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.

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A commentary.

In the mid-sixties, the Milanese Inter foot-club was dominating the scene in Europe, under the leadership of coach Helenio Herrera and the ownership of Angelo Moratti. Herrera had a lot of talent and a simple, pragmatic strategy: buy all the best players, even if he could not use all of them. Read the rest of this entry »

Those of you who read Car Styling magazine might have been puzzled by my report on the Geneva motor show published in the latest (and last?) issue of the magazine.
For some mysterious accident that are more common in the printed press than you can image my text was cut and mixed up. For a more accurate reading and for the records I am publishing here the original text. Just as a sign of respect for my readers.

Official statistics show that the latest and 80th Geneva Motor Show set a new record for “premieres”, with as many as eighty “new cars”, or so, unveiled for the first time there. Now, considering the space in the magazine is not growing with the number of new cars at motor shows, let’s go straight to the point and answer the usual questions: how was the show this year. What was relevant and worth recording for the years to come?

First I would say that I saw more irrelevant, disappointing or irritating cars (read designs) than interesting and attractive ones: be for their design or their lack of innovative ideas/concepts. A short list includes the Aston Martin Cygnet,  Renault Megane CC, Renault Wind and Toyota Auris.

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Back from the Geneva Motor Show I choose to offer first a first selection of interior shots, either from the show itself or its carmaker. Part 1 shows the ones I liked. Part 2, tomorrow will show what could be better.

In these pages a selection, for the entire gallery click on the image at the bottom.

 Rinspeed iChange

 Rinspeed iChange

Ford 2009 Iosis MAX

Ford 2009 Iosis MAX

Lexus RX 450H

Lexus RX 450H

Hyundai ix-onic

Protoscar Lampo

Italdesign Giugiaro FN Namir

Click image below for the photo gallery:

A relatively compact 5-seater SUV with a CO2 emission rate of just 149 g/km is what Hyundai is showing at the Geneva Motor Show with the name of HED ix-onic (pronounced “ik-sonnik”). The latest show car from the successful Korean carmaker has been created by the company’s design studio based in Rüsselsheim (Germany) and directed by Thomas Bürkle. The new concept has been developed by a team that included Eduardo Ramirez (project leader), Thomas Sälzle (exterior) and Jörg Maluschka (interior). Read the rest of this entry »