Did you know that Audi once created a concept car version of the R8 that was powered by a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged diesel V12 engine? It had promise, and the idea of shoehorning a hulking diesel V12 into the sports car was an exciting prospect. Unfortunately, Audi would never green-light this concept for production.
There are many concepts that should've been built but never were. There were also several cars that came close to being fully realized, but at the last minute, an automaker shelved the project, and the car never saw the light of day. Here are cars that were nearly built and were deep into development, but whose production plans were canceled. The entries are arranged alphabetically by manufacturer.
Aston Martin Bulldog
Reason Canceled: Production Costs And A Shift In The Company's Goals
| Engine | 5.3-liter twin-turbocharged V8 |
|---|---|
| Horsepower | 600 hp - 700 hp |
| Torque | 500 lb-ft |
| 0-60 | 4.2 - 5.1 seconds |
The Aston Martin Bulldog was built to be the world's fastest production car, but ultimately, it would be remembered as an exciting idea that met an untimely end. The company conceived the machine to showcase the ability of Aston Martin's then-new engineering facility in Newport Pagnell. One of the goals was to break the 200-mile-per-hour barrier, but it would be two decades after the debut that we'd eventually see the vehicle reach that speed.
When it was unveiled, Aston Martin announced that it would create between 15 and 20 examples of the Aston Martin Bulldog. Ultimately, only a single example would be created before Victor Gauntlett, former Aston Martin chairman, canceled production plans. The reason for the cancellation was the cost of production, which was deemed too high. Soon after, the only example of the Aston Martin Bulldog was sold to a collector in the Middle East.
BMW M8 E31
Reason Canceled: Economic Recession And Seemingly No Market For It
| Engine | 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 |
|---|---|
| Horsepower | 640 hp @ 7,500 rpm |
| Torque | 479 lb-ft @ 5,600 |
| 0-60 | Unconfirmed |
The first-generation BMW 8 Series was an icon of the early 1990s, defined by its wedge-shaped physique and powerful engines. The most potent BMW 8 Series coupe available at the time was the 850CSi, and while it was a memorable offering, it wasn't as cool as the BMW M8 we never got.
BMW's original version of the 8 Series range-topper was the BMW M8, designed as a Ferrari contender and powered by a modified version of the S70 V12 engine that produced more power than any Prancing Horse did at that time. Only a single prototype was created before the project was shelved because of concerns that there wasn't a market for the M8, spurred by the global economic recession. The 850CSi that took its place featured a modified V12 engine but didn't produce nearly as much power or reach the same speeds.
Ford GT90
Reason Canceled: Development Costs, Niche Market, And Too Complex
| Engine | 5.9-liter quad-turbo V12 |
|---|---|
| Horsepower | 720 hp |
| Torque | 660 lb-ft |
| 0-60 | 3.1 seconds |
The McLaren F1 rewrote performance standards in the 1990s and is still remembered today as the fastest naturally aspirated car ever built. The F1's dominance inspired many to create their own challenger, and Ford was among them. Dubbed the GT90, Ford's F1 rival was envisioned as an angular supercar powered by a quad-turbocharged V12 engine, essentially two Ford modular V8 engines paired together, and offered impressive performance.
Even though a fully functional prototype was created, the Ford GT90 project was shelved for a variety of reasons, including the cost of further developing the GT90, potential production costs, and the sales price needed to recoup those costs, among other factors.
Honda 0 Series
Reason Canceled: Revision Of Honda's Electrification Plan
| Engine | N/A |
|---|---|
| Horsepower | N/A |
| Torque | N/A |
| 0-60 | N/A |
Honda's 0 Series SUV and sedan were the latest products from Honda's factory, defined by their futuristic styling and role as yardsticks for the automaker's electric mobility strategy. However, two years after unveiling these models at CES 2024, Honda has rescinded its promise to produce them amid a dramatic shift in the company's electric vehicle strategy.
The 0 Series and the Acura RSX (which share the same fate as the 0 Series models) were meant to be the brand's next-gen EVs. However, due to concerns about the value and offerings of these vehicles compared to those of established EV manufacturers, Honda has decided to cancel production of both the 0 Series SUV and sedan, as well as the RSX.
Jaguar C-X75
Reason Canceled: Economic Recession
| Engine | 1.6-liter twin-charged hybrid I4 |
|---|---|
| Horsepower | 890 hp (combined) |
| Torque | 738 lb-ft (combined) |
| 0-60 |
The C-X75 was the most advanced Jaguar ever created, or it would've been had the company gone through with production. Introduced in 2010, the C-X75 was envisioned as an all-wheel-drive, plug-in-hybrid supercar powered by a twin-charged inline-four-cylinder engine paired with the most power-dense electric motors available at the time to deliver impressive power.
It was also one of the fastest models from Jaguar at the time, with the prototype capable of 199 mph during testing, while the top speed was closer to 217 mph. Jaguar seemed ready to produce the C-X75, promising 250 examples in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering. However, by 2012, Jaguar announced it would cancel production plans and ultimately built only a handful of prototypes.
Sources: Saleen, TVR, Porsche, Lamborghini, Honda, Ford, BMW, Aston Martin
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
