Auto Design

by Giancarlo Perini (c)

You can look back at the Paris Motor Show, the latest top-ranking of the season from many different perspectives: business as usual or new perspective, sexy style or strict functionality, economic status or talks between car-makers to discuss new alliance and even a show within the show. Indeed this is what tiny British carmaker Lotus has done in Paris. By presenting as many as 5 new concept-cars and mock-ups (Elise, Elan and Esprit, Elite and Eterne) the company has attracted a lot of attention from the media and caused a series of serious of questions now waiting for an answer.

Indeed Lotus new leaders (led by past Ferrari managers) is trying to re-establish the company as a new competitor to Ferrari: their head of design, Donato Cocco, went no-stop from Maranello to Hethel (home of Lotus headquarters). The look of the new Lotus is quite sexy and really fast. Trouble is that they are hardly “new” cars. It couldn’t be otherwise: considering the extension of similarities with existing Ferrari. But what is most amazing (and confusing) is the offer of bigger V8 (Toyota) engines with too many horse power at a time when the trend is going in the different direction, toward downsizing. They are just too heavy to deserve the Lotus badge. This and the excess of different cars aiming at the same market produce a clear perception that the company strategy and efforts are aiming at capturing investors rather the car buyers. I will certainly be not one of them. I cannot see how they can go from 2 to 10 thousand sales per year within the next 5 to 10 years. I cannot offer any of my own pictures: access to their exhibition was managed as a popular disco with people (professional and not having to queue to be let in, simply ridicolous).

Back to the real show, I would leave the talks among top executives of merge, alliance or sale to the financial newspapers, but simply note that in this area it was the perspective sale of Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen that was the most controversial, with Fiat’s C.e.o. saying “let them wait” and those a VW commenting “It is just a matter of time”. Everyone would love to get Alfa Romeo and Fiat has more words than money to spend on its revival.

As expected the main theme (and obsession) of the show was the electric-car (and mopeds) of the near, or far, future, but the more beautiful show-cars got more attention for their style, as we shall see in a moment.

On the regular production cars front, the newcomers to mention bear the name of the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the fore-runner of the “sleek four door coupé” architecture is now at its second generation and comes with a style that cannot go unnoticed for its strong character and (following the BMW school of design) sharp lines as well for the news that it will also come with s compact 4 cylinder 2.2 litre diesel engine pumping as much as 500 Nm of torque and 150 kW power.

Next is the New Audi A7 which goes on sale in November but has already been seen and driven before the show. The third “premium” brand presented in Paris the new BMW X3 cross-over that is bigger and better than its predecessor and is no longer produced in Austria by Magna Steyr but in Spartanburg (U.S.A.) by BMW themselves. They also unveiled the look of the forthcoming BMW 6 Series coupé as a very promising “concept”.

In the ultra-luxury category it is Bentley which won the greatest acclaim with their new Continental GT Coupé, also with stronger character lines, especially in the rear and s V8 replacing the V12 to save up to 40% emissions. Ferrari, on their side, launched a limited edition (80 units only, all sold) of its California in roadster style, called SA Aperta where S stands for Sergio and A for Andrea Pininfarina, whereas Aperta is Italian for open (roof).

Hyundai and Kia keep going strong and have introduced a range of new cars due to go on sale in the next months: the Hyundai ix20 minivan (sister of the Kia Venga, both for the small size segment), the new Genesis Coupé now more powerful with a 3.8 litre, 303 HP V6 or a 2.0 litre 210, four-in-line engine. In addition, Hyundai also presented the Genesis sedan and the Equus flagship with the aim of monitoring the public’s reaction. Kia, on its turn, introduced in Europe the successor to the Magentis up-scale sedan. All confirmed the steady improvement of the Korean car industry leaders.

Now under Indian (Tata) ownership Land Rover seems to enjoy a new life. In Paris the company is showing to the public at large its new Range Rover Evoque in a brilliant move that combines marketing, branding and design. Indeed the Evoque is in essence a Land Rover Freelander, redesigned and re-engineering (shorter but wider) to drive on front wheels only (first time ever in a Land Rover, what a shame!) as well as 4×4 (with bigger engines) and styled as a trendy (although rather impractical) 2 door SUV Coupé. It clearly aims at attracting fashion victims driving in metropolitan areas. Soon a 4-door version will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month (November). The Range Rover Evoque will probably be a success among emotional and irrational driven buyers, quite the opposite of those who will continue to make the redesigned Volkswagen Passat, the best selling car in the European upper-medium class.

