Auto Design

By Giancarlo Perini ©

The 2011 Auto Shanghai motor show, opening in a week time, will not be business as usual. Indeed it will mark a new era of the entire world car industry, the one steered by the Chinese market and industry. China is the biggest car market, and the one that is growing faster worldwide. The leading premium brands are betting on for most of their growth in the decade.

For VW China is by far the biggest market. Last year they sold 2 million cars there, twice as much as they did in Germany. For the German premium-car makers, China already is their top export business and might soon become their biggest market too.

So much so that makers such as Audi and Peugeot have approved investment for classic notchbacks that they their traditional markets would not buy in numbers big enough to justify the investment. The new Peugeot 508 is the first example: half of the project production and sales are for, and from, China.

Next will be the Audi A3 Limousine and the all-new Volvo four doors, 5-metres, long-wheel-base Luxury Coupe. This one is just of the many new cars (and some surprises) to be unveiled at the latest hour.

Within this scenario, with their world-premières the top European brands will steal just a share of the public attention from the dynamic home players, which will unveil an overwhelming number of attractions of all sorts.

In addition to the newcomers unveiled in Geneva last month, visitors to Auto Shanghai will be delighted to be the first ones to see in full metal the new Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz’s vision of their A-Class replacement that goes on sale next year. Both in high performance and luxury equipment settings. Both come with “small” 4-cylinder engines with output in the area of 200 hp. The A class is front wheel drive only whereas the Q3 is available also with “quattro” transmission.

Next is the new generation of the VW Beetle that must be up to the design standard of the superlative VW Bulli Concept presented in Geneva, to really catch the young generations it is hunting for. The new Beetle will be launched worldwide from Shanghai and broadcast from MTV World Stage Parties in Berlin and New York, with dedicated exhibitions.

MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households,

BMW reacts to the attacks of its competitors in many ways: with a typical “made for China and built in China (with Chinese partner Brilliance)” hi-tech luxury concept that combines the status and comfort of a long wheel base 5 Series with the advanced, high performance, plug-in hybrid technology.

For a green 5 Series for tycoons sitting in the back, there is another one for those who love driving themselves: the new 560 hp BMW M5, it is called a concept car but indeed it just preview the newcomer due to go on sale this year.

The answer from Porsche comes with the name of Panamera Turbo S, also a four door limousine that now come with some 550 hp and a top speed close to 310 kph.

On its turn MINI has reserved to Shanghai the new ultra-luxury MINI Inspired by Goodwood and designed with the help of they Rolls-Royce team takes the highest quality standards of the traditional, all-leather -and-wood, British design. Production is based on craftsmanship and is limited to 1000 pieces, with deliveries starting in one year time. Luxury can be small and is trendy in megacities.

The Germans are dominating the scene in China but Peugeot and Citroen are challenging them and are very serious at improving their performance there. While Citroen has in store a surprising long-wheel-base luxury flagship Peugeot will not do just with the 508 Sedan and its hybrid concept.

They will also tease the public with the concept of a cutting edge 4×4 crossover with hybrid technology (petrol engine this time, not diesel) reportedly called Peugeot SXC, designed by Peugeot’s design team in China

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