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, the S11 currently exists only as a full-scale clay model surrounded by sketches. There’s no engine, no performance data, no screaming prototype—just a bold idea and a sculpted promise. Visitors are invited to weigh in on what the final car should look like, inside and out.

Yes, really: Saleen wants you to help design its next supercar.

“It’s an honor to debut our S11 design at LeMay,” said founder Steve Saleen. “We’ll present enthusiasts with design choices throughout the year, and they can help decide what ends up in the final product.”

It’s a daring move. In the history of performance cars, “design by committee” hasn’t exactly yielded poster-worthy results. Supercars are usually the vision of a single obsessive mind—part genius, part lunatic—who refuses to compromise. Opening that process up to the public feels risky. But for a small-volume builder like Saleen, it might also be the smartest possible marketing play.

After years of radio silence and limited production, the company needs buzz, engagement, and cash flow—and letting fans shape the S11’s silhouette could tick all three boxes.

What we don’t know could fill an owner’s manual. Saleen hasn’t shared a single detail about the S11’s powertrain, chassis, or aerodynamic goals. All we’ve got is the cryptic promise that it’ll be “one louder” than anything else on the market—a callback to Spinal Tap and a wink at the brand’s trademark bravado.

We love the confidence. But we’ll admit, it’s hard not to be skeptical. The S7 was a bona fide supercar built in a different era—one where outrageous claims and hand-built ambition could still get you headlines. The modern world is tougher, stricter, and far more competitive. If Saleen truly wants to stand shoulder to shoulder with the greats again, the S11 will need more than nostalgia and fan votes.

Still, it’s good to see the name back in the conversation. The LeMay exhibit, curated by Steve Saleen himself, traces a century of American performance—from classic muscle to carbon-fiber dreams—and will evolve quarterly with new cars and features. Somewhere in that lineage, the S11 hopes to write its own chapter.

If Saleen can make it happen, we’ll gladly turn the volume up to eleven.

Source: Seleen

CONCEPT CARS

Reimagining Elegance: The Škoda 1000 MBX Concept Channels a Forgotten Spirit

In the 1960s, the Škoda 1000 MBX was a small but daring expression of style and optimism — a Czech coupé that carried the carefree confidence of its era without pretending to be a sports car. With frameless doors, no B-pillars, and the mechanical heartbeat of a modest 988-cc engine, it wasn’t built to outrun anything. But it looked like freedom, and that counted for a lot.

Now, more than half a century later, two Škoda designers — Antti Mikael Savio and David Stingl — have resurrected that same spirit in a new concept: a modern reinterpretation of the MBX, envisioned through the brand’s current Modern Solid design philosophy. The result isn’t retro cosplay. It’s something braver: a sleek, compact coupé that dares to blend elegance with everyday practicality in an age obsessed with aggression and performance.

A Friendly Face in a World of Frowns

“Our concept is sportier overall, yet still has a friendly look,” says exterior designer Antti Savio, whose Scandinavian touch brings a subtle confidence to the car’s face. “Modern sports cars often appear overly aggressive, while those from the ’60s and ’70s carried a certain elegance — even endearing charm. That’s what I wanted to preserve.”

He’s succeeded. The 1000 MBX concept’s stance is taut but approachable, its surfaces muscular yet unpretentious. There are gentle nods to the original MBX — raised headlamps perched above the bonnet line, a defined character crease along the flanks, and a distinctive C-pillar treatment. But there’s no nostalgia trap here. Instead of a rear window, a sculpted panel hides a generous cargo area, while a rear-view camera handles visibility. It’s clever, modern, and slightly rebellious — just like the original car’s frameless doors once were.

Savio admits to drawing inspiration from product design and brutalist architecture, infusing the bodywork with bold geometric simplicity. “I studied buildings and objects in that style,” he explains. “The goal was to create confident, unusual forms that express strength and character.”

Inside, Modern Solid Meets Modern Practicality

Interior designer David Stingl, just 24 years old, brings a fresh sensibility to the cabin — one that refuses to compromise between form and function. The interior is laid out in a 2+2 configuration atop a flat-floor electric platform. The front seats merge into a wide, lounge-like bench, while the two individual rear seats can tip up cinema-style to open up surprising cargo space.

“This car should encourage its crew to go exploring without hesitation,” says Stingl. “It’s not meant to be just a fun weekend coupé — it’s a vehicle with exceptional everyday usability.”

Fold those rear seats and you’ve got room for luggage, a bicycle, or sports gear. Add air suspension, and the MBX can raise itself for rough paths or lower for that perfect sporty stance.

The dashboard design is equally thoughtful: a glass-covered oval module projects essential information, a futuristic reinterpretation of the original car’s instrument panel. The oval motif repeats throughout — in the steering wheel, headrests, and trim elements — while chrome accents give way to illuminated graphics and ambient lighting, perfectly aligned with Škoda’s Modern Solid aesthetic.