The new VW Passat available as a sedan and wagon is the perfect classic, rational and quality product for the conservative customers. Its style combine the new VW look of recent Golf and Polo with a body that strongly recalls Mercedes-Benz of two or three decades ago. That style is an evergreen and VW is quite right in taking this direction now that Mercedes has left that market to other makers. Classic in style, the Passats are very modern in technology and sophisticated in equipment and option.

Volvo, on the contrary, is moving fast into a more dynamic and performance oriented territory. Its new V60 is a coupé-like compact wagon with a strong image designed to appeal to safety-conscious drivers who also favour a modern and trendy look.

This was not all, because the French industry made sure to have new proposals for their own motor show, even though they did not impress but for the new Peugeot 508 sedan which elegant and classic style takes back Peugeot to good design. Also noteworthy from Peugeot is their 3008 Hybrid 4, the first to match a diesel engine with electric traction (on real wheels thus delivering part-time 4×4 transmission).

Citroen’s new C4 is different from the generation it replaces but it is hardly better, despite a series of improvement under the bonnet and for the quality of materials inside the passenger cabin. Its design is absolutely conservative and rather irrelevant. Even the “premium” derivative the DS4 is a disappointment after the very cute and successful DS3.

Last but not least is Renault. This company focused its effort on electric vehicles and a stunning show-car, leaving to their Korean partner, Samsung, to deliver the Latitude, another unlikely attempt (after the Vel Satis) to win European buyers to a premium car with the Renault trade mark. Clearly a no-investments, no-risks, option that might make some sense at this time.

Renault showed a completely different face with its stunning show-car; and it is with its DeZir that we now enter into the “Concept, dream and show” cars territory.

Once again, the name carry the message: the capital Z is the symbol for zero emission performance granted by a 109 kW electric motor propelling the 830 kg Kevlar intense, two-seater coupé, with symmetric door and bio-design look. DeZir is an artificial name that has no meaning but its pronunciation in French sounds like “desir”, French for “desire”. This is the first car designed under the new leadership of Laurens van den Acker to be seen by the public at large and certainly marks a departure from recent design works by Renault.

Although very interesting DeZir was not my favourite design at the show. In my opinion the “dream car” that deserves the title of “Star of the Show” is the Jaguar C-X75. Not only its architecture and style achieve a beautiful balance in volumes, shapes and graphic but the proposed powertrain and traction system (now under feasibility study in view of a limited production, not yet decided) grants this powerful supercar a clear eco-friendly image by combining four electric motors (one per wheel) with twin-turbine Hybrid (see dedicated post for more).

My choice of the “Top Star” has not been easy because there were a few more very attractive show-cars that deserved the honour of a bright star: the Audi e-tron Spyder (the electric open-air sport car for the purists),

Lamborghini “Sesto Elemento” (the technology show-case of future supercars), Sear IBe (the affordable 2+2 coupé for the young and green generation) and the KIA POP (the theoretical and futuristic three-seats, electric drive, alternative to the Toyota IQ city car).

There were other interesting concept cars on display, such as the Audi Quattro Concept, Citroen Lacoste, Nissan Townpod, Peugeot HR1 and EX 1; and the Renault Zoe but they are not within my top 5 favourite from Paris.

Yet, they – but the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento – clearly confirm the trend emerged in recent times: the car of the future is going to be a Hybrid and than (or) an Electric car. Well, at least a good part of them because for quite some time the internal combustion engine will continue to live and prosper all over the world.

Lamborghini might eventually offer also an hybrid alternative to their V10 and V12 engines but for the time being they are working to dramatically cut fuel emission (hence consumption) by dramatically cut the weight of their car through extensive use of carbon fibre.

Their Sesto Elemento (Italian for Sixth Element) introduces the use of avionic “forged carbon” technology that allow to form a new panel of any dimension in six minutes versus the six hours requested so far by conventional carbon fibre cooking oven. Lighter cars should positively be the new frontier but they cost a lot of money and the industry prefers to look elsewhere. As long as they can afford it.