Design: BMW Flashes Their Hot Cloth-Covered GINA -- Six Years Late

By Noah Mallin

So this is what BMW designers come up with when nobody is around. The GINA, just unveiled (if that's the right term) by the Bavarian company, was actually put together six years ago as an advanced design study by Chris Bangle's team. Yes that is high tech cloth subbing for stiff body panels covering GINA's frame. It can be split down the middle of the "hood" to get to the engine (top photo) and the rear spoiler and doors stretch and bunch the fabric at full extension.

The effect, especially in silver, is a bit Zeppelin-like but fascinating all the same. Designers often try to capture the tension of stretched fabric in sheet metal and Bangle simply eliminates the secondary medium. The solution for the taillights is ingeniously simple. Overall this is a brilliantly visionary design, impractical though it may be.

Design: Longtime Mercedes Design Kaiser to Retire

Report by Noah Mallin

Mercedes-Benz Head of Design Peter Pfeiffer will retire this year, after having been head of design since 1978. During that time he has overseen a huge expansion in Mercedes model line-up, from the tiny A-Class on the small end to the sport utilities, crossovers, and minivans on the larger scale. Through it all he has done an admirable job of overseeing the Mercedes design heritage while still staying in step with design trends.

Here are some of the best designs that were launched on his watch:


The lovely pillarless W126 S-Class Coupe from 1981



The 1983 190, which successfully took the brand downmarket for the first time



The 1989 SL which replaced the now classic previous model which had been in production for nearly two decades



In 1997 the A-Class took Mercedes down into an even-lower market rung. The executive class small car opened the door to the new Mini in the following decade and incorporated novel approaches to interior and mechanical packaging for space and safety.

The 1998 CLK Coupe and Convertible were the best-looking Mercedes' of the 90s

The pert and pretty 1997 SLK had an amazing folding hardtop



The swoopy 2005 CLS kicked off the 4-door Coupe trend

Among the notable concepts are these:


The oddly upright 1981 NAFA microcar



The bulbous f100 from 1991 which accurately predicted the 90s trend towards tw0-box designs such as minivans and crossover/suvs



The amazing f300 concept from 1997 --a three-wheeled vehicles that leaned into turns like a motorcycle



The striking F400 Carving from 2002 applied the leaning concept to 4-wheels



The F600 Hygenious wrapped a fuel cell in a radical glassy body

Design: Italdesign Guigiaro Pulls a Wedgie With Quaranta

The few remaining Italian design houses are using next week's Geneva show as a showcase for their talents, as is their wont. Italdesign Guigiaro has unveiled the Quaranta which celebrates the firm's 40th anniversary, and their continued survival under the auspices of the younger Giugiaro.

The Quaranta pays explicit tribute to one of the firm's first designs, the Bizzarrini Manta concept from 1968:

Like the influential Manta, the Quaranta is a radical wedge-shape. The Manta helped kick off the aerodynamic craze of the 70s and 80s, which Pininfarina's new Sintesi concept also evokes. The Quaranta is unlikely to wield as much imaginative power as its predecessor though.

The best view is from above, where the purity of the shape, the radical arc of the roofline and repetition of this curve in the front fenders flow harmoniously together.

The side view also has promise but the clumsy vents behind the doors and on the lower body betray the clean lines. The side glass is very well handled, especially as it seems to flow in one piece over the front fenders and wheels.

The rear end seems busy and contrived. The rear fender planes meet a darkened rear spoiler and a collection of triangular planes which are probably meant to evoke the wedginess of the roof.
Overall not a classic, and with echoes not just of Giugiaro's earlier work but also that of former rival on the brink of bankruptcy Bertone's past work (especially up front) Quaranta is intriguing if unsatisfying.

Design: Steamy Hot Open Volvo -- Caresto Hot Rod Jakob

Volvos -- safe, stylish, detachedly cool. Who would make a hot rod out of a Volvo? Why, ex-Volvo guy Lief Tufvesson of Caresto naturally, and he's done it before. Explain yourself, my tall Nordic friend:

"Volvo has always been a special make for me. These were the cars I learned my skills on in my youth, and I also worked for a while at Volvo's concept-car department. So instead of obtaining inspiration from an old Ford, as is usually the case in Hot Rod circles, I wanted to build something that meant more to me personally. That's why I chose to bring together the most classic attributes of Volvo, the Jakob, and my own modern Hot Rod style,"

What a great tribute to hot rod genius Boyd Coddington than to see the reach of the culture he helped popularize extend to Northern European near-luxury brands. It's also a nice back-at-ya for one of the United State's best known Volvo lovers, Iraq War salesman extraordinaire Colin Powell, seen here with his own:












More to the point check out the beautifully spare bodywork and detailing. The body is stripped down to its basic bucket shape and the windshield rails dive down deep into the cowl area. Also check out the ginormous brutalist design of the exposed rear axle.

