Table of contents for No. 181 in AUTO & DESIGN

The third prong of the Trident is an elegantly powerful droptop boasting sinuous forms and precious detailing. Following its official debut at the last Frankfurt Show, the GranCabrio has made it on to the road to complete the Maserati range alongside the Quattroporte saloon and the GranTurismo coupé that it derives from and of which it preserves the four real seats, the first droptop in Maserati’s history to have more than two. The styling is once again the work of Pininfarina. The challenge was the same as ever when designing a cabriolet: to achieve a beautiful shape whether the roof is up or down. This is one aspect where the GranCabrio wins a points verdict over many competitors thanks to the traditional canvas hood which is, however, modelled as if…

If Lamborghini represents a dream, as de’ Silva says, then the job of its style centre is “to create things for our clients that they haven’t even dreamed of yet. We can’t cite something they already know. We have to surprise them by always creating something new”. Brand and Design director Manfred Fitzgerald sums up the spirit of Lamborghini by saying that each car represents a chapter in its own right in the history of the brand. It would be pointless to try to identify recurring themes, as happens with other brands. “You just need to visit our museum to understand this”, says chief designer Filippo Perini. “Lamborghini has never followed a continuous theme, it has always proposed different genres and styles, created by many different designers.” A change in…

Opel’s new Meriva is not simply a successor model. The original Meriva was a low-key project with unknown potential, almost a try-out in the European small minivan segment, and earmarked to serve the Brazilian market as well. It was codeveloped with Opel in Germany and GM do Brasil, based on a hybrid platform architecture which made use of Corsa and Astra subsystems. But the Meriva worked. It became segment leader in Europe, mostly by virtue of its flexible rear seating, and notwithstanding its less-than-inspiring design. So the design brief for the new Meriva was almost obvious: create a car with even more flexible functionality, and add more flavour to its design. This is in short what the new car is all about. The Meriva sits on the larger Zafira platform…

A single glance is enough to realise that the Nissan Juke is much more than just a reduced scale reiteration of the Qashqai. But the mission was the same: to offer a highly original alternative to run of the mill hatchbacks – in this case in particular, small models such as the Peugeot 207 and Fiat Punto. Nissan’s NDE London design centre has actually produced a some-what courageous interpretation of the idea, without straying far from the singular lines of the Qazana concept, presented exactly a year previously at Geneva. The project is based on the super-imposition of typical SUV traits over those of a distinctly sporty car. As a result, at the front is a prominent sump guard and generous wheels ensure substantial ground clearance, which is further emphasised…

The evolution of the Kia brand is also evidently reflected in its style. After the original Soul, the new Venga comes along to shake things up in the MPV subsection of the B segment. Previewed by the N°3 concept unveiled last Spring at Geneva, the car was developed at the Russelsheim design centre by a team headed by Peter Schreyer, to combine formal innovation, aerodynamic efficiency (with a Cd of just 0.31) and versatility. While based on the Soul platform, the Venga is smaller, at 4.06 metres long, 1.76 wide and 1.60 tall. The car has a decidedly dynamic and even bold road presence. The short front, incorporating Kia’s most recent family cues, leads into a deeply raked and generously sized windscreen which, together with the tall, rising waistline, lends…

Italdesign Giugiaro have recently signed a 375-million dollar agreement with Hybrid Kinetic Motors (HK Motors). This American company with Chinese capital will thus assign the Italian coach builder with a development plan that includes the production of 8 new hybrid vehicles: three saloons, a SUV, a CUV, a van, a taxi and an MPV. Italdesign Giugiaro will manage the entire project in all its stages – styling research, engineering, testing, prototyping, assistance in the production start-up stage – and will also coordinate all the suppliers. The partnership was signed in the presence of Robert Ritley, governor of Alabama, the American state where, by the end of 2013, one of the six plants (three in the USA and 3 in China) for the production of the new vehicles, will be built.…

The Michelin Challenge Design success story continues, with numerous designers from all over the world taking part each year. The Challenge’s proven formula subdivides proposals into the three categories: Full Size vehicle, Scale models and Drawings. For this, the ninth edition of the competition, the theme – which changes from year to year following the trends and demands of the automotive market – was all about electric propulsion. Under the title “Electrifying! Beautiful, Innovative and Radiant”, the theme called upon designers to imagine the electric car of the future, with a particular accent on aesthetic beauty. The participants turned their talents to creating concepts intended to improve energy efficiency, minimise environmental impact and meet the requisites for attractive design. Of the 290 entries received from 59 countries around the world,…

