Table of contents for 276 in AUTO & DESIGN

In many respects, Maranello’s latest creation invites muscular, high-energy adjectives -descriptors that wrap it in a perfectly tailored guise for the marque’s most agile and sharp-tempered production model. Flavio Manzoni, Chief Design Officer, however, offers an alternative reading for this whirlwind of dynamism, one rooted in innovation. “Starting with the 12Cilindri, we decided not only to adopt new visual codes and project them into the future, but also to challenge some of the thought patterns prevalent in design schools. This is surprising, because in automotive language there’s a sense that you must adhere to entrenched conventions of line and proportion. The Testarossa is part of this process”. The flavour that emerges is a revisited berlinetta, with geometrically controlled volumes, i.e. built on clean, “Cartesian” lines that shape and direct different…

Imagining the future and cultivating new talent. This is what drives the SAIC Design International Challenge, the competition organised by the Chinese giant and now in its thirteenth edition. Shao Jingfeng, Chief Design Officer of SAIC Motor R&D Innovation Headquarters, highlighted how almost half the young creatives now working for the company began their journey through this contest. “Our ultimate ambition? To elevate Chinese design into a global benchmark for the next hundred years of our company’s history”, Shao says. Over 200 projects were submitted to this year's challenge, created by designers from over 60 universities around the world. The first prize went to Gu Xirao from the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. This rising talent won over the jury with a project that translated the theme “Diversity and Symbiosis”,…

In January 2024, we interviewed Wolfang Egger at Black Crystal, the BYD Group's design facility in Shenzhen. Now we’ve gone back to China to talk to him again, catch up on how things are going design-wise (Egger has headed up group design since 2016) and what direction the various brands are taking. He welcomed us at the BYD Zhengzhou Race Track, the Chinese brand's proving ground, where we were also given the opportunity to test-drive some of the manufacturer's latest creations. And although we were in China, the conversation inevitably started with Milan, home to BYD's recently opened European design centre. “This is our fourth design centre after Shanghai, Xi'an and Los Angeles. All of them are strategically placed so that we can draw on the culture thriving in that…

The Microlino is a tribute to the microcars of the 1950s, such as the Isetta, the Heinkel Kabine or the Zündapp Janus, small vehicles that marked an era with their original solutions, futuristic shapes and ingenious engineering. The ‘55 Edition special edition is a one-off that reinterprets these vehicles in a modern way, a sort of manifesto of bespoke design created by Erre Company and featuring exclusive interiors produced in collaboration with Alcantara. “This collaboration was welcomed with open arms by our team: the CMF theme – which was at the heart of this project -is something we care deeply about,” explains Domenico Lubrano, Design Studio Manager at Erre Company. “We were asked to redesign the interior of the Microlino to give the product a touch of elegance and refinement,…

According to SangYup Lee, the first ten years of Genesis have been “a wonderful journey”. And the next ten will be even more wonderful: “We are already working on the second generation of our lineup; this year we will be unveiling the new GV90.” Lee – but everybody calls him SangYup – is Head of Genesis Global Design, but above all, he is Luc Donckerwolke’s right-hand man. He has worked with him for 15 years, first at Volkswagen and then at Bentley before returning to Korea. The wonder of the journey, he explains, lies in the blank pages waiting to be written: “We are creating our historical archive, shaping the brand's legacy. We've defined who we are and established a strong design language that, step by step, will accompany us…

A well-crafted formal package, capable of conveying the story of the car and the brand on first contact, is profoundly defined through colours and materials. This is especially true when it comes to dressing up an image that appeared just ten years ago, yet already rich in research and appeal. Gian Luca Reggiani, Genesis One of One Design / Creative CMF Executive Advisor, explains it well: “The two concepts, the X Gran Coupe and X Gran Convertible, unveiled last spring, for example, are the result of a combination of our studies and the input of those in charge of brand strategy. This allowed us to intertwine the two narratives and harmonize every detail, achieving a result that the public found very coherent.” On a purely physical level, the elaboration takes…