Design: GMC in Truck Denial with Denali XT

GMC is Genral Motors trucks-only brand in the United States. Despite the slowdown in SUV sales they are GM's numer two selling nameplate here currently and the General wants to protect the brands growth in the coming gas sipping era.

The Denali XT concept, to be revealed to the public at next week's Chicago Auto show, is a stab at a more efficient pick-up truck. Some commentators have compared the rwd car-based vehicle to the Chevy El Caminos and GMC Caballeros of the 60s-80s but to me this seems like a logical outgrowth of the current "crossover" craze.

Just as crossovers build a new vehicle that has truck attributes off of a car platform, the Denali XT has pickup truck features but a platform that is the same as GM Australia's new rear-drive base (which also makes it the same as the upcoming Chevy Camaro coupe and Pontiac G8 sedan.) This is unlike the El Camino/Caballero which were usually just Malibu wagons with their rear sections modified to form a pickup truck bed.

A malaise-era 1979 Caballero

As a design the Denali is very strong, and this represents a possible exciting new direction for GMC. There is a touch of Chrysler's fulls size LH cars in the stance and the high beltline/ low roofline, which makes for a chopped side window profile. The face is fantastic, aggressive without being over-the-top cartoonish. The texturing of the grille, the placement of the headlight/vent units that sweep back into the sculpted fender forms, the sides of those same forms that flow from the bumper face are all expertly handled. The rear echoes the front lamps with tailight/vent clusters of its own. The tailights are very nicely shaped, as is the oversize chrome tailgate handle. The roofline is extremely well-executed and overall the design is a real winner. Here's hoping GM follows through and produces this.

Design: Faurecia Czechs Out a Classic

French auto parts supplier Faurecia shamed the rest of a pretty blah field at this year's Los Angeles car show with their re-imagining of a classic Czech car design - the Tatra 602 of the 1960's and 70's. The Tatra was an iron curtain gem -- the Czechs had the most advanced design and production capabilities of the Soviet Bloc. The new concept version is called the Premium Attitude -- something I've experienced at a number of fine restaurants.

Check out the amazing asymmetrical detail work on the grille flanked by modern multi-ringed headlamps. (pic from Jalponik.com)

Though the original was rear engined (with a swing axle -- the same combo that made Chevy's Corvair into a Ralph Nader calling card) this version moves the engine to the front, freeing the rear open up with a unique sliding action. (pic below is also from Jalopnik.com)

I love the split rear window...lousy to look through but great to look at...



Here is a promo animation from Faurecia on the Premium Attitude.

Design: Toyota Keeps it i-Real -- That's How They Roll Yo

"Race ya whore-san..."

Toyota unveiled their Professor X -esque i-Real concept at the show that keeps on giving, The Tokyo Motor Show, yesterday. This motorized contrivance/deathtrap can apparently reach speeds of 30 MPH + all while making you look like an invalid supervillian. What they should really do is widen that sucker out for the American market...I can already imagine hordes of these things flying around Midwestern malls piloted by John Goodman and pre-surgery Star Jones look-alikes. Not like that damn Segway -- standing is too much like exercise.

Seriously though, Japan's population is rapidly aging so many of the concepts here have touched on issues of mobility and ease of access without coming right out and saying that this is targeted to an aging and less mobile population. That being said, check out this link to video of the i-Real at Jalopnik.com driven by an oh so casual and well-dressed Toyota rep. He seems to disdain those of us who merely walk.

Design: Yet More Tokyo Madness

I know some readers have been impatient with my exploration of the outer reaches of automotive design but seriously, step off. The confluence of art and engineering that goes into planning something that is both useful and inspirational makes automotive design on par with architecture as one of the great pursuits of our age. So there. Now on to utter wackiness.

First up, Nissan presents the doltishly named Round Box, a "Youth-Oriented Compact Convertible" that includes "'road surface windows,' small glass panels placed close to the ground on both sides of the car, providing passengers with a view of the rapidly passing road surface, without the risk of road contact." Wouldn't want that risk of road contact now would we?

The design is rather unorthodox but pleasing with the exception of the Dirt Devilish mouth up front that seems like something Peugeot might do of late. Nice tone of red as well.

Then we have Toyota's Hi -CT concept, which features a "removable rear trunk and a deck where surfboards, bicycles and other equipment can be loaded." The look? Demon spawn of a Peterbilt truck cab and a golf cart.

