Monterey Car Week just wrapped up, and car enthusiasts worldwide are still buzzing about the incredible concepts that graced the famous Concept Lawn. This year’s lineup wasn’t just about pretty show cars sitting under spotlights. We’re talking about genuine glimpses into the future of automotive design, where manufacturers threw caution to the wind and let their wildest ideas come to life.
From electric supercars with video game DNA to retro roadsters that channel pure sixties soul, the 2025 reveals proved that automotive design is experiencing a creative renaissance. These concepts aren’t just exercises in imagination anymore – they’re serious statements about where the industry is headed.
Chevrolet’s CX Concepts Look Like They Escaped From a Video Game
Chevrolet absolutely stunned everyone at The Quail when they unveiled their Corvette CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo concepts on August 15th. These aren’t heading to production anytime soon (Chevy made that crystal clear with “Not Available For Sale” stamped on every photo), but they represent something way more interesting than typical showcar fantasy.
The CX concept takes everything we know about Corvette design and cranks it up to science fiction levels. Its proportions look like they were designed by someone who grew up playing Gran Turismo rather than studying traditional automotive history. The grey street version and the Corvette-yellow track variant both feature design elements that would be impossible to manufacture with today’s technology, which is exactly the point.
What really grabs your attention is the interior execution. Red ballistic textile meets carbon fiber, combined with silicone leather and milled aluminum details that feel more spacecraft than sports car. The entire windshield functions as a heads-up display, essentially turning the whole glass surface into an information screen. It’s the kind of tech integration that makes you wonder why we’re still staring at tiny dashboard screens when we could have data everywhere.
The CX.R version pushes things even further with track-focused aerodynamics and over 2,000 horsepower from four electric motors. Jet-aircraft-style thrust vectoring maintains aerodynamic balance, while the drivetrain incorporates something called the RESS system that integrates the power unit directly into the drive system. These cars exist purely for Gran Turismo 7 right now, but the design language feels like a preview of where Corvette might head once manufacturing catches up to imagination.
Both concepts will serve as inspiration for future Corvette design language, according to Chevrolet. Drawing on more than 70 years of performance innovation, these concepts honor America’s sports car heritage while propelling it into an electric future.
Ford’s Bronco Roadster Concept Nails Retro Without Looking Fake
Ford surprised absolutely everyone by rolling out their Bronco Roadster Concept on Saturday afternoon at Pebble Beach. This might be the most charming reveal of the entire week, and it perfectly captures why sometimes the best design approach is knowing what to leave out.
The concept pays direct homage to the 1966 U13 Bronco Roadster, which was the sportiest of the original three Bronco configurations. But this isn’t just nostalgic pandering – Ford’s designers found a way to blend authentic sixties character with modern sixth-generation Bronco DNA in ways that feel completely natural.
Ford’s “philosophy of intentional reduction” resulted in a fully open roadster with minimalistic details that somehow manage to feel both retro and contemporary. They pulled out the rear seats and mounted a full-sized spare tire back there, painted the rear section as bare metal like the original, and sculpted the belt line to perfectly mimic the 1966 version. The roll cage, roof mounting points, doors, and door mounting points all got removed.
The interior gets the same treatment with a white-painted dashboard and floor pan, plus some gorgeous silver leather low-back seats. Ford even stamped the tailgate with the same retro “Ford” script as the original and modified the bumpers to more closely resemble vintage chrome pieces. Those Fifteen52 Analog wheels add just the right amount of period-correct styling without looking like costume jewelry.
Bronco design chief Robert Gelardi called it “like a birthday present to Bronco” for the nameplate’s 60th anniversary. The concept was inspired by a Wimbledon White 1966 Bronco Roadster owned by an enthusiast who actually worked with Ford on developing the 2021 Bronco. That kind of authentic connection shows in every detail.
Lexus Sport Concept Hints at Something Big Coming
Lexus showed up at The Quail on August 15th with their new Sport Concept and promptly said almost nothing about it, which might be the most intriguing marketing strategy anyone’s seen recently. The company describes it as blending “dynamic and emotional elements into a vision for a next-generation sports car,” but they’re keeping technical details and production plans completely under wraps.
What we can see is a design that clearly evolves from the Electrified Sport Concept that Lexus first teased back in 2021. This new version features a much more polished, production-ready appearance with a two-tone grey over black finish that suggests this isn’t just another design study collecting dust in a studio somewhere.