These proposals suggest what a future generation of electric vehicles branded Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick could look like, as envisaged by the Senior students of the Automotive Design course, who focused on aerodynamics as the key aspect in optimising the efficiency of electric cars. Basing their work on an analysis of the potential users for each brand, the students developed original styling solutions including innovative driver/vehicle interface systems. Ecco come potrebbe essere la prossima generazione elettrica marchiata Chevrolet, Cadillac e Buick o meglio, come la vorrebbero gli studenti “Senior” del corso di Automotive Design che hanno puntato sull’aerodinamica come ingrediente fondamentale nella resa dei veicoli elettrici. Basandosi sull’analisi dei potenziali utenti di ciascun marchio, hanno sviluppato soluzioni stilistiche originali tra cui anche innovativi sistemi di interazione pilota/veicolo.…

The LP570/4 Superleggera is the latest addition to the line-up from Sant’Agata Bolognese presented recently at Geneva. 570 stands for the number of horsepower produced by its engine and 4 stands for four wheel drive, while the Superleggera moniker (meaning ‘superlight’) – the legendary brand of Carrozzeria Touring, for which Lamborghini bought the rights – is for the 70 kilo weight reduction compared with the standard Gallardo, which (at a price premium of approximately 20%) will delight true driving enthusiasts. But that’s enough numbers – with vital statistics even more impressive than the successful first Superleggera (originally supposed to be built in a limited series of 300, although 618 were eventually made), nobody is setting any goals or limits for this new beast. “We spent a lot of effort on…

After the intriguing Crossover concept presented at Paris in 2008 and the fun Beachcomber concept which hinted at a return of the unforgettable Moke last January at Detroit, the production model – the fourth in the Mini family (until the coupé and roadster arrive) – was finally revealed at Geneva. The new model takes the name of another celebrated variant of Alec Issigonis’ original Mini – the Countryman. Instead of the old estate with wood panelling, however, this is a modern SUV or, as its designer Gert Hildebrand prefers to call it, an SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle). This is the first Mini with four doors, the first with four wheel drive (albeit as an option) and the first to break four metres in length (4.097, to be precise), which is…

“Anti Retrò” is how Citroën describes the style of its new DS3 while drawing attention to its personality. This is a self-confident, strong-charactered car pitched as the antithesis to trendy rivals such as the Mini, Cinquecento and even the Mito which, however, all base their appeal to a greater or lesser extent on echoes of the past. The only thing that the DS3 draws from the history of the brand, on the other hand, is a moniker signifying technology, creativity and innovation. “This car,” explains Mark Lloyd of the Citroën design centre, “is built at the Poissy plant and is based on the platform of the 5-door C3 hatch. However, this is not just a sportier three-door alternative, but a different model with its own personality on the road and…

Some of the most unique creations of all start off as an idea that switches on like a light bulb in the mind. And this is how the Modulo came to be. Paolo Martin created the Pininfarina 512S Modulo in 1970 as a challenge – as he himself recalls – to explore new ground and break free of the commonplace. Indeed a car with an architecture and proportions seemingly from another planet and using state of the art technological solutions for the era could hardly go unnoticed. “Four decades on, I noticed that many aspiring young designers – and established designers, too – explicitly cite the 1970 Modulo in their work, and I wondered how a new Modulo would look today.” No sooner said than done – inspired by curiosity,…

Two American brands, Chrysler and GM, and the Japanese brand Honda. The Centre for Creative Studies, its Automotive Design course and its Senior and Junior students. These are the ingredients for the elaborate design recipe that produced the proposals described here. Responding to three separate design briefs – one for each brand – the realistic and original proposals look to a post-crisis future with optimism and imagination. Due marchi americani, Chrysler e GM e un marchio orientale, Honda. Il Centre for Creative Studies, il suo corso di studi in Automotive Design e i suoi studenti “Seniors” e “Junior”. Sono questi gli ingredienti dell’elaborata ricetta di progettazione automobilistica che ha generato le proposte recensite in queste pagine. Rispondono a tre briefing autonomi, uno per ciascun brand. Concrete ed originali, guardano con…

A n analysis of a more or less currently relevant, critical and complex American scenario gave rise to an original project dedicated to the Japanese Honda brand conducted by the Junior students of the Automotive Design course. The brief asked them to design a vehicle based on the popular CR-V model and a second non-automotive vehicle to be incorporated into the car like a sort of wheeled tender. The three proposals selected were bold and purposeful and ideal for explorers, adventurers and sports enthusiasts. Dopo aver guardato ad uno scenario americano più o meno presente, critico e complesso, ecco un progetto diverso, dedicato al marchio orientale Honda e intrapreso dagli studenti “Junior” del corso di Automotive Design. Il briefing proponeva di disegnare un veicolo basato sul popolare modello CR-V e,…