A Design Born from Wine and Paper Napkins

The MBX concept wasn’t born in a sterile design studio under strict deadlines. According to Savio, one of the breakthrough ideas came “over a glass of wine in a bar.” He asked the waiter for paper and a pen, sketched the concept, and the rest flowed from there. “We met at least twice a week to discuss how the interior and exterior should connect,” Savio recalls. “Early sketches became digital 3D models, evolving into something that felt authentically Škoda.”

For Stingl, who began working in 3D environments at just 15, the project was a dream come true. “Design, to me, is like a great story made physical,” he says. His MBX interior tells that story — one of optimism, simplicity, and purposeful beauty.

A Tribute Without Nostalgia

The original 1000 MBX was derived from the humble 1000 MB sedan, Škoda’s first car with a self-supporting body and a revolutionary aluminum engine block. Built in small numbers between 1966 and 1969, only 2,517 MBX coupés ever left Mladá Boleslav. Today, the few surviving examples are cult treasures — charming reminders of an era when elegance and ingenuity mattered more than horsepower.

The new MBX concept doesn’t seek to revive that car in a literal sense. Instead, it captures the feeling — that sense of accessible sophistication and youthful curiosity. It’s a car designed not to dominate racetracks, but to inspire weekend escapes, to remind us that design can be kind as well as bold.

From Finland to the Future

Savio, a Finnish designer who’s been with Škoda for 17 years, describes himself as “a true youngtimer enthusiast” — and with 43 classic cars owned over the years, he’s not exaggerating. Stingl, meanwhile, represents the next generation of Škoda design: pragmatic, digital-native, yet emotionally connected to the art of the automobile.

Together, their reinterpretation of the Škoda 1000 MBX bridges eras — 1966 meets 2025 — with sincerity, not irony. It’s proof that even in the electric age, there’s still room for charm, elegance, and human warmth in car design.

In a world of angry grilles and overcompensating horsepower wars, the MBX concept smiles quietly — and invites you along for the drive.

Source: Škoda

CONCEPT CARS

Lexus LS 6×6 Concept: The Last Salute Goes Off the Rails

As the world quietly watches the slow fade of the Lexus LS — the stately limousine that launched Toyota’s luxury crusade 36 years ago — the brand has decided to celebrate its heritage not with a nostalgic farewell, but with… a six-wheeled minivan. Yes, six. Wheels. On an LS.

Somewhere, a German engineer just spilled their espresso.

From Samurai Sedan to Super Shuttle

Back in 1989, the LS was Toyota’s moonshot — a four-door statement that Japan could out-Benz the Benz. Fast forward to 2025, and the people who once demanded walnut veneer and whisper-quiet V8s now want to be chauffeured in rolling spas with ambient lighting and built-in massage chairs. Preferably in something that looks like an airport lounge on wheels.

Enter the Lexus LM — the “Luxury Mover” — basically an Alphard that’s been sent to finishing school. But apparently, Lexus thought even that wasn’t extra enough. Because at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show (née Tokyo Motor Show), the company is rolling out what appears to be an LS-badged, six-wheeled, fully electric luxury van.

Think Rolls-Royce meets cyberpunk camper van. Then add two more wheels just to confuse everyone.

Six Wheels of (Questionable) Glory

During a recent 90-minute Lexus livestream — which we watched in full so you don’t have to — the long-teased LFR supercar was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a shadowy shape loomed out of the darkness: tall, boxy, and unmistakably weird. Cue the LS 6×6 Concept.

The design? Imagine a skyscraper in motion. The bodywork is upright and unapologetically rectangular, topped with a flat roofline that looks capable of hosting a rooftop sushi bar. The face is dominated by vertical LED DRLs that stretch from bumper to bonnet, while the taillight bar climbs skyward like an electric exclamation mark.

And then there’s the door layout — or lack thereof. The passenger side seems to forgo a conventional front door entirely, opting instead for a gigantic, power-sliding portal that opens onto what appears to be a cavernous, lounge-like interior. Judging by the proportions, this thing has more legroom than most Tokyo apartments.

EV Heart, Concept Soul

Lexus hasn’t spilled the specs, but it’s almost certainly electric. That makes sense: the extra battery packaging could justify that third axle while keeping the cabin as open and serene as a Kyoto tea house.

And make no mistake — this is not a production car. The third axle is pure theatre, a visual sledgehammer to make sure nobody mistakes this for your average family hauler. It’s concept-car madness, the sort of thing that makes you grin before you even understand why.

An LS in Name, Not in Nature

To call this a “flagship” is almost trolling. The LS name once meant refinement, restraint, and quiet confidence. Now it’s been strapped to something that looks like it escaped from a designer’s fever dream. Purists will wail. The internet will meme. Lexus will shrug — because, frankly, this is the kind of weird the world needs right now.

What Else is Coming

The LS 6×6 Concept won’t be alone on stage. Lexus is also showing off a Century Coupe — basically Japan’s answer to a Bentley Continental — and possibly a reimagined Corolla concept. But let’s be honest: it’s the six-wheeler that will dominate the headlines.

Because when Lexus says goodbye to its original flagship, it’s not doing it quietly. It’s doing it with six wheels, three axles, and a wink to the future.

Source: Lexus