car design thread | Page 477 | FerrariChat

car design thread

Discussion in 'Creative Arts' started by jm2, Oct 19, 2012.

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  1. Jeff Kennedy

    Jeff Kennedy F1 Veteran
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    Is standard equipment a paper bag to hide it? Is this their attempt to Toyotaize a Nissan Juke?

    Toyota is in desperate need of new leadership in or over Design. This is just flat out embarrassing.
     
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  2. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    No argument from me.
     
  3. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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  4. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    Don’t put words in my mouth! :cool:
     
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  5. 330 4HL

    330 4HL Formula 3

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    not bad...; also probably not going to be available in N.A.

    Is importing Lincoln from China viable marketing idea??
     
  6. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    Sure, cars from China is a thing.
     
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  7. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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  8. crinoid

    crinoid F1 Veteran
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    Remove the grill and would anyone now ??
     
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  9. VigorousZX

    VigorousZX Formula Junior

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  10. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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  11. 330 4HL

    330 4HL Formula 3

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    I'm thinking that the traditional Lincoln demographic might not be big fans of buying an "American" brand made in Zhong Guo...
     
  12. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    Well, how about Buick’s & Cadillacs from China? Or Chevvies?
     
  13. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    https://vintageracecar.com/the-lamborghini-espada-a-flagship-when-new-still-soaring-today/2/?fbclid=IwAR3xuXx9ttIOCjBufnPW3XGZlk8mldhSPzaQ0x7XQawogi5t7OcROBNhTTs


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    The Lamborghini Espada – A flagship when new, still soaring today
    0
    BY Raffi Minasian" >RAFFI MINASIAN ON JULY 13, 20202020, AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND, BY DESIGN, JULY '20, NORTH AMERICA, REGION, UK/EUROPE, VINTAGE ROADCAR ARCHIVES, VINTAGE ROADCAR ARTICLES, VINTAGE ROADCAR COLUMNS


    Further details throughout the exterior included NACA ducts prominently featured on each side of the lengthy hood, distinctive linear slotted hood vent treatments (allowing for warm air evacuation), flanking the curved wheel flares, all fused into a planar design that tapered to dramatically rounded rear fenders. Dominating the svelte profile, were arguably the best looking wheels in the history of sports cars, the Campagnolo Miura cast wheel, complete with triple-eared knockoffs. And while one might have expected the dramatic design to incorporate a more daring fascia to announce the presence of such a powerful and compelling vehicle, the front of the car was cleanly executed with quad headlamps at each extreme corner, supported by a chrome bumper following the lower profile. It was a brilliantly simple execution, Gandini reasoning that the majority of the visible mass was well below eyeline. Indeed, nearly all of the drama of the Espada design happens entirely above the belt line.

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    Lamborghini revised and improved the car over a decade long production run with three distinct series executions. Gradual improvements were both cosmetic and mechanical with enhancements made for interior comfort and improved road use. Contemporary journalists lauded the Espada, in part because such a wonderful V12 GT car with provisions for passengers and luggage simply did not exist, but also because the Espada did not compromise in either area. It was both uproariously quick and luxuriant. The uncharacteristically long ten-year production run was both planned and fortuitous, in part because while concepts were considered for a new variant of the Espada, by the early 1970s, Bertone was struggling with conceptual ideas that improved upon this very contemporary look. Thus, the decision was made to not only retain the basic design, but to also add further luxury appointments throughout the interior. Not all changes were for the better as the ungainly front and rear bumpers of later series cars will attest, along with a marginally forgivable Chrysler automatic transmission. By 1978, the last Espada rolled off the assembly line. Sales had slowed, but there was still a great deal of interest in the Espada, particularly given the dark design times of the late ’70s and early ’80s automobile industry. The end of the Espada quite simply had more to do with the unfortunate financial situation for Lamborghini, by then a ward of the Italian court system, who insisted on focusing specifically on other more profitable cars, more specifically, the Countach.




    Today, the Espada remains one of the most enigmatic and still affordable sports cars of the modern era. With Miuras now fetching seven figures, a fine Espada is hardly half the car, yet at a tenth of the price. Conceived as a purely visionary dream, born of imaginative concept car intentions and fueled by a fusion of performance and luxury, the Lamborghini Espada thrived at a time in automotive history when few fresh, yet radical, concepts dared to have such staying power.
     
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  14. Boomhauer

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  15. Jeff Kennedy

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    THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME FOR AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN.
    [​IMG]TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 AT 12:10PM
    By Peter M. DeLorenzo

    Detroit. We have arrived at the point where this entire business is languishing in limbo. We’re between a rock – as exemplified by the money-making ICE vehicles (trucks, SUVs, et al.) – and a hard place – as represented by the new wave of EVs. This transition is going to play out in fits and starts, with manufacturers revealing their advanced designs long before they show up in showrooms in the hopes that we’re all paying attention and that they will hold our interest long enough until they arrive.

    That’s a tall order. Some manufacturers seem to be getting with the program, projecting their future thinking in attractive designs that seem luscious and desirable. Consider the Cadillac Lyriq, Audi A6 E-Tron and Lucid Air, for instance.

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    (GM)

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    (Audi)

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    (Lucid)

    Other manufacturers seem to be perpetually lost, wandering around in the desert of bad ideas and uninspiring shapes, as best exemplified by the new fully-electric Mercedes-Benz EQS. It represents the desultory design movement at its best, and it’s beyond tedious. This was clearly Mercedes’ attempt at wowing everybody with their self-anointed “smartest guys in the automotive room” persona, but it fell far short of that. How they could possibly imagine that a ten-year-old shape would move the needle to the EV future is beyond me, as in, seriously?

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    (Mercedes-Benz)

    As longtime readers of this site know, design is my favorite part of this business. Having grown up in the heyday at the end of the Harley Earl era, and through the Bill Mitchell era – two giants of automotive design history – I grew to appreciate this aspect of the business. It still excites me to this day, which is why my anticipation – and scrutiny – for each new EV design is amplified.

    That we are on the cusp of a new automotive era is clear. Everything we know about this business so far has been duly noted and played out for more than a century, and for the most part it was good. The freedom of mobility, and the ability to see and do and settle new regions fueled the growth of this nation and transformed the way we live and work. Fundamental innovations, breakthrough technologies, high-performance milestones and advancements in safety have left an indelible imprint on our way of life. And make no mistake, as I have said repeatedly, the ICE era will be around for many, many years to come.

    But the movement to BEVs is a momentous moment, in real time. The transition to a new way of mobility for the masses is indeed upon us, and though it remains to be seen how exactly it will play out, some of our entrenched notions and learnings will inevitably be upended and forced to be reimagined. And as I’ve said, I welcome this transition. My experience with my Chevrolet Bolt has been eye-opening. The seamless, right now torque and acceleration, the silent running and the sense that BEVs will not only be adopted, but actually liked by a lot of people is palpable.

    That this business is more competitive than ever is no secret, and new designs from brand-new EV companies around the globe are emerging almost on a weekly basis. (You only have to take in the displays at Auto Shanghai 2021 this week to realize that.) The design arena is fiery and unforgiving, and many of these manufacturers will only get one shot to make a first impression. And the line between design reach and design failure remains razor thin.

    That’s why I want to be wowed by the automotive design community. Let me restate that, I expect to be wowed. After all, design is, was, and always will be the Ultimate Initial Product Differentiator. Phoning it in is not an option, especially as battery development accelerates and the democratization of this new technology takes hold. It is the look that will propel sales success in the market. And it is the look that will secure a brand’s image for decades to come.

    It is important to remember that the automotive business is as much a fashion business as anything else, and it is often defined by fads that come and go as well (the current SUV/Crossover fad isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, unfortunately). But in the end, vehicles that are emotionally compelling to look at draw people in to find out more. That’s just the way it has always been and will continue to be.

    Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell understood this implicitly. Earl was the driver of the “jet age” in automotive design, and Mitchell was an absolute genius at translating advanced concepts into mainstream automotive hits. The vehicles below exemplify the Earl and Mitchell looks perfectly.

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    The 1959 Buicks didn’t get as much attention as the hyper-finned ’59 Cadillacs, but under Earl’s tutelage they were stylish and compelling. This PR shot features the 1959 Buick Invicta.

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    The 1959 Buick Electra was the top of the lineup.

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    The 1963 Buick Riviera remains an auto industry milestone and an iconic representation of the Mitchell era at GM Styling.

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    (GM)

    The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray is still stunning to this day and a perfect tribute to Mitchell's design vision.

    As I said, I expect to be wowed. Showing these historical designs isn’t meant to be a nostalgia play or a yearning for the days of yore in this business. They’re examples of blue-sky thinking and design reach that translated into earth-shattering and historically significant designs that resonate to this day.

    Memo to the automotive design community: You have the opportunity of a lifetime to project this business into a future brimming of possibilities. Aim high. Anything less will be a monumental disappointment.

    And that’s the High-Electron Truth for this week.
     
  16. NeuroBeaker

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    I would like to see a Lamborghini 2+2 with the softened design language of the Asterion. I think that would look pretty interesting. It could revive the Espada name?

    All the best,
    Andrew.

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  17. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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  18. NeuroBeaker

    NeuroBeaker Advising Moderator
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    Kind of, except that to me has very harsh Aventador-type language with the hard straight edges. A four door four seater or two door 2+2, in my view, would suit the softer lines of the Asterion. The Estoque looks too aggressive and not pretty enough for the mission statement.

    All the best,
    Andrew.
     
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  19. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    My take is that Mercedes is trying to pursue the "weirdness" factor sort of like the first Priuses looked when they were initially introduced. And get load of those "A" pillars landing almost on top of the front wheel wells. Talk about a "cabin forward" renaissance!
     
  20. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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  21. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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  22. F1tommy

    F1tommy F1 World Champ
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    I saw this interesting TWA limo photo. Superior Criterion was mainly an ambulance but they also made a limo version. I like the extra effort put into the shape and details unlike the boxes of today. Even the airplane has a nice curvy shape(Connie's were 1940's styling :)).


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  23. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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  24. F1tommy

    F1tommy F1 World Champ
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  25. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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