The recent unveiling of the Chevrolet Volt left a lot of car fans wondering: What happened? How did it go from eye-catching concept to pedestrian production car?

The short answer: Aero-dynamics and technology. Changes were needed to make the Volt hit a range of 40 miles on a single charge and accommodate the realities of daily driving.

"The original concept was strictly a fantasy car," said Ed Welburn, General Motors' global design vice president.

While it's not the creased baby Camaro unveiled at the 2007 Detroit auto show, the production Volt is hardly a dog. And the stylish, contemporary looks are expected to have staying power in the marketplace, though consumers are still adjusting to the dramatic changes.

It's obvious that a good deal of the exterior has evolved. The hood is shorter, the headlights are rounder, and the fenders are toned down considerably from the flared concept. The production roofline also has more of a bubble shape.

GM brass says the angular concept would never have achieved a range of 40 miles on a single charge, likely falling short by six or seven miles.



Production Volt
"That was unacceptable," said Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman and product guru.

So, designers and engineers went back to the drawing board, with aerodynamics and efficiency in mind. Versions that were completely different from the concept car were considered before being nixed by Lutz. The final design is the closest of several options to the concept car, said Volt designer Bob Boniface. The production Volt has a 30 percent improved drag coefficient and a top speed of 100 mph, and it is hitting acceleration and other performance targets during testing, Lutz said.

And it's not as if everything changed. In the back, the modifications are far less dramatic, and the squared-off appearance and prominent taillight graphics remain faithful to the concept. A spoiler adds athleticism and helps efficiently channel airflow away from the car. With its shiny, 17-inch forged-aluminum wheels (18s will be optional) and pale-blue paint job, many would consider the Volt fairly chic.

"I think it's very contemporary in design," said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. "You've got to be careful in this to not have something that's too cute."

In some ways, the concept's sharper styling and GM's heavy promotional use of it may have created unrealistic expectations that the production version would mirror the concept. In a survey of more than 800 people by CNW Research comparing the two versions of the Volt, 72 percent said the final design was "uninspired." While production models rarely match their conceptual advance billing, the buying public might be less forgiving of the Volt variance.

"It's like the production car is a step backward from the show car," said Art Spinella, CNW president.

Now that we've finally seen the production Volt, we'll need to get used to it. Lutz said it will have a long product cycle, with few changes to the sheetmetal. He did leave open the possibility of some modifications to the car's less controversial insides.

"The interior, over time, we can play games with," he hinted.