Autoblog

Ex-BMW design boss Bangle writes book, launches contest

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:01:00 EST

Chris Bangle's latest novel idea is, in fact, an actual novel. The designer has penned fiction tome called Peter Teufel, A Tale of Car Design in 3 Parts.

There's more to the work than Bangle laying out a potential future of transportation via the Teufel character's story. The prologue contains descriptions of six different kinds of vehicles, and Bangle wants readers to draw those concepts and submit them. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to the studios of Chris Bangle Associates (CBA) in Italy or €2,000. Ten other winners will have their designs showcased on the CBA site and published in the second edition of the book.

A cynic might suggest that this is merely a ploy to get readers, but you can read and download the text for free - and Bangle's interest in the future of the automobile is nothing new. The contest is open to "design students of all disciplines" who are not paid professionals.

Ex-BMW design boss Bangle writes book, launches contest originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Evolution of Speed: Chevy speedometers through time

Jeff Sabatini — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Chevrolet, GM, Design/Style

The devil is always in the details when it comes to industrial design. Sure, there are some ugly and disjointed consumer products that should never have been wrought upon the buying public, but the differences between most of the things we build and buy are subtle. Paying attention to the little stuff is important, especially in the auto industry, as it's the collection of these details that add up to produce truly memorable vehicles.

Which brings us to this cool design blog from Christian Annyas, where he's posted 24 black-and-white images of Chevrolet speedometer designs dating back to 1941. (The 2002 Monte Carlo SS Dale Earnhardt Signature Edition speedometer pictured above is not one of them.)

Tracing the evolution of the fonts and layout of all these speedos is interesting in itself, but Annyas seems to have a more pointed motivation - trashing digital speedometers. He pictures a single digital unit, from the Chevrolet Sonic, describing it as "not an ideal situation." To be fair, the Sonic's speedometer wouldn't be our choice if we had these to choose from, either. That honor would have to go to the trio of art deco 1940's Chevy truck designs Annyas selected.

Evolution of Speed: Chevy speedometers through time originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA Design Challenge concepts toast Tinseltown

John Neff — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:13:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Etc., Design/Style

As we revealed last month, the theme for this year's LA Design Challenge is Hollywood - more specifically, what the silver screen's next iconic automobile might be. For some reason, this year's challenge features a lot fewer entrants than year's past. In fact, half of the field comes from Daimler, with concepts submitted by Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart. The other three competitors are Honda, Hyundai and Subaru.

Their challenge was to dream up the next DeLorean, Highland Green Ford Mustang or Black Audi S8 that will capture the attention of moviegoers in the year 2050. Each entrant picked a different style of film; everything from westerns to thrillers to fairy tales and vampire movies is represented.

We've collected all six entrants, including descriptions of a blockbuster Hollywood storyline that goes along with each vehicle, after the jump. Check them out and then vote for your favorite in our poll. We'll see if the Autoblog community was right on November 17 when the winner is announced at the 2011 LA Auto Show.

View Poll

Continue reading LA Design Challenge concepts toast Tinseltown

LA Design Challenge concepts toast Tinseltown originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I DRAW CARS book coming for budding car designers

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Design/Style

Love cars? Surely, then, you spent many a classroom hour doodling them all over their book covers and binders. Sometimes they looked kinda cool, while other times you wish you had used pencil instead of pen. A new book is in the works that will help budding automotive designers hone their skill, and the octavo will serve as both a sketchbook and a reference guide. It's called I DRAW CARS, and you can help bring it to life.

The team behind the book is currently asking for help on the Kickstarter.com website, and they've nearly hit their goal. There is still room to help out, and for some we'd think this would be money well spent.

I DRAW CARS was created to inspire and guide those who are intrigued by automotive design. The guide portion of the book breaks down the various vehicle segments being produced, as well as the various angles and perspectives one might choose to pen a design. The templates utilize non-photo blue ink, which means you can scan your design into a computer and the template won't come through, leaving just your image behind.

The project aims to put a great tool in the hands of those who dream to someday design the real thing. Check it out at the official website, and head over to Kickstarter if you feel like pitching in.

I DRAW CARS book coming for budding car designers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford nabs former Cadillac stylist for new Lincoln design chief

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Cadillac, Ford, GM, Lincoln, Design/Style

Max Wolff, formerly of General Motors, has been hired by Ford Motor Company to head up Lincoln's design team effective January 3, 2011.