The proportions scream supercar with a low-slung profile and aggressive stance that would fit perfectly into LFA successor conversations. The signature checkmark headlights get integrated into angular cutouts that bookend the front fascia, while the spindle grille maintains Lexus DNA but interprets it through a more aggressive lens.
Lexus calls this “future-focused yet truly authentic,” which gives us clues about their design philosophy moving forward. They’re clearly working toward something that honors the brand’s sporting heritage while pushing into completely new territory. When the original Electrified Sport Concept debuted, Lexus projected a sub-two-second 0-60 time and 430 miles of range courtesy of solid-state batteries – specs that could easily carry over to this more refined version.
The timing feels significant too, coming when luxury performance cars are undergoing massive transformation. Lexus obviously wants to be part of that conversation, and this concept suggests they have something genuinely competitive in development rather than just pretty pictures for auto show displays.
Lucid’s Gravity X Concept Gets Seriously Adventurous
Lucid Motors revealed their Gravity X concept (pronounced “Gravity Cross”) on August 14th, calling it “a grand new concept of electric exploration.” The concept takes their production Gravity SUV and transforms it into something genuinely capable of serious off-road adventure while maintaining the luxury character that defines the brand.
The modifications include raised suspension, wider wheel arches, 21/22-inch all-terrain tires on custom wheels, tow hooks, and a uniquely styled roof rack system with integrated LED lights. The front and rear fascias get completely redesigned to improve approach and departure angles, while protective skid plates handle inevitable encounters with rocks and obstacles.
What makes the Gravity X compelling is how it maintains Lucid’s signature design language while adding functional off-road hardware that actually serves a purpose. The concept features a widened track to complement the lifted ride height, plus those chunky all-terrain tires for genuine trail capability. Too many off-road concepts feel like styling exercises that would crumble the moment they encountered actual dirt.
Inside, the Gravity X showcases Lucid’s Ojai upholstery scheme with orange piping, microsuede details, and open-pore walnut wood inlays. Premium leather seats and high-performance floor mats protect the vehicle during adventures, while a microsuede steering wheel offers enhanced grip for precise control on all terrains. The interior maintains the comfort and spaciousness that Gravity owners love while adding practical touches for outdoor use.
Derek Jenkins, Lucid’s SVP of Design and Brand, explained the thinking: “We’re proud of the Gravity, just as it is, but I think there was always this desire to do a little bit more ruggedized car, something that did speak to a little bit more lifestyle and outdoorsiness. And I’d say this is a pretty aggressive approach.”
The concept builds on the Gravity Grand Touring’s already impressive foundation – up to 450 miles of EPA-estimated range, all-wheel drive, and a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds. With an available three-row configuration offering space for up to seven passengers and their gear, the Gravity X explores what happens when you push those capabilities even further into adventure territory.
Bentley EXP 15 Channels Blue Train Spirit for Electric Future
Bentley’s EXP 15 concept made its public debut at Pebble Beach as the brand’s first concept car to attend Monterey Car Week since the EXP 100 GT celebrated their centenary in 2019. This three-door, three-seat design pays direct homage to the iconic 1930 Speed Six Gurney Nutting ‘Blue Train’ Sportsman coupé, but with a distinctly modern interpretation.
The concept showcases innovative materials, lighting technology, and exterior surfacing techniques that could find their way into production vehicles over the next few years. While Bentley makes clear this isn’t intended for production, the EXP 15 provides important clues about the design language we can expect from their first fully electric car and other future models.
The proportions echo classic Bentley grand touring DNA with that characteristic long hood and rearward cabin placement. But the execution feels thoroughly contemporary with surfacing details and lighting elements that wouldn’t look out of place in 2035. The three-seat configuration is particularly intriguing, suggesting Bentley is thinking about interior layouts that prioritize the driving experience over conventional luxury car social dynamics.
These concept cars from Pebble Beach 2025 represent genuine explorations of where automotive design might head as the industry continues its massive transformation. Each one approaches the challenge differently, but they all prove that car companies are thinking way beyond just making existing vehicles electric.
What strikes you most about this year’s concept lineup is the willingness to take real risks with proportions, materials, and design languages that push well beyond safe evolutionary steps. These aren’t safe, committee-approved showpieces designed to avoid controversy – they’re bold statements that suggest automakers are finally ready to embrace genuine creative risks again.
The post The Wildest Concept Cars That Just Stole the Show at Pebble Beach 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.