Car Design: Paris Auto Show '08 Part One

The Paris show kicks off the long circuit of car shows that culminates with New York next Spring and as such can be seen as a bellwether for what sorts of designs and concepts are at the top of designers minds this season. Judging on the evidence here the two big trends are electric cars and big four door exotic sedans.

Blockbusters were few but there were some notable debuts:


The Lamborghini Estoque Concept is their entry into the burgeoning four-door supercar market alongside Porsche's upcoming Panamera and Aston-Martin's long-awaited Rapide. The reception to the Estoque was somewhat muted - compared to the typical Lambo it seems downright restrained.

It's at the front end - like the Porsche and Aston - where the most resemblance to it's stablemates is conveyed. The harder edges of the Reventon are finding it's way into other Lamborghini vehicles and the sinister rectangular headlights add a bit of distinction to the familiar shapes on the face.

The very aggressive rear (see pic above) is masterfully shaped and detailed - there is perhaps a hint of the Dodge Charger concept but the rear three quarter view is probably the car's best.

Where things get less certain are the bland midsection and ultra-low roofline. The window and roof shapes lack some distinction and the smooth sides don't seem well integrated with the dramatic rear flanks.

At the opposite end of the spectrum was Nissan's neat electric NuVu concept. NuVu has a very unusual undulating greenhouse which flows skirt-like around the wheels. The detailing is extremely well done, from the chamfered wheel arches to the bumper cutlines to the "brows" over the headlamp units.

Though the proportions may seem a bit clown-car like the eye is drawn to the unusual shapes and the harmonious balance of elements. One of Nissan design's best recent concepts.

Design: New York Auto Show -- Maxima Overdrive

Nissan's Maxima was a sport sedan star in the early 90s but it has since been eclipsed by their own Altima in the hearts and minds of many. The outgoing Maxima shared the Altima's platform but used convoluted styling to distinguish itself. The new Maxima, unveiled today at the New York Auto Show before my very eyes aims to restore the name to glory. Design wise I'd have to say it's a mixed bag, something of a Nissan specialty. The most controversial element are the headlamp shapes which sweep boomerang like into the fender sides (see picture above). The effect is somewhat contrived. Still the detailing is gorgeous -- check out the undulating folded hood forms. The lamp clusters themselves are an elegant mixture of shapes and crystal textures. The Maxima proves to be one of those rare cars that seem undistinguished from afar but profit from a close inspection.
Then there is the roofline which is derivative of Lexus in it's similar appropriation of BMW's famed Hofmeister kink (no not chihuahuas in tutus -- the Hofmeister kink is the little bend in the rear side window of BMW's that has spread like wildfire amongst near luxury pretenders). The lower body detailing verges on dull. Yawn to the flat radius wheel arches. The sweep of the c-pillar into the kicked-up trunklid is a shout out to another more recent BMW trope as seen on the 7 Series and Mercedes' S- Class.
Again though, some of the detailing is superb. The rear hips swell suggestively from just the right angle (see above picture) while the precise lines from the side of the rear window and the edge of the roof sweeps into the trunklid together before diverging to create a broad surface form at the end of the car. I can't say all of this fine surfacing adds up to a great design but it certainly makes for a rewarding inspection.

Design: New York Auto Show -- Nissan Denki Cube

Planet of Sight and Sound are lucky enough to be at the New York Auto Show this year so expect lots of neat stuff today and tomorrow.

Nissan's Cube is already on it's second generation in Japan, and the Denki Cube unveiled at this year's New York Auto show is a perforated and tweaked version of the production model with the added distinction of a lithium ion battery. So just like your laptop, the Denki plugs in at night to recharge. Just check out the mini-lightning inside the cool ionized headlight pupils above. Nissan also announced that the next Cube will definitely be coming stateside.
The production Cube is already a lot more interesting than the closest relevant models in the United States market, Scion's xB and Honda's Fit so I applaud Nissan in bringing the next-gen over.

The interior is bright enough to require sunglasses but it's smooth modernity is refreshing. In the C-Pillar below you can see that this cool box comes with it's own "cool box" ... a mini fridge.

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.