During his tenure at GM, Wolff was most recently responsible for leading Cadillac's exterior design team, though he also held positions at the automaker's Holden and Daewoo divisions. Ford sees Wolff's global design experience as a benefit for Lincoln, bringing "a fresh perspective that will challenge us internally and take Lincoln to new levels of prestige," says Derrick Kuzak, Ford's Group Vice President for Global Product Development.

Wolff, 38, is tasked with creating a definitive design language for Lincoln that extends beyond the large split-grilled creations we currently see. Specifically, Ford has cited that the Lincoln brand will debut seven all-new or significantly refreshed vehicles over the next four years, including the automaker's first-ever C-segment car. For the full details, hit the jump for the official press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford nabs former Cadillac stylist for new Lincoln design chief

Ford nabs former Cadillac stylist for new Lincoln design chief originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Designers: Future transportation environment will be much more diverse

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:34:00 EST

Filed under: Design/Style

If automotive designers can agree on one thing, it's that the future will be more diverse. Three current designers and one teacher came together to discuss the way forward at the monthly Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit. Cadillac's Clay Dean, Hyundai's Phil Zak and Ford's Scott Strong joined Larry Erickson from the College for Creative Studies at the Detroit Athletic Club.

There will be multiple forces driving this increased diversity, including the emergence of megacities (like Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, Mumbai and Singapore), changing demographics and new powertrain systems.

The increased urbanization we're seeing in many regions is leading to larger, more crowded cities that make traditional automobiles unsuitable and unsustainable. There simply isn't enough room for large vehicles carrying only one or two occupants on the roads of these metropolises. Dean discussed vehicles such as the General Motors EN-V concepts being shown at the Shanghai expo as one possible answer to the increasing density. Read on after the jump to hear more of what the panelists said.

Continue reading Designers: Future transportation environment will be much more diverse

Designers: Future transportation environment will be much more diverse originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 May 2010 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are sex and biology the future drivers of automotive design?

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Porsche, Design/Style

It might not get you a date, but this Porsche definitely taps into our biology drives and pumps us up

"Is that a Porsche in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" That's the subtitle on a funny and informative piece by colleague Diego Rodriguez over at AOL Autos. In it, Rodriguez looks at the connection between biology and our attraction to certain cars. While relating how deflated he felt every time he had to get into his faded Taurus in a lot full of "Range Bruiser Nantucketmobiles" and Aston Martin DB5s, he points out that it wasn't social conditioning so much as "a hard-wired biological mechanism," at work.

To explain the phenomenon, Rodriguez looks back more than a century to 1899, when "economist Thorstein Veblen published his seminal work The Theory of the Leisure Class, in which he postulated that we buy expensive things not so much for their inherent qualities, but for the attention we receive as we experience said object." He blames it on lekking, the mating dance done by species for eons, but Rodriguez says it goes much further than that:

"...a 911 literally makes a driver more potent from a biological standpoint, whether or not there are witnesses to your possession of the car. A Porsche driver, science says, no matter where or how they drive, have higher testosterone levels than if they were stuck in a sedan. By driving a Porsche they become more potent competitors in the game of life..."

Because of that, Rodriguez sees the future of automotive design linked more closely to biological wants and needs. It's a good read and definitely worth the click over if for nothing else other than the graphic that tops the page - Priceless.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo

[Source: AOL Autos]

Are sex and biology the future drivers of automotive design? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Bono wants cars to bring sexy back

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Celebrities

No, really. If you didn't know, U2's front man and Africa activist Bono is a regular columnist at The New York Times. And he (too) has a top 10 list to kick off the new decade we now find ourselves living in. Bono first smartly apologizes for burdening our collective eyes and minds with yet another such list, before then presenting his.

Items found on his list include: a cap and trade system taxing every individual's right to pollute, protecting the intellectual rights of movie and television studios, a rock star teleportation scientist and eradicating rotavirus. All good and/or interesting stuff, no doubt, if not a little, um, predictable. Which may very well be why Bono stuck his car-related concern up on they very top of his list. That concern? "Return of the Automobile as a Sexual Object."

In short, Bono thinks modern four-door sedans are lame looking and laments the fact that minivans and SUVs are so widespread (and dull). He meditates on the decline of the sexy family car, pioneered during the U.S. auto industry's design heyday, circa 1946 to about 1971. Where are the curves, he asks, before stating, "In Ireland in the '70s, it was the E-Type Jag that made sense of puberty." A line, we should add, that we'll be stealing.

