Don't they also have, like, futuristic and unrealistically expensive car design shows? And car manufacturers participate in them for the clout, the name recognition, etc., even though most of their customers are still going to buy standard off-the-floor models.

(Don't get me wrong, I think the fashion catwalks and the car shows are stupid, I'm just saying maybe the car shows make more sense to you and therefore you can kind of understand the catwalks?)
 

Clodfobble

"Come, Let us reason together."

Oil on the water, walking a mile in my shoes, 

Friends, dwellars, countrymen.

Lend me your ears.

Let us give praise where praise is due, to the peacemakers, and Clodfobble is their Queen, and ours.

*prostrates*

The fashion catwalks I'll never understand. Maybe because never attending one I'm not getting the big picture. I could be I only seeing pictures of the far out shit and they do actually show the designs they plan on making. 

The big auto shows the manufacturers show off their production cars as well as the concept cars. Those are showing possible lines and features that may be included in future models. Part of it is to get a yay/nay reaction from the public. I've seen bits and pieces like a windshield shape, or wheel opening design show up on production cars that had appeared on a concept. They also give the brass a chance to peruse proposed designs. Some years I got the feeling they threw something together because it was expected by tradition. Easy to do because they always have reams of design ideas.