For many years, pedal power has represented a real alternative to the motor car in northern Europe, and interest in the bicycle is now growing rapidly in other countries, too, as it is a sustainable means of transport that is particularly well suited to the needs of urban mobility. The cycle segment is therefore fertile ground for the creativity of designers, as documented by a number of recent proposals. In general, it appears that cycle design is exploring two main directions, with one applying high tech solutions and the other minimising forms to the bare essential, emphasising the simplicity of the components. The prototype city bike by Alberto Del Biondi combines visionary forms with high performance, with its ultra-light carbon and nivacrom frame. Apparently devoid of cables – which are…

Following a year that has seen many international shows scaled down in both importance and number of debuts, Geneva confirms its status as a not-to-be-missed date on the calendar for manufacturers and independent design centres. Alfa Romeo is unveiling its new Giulietta while Pininfarina and Bertone pay tribute to the company’s 100th anniversary with two showcars, respectively a spider and a coupé (the Pandion of our cover story), to mark their historic collaboration with the brand. Meantime the Alfa Mito has a new competitor, the Audi A1, while the Volkswagen group is presenting novelties for practically each of its numerous brands. The will to demonstrate that styling research and evolution are moving forward is noticeable in many manufacturers, from Mercedes-Benz whose concept-saloon F800 points to a new aesthetic departure, to…

Now that president Lilli Bertone has reacquired control over the group (as her daughter Marie Jeanne and MD Teresio Gaudio have now left the company), the new Bertone looks forward to celebrating its centenary in 2012 as a company with its roots firmly planted in tradition and its ideas projected into the future. While the historical headquarters in Caprie, in the foothills of the Alps, remain the same, the management has been completely reorganised, with Marco Filippa in the managing director’s seat, Mike Robinson as director of style and brand, and Franco Carretto – the creator of China’s high speed train, with years of experience in the rail industry under his belt – heading transportation design. Alongside them are commercial and marketing director Sandro Colella and human resources director Ugo…

Lamboghini has abandoned certain traditional methods – pencil and paper, models and an obsessive perfecting of surfaces with thread and tape – in favour of an allvirtual design process and a democratic levelling of roles in what almost appears to be an intelligent state of anarchy, to turn design into “a strategic element and not just a job that needs to be done”, as Brand and Design director Manfred Fitzgerald puts it, that fulfils the expectations of the supercar market for innovation and extreme creations from the marque. It is a way of working that would appal the directors of many other design centres, but applied here it has produced – and continues to produce – superlative results, made possible by the incredible ability of the design team to improvise,…

While we’ll have to wait until mid May for the showroom launch of the new versions of Ford’s two MPVs, the S-Max (Car of the Year 2007) and Galaxy, which were previewed at Brussels this January, it is already clear that the brand’s new kinetic design continues to break away from the past. In essence, the restyling exercise has accentuated the sportiness of the S-Max and the elegance of the Galaxy. The design of the new S-Max has received the most attention, and the extensive work done has substantially altered the appearance of aspects such as the front, which is now more sculpted, and the flanks. Results, as Ford Italy president Gaetano Thorel commented during the press test drive, that are not easy to achieve in a mid-life restyling. Adding…

Spacious, practical and cute, with a hip, irreverent personality. This is the third generation Nissan Cube, but only the first to reach Europe, as its two predecessors – launched in 1998 and 2002 respectively - were only sold in Japan. Offered with a 1.6 petrol and a 1.5 turbodiesel, both of which delivering 110 bhp, the car is 3950 mm long, 1695 wide and 1670 mm tall: 250, 85 and 54 mm more than the second series. “It was born to be nonconformist,” explains designer John Sahs, who headed the car’s development at Nissan’s design centre in Tokyo, “with an anti-stress interior designed to look like a Jacuzzi, a quirky front evocative of a bulldog in sunglasses and a rear brimming with sexy curves inspired by Jennifer Lopez’s famous ‘B-side’.”…

Collective transport, with all its plus points, limitations and problems, is currently attracting a great deal of interest in transportation design courses. The topic most targeted for student attention is the strategies required to improve infrastructures and vehicles, so as to raise the profile of the service in terms of usability with future passengers. The motor car and private transport in general are, however, a fact of life, an ingrained habit that shows no sign of relenting. The implications of this are everywhere to see: a number of governments even take the trouble to announce incentives to buy cars instead of investing in a more efficient public transport system. From this point of view, “Lightweight + Emotion”, the sixth semester project addressed by the students of the industrial design course…

The Senior students of the final semester of the Automotive Design course were asked to reinvent the image of the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands for 2020. Organised into teams of three, the students developed more or less innovative packages presented as virtual renderings and, in some cases, also as scale models. The projects considered the profound changes sweeping through the automotive industry, the need to develop alternative energy resources and the coexistence of products on the market, which means that they must be significantly differentiated to cater for each segment and target to prevent internecine competition and to satisfy the demands of the clientele. The four proposals described here were selected for their potential appeal in the automotive market of the next decade, and for their iconic value. Una…