4 Concept Cars We Wish We Were Driving Home For The Holidays

If you are like most Americans, you probably have a lot of driving or travel coming up. You could be going to a friendsgiving across town or hitting the interstate for a few thousand miles. To quote "King of the Hill's" very astute Peggy Hill: "The day before Thanksgiving is, in my opinion, one of the busiest travel days of the year." As it stands, there's about a century's worth of cars you could choose for travel this year; some, like big SUVs and vans, are perfect for the job. Others, like high-end sports cars or your Mazda Miata project are not so well suited for long periods on the road. 

However, what about concept cars that never saw the light of day or reached final production? Next to all the fancy exotics and technological proof of concept cars, automakers have tried to make cars for the task of loading up and hitting the road. For one reason or another, these concepts never made it to your driveway, but it's worth taking a look at what could have been the future of holiday travel. 

Starting with the biggest, the Ram Long-Hauler was a 2011 Ram truck concept that was designed for towing and, of course, hauling for vast distances. Mechanically, it was a Ram 5500 chassis cab that was fitted an extended passenger compartment and a fifth-wheel trailer setup. It had a 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine that output 800 lb-ft of torque. 

What gave it the "Long-Hauler" name was the fact that it had a 170-gallon fuel capacity across three total fuel tanks. It was 24 feet long and was estimated to weigh 9,300 pounds, only rivaling the recent GMC Hummer EV in heft. The inside was as luxurious as a Ram truck could possibly be, with leather covering every surface. The back bench was converted to two captain's chairs for ultimate comfort (as long as you only have two kids). Ram made exactly one Long-Hauler truck and it traveled around the country during the summer and fall of 2011. It never saw real production, but if it did, it might be the only big truck that was known for passing gas stations with regularity without the need for a fill-up. 

Audi's interestingly named "Grandsphere" concept sought to be the final word in quiet and comfortable transportation. It was a 2021 grand touring EV sedan with plenty of interior space for relaxing and a minimal design for "digital detox" according to Audi. The rear seats were a single bench and, in keeping with the environmentally friendly messaging, it wasn't swathed in leather like a lot of other luxury GT cars. For range, it was impressive (even for today). Audi said its Grandsphere concept would have 466 miles of estimated range from its massive 120 kilowatt-hour battery. It was also fitted with level 4 autonomous driving tech, so you would have to do very little actual "driving." 

If you've been in a modern EV, you have likely noticed that Audi's idea of digital detox didn't go anywhere. There are still many screens trying to get your attention in the cockpit. But if the Grandsphere was ever made in reality, driving across the country in minimalist comfort and signature Audi style would have been one of the better ways to spend the time. 

You might be reading this and thinking "I don't have a big family to haul around to my relatives' homes for the holidays. All I have are my track day supplies and a motorcycle." Well, the Ford Econoline Chicane Concept from might be the best possible car for you. It was, essentially, a run of the mill 1997 Ford E-350, except fitted with a 6.8-liter V10, 18-inch wheels, and traction control. It's basically a race van. It had a motorcycle ramp in the rear, a VCR (remember, this was 1996), rear captain's chairs, and a full-fledged entertainment center complete with a sound system and navigation system. You could use it to have the ultimate family fun on the trails behind grandma's house or take it to the dunes by yourself. Either use case is acceptable.

Ford's race van, unfortunately, never saw the light of day. There are few things cooler than the idea of showing up to Christmas dinner in a fire-breathing Ford Econoline with a Ducati or a Bimota superbike in the back. 

Nowadays, your options for giant convertibles are fairly limited. But if Cadillac had its vision of the future realized with the Sollei, then things would be a bit different. The Sollei was revealed last year, as SlashGear reported, meaning there's still time to deliver on the promise of open-air electrified comfort (however unlikely that is). A big four-seater convertible might not be the best car for the late fall and winter months, but if you spent your holidays in Malibu or Miami, it would fit in just fine. 

Mechanically, Cadillac didn't specify how much power it would have, or really all that much else when it comes to specifications. If would, however, have been coachbuilt, meaning that it would have been custom made for whoever was willing to shell out the cash, much like the Celestiq. What better way to impress your in-laws than show up in a huge cream-colored Cadillac convertible for Christmas?