Finally Toyota also graces us with a slice of nature loving madness with the RiN concept. Essentially a motorized gazebo, RiN is intended to nurture the wellness of it's occupants as well as those around it, or as Toyota says:

"Through their relationship to the vehicle, drivers are encouraged to reevaluate themselves and, furthermore, to turn their attention to society and nature, producing a healthy rhythm for both mind and body."

Groovy. Grok on this fellow harmonisers -- RiN features "...seats that help maintain good back posture and image displays aligned with the driver's psychological state that are conveyed within the meter cluster of the "mood-training" steering control."

Dig the funky leaf pattern running up the trellis -- er pillars and continued in the front and rear lighting elements. Inside the leaf pattern is repeated with leaf-shaped pedals (should that be petals?). The central console looks like a big blob of water and yes indeed...that's some kind of astroturf in place of carpeting.

Design: Tokyo Motor Show Gets Squishy

Honda unveiled it's PUYO concept today and they are ready to take on all comers in the Tokyo Motor show weirdstakes. See, Puyo is clothed in a gel-based soft skin. Oh yeah, and it glows in the dark.

Honda says that "'PUYO' is a Japanese onomatopoeia that expresses the sensation of touching the vehicle's soft body. It is meant to convey a warm, friendly impression." Ok, so far so good, but what's up with the rampant sexy talk of the rest of the press release? I hereby declare the Honda PUYO drinking game -- take a shot of sake after each opportunity to utter "That's what she said!" Micheal Scott style. To wit:

"Exterior design

The development theme for the PUYO exterior was to create a cornerless, 'Seamless Soft Box' form that is kind to both people and the environment. The goal was to create a personable design with the feel of an adorable pet, while taking advantage of the maximum spaciousness of the box-shaped design. The PUYO's 'gel body' features soft materials to promote greater real-world safety. Moreover, the body has been made luminescent to guide people into the proper operating position and notify them of the vehicle's condition, facilitating a more intimate relationship between people and their cars.

Interior design

Developed to have a 'Silky Feel', the PUYO's interior is designed to provide a refreshing, people-friendly space imbued with a feeling of transparency. Features such as an instrument panel monitor, controls that take advantage of the elastic qualities of cloth to rise up when the vehicle starts up, luminous fluid meter displays, and a joystick for intuitive operation are all designed to gently support occupants' senses and sensibilities. "

Phew, I need a cold shower. Looks like the Honda engineers have been "boning up" on Pynchon's V.

Design: Did I Mention Tokyo is Off The Wall?

Nissan previews their PIVA 2 concept today and they did not disappoint in the weirdness or WTF??? categories. This is a car whose body can rotate 360 degrees and features a talking robot monkey head in the dashboard. No word yet on whether it has a five-wish monkey's paw transmission.

Nissan calls this freaky bionic simian skull the "Robotic Agent' which sounds like something the Bush justice department could get on board with. Needless to say chances of production are nil. Check out the scary promo video below -- the poor model looks like she's stepping into some kind of futuristic kill chamber.

Design: Why I Love the Tokyo Motor Show

These days most automotive design "concept" or "show" cars are thinly veiled future production models or trial balloons for same. The Tokyo show can be relied on to show off pure expressions of design unfettered by any attempt at production reality. I already posted on Mazda's lovely Taiki concept but here are two off-the-wall Suzukis that illustrate my point. First up is the Sustainable Mobility concept which looks like a leftover vehicle from the first Star Wars movie.



Note the ever-popular Tokyo theme of matching front and rear for those not sure where they are going. Another popular motif over the years at Tokyo is pairing vehicles together so Sustainable Mobility (trips off the tongue doesn't it) regurgitates it's passenger in a little four-wheeled one seat capsule. Unless that's the back and it's crapping the passenger out. The dainty wheel shields are a neat feature, resembling white shirt buttons. is there a practical application here? Only for Rascal riding invalids and filmmakers looking to re-do Logan's Run.

Even cooler is the X-HEAD concept, a name that brings to mind the part of the video store that you have to walk through beads to get to. Again, we have two vehicles mated together but this time the smaller conveyance is a cool motorcycle.

Autoblog describes it as "Tonka-like" and that's exactly right. The upright cab, blunt front end and industrial detailing all give a tough no-nonsense appearence that would play well in the United States. The tall detailed wheels and bulldog-like stance are very appealing. There are a lot of clever touches and ideas here but it's very unlikely to make production -- which is a shame.

Click here for hi-res pics of the X-HEAD, including the cool interior.