Auto Design

PEUGEOT RCZ

Back from holidays, I am facing great difficulties sitting back to my desk and go through the news to report, possibly in a sensible order. The sun is hot, the wind is fresh,  the sky is blue, the air is clean. Outside. What am I doing in my hole with a keypad and a monitor challenging me?

In addition, there is too much to report but nothing new to make “the news”. It is business as usual.

Here, now, comes the IAA, the international automobile exhibition that takes place in Frankfurt on odds years. With it, the long list of “attractions” expected to demonstrate the innovations and the future of the automotive industry worldwide.

BMW X1                                                                                     HYUNDAI ix35

I fear my anticipation for something really new will turn into disappointment, and spending three days on the mission does not excite me ay more.

Apart from the stunning and unrealistic electric supercars such as the speculated Audi R8 E Performance or the anticipated Mercedes-Benz SLS, always good to put on a show for the media, let me just list a few of the “new stars” to be seen at the IAA and announced so far: Ferrari 458 Italia, Citroen DS 3, Peugeot RCZ, Volkswagen Polo in three door version,  Mini Coupé Concept, Kia Sorrento and Venga, Hyundai ix35, and the new Opel Astra.

VAUXALL (OPEL) ASTRA                                                               KIA VENGA

Attractive and cute, powerful and sexy, cars. No question about it, but is this what we call innovation, trend setter, the future? I am not convinced.

Perhaps this time it is more appropriate to watch at the developments of the industry at this time of deep economic depression and unprecedented opportunities for radical changes that we are probably going to miss.

Sure, after the Mini and the Fiat 500, the Citroen DS 3 (on of the symbol of this IAA in my opinion) confirm a new trend: that of a car designed by marketing illusionists rather than by functional rationality, performance, aerodynamics, social responsibility or engineering. The key words are “premium”, “luxury”, “exclusivity”, whatever they mean in the different corners of our globe.

FIAT PUNTO EVO – RESTYLING APART, POSSIBLY THE MOST TIME AND MARKET

SENSITIVE DEVELOPMENT @ THE IAA

That are chances that the accent will be, once again, on the promises of the future: with hybrids everywhere, on the floor and in the speeches; electric cars of many sorts in the sketches anticipating the near future and few more fuel-efficient internal combustion engined cars running on a variety of liquid and gaseous fuels.

What I would like to see (and will be looking for) is cars that are reasonably smaller or, at least, not growing on the dimensions of their predecessors, cars that are simpler and lighter, with record setting aerodynamics and still comfortable and offering the right amount of space where it can be used with much lower rolling resistance. In few words, just more reasonable and efficient, simple and clever, brilliant and smart cars. How long do we need to wait for a lighter Ferrari? I will not go as far as expecting a 1000 kg Ferrari before 2015, but are we entitled to see a Ferrari (or a Lamborghini) for the road that is 200 kg lighter any time soon?

JAGUAR 2009 XJ                                                                           PEUGEOT 5008