If there were ever an easy target for the peanut gallery, this is it. Polarizing shape + negative name = turkey shoot. It’s just too tempting. And anytime a website compiles an ugly car list, you can bet your life the poor Gremlin will be in the top five. Is this car really that offensive? I mean, really? Why don’t we declare a momentary cease fire and have a look at the context surrounding this design…
I’ll admit up front that I’m guilty of calling the original Opel GT a “poor man’s Corvette” — that was back in my CCS days when I was young and impressionable. While there are some vague similarities to the C3, I think dismissing this classic as a wanna-be is a bit extreme. It’s like dismissing the Fiero as a “poor man’s Lamborghini.” As design professionals, we can be a bit more discriminating than that… Read the rest of this entry »
Like everyone who watched the unveiling of Apple’s new IPad yesterday, we have to throw in our two cents. Were we disappointed? Kind of, but give some credit, it had a lot to live up to. I don’t want to repeat all of the issues that everyone else is talking about so I will focus on a Pro and a Con that relate to the auto/ design industry. Lets start with the negative.
Yesterday I opened my 401k statement, and it was actually in positive territory. Double digits at that. Am I going to run out tomorrow and make a down-payment on a premium luxury car? No. But as a designer, it’s vital to be in tune with the wants and desires of customers at all levels — regardless of your own financial sensibilities. With that in mind, let’s have a look at the new A8, a product that is sure to satisfy the wants and desires of the premium luxury car buyer.
“I know my own needs. And what I need from an automobile, I know I get from this new… Corrrrdoba!” (Cue Spanish horns) And so, with a velvety voiceover from Ricardo Montalban, an amazing automotive success story began. You young designers can go ahead and crack all the jokes you want, but here’s the truth: If the Edsel was the single biggest design strike-out ever, then the Cordoba was likely one of the biggest design home runs ever. Too bad most of these “small Chryslers” are just small cubes today…
When I hear GMC’s tagline Professional Grade, the first thing that comes to my mind is the ubiquitous Bunn coffeemaker – the kind that you see in restaurants and bars. Solid, metallic and built to last, these machines and others like them have a cachet all their own. The sort of cachet that makes you think, “Well, if it’s good enough for professional needs, it’s good enough for me.” Other brands are forging ahead on a similar path, such as Maytag. Their Performance Series of appliances are sold under the banner Commercial Technology, drawing attention to the heavy duty springs and belts “under the hood”. So with this context in mind, what will GMC’s Professional Grade aesthetic look like going forward?
Hopefully, the answer to this question is found in the GMC Granite. Styled in GM’s California studio and fabricated in Michigan, this ‘urban utility vehicle’ won the coveted Eyes On Design award for concept vehicles. As an instructor at the College for Creative Studies, I constantly preach to my students that car design is all about two key ingredients: proportions and detailing. The Granite is a great example of a theme that gets these two ingredients right – inside and out.
The name Studebaker is a rarity among orphan car brands – it offers a bridge between horse drawn carriages and modern automotive lore. And as a designer, I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t know much about the history of this brand – that is until I visited the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana. This modern facility, opened in 2005, houses an amazing array of vehicles on three floors. A friendly, dedicated staff is on hand to answer your questions and make you feel at home.
I grew up a Bricklin fanatic. It’s in my blood, and four years at CCS couldn’t filter it out. You see, my dad’s best friend Marty used to own not one, but two Bricklins – one Safety Orange, one Safety White (?). As a kid, I loved looking at these cars when we came over to visit. Marty even drove me to school in the orange one when my mother was ill. We’d pull up to the entrance, the door would hiss open, and everyone’s head would swivel around! It was glorious – that is until someone asked the inevitable question: “Hey, is that a DeLorean?” (insert record scratch sound here)
With all of the industry events during the preview of NAIAS you get to hear a lot of rumors from a variety of people. Some true and some not but all interesting. Here is our run down of some interesting tid bits picked up off the floor when the drinks ran out.
Buick Regal GS – High potential of making it to production. Really no reason not to since it is made as an Opel.
Chevrolet Aveo RS – Looked great at the show, but production form changes the front clip, lighting details, and the size wheels. I saw this version at GM’s Technology Event in the fall and it needs help. No RS version is going to create a lot of bad press for the new Aveo.
GMC Granite – This was an actual real concept car created in just 7 months. Many GM designers were not a fan of a small GMC and are not supporting it to well. GM employees seem to be split 50/50 on whether this concept will make it into production. Personally I thought this was Best of Show and would bring many new buyers (myself included) to the brand. This vehicle was a gerat interpretation of a small GMC.
Chrysler / Dodge / Jeep – Busy , busy , busy is all that can be said for team Pentastar. No vehicles at Detroit but 16 new vehicles coming through next year. 11 refreshed and 5 all new. There are 9 new interiors coming out by next year and some have not even been designed yet. Most exciting to me is a new Jeep Wrangler interior coming after next years subtle refresh. I was told I will love it. We will wait and see.
Supposedly Mr. Sergio Marchionne does not like showing vehicles far ahead of actual production. Hence why there were no vehicles in Detroit, nothing is ready to come out. We will not even see the upcoming Jeep Grand Cherokee until spring when it goes on sale. Could he be bringing the suspense of the old days when you would actually go to the dealership just to watch the cover come off the new car? That would be great and really stick it to us bloggers (not us) who break embargoes early.
Ford – The new Fusion / Mondeo is said to be amazing and will blow away everything out there. Hopefully they grew out of the global growing pains had by the new Focus.
Audi E-Tron – This version of the E-Tron will be the next R4. It has the same proportion of last years VW roadster.
VW New Compact Coupe (NCC)- This will most likely be the new Jetta Coupe, assuming they stick with the Jetta name.
What did you here? If you have any other rumors you heard be sure to add them into the comments section.
The team at Local Motors has announced their latest competition: a vehicle for Texas that fulfills the needs of hunters.
Whether they are aiming for big bucks or quail, the hunting community is a broad and yet highly-particular one with tremendous requirements. The latest competition realizes that pickup trucks may not be the best solution for satiating the needs of hunters, focusing on the optimal hunting vehicle as a sort of “compartmentalized home base”.
We can see this as a terrific opportunity to get creative with vehicle design as more than just a styling exercise; imagine an all-in-one vehicle worthy of the “Sport Utility Vehicle” moniker. This competition also has a heavy set of requirements in tow (no pun intended). Objects like winches and tire pumps need to be accounted for, as do a set amount of passengers and 4-wheel drive.
The competition will draw 3 finalists, each with cash prizes. Submissions begin on 27 January and end on 9th February, with voting ending on the 16th of February.
As usual, visit the Local Motors competition page HERE, and read up on the design brief below.
