Auto Design

by Giancarlo Perini (c)

Now I realise I have made a mistake to give up a visit to China for Auto Shanghai 2011. At least I would have been able to see the Volvo Concept Universe and offer you my opinion. Read the rest of this entry »

From Giancarlo Perini ©

Today Volkswagen has eventually released the first official pictures of its third generation Beetle. The official images show that the grand child has grown up and aims at developing a personality of its own, on line with the tune of the mature-internet generation. Read the rest of this entry »

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. Read the rest of this entry »

By Giancarlo Perini ©

Can you concentrate all the luxury of a most aristocratic Rolls-Royce into a compact Mini?

Probably not. Yet you can go a very long way with the help of the Rolls-Royce design team led by Ian Camerun. Just look at the very plush and British interior of the Mini Inspired by Goodwood to be unveiled for the first time at Auto Shanghai next week and you may agree that a compact city car can be very seriously luxurious, filled with the finest material, soft leather and quite a bit of traditional walnut veneer. Read the rest of this entry »

Exclusive.

Just 21 days ahead of the Auto Shanghai 2011 show, BMW has officially released the news concerning the very unique and amazingly fast M3 Pick-up developed by a task force in a very short period of time.

Considering the speed of the entire development, today I prefer to let the press-office tell you the entire story by reproducing here the full press release, issued just few hours ago.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Giancarlo Perini. ©

You can’t be mistaken: the show car that Smart is presenting in Geneva with the name of “forspeed” proves that the company’s designers have taken a ride on the roller-coaster and had a lot of fun in creating an EV Roadster so full of curvatures, shapes and colour that in its full-size dimension attract teen-agers with a driving license and, in a smaller scale, would be the dream of their younger brothers and sister under ten. Read the rest of this entry »

By Giancarlo Perini ©

MINI is far from being tired of launching newer and sexier ideas in spectacular show-cars. In Geneva they will we unveiling their shortest and possibly lightest (for the millenium) Mini so far. It will be also the fastest from zero to 100 thanks to its hybrid technology since, according to a company statement “it is designed to allow the integration of a drive system which combines further enhanced sprinting ability with average fuel consumption of just three liters per 100 kilometers (94 mpg imp).” Read the rest of this entry »

By Giancarlo Perini ©

Bertone plans to show two design works on the Jaguar theme at the Geneva Motor Show. In addition to the Jaguar B 99, already unveiled in the past few days by friendly magazines, there will be also a “racing” derivative in GT2 style. Mike Robinson, director of design and brand manager, is indeed putting the final touches to a second show-model that will be on the company stage at the Show. That is the Jaguar B99 GT.

The B99 GT is indeed a design evolution presented as a full scale model. The approach is similar to the one taken in the past by Italdesign when they used the full scale model built to create the show-car to present a additional “design” through upgrading, tuning and graphic work. Read the rest of this entry »

By Giancarlo Perini ©

With their Vision Efficient Dynamic unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and to enter limited production at the end of 2013, BMW designers gave form to a series of innovation focusing on fuel efficiency and reduction of CO2 emissions through a very attractive, lighter and more compact, four-seater, supercar, with high performance hybrid technology. Read the rest of this entry »

By Giancarlo Perini ©

The official unveiling is just a week away. It will take place in Milano at the Pirelli Headquarters.

The pictures of the most exclusive among the best performing supercars that more than 1 million Euros (1.35 million dollars) can buy make it clear: this is really the ultimate cars to have or Maharajas and Sultans, but Hollywood producer, pop stars, finance and industrial tycoons, and well established royalties. Read the rest of this entry »