Not all Magmas have to be orange. This is confirmed by two concepts that Luc Donckerwolke doesn’t hesitate to call “the pinnacle of Genesis and Magma, traditional luxury with a sporty edge, the happy blend of luxury and performance”: the X Gran Coupe and the X Gran Convertible, both presented last April in Seoul and derived from the Genesis flagship, the G90 sedan. “Magma isn't just orange, loud, and sporty; what matters is its DNA. We can adjust the parameters, creating amplified excellence.” Indeed, in their color palette, the two concepts are a tribute to the Mediterranean, with olive trees – especially in the interior – inspiring the Coupe, defined by the Korean manufacturer as “the most iconic concept of the Genesis brand,” and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Livorno region…

From urban highways to the skies: Genesis knows no bounds and for several years now – since 2020, to be precise – has been involved in an ambitious project that represents a revolution in mobility. Enter S-A2, an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that has already reached the testing stage. “It was an exciting opportunity for us; we don't often get the chance to work on a flying vehicle,” observes John Krsteski, Senior Chief Designer at the El Segundo, California studio. It so happens that the Hyundai Motor Group, of which Genesis is part, some time ago formed Supernal, a Californian company whose stated mission is “to make advanced air mobility a safe and reliable option for everyday transportation.” Genesis was asked to provide the cabin design, styling,…

The online community is rather predictable. It was easy to imagine which comments would promptly explode online on 1st December, as soon as news spread of Gerry McGovern’s sudden departure as Chief Creative Officer of Jaguar Land Rover: he’s the “culprit” behind the Jaguar Type 00 concept, so he was sacked. A one-dimensional reading: everything nowadays is reduced to “thumbs up, thumbs down”, whilst a more nuanced reflection is warranted. Starting, obviously, with McGovern’s lengthy career, whom we knew when he still wore long curly hair and designed avant-garde concept cars for Lincoln-Mercury in California, before penning the sleek and clean lines of the unforgettable MG-F roadster. Under his leadership, the Land Rover marque transformed thanks to models that shed that somewhat modest patina, almost of a work vehicle, to…

“I want to challenge your perception of what a luxury brand can be.” Simon Humphries, Chief Branding Officer and head of design in the Toyota group, thus introduces “Discover”, a journey to explore the new aesthetic and formal direction of design for Lexus. The creation of Century -that has become a brand at the peak of the Japanese group - allows for unheard-of explorations for Lexus, that Humphries does not hesitate to define “adventurous and innovative with the explicit goal of helping our customers discover a new luxury lifestyle”. Much more than a declaration of intent: this is demonstrated by the models unveiled by Lexus at the Tokyo Mobility Show, fruit of the joint effort of all Toyota design centres worldwide. Surprising above all others is the LS Concept, a…

The Mitsubishi Elevance is a concept car with a particular significance. It is opening a new chapter in the definition of the appearance of the models to come and, to do so, the Japanese marque has decided to draw inspiration from the typical values of its own DNA, which has always been permeated by a spirit of adventure, freedom of movement and the desire to explore. Alessandro Dambrosio, Executive Design Director Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and General Manager Tokyo Design Department, Design Division, and Seiji Watanabe, Corporate Officer and Division General Manager of Design, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, tell us about the birth of this hybrid plug-in whose début was at the latest Tokyo Motor Show. “Our minds were clearly set on what we wanted to create -explains Watanabe - We wanted…

Walter De Silva needs no introduction. From his pencil have emerged some of the most recognisable models of a golden era of European motoring. At nearly 75 years of age, 54 of which spent defining forms and lines, the Maestro still thinks with vitality, observes with curiosity and acts with resolve, choosing to raise the stakes with his studio Walter De Silva Automotive, sided by his son Alexandre and co-founder and CEO Lorenzo Forno. Always consistent with the legendary Italian designer’s Decalogue: ten codified principles that define design as a discipline. Far from the logic of large groups, the objective is to reverse the market’s frantic course: “Seeking to provide a selection that is somewhat more exclusive and truly more dedicated to the project, avoiding these reductions in time-scales and…

Secondo SangYup Lee i primi dieci anni di Genesis sono stati «un viaggio meraviglioso». E ancora più belli saranno i pros- simi dieci: «Stiamo già lavorando alla seconda generazione della nostra gamma, già quest’anno presenteremo la nuova GV90». Lee è Head of Genesis Global Design, ma soprattutto è il braccio destro di Luc Donckerwolke con cui lavora da 15 anni, includendo Volkswagen e Bentley prima di tornare in Corea. La meraviglia del viaggio, spiega, sta nelle pagine bianche tutte da scrivere: «Stiamo creando il nostro archivio storico, foggiamo la tradizione del marchio. Abbiamo definito chi fossimo e stabilito un forte linguaggio di design che, passo dopo passo, ci accompagnerà nel nostro viaggio». Il segreto, per lui, sta nell’equilibrare forze contrastanti; e l’idea del dualismo è ben condivisa con Donckerwolke, anche quando…

“In the early years we had to focus on traditional cars, sedans and SUVs,” recalls Ilhun Yoon. “It was important to create these essential typologies. Now that our lineup has proven successful in the markets, we can expand our vision to more niche models like the X Gran Equator.” As a luxury brand, Yoon notes, Genesis now has the possibility to offer more specific models – such as the G90 based X Gran Coupe and X Gran Convertible – that cater to a wider range of customer tastes. The X Gran Equator “reflects Genesis’ design philosophy. It is rugged but also elegant, elevating and expanding Genesis’s bandwidth across different vehicle typologies.” But it wasn’t just a year-long exercise for the designers. “We don’t want to disappoint people,” says Yoon, who…

It has been talked about for some time, as part of the Genesis journey over the next ten years, characterized by a performance strategy tied to its entry into the world of motorsport. Now here it is, the long-awaited Magma GT: the car that, along with the GMR-001 Hypercar, represents – in the words of Luc Donckerwolke – “the pinnacle of our performance vision, the symbol of our commitment to true motorsport capability.” The car unveiled in November at Le Castellet as part of a festival dedicated to Genesis’ Magma Program – also featuring the production GV60 Magma and the G90 Wingback Concept station wagon – is not, and could not yet be, the car that will challenge Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini on European circuits. The Magma GT is, for…

It's not every day you get to enter the secret chamber of a car manufacturer, to see the work that doesn’t appear and remains jealously hidden in its designers’ drawers. This, therefore, is a special occasion. To celebrate Genesis's tenth birthday, its Chief Creative Officer, Luc Donckerwolke, has given Auto&Design a gift for this supplement on the Korean brand. From the secret drawers emerged sketches, renderings, and in some cases photographs (there weren’t always full-scale models) of four concepts born in the glory of the design centres and then remained in the shadows. In the shadows, but not forgotten. Here, then, is a world premiere: a look at what could have been and — for various reasons — wasn’t, even if it’s natural to wonder if the reasons for the…

Although as ever constrained by legal limits and inventive flair, Tokyo’s Japan Mobility Show remains a vibrant stage for small-format proposals and a window on to how styling and vehicle types are evolving. The ideas originate with small city cars but they just as easily borrow cues from entirely different segments as well. An unmi-stakeable sporting vibe drifts over the stands, perfect for creating wind-in-the-hair fun for future passengers of the Daihatsu K-Open, the rounded successor to the Copen and a whole lineage of affordable convertibles, or tempt orphans of the “mini hot hatch” with the Honda Super One. And while the Mazda Vision X-Compact may break down the barriers of the ultra-small and also give off a hint of French flair, its defining trait remains an aggressive intent. Da…

At the Tokyo motor show, we spoke with Koichi Suga, General Manager of Lexus Design. What does the ‘Discover’ philosophy represent for Lexus? As Simon Humphries explained, clients are changing their lifestyles and mobility is evolving in every direction: this drives us to rethink everything. “Discover” is a challenging word; it means constantly seeking new design languages, new concepts, starting from 30 years of Lexus history to move towards future directions. The LS Concept perfectly embodies this idea of discovery. Is luxury just about space, or also about time? Lexus has always been humancentred. Space must be special,of course, but time spent on board must be special too. We’re therefore not talking about interior volume in an abstract sense, but about quality of experience. Simon used the term “teleportation” from…

After a career spent largely in the PSA Group, with a brief stint at Renault, Gilles Vidal returned to Stellantis a few months ago as head of European brand design. Born in 1972, he is one of today's leading car designers, his work more vocation than profession, given that he remembers always having a pencil in his hand when he was growing up. When did you realise you wanted to become a designer? “Very early on. I was only two when I started drawing: the drawings were nothing to write home about, but I was already creating something on a blank sheet of paper. In addition to that I spent my childhood in the world of cars: my father and grandfather sold and collected them, and I’m sure some of…

In just 5 years since its debut, Zeekr already boasts a range of 8 models. And now it is aiming for luxury with the 9X, its new flagship SUV. Jon Rådbrink, Head of Exterior Design at Zeekr, explains that it was initially conceived as an electric SUV that should follow the same Hidden Energy philosophy introduced on the 007 and 7X models. But the market changes quickly, and Zeekr itself decided that the 9X should be its first ultra-hybrid model. “This dynamic is actually very typical for a Chinese company: everyone commits to a path, and then everything changes,” says Rådbrink. “We were like a teenager trying to figure out who we are,” Rådbrink reveals. Having abandoned the Hidden Energy route, the aesthetic development of the 9X restarted from the…

What part does design play? It lends beauty to components designed to perform a specific function. A principle that car manufacturers have accustomed us to over the years, but that also applies to suppliers and component companies. A good example comes from Specialinsert, a company specialising in the production and marketing of fastening systems, including special and standard inserts for laminates, solid parts, plastic and composites. Founded in 1974, Specialinsert focuses on product innovation, research and development and exports its components to more than 80 countries worldwide. Flagship of the range is the Float Nut, a self-locking, floating double-wing nut with interchangeable bushing. This metal fastening system makes it possible to compensate for small positioning errors during assembly. Furthermore, the ability to replace the threaded bushing quickly and easily means…

“Ten years of Genesis. It’s the moment to kick off for the next ten, because we've laid the foundations and now we need to build on them.” Have all your dreams come true? “I'm happy they haven't, because we have many other dreams.” Luc Donckerwolke, Chief Creative Officer and Chief Design Officer for the Hyundai Motor Group, that is the supremo of design, is not overwhelmed by the celebrations for the milestone. “This is just the beginning,” he says: “We are the youngest luxury brand and we are proud of its success, but we have only produced a first generation of cars. We are fortunate not to be burdened by the ballast of the past, but I always say that it takes four or five generations for the brand to…

Genesis has three design centres. The largest is in Gangnam, a district in Seoul, headed by Ilhun Yoon and employing around 70 people. “Another 20,” Yoon explains, “are in Namyang. That was our old design studio, where we only had about 40 people when we started ten years ago. Our new design studio allows us to observe the culture [of Seoul]. All of the design work takes place in Seoul, but Namyang’s facilities still play an important role in executing physical models and engineering. Naturally, we keep our distance [from Hyundai]; the design philosophies of the two brands are very different.” This doesn't prevent Yoon and his direct assistants, design director Yongjun Heo and head of interior design Jaeho Oh, from participating in what he calls “special events,” in which…

Magma: a mixture of incandescent rock and gas, three times hotter than a naked flame, bubbling beneath the Earth’s crust. This image must have crossed Luc Donckerwolke’s mind more than once as he searched for a name for the fieriest Genesis models. So, here is Magma: “Not a sub-brand,” explains the Korean manufacturer's Chief Creative Officer, “but a program, a complement to our current luxury range.” Because in the not-too-distant future, he explains, “every model in the Genesis range will have a Magma version at the top, where the athleticism and elegance of our design philosophy will be expanded to offer the best of the best, an iron fist in a velvet glove. Without changing the character of the car, but rather respecting it. Simply expanding it.” That Magma is…

The first Genesis to enter the racing world, one of Luc Donckerwolke’s great dreams, will be the GMR-001 Hypercar this year, a hypercar whose acronym says it all: it is the first heavyweight born from the Genesis Magma Racing team. After a season of testing on some of Europe's most famous circuits – Paul Ricard, Magny-Cours, Aragón, Portimão – the team will participate with two cars in the WEC, the world endurance championship that for many is summed up in one name, Le Mans: eight races starting in March in Qatar, then in Imola, Spa, Le Mans, Austin, and concluding in Brazil, Japan, and Bahrain. Next year, two more cars will be ready to compete, concurrently, in the IMSA (International Motor Sport Association, a championship held between the United States…