Bono then goes on to muse that the problem with modern car design might the practice of "design by committee," noting that, "rarely does majority rule produce something of beauty." We're with him so far, but then he gets a little fatuous. Essentially, Bono says that since the Obama Administration, "still holds the keys to the big automakers," they ought to be injecting some, "style fascists into the mix." Among those mentioned, Marc Newson, Steve Jobs and Jonny Ive, Frank Gehry and Jeff Koons. Luckily, we've got some insider knowledge about that last little bit. Make the jump for a slightly NSWF explanation of why this writer thinks that Bono's wrong.

[Source: The New York Times | Image: William West/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading PSA: Bono wants cars to bring sexy back

PSA: Bono wants cars to bring sexy back originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Honda closing European design office in Germany

Noah Joseph — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Design/Style

2008 Honda Open Study Model - Click above for high-res image gallery

The car design community has been sent reeling by word that Honda plans to close down its European design studio. The office forms part of Honda R&D Europe in Offenbach on the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, and while the rest of the research and development facility will continue operating in other capacities, the design studio is reportedly being axed.

The two-floor, 3000-square-meter design studio at Offenbach opened its doors in 1992, and has since handled a variety of automotive and motorcycle design duties for the Japanese automaker - including the Open Study Model pictured above. The reported announcement of its closure arrives against the backdrop of cutbacks across the board for Honda, including its withdrawal from major auto shows, the sale of its (now championship-leading) Formula One team, and temporary closures at assembly plants.

While some of Offenbach's motorcycle design responsibilities are expected to transfer to Honda's comparatively tiny 200-square-meter studio in Milan, there's no telling what will happen to the company's automotive design unit. But if we were living and working in Frankfurt, we'd be pushing for a transfer to Italy like there was no tomorrow - because with the rate at which Honda has been cutting back overhead, we'd bet that's where the future is.

Gallery: Honda OSM Concept

[Source: Car Design News]

REPORT: Honda closing European design office in Germany originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: 'Personality traits' of automobiles studied

Dan Roth — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Etc., Lifestyle

Reader-submitted "Cars" Photoshops - Click above for image gallery

The styling of your vehicle makes a statement, of course. Designers spend years perfecting the craft of automotive sculpture, and are finely attuned to what types of shapes and conventions send a given message. Now, the researchers want to move in and figure out how to express what the artists already know with a scientific approach called morphometrics. The practice of shape analysis, usually used for more classical studies like medicine and biology, is useful in improving healthcare equipment or possibly aiding in the identification of unknown remains.

People inherently look for faces and patterns, and the front of a car lends itself to being anthropomorphized. Professor Dennis Slice and his colleagues at Vienna University think the information gleaned from looking deeper into what the "faces" of various cars say - meek or mild appearance, for instance - and how to zero in on just what features will send the automaker's intended message. Of course, design teams already seem to be doing a good job of telling a story with design, with or without the newfangled algorithm. Possibly harder to nail down is the answer to the question of whether styling makes drivers behave differently, the next topic Slice and his team are tackling. Hat tip to Matt.

Gallery: Pixar CARS Photochops

REPORT: 'Personality traits' of automobiles studied originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter Horbury returns to head Volvo design; Moray Callum in as Ford's design chief

Chris Paukert — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford, Volvo

Peter Horbury is returning to finish what he started. The charismatic British designer is shifting from leading Ford's American design efforts back to Volvo, the Swedish automaker at which he helped bring emotional surface language to the fore in the Nineties. Horbury leaves the Blue Oval having presided over the department's design efforts for much of its current portfolio (2010 Mustang, Fusion, Milan, 2009 Flex, etc.), along with numerous Lincolns, including the MKS, MZK, and MKT. Horbury's official title will be vice president, design, and he will be based in Gothenburg, Sweden. He replaces Steve Mattin, who left Volvo suddenly under mysterious conditions late last week.

Horbury's departure creates a leadership vacuum at Ford, a gap into which Moray Callum will fit as executive director for Ford Americas design. As a report to Horbury, Callum oversaw design on the 2010 Taurus, and he also led the teams that conceived the 2010 Mustang, Fusion, and Mercury Milan. Callum is perhaps better known for his work at Mazda, which included the 2003 Mazda 3, 2007 CX-7 and CX-9, along with a string of concept vehicles.

Both appointments are effective May 1. Full details in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Peter Horbury returns to head Volvo design; Moray Callum in as Ford's design chief

Peter Horbury returns to head Volvo design; Moray Callum in as Ford's design chief originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Volvo design chief Steve Mattin leaves company

Chris Paukert — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Volvo

Details are scarce at the moment, but we have learned that Volvo's award-winning design director, Steve Mattin, has left the company. While no further details are immediately available (why he left, where he is headed, possible successors, etc.), Dan Johnston, Volvo's East Coast PR manager confirmed the news to us after placing a call to his counterparts in Sweden this afternoon.

