Which Concept Cars Spawned The Most Disappointing Production Vehicles?
In celebration of our newly acquired 1992 BMW R1000R, my husband purchased for me an old and unfortunately musty-smelling "BMW Motorcycles 1993" booklet, filled with poster treats. One of the stories tucked within its pages takes owners into the future, one plagued with a lack of resources and unbearable pollution — a bit on the nose 30 years later — offering a concept electric vehicle, the BMW C-1. Supposedly this "intelligent synthesis of automobile and motorcycle," could help reduce some of those plaguing issues for commuters in our future plagued surroundings, I guess.
Lalita Chemello / BMW
The original concept consists of an enclosed bubbly cabin set between two wide-set wheels. And just from initial looks, the possibility of keeping it upright is questionable. Sure, the concept gracing the most of the two-page spread, the original bubble's predecessor, could likely stay upright, but it doesn't hold up to the original's hype.
This new concept looks more like a scooter with a Recaro-like seat, two curved metal rails come up over the seat to make a top frame that connects to the front windscreen. Its curves are relayed to most of the frame, rather than the enclosed capsule of its original drawing. Thanks to this week's question asking which concept cars do you think spawned the most disappointing production vehicles, you can guess where this is headed.
From enclosed bubbly futuristic EV to a covered gas-powered scooter
BMW introduced the resulting C1 125, the C-1 in its final form, in 1999. The odd canopy-like "ceiling" remained, as did the actual seat. BMW even introduced a 200 cc executive version in 2000. Neither really encapsulated what the initial concept was aiming to do. They weren't electric. And the scooters were not fully enclosed, which one would assume was to protect a rider from the future's unbearable pollution like our current failed air quality here in the northern states of the US this week.
It did have an interesting enough safety system, an actual chair allowed for a seat belt, so some countries allowed riders to scoot about without the requirement of a helmet. Just, prepare yourself to be stuck on or partially under the scooter if god forbid it were tipped over or sent on its side in an accident. And from the looks of it, the seat also made for an awkward reach to the handlebars.
Rather than being electrically powered, the C-1 models ran on good ol' fossil fuel. They were also heavier than many of BMW's actual motorcycles which sorta defeats the purpose for the scooter-buying type. It lasted two years on the market before BMW put it out of its misery. Although, that hasn't stopped it from trying out newer versions of it over the years, including its most recent Vision CE Concept, which is actually electric. Look familiar?
So I want to know: which concept cars, vehicles, or trucks spawned the most disappointing production vehicles. You've been to enough auto shows or dug into the depths of concept vehicles online to know what was promised, and what was the ever-so-disappointing result. Tell me why you were so disappointed, and the worst of them shall be put together for your enjoyment later in the week.