All articles by Guy Bird – Page 10
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Smart Forspeed concept signals new design direction
Smart will unveil a new concept at the forthcoming Geneva motor show that signals a new design direction, hints at future product and confirms parent company Daimler's renewed commitment to the brand.
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Design Development: Suzuki Q concept
On the surface, the Suzuki Q is a perfect example of why many in the industry love the Tokyo motor show. Its steady stream of quirky and colorful concepts over the years has provided a tantalising glimpse of what the future could look like through creative Japanese eyes - with ...
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Design Review: Toyota FT-CH concept
The interior of the FT-CH was initially more difficult to evaluate as only one official photo of the cabin was available and the Detroit show car's doors were locked while the concept itself was perched up on a hard-to-access pedestal, limiting views inside. Interior designer Urwin did concede that this ...
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Design Review: Toyota FT-CH concept
Having succeeded in establishing the Prius as the undoubted ‘poster boy' of the righteous eco driver movement, Toyota is now embarking on reinforcing its green credentials by expanding its petrol/electric hybrid range to cater to other types of driver. Crucially, many of these new vehicles are set to define a ...
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Design Development: Aston Martin Rapide
The biggest exterior difference on the production Rapide compared to the concept is the bold new crease that extends from the signature side air intake behind the front wheelarch across the front door and just into the rear door panel (this is just below the shoulder line that extends from ...
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Design Development: Aston Martin Rapide
The design development of the forthcoming four-door, four-seater Aston Martin Rapide was heavily affected and intertwined with the recent transition of the brand itself: from Ford Group ‘jewel in the crown' to independent player, and from super car niche manufacturer to its now GT-expanded range and scope. Car Design News ...
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Design Development: Honda Civic
Indeed, one of the key sketches that influenced the final production version - from Daisuke Toriyama's ‘Proposal A' - features a distinctly protruding spoiler clad in a red plastic reflector connecting the two rear lights while still fulfilling an aerodynamic purpose. The spoiler in the production version is lower to ...
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Design Development: Honda Civic
Topping the radically futuristic previous-generation European Honda Civic hatchback was always going to be a tough ask. Car Design News talks exclusively to the man with that task, overall exterior design leader for the project, Daisuke Sawai.
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Design Development: Changan Chana E301 concept
Given the complexity of the project in terms of movable functions and parts, close engineering support was necessary throughout, including the engineers at Turin-based Vercarmodel that built the prototype. The E301's project leader was Fabio Miniati. Cosimo Amadei was the exterior designer and their Chinese colleagues Zheng Haihao (design) and ...
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Design Development: Changan Chana E301 concept
If you're looking for evidence of increasing confidence and content in concept cars from Chinese carmakers, you'll find it in the Chana E301. One of the surprise hits of the 2009 Shanghai auto show, the boldly asymmetric concept was commissioned by Changan Automobile, a manufacturer that recently gained Chinese Central ...
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First Sight: Ford Transit Connect
Among all the cars unveiled by Ford prior to the Paris Motorshow at last week's ‘Go Further' product extravaganza in Amsterdam you may have missed its all-new global van range, most of which will launch inside the next 18 months, and which includes a new version of many a designer's ...
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Design Development: Jeep Grand Cherokee
The interior is arguably the bigger story on the Jeep Grand Cherokee. When the project started back in June 2007 Klaus Busse was head of truck interiors. He is now director of Interior design and strategy. His co-project interior leader was James Mantua, and Chris Welch led the interior design.
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Design Development: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Over the last eight months Car Design News' sister publication Interior Motives has been allowed behind the curtains at Chrysler design to follow the development of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. As the wraps come off this crucial next-generation SUV in New York in just a few hours' time, we'll also ...
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Interview: Michael Mauer, Head of Style, Porsche
Is it a poison chalice to be a designer in an engineering-led firm?"It was to me very obvious from the beginning that if you have cars that can go well over 300km/h you definitely have different requirements to many other brands. It's a completely different world above 250-280km/h so you ...
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Interview: Michael Mauer, Head of Style, Porsche
After seven years as Head of Style Porsche, Michael Mauer is now firmly established at the brand, having been responsible for ‘most of' the controversial Panamera, the gentrification of the second-generation Cayenne plus the new 911 and 918 Spyder. And with bold range expansion plans afoot he arguably now has ...
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MG Design Centre opens in UK
The opening of MG's new design center this week at the historic production site of Longbridge, Birmingham, England was both an incredible and credible occasion.
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Design Review: Honda EV-N concept
The car is only 2860mm long, that's shorter than the already tiny 2985mm Toyota iQ, but the EV-N's also quite a bit narrower at 1475mm (the iQ is wide for its class at 1680mm) and slightly taller (1515mm vs. 1500mm). These proportions give the interior of the EV-N - designed ...
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Design Review: Honda EV-N concept
Honda's designers may have directly referenced an old 1960s car with the design of their 2009 EV-N concept, but to dismiss it merely as an unthinking piece of retro car design would be a mistake. Indeed this review will argue that the EV-N was one of the stars of the ...
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First Sight: Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe
The third installment of Mercedes-Benz's ‘small' car family will receive its global preview with a close-to-production concept set to debut at the Beijing motor show next week, but Car Design News has gained an early peek of the official images and details.
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Design Development: Saab Phoenix concept
The plan view shows the influence of previous Saabs very well including the clamshell hood (900), bulbous nose cone (Ursaab) and rear Kamm tail (Sonett). Castriota placed significant emphasis on aerodynamics and says his flying buttress details outboard of the cant rail help towards a 0.25 Cd (the same as ...