U.K.-born Mattin has been Volvo's design director since May of 2005 and was instrumental in creating designs like the C30, XC60, and most recently, the S60 Concept from Detroit. Mattin joined the Swedish automaker after coming over from (then) DaimlerChrysler, where he was employed for 17 years. Mattin left DCX as the company's senior design manager after having a hand in vehicles as wide-ranging as the SL, SLK, SLR, R-Class, M-Class, and the Maybach line.

We will probably have to wait until Monday for further details, but sit tight - Volvo's already winding road may have just gotten a bit bumpier.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: Volvo S60 Concept

BREAKING: Volvo design chief Steve Mattin leaves company originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coco's Ride: What if Chanel designed automobiles?

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Lifestyle

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Chanel Fiole concept car

Jinyoung Jo is a car designer at Hong-ik University in South Korea, and this is her creation: the Chanel Fiole concept. As with classic Coco Chanel work, the design of the car was centered on simplicity of lines and "the best of black and white." As with most concepts, there was also an emphasis on airflow. The car seats three, two abreast and one staggered in between -- but it's probably best considered a sleek two-seater for runway types.

Have a peek at the Fiole video, which is better than a few commercials we've seen for real cars, and get an in-depth view of it in the high-res gallery of photos below.

Gallery: Chanel Fiole Concept

[Source: Cardesign.ru]

Coco's Ride: What if Chanel designed automobiles? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Industry crunch hitting design students hard

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Another casualty in the collateral damage of auto industry woes: Graduating car designers are no longer finding jobs. The LA Times reports that in years past, manufacturer representatives would attend the Pasadena's Art Center College of Design's senior showcase and welcome a few visionaries into the hallowed world of car design. Now, manufacturer representation is down to one or two (if any), and those who show don't always end up hiring. For students who weren't chosen by manufacturers, the fallback was often working for a supplier, but these days, prospects there are just as bleak.

The fallback plan now for studious car design aspirants tends to be interiors or the world outside of car design. Those who can find any place at all in the car world will settle for penning A/C vents for now, and those who can't are looking at consumer appliances like cellular telephones. Although we have no doubt that current designers can deliver worthy goods when given the freedom to do so, as car enthusiasts, we look forward to when the gates open up again for the greatest minds of the collegiate generation.

[Source: LA Times]

Industry crunch hitting design students hard originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More details on VW's design renaissance

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Volkswagen

It seems Volkswagen has breathed a collective "Oops!", and is now working to turn its design ship around. VW was known for neat, differentiated designs with great interior details. While this stayed true in some parts of the world, in the U.S., Volkswagen design turned into chrome shield grilles fronting identical bodies in various sizes.

When Martin Winterkorn was lured back from academia, "he looked at Volkswagen's upcoming designs and binned the lot." Audi's design chief was brought in. VW started over on the Golf, which will be coming out later this year. The Polo redesign was taken up again from scratch. The Up! "was not fully thought through as a concept," and is getting a workover.

VW's new language is said to be about "simplicity," "a confident identity," "crisply-detailed functionality," and cars that aren't "over-designed." The chrome shield is gone (thank goodness) and headlights that wrap around to the front wheel arches have also been sent packing, "because that's not what a headlight is for." Stay tuned for more horizontals, as seen on the Scirocco -- and here (so much for no more chrome) -- and hopefully a slew of compelling shapes.

[Source: Evo]

More details on VW's design renaissance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buick Reatta a design flop?

Chris Tutor — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Buick

The Buick Reatta a design flop? That's what a University of Michigan professor told The Wall Street Journal recently. Really? The Reatta is the one car that he could find to pick on as an automotive design flop? Sure, the high-tech coupe was overweight and underpowered, overpriced and under-appreciated. But a design flop? I think most of us would agree there are uglier, slower, more poorly-made cars in the history of automobiles. Our Dan Roth even called it a Future Classic not too long ago.

The story is part of a larger collection of design studies that looks at everything from blue jeans to concrete saws. One other automotive element of the series is a gushing story and video about Buick's Invicta concept car. If the piece is to be believed, the LaCrosse that may be based on the Invicta, will surely never make it onto a list of design flops.

So by that logic, fake, plastic portholes insure design success, but sexy, restrained style doesn't.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Buick Reatta a design flop? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan 360: the design future, and the new 370Z?

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:03:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Nissan, Rumormill

Click the image above for more hi-res shots of the 370Z and Infiniti design teasers.

