Car Design Fetish

The Geneva Motor Show is in full swing, with news bites appearing every day.  The show, unlike the relatively production-oriented NAIAS Detroit show, straddles the SEMA line to bring some truly outrageous, often ground-breaking concept car design.  While there have been some absolute stinkers, what is considered good Design has been truly magnificent at times.

Let’s reiterate the reason that concept cars exist in the first place: they are usually seen as milestones for a company’s Design language and technological goals.  For example: while we may not see production cars with glass wheels anytime soon, the idea that the company is targeting light-weighting may be the real focus.

If what we see at Geneva is any indication, studios are now coming to an understanding that it is the sophistication in technology that can drive Design, not just flashy gimmicks.

We’ve compiled a few of our very favorite concept vehicles that will be driving European automotive design for the next several years.  We lead off with the excruciatingly wonderful Survolt.

Citroen is on a Roll

Not to trump itself with the recently released GQbyCITROËN concept, the double-chevron company strikes back with the Survolt concept.

The Survolt’s boy-racer inspiration hearkens back to the days when we were racing along Gratiot Avenue on Saturday nights, showing off our imports and Detroit muscle at every stop light. Save for the fact that Gratiot is not in Europe, of course.  The Survolt’s unique blend of racing and technology melts our Supra-loving minds, using Citroen’s curvaceous geometric form language inlaid with some unique details and tech.  Take, for instance, the slight indent around wheel arches that help outline the car like a sketch or the almost Tