Top five concept cars of 2018

Concept cars and show cars are like the celebrities of the automotive world. They razzle and they dazzle on the big stage, some of them become household names… and some of them go on a drug binge and end up getting fired from their TV show.

The year that was 2018 saw some gorgeous automotive designs, from the stunning Toyota Supra race car concept to the Peugeot e-Legend, which showed that the French can make their innate blend of arrogance and elegance do amazing things.

But enough gabbing — check out the list and feel free to drop a comment below to tag any concepts you feel missed out.

Toyota Supra GR Racing Concept

When the shape of the new Toyota Supra busted out at the 2018 Detroit motor show in January, it not only stole the show, but pretty much broke the internet.

After decades of hearsay and "will it or won't it" rumour-mongering, the covers came off the Toyota Supra GR Racing Concept: a tantalising, high-performance preview of how the new Toyota Supra coupe will look.

With curves in the all the right places, a double-bubble roof, big rear wing and massive Brembo brakes, this race car concept delivered in spades, providing a high-octane promo for a rear-drive, six-cylinder sports coupe that'll give Toyota more street cred than a duet with Snoop Dog.

Expect the production car to arrive in mid-2019, before which you can read our prototype drive review.

Volkswagen Tanoak ute

It wouldn’t be a proper concept car list without a VW creation that no one can pronounce… or a ute. The Volkswagen Tanoak showed there's scope for pick-ups of every shape, size and price.

Indeed, 10 years ago the humble ute was all about carrying tools, towing stuff and reversing into street signs and not giving a damn.

Based on the US-only (for now) Volkswagen Atlas, this 5.4-metre long dual-cab is more luxury contrivance than rough-and-ready load-lugger – something that more ute buyers are looking for, it seems.

With a bold design that screams "I'm from the future", more LEDs than a Taiwanese noodle shopfront and big, butch shoulders, the design turned a lot of heads when it broke cover at the 2018 New York motor show.

Alas, even if Volkswagen puts it into production, it won’t join the Amarok in local showrooms any time soon.

Peugeot e-Legend

It's a pretty bold move calling a car a 'Legend', even if Honda already did. And Skoda has the Superb so there are precedents for superciliousness in the automotive industry.

But the fact of the matter is that this retro EV concept car, the Peugeot e-Legend, is an absolute work of art.

Revealed at the 2018 Paris motor show, the design has hints of the Peugeot 504 coupe from the 1970s and a curious resemblance to American muscle-cars from the 1970s.

The result is what can only be described as a glorious retro design that blends in modern machismo. The French are often criticised for being arrogant, but in this case it’s completely warranted.

This EV creation belts out 340kW and 800Nm from zero revs, blasting through an all-wheel drive set-up that will see this silent avenger rip to 100km/h in less than four seconds.

And get this – if Peugeot gets 500,000 signatures on a petition, the car-maker will build it. Sign us up!

Subaru Viziv Tourer Concept

When it comes to iconic hot fours, few are surrounded by as much unadulterated man-love and nostalgia as the Subaru WRX. It's sort of like the Eminem of the car world. You respect what it stood for when it busted out in the 1990s, but it's never been quite as good.

Which is why we're hoping the next-generation WRX coming in 2020 will be a return to form, as previewed in salacious wagon form by the Subaru Viziv Tourer Concept.

If this concept doesn't get your blood pumping you could have the zombie bio-virus. It's angular, sleek lines create a striking proposal for a Subaru WRX STI wagon and the pumped wheel-arches deliver a butch, wide-body stance that says "JDM forever!"

Shown at the 2018 Geneva motor show, the design features stylised slim-line headlights, an aggressive fascia with big air-dams, a subtle rear spoiler and … wait, what's that? Signature bonnet scoop! You know what that means. Turbocharging!

OK, it might end up being a reborn Levorg and the design is likely to be toned back for production, but until that happens it's still the only insight we have, so let's enjoy this dreamy concept limbo where anything can happen!

Skoda Vision RS Concept

Like the Subaru WRX STI wagon concept, the Skoda Vision RS will metamorphosise into a vehicle with mainstream attainability.

Riding on 20-inch alloy wheels and ticking all the hot hatch boxes – 180kW of power, ground-hugging front bumper, sporty side skirts and a rear roof spoiler – Skoda's upcoming compact hero car also shows off stylish new headlight and light-light designs that we hope make it to production.

With a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.1 seconds and a top speed of 210km/h, this concept looks ready to rumble and could give the likes of the VW Golf GTI something to think about, in a way the outgoing Skoda Rapid never did.

You may not dig the badge, but with a sharp price, edgy styling and hot-hatch performance, the Skoda RS concept points to a hot version of the newly revealed Scala hatch – and a bright future for the Czech brand. Encore Skoda, encore!