There were crisp images of a blurry car being swapped and discussed today at Nissan 360. When Shiro Nakamura, the head designer at Nissan, revealed the barest hints of a car outline hidden behind a taut sheet of fabric, speculation began as to whether it represented the new Z. The arced flanges over the wheels, and the way they follow the wheels, have 370Z written all over them. However, it doesn't look as if it would fit this rendering exactly -- which is not a bad thing. All Nakamura would say is that we'll be seeing that wheel later this year, which, coincidentally, is when the next Z -- supposedly lighter and four inches shorter than the current car -- is slated to be unveiled.

The other design teaser was a top-view sculpture of future Infiniti design elements. Who knows what or how much of the elements -- like the ducktail rear -- will make it to the final product, and who knows what those features will look like when in production. But it's a good looking piece of art in its own right. A brace of edges peeking out from a sea of crimson undulations -- if they had thrown wheels on it I would have driven it out of the hotel last night.

Gallery: Nissan and Infiniti Design Studies

Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer.

Nissan 360: the design future, and the new 370Z? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bugatti Type 12-2 Streamliner design concept adds extra set of seats

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Supercars, Bugatti

Click above to view high-res gallery of renderings

A few months ago, we wrote about an amateur designer who penned today's vision of a Bugatti Royale. It was all good at the front, and then things got a bit, well, funky at the rear. Now another car designing buff with a ~~pen~~ suite of software has created his idea of a 4-seat Bugatti GT: the decidedly gorgeous Streamliner 12-2.

Maltese designer Reuben Zammit designed the Streamliner as a 2+2 with "ample luggage space." Though we're sure if Bugatti ever created such a car it would be decidedly more expensive than the Ferrari 612, cues from Maranello's uber-GT can be seen in the Streamliner. But the nothing-but-curves approach gives it a Bugatti retro flair all its own. The car would use a twin-turbocharged version of the W12 engine and be powered by the rear wheels only. That would give the Streamliner rather un-Bugatti-like handling, which we think is even more reason to buy one. Check out additional renderings of the Streamliner 12-2 in the hi-res gallery below and let the designer know if you like his work in the comments.

Gallery: Bugatti Type 12-2 Streamliner

[Source: Reuben Zammit via Carscoop]

Bugatti Type 12-2 Streamliner design concept adds extra set of seats originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus looking for successor to L-Finesse design

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:21:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Marketing/Advertising, Lexus, Lifestyle

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lexus LF-A roadster concept.

Lexus' L-finesse design language was meant to stand for "Seamless Anticipation," "Intriguing Elegance," and "Incisive Simplicity." If we put aside the marketing speak for a moment, the point of L-f was to give Lexus design a greater emotional connection with consumers. While it certainly didn't stop Lexus from selling more cars, we have a feeling that the increased number of wavy lines simply didn't resonate with the public quite like it was meant to.

Now Lexus is looking for a successor to L-finesse. Emotional connection from a purely design standpoint -- not "I just love my Toyota!" -- has been a weak point for Japanese cars in this country. Even the GT-R, the LF-A and the last Supra, technological tour-de-forces that they are (or were or will be), and for as much emotion as they inspire, are not pretty cars. The LS is a good looking car, but we wouldn't call it inspiring. Yet Lexus has a pretty good grasp on what its customers are looking for, so while we can't imagine that whatever's coming is going to be outrageous, we can hope that it will be a little less birds and clouds and a little more visceral.

[Source: Winding Road]

Gallery: Lexus LF-A Roadster

Lexus looking for successor to L-Finesse design originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford already thinking about more aerodynamic F-150

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Ford

click above for more high-res pics of the 2009 Ford F-150

The Ford F-150 is America's annual best seller, moving more units than anything else since Jimmy Carter was president. It's also one of the most challenged when it comes to cutting through the air, although we know there's worse. If the F-150 is going to clear the hurdle of new CAFE regs, that's going to change: its combined 16.5 mpg won't make it any friends come 2020.

Ford designers, led by North American Design Director Peter Horbury, are already looking at ways to make the next generation F-150 more aerodynamic, despite the all-new 2009 Ford F-150 having just debuted. The problem is, there simply aren't many options for making a difference: the only two components are the giant block of a passenger compartment and the massive drag-creating void of a bed behind it. Ford design did attempt to go a little aero with the front end of the 10th generation 1997-2003 F-150, but that, frankly, wasn't what people expected from an American pickup.

[Source: Auto Week]

Gallery: 2009 Ford F-150

Continue reading Ford already thinking about more aerodynamic F-150

Ford already thinking about more aerodynamic F-150 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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