The future of the automotive industry is taking shape in design studies and concept vehicles. They act as signposts and are creative playgrounds for automotive designers. Some of them remain experiments and thought experiments, others come onto the market in a similar form. Chapter looks back at the most exciting designs of 2025.
Avatr Vision Xpectra
»The Rise of Emotive Luxury« was the slogan with which the young Chinese brand Avatr presented its current concept car. »With the Avatr Vision Xpectra, we are making the invisible visible—the emotional connection between people and vehicles. Emotive Luxury becomes reality: not status, but resonance. Not possession, but feeling«, explained Nader Faghihzadeh, Chief Design Officer and Executive Vice President of Avatr, during the presentation of the almost six-meter-long vehicle at the IAA Mobility 2025. Faghihzadeh is no newcomer to the automotive scene—he has worked as an exterior designer at BMW, among others, and has around twenty years of experience in automotive design.
The sculptural exterior of the all-electric Avatr Vision Xpectra radiates presence and clarity, while in the interior, every surface and every detail is designed to create an emotional bond between the vehicle and the driver. At the heart of the interior is an AI-powered Vortex: a perceptive, learning, and interactive companion made of light and movement. It is also striking that both the exterior and the interior are characterized by transparent elements: The upper part of the body consists of a prismatic glass cabin, and the center console and headrests are also made of transparent materials.
Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo
The German manufacturer’s current study not only provides an insightful outlook on future GSE models, but also illustrates the great innovation potential that lies in small car platforms. As far as the layout is concerned, the futuristic-looking concept car has similarities to the series Corsa, but the design study has been equipped with much sharper and more precise contours and is also somewhat lower and wider than the series vehicle. In addition, it looks more muscular and sculptural.
The color scheme clearly shows that the Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo is a vehicle that was primarily developed for the racetrack: The body is finished in pearl white, aero elements such as the hood, spoiler and diffuser shine in a strong yellow and thus stand out clearly from the black roof and the black fender flares at the front. With the Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo, Opel also wants to draw attention to the GSE sub-brand, which since 2022 has stood for Grand Sport Electric and thus for particularly dynamic and emotional models. In addition, the concept vehicle is linked to the company’s origins in motorsport: Since autumn 2025, the all-electric small car has been part of the popular racing simulator »Gran Turismo 7«, blurring the lines between the virtual and real worlds.
Škoda Vision O
With the Škoda Vision O design study, the brand, known above all for its station wagon models, is preparing for the electrified future. The study builds on the continued success of the Octavia Combi and the Superb Combi, but at the same time shows the direction in which Škoda could be heading in the future. In terms of design, this means that typical design features of the popular Škoda station wagon models—such as the strongly inclined windshield and the gently sloping roofline—have been retained, but the design language has been further developed and refined, especially in terms of aerodynamics.
In addition, the station wagon scores with a striking lighting concept, in which the T-shaped taillights immediately catch the eye. In the interior, sustainability and simplicity meet intuitive functionality, as Škoda design chief Oliver Stefani explains. »The interior concept of the Vision O underlines our commitment to combining simplicity and sustainability with increased comfort. The combination of clear lines and intuitive functionality reflects our aspiration to create a harmonious and functional interior. It is characterized by materials and design elements that not only represent an aesthetic development of our ›Modern Solid‹ design language, but also emphasize our responsibility towards the environment«, says Stefani.
Mercedes Concept AMG GT XX
The Concept AMG GT XX is based on the vehicles of the legendary C 111 series from the sixties and seventies, which were built for testing then-novel Wankel and turbodiesel engines as well as as test vehicles for plastic bodies. Today, the much-discussed vehicles and prototypes of the time are considered true design icons. The Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven design study presented in 2023 is also likely to have played a key role in the development of the Concept AMG GT XX. For Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-Benz until January 31, 2026, the concept vehicle embodies the »Hot« aspect of the design philosophy of »Sensual Purity« he developed.
The low-slung front hood, the steeply raked windshield and the dynamic fastback make the Concept AMG GT XX a sports car as it is written in the book. However, the concept car not only offers an exciting outlook on the future series sports cars from Mercedes-AMG in terms of design, but also in terms of technology. The heart of the vehicle is its revolutionary drive concept, which consists of three axial flux motors and a completely newly developed high-performance battery. An obviously record-breaking system, because in August 2025, the Concept AMG GT XX covered a distance of 40,075 kilometers in just under eight days on the legendary high-speed test track in Nardò, southern Italy. With this performance, the concept vehicle broke a total of 25 long-distance records. The sports car is actually scheduled to come onto the market in the near future.
Lexus LFA Concept
With the Lexus LFA Concept, the Toyota subsidiary is directly linked to the Lexus LFA—the super sports car with which the brand set new technological standards in the sports car segment in 2010. After more than ten years of development, a strictly limited series of only 500 vehicles was created, which are now traded at high prices. In keeping with this legendary sports car, Lexus has now developed a 4.7-meter-long, all-electric coupé study.
However, this is not entirely new, as the exterior and interior have already been shown as the Lexus Sport Concept at Monterey Car Week and the Japan Mobility Show 2025. With the new name, however, new information came to light. Such as that the brand with the Lexus LFA Concept wants to achieve three core goals: the lowest possible center of gravity, low weight with high rigidity and maximum aerodynamic efficiency.
The result is a body made entirely of aluminum and a flat and flowing silhouette with classic coupé proportions. The Concept Car also embodies the centuries-old Japanese Shikinen Seng Ritual, according to which the techniques and skills of experienced craftsmen are passed on to the younger generation so that they can develop them further. [SW]
