10 models ahead of their time ... in many ways

The development of new models has always given impetus to the development of the automotive industry. Coming up with strange designs and an unconventional approach to solving current problems does not allow competitors to stand in one place, but it also happens vice versa. Revolutionary cars are often misunderstood and some of them turn into total market failures. These 10 very daring developments, which were definitely ahead of their time, are proof of this.

Audi A2

At the beginning of this century, the use of aluminum for the bodywork of mass-produced cars was not common. This is why the Audi A2, launched in 2000, was revolutionary in this regard.

The model shows how you can “save” weight thanks to the widespread use of this material, even in small cars. The A2 weighs just 895 kg, which is 43% less than the identical steel hatchback. Unfortunately, this also increases the price of the model, which in turn repels buyers.

BMW i8

The recently discontinued sports hybrid emerged in 2014, when talk of power consumption and the time it takes to charge batteries was not taken seriously.

At the time, the coupe only covered 37 km with the gas engine off, but it also boasts a carbon fiber body and laser headlights, which are currently found on the most expensive BMW models.

Mercedes-Benz CLS

A sedan and coupe crossover back in 2004 could have been a real frenzy, but successful sales of the CLS have confirmed that Mercedes-Benz is in the top XNUMX with this daring experiment.

The Stuttgart-based company was ahead of its competitors Audi and BMW, which managed to cope with this task much later - the A7 Sportback came out in 2010, and the 6-Series Gran Coupe came out in 2011.

Opel Ampera

These days, an electric car's mileage of 500 km is quite normal, but in 2012 this indicator is considered a huge success. An innovation offered by the Opel Ampera (and its twin brother the Chevrolet Volt) is a small internal combustion engine that powers a generator to charge the battery when needed. This allows a mileage of 600 or more kilometers.

Porsche Spyder 918

Against the background of the already mentioned hybrid BMW i8, the petrol electric Porsche looks like a real monster. Its naturally aspirated 4,6-liter V8 with two additional electric motors develops a total of 900 hp.

In addition, the 918 Spyder has a carbon body and a pivoting rear axle that allows it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2,6 seconds. For 2013, these figures are something incredible.

Renault Avantime

In this case, we are dealing with a design revolution that did not live up to expectations. A futuristic 3-door coupe-shaped minivan with a length of 4,6 meters debuted in 2001 and looked quite exotic.

Avantime was originally announced as Renault's flagship and was only available with the powerful 207 hp 6-liter V3,0 petrol engine. However, the high price doomed this car and forced the company to stop production only after 2 years.

Renault Laguna

The third generation Renault Laguna never achieved commercial success in the first two, and this is largely due to its specific design. However, it is this generation that offers the GT 4Control version with swivel rear wheels, which is an innovation for the mainstream segment.

SsangYong Actyon

These days, coupe-shaped crossovers are in the range of many manufacturers. Many believe that BMW was the first company to bring such a model to the market - the X6, but this is not the case.

In 2007, the Korean company SsangYong released its Actyon, a frame-mounted SUV with a 4x4 disengagement system, full rear axle and downshift. The Bavarian X6 was introduced a year later by a Korean.

Toyota Prius

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear "hybrid" is the Prius. It is this Toyota model, introduced in 1997, that creates the environmentally friendly segment of gasoline and electric vehicles.

The fourth generation of the model is now on the market, which is not only the best-selling, but also the most efficient and most economical with a fuel consumption of 4,1 l / 100 km per WLTP cycle.

Smart For two

If you think that For two belongs to this group because of its unique shape and modest size, then you are wrong. The car gets into it because of its 3-cylinder turbo engines.

Mitsubishi's petrol engines made a breakthrough in the industry in 1998 and caused all manufacturers to seriously consider the benefits of downsizing and the benefits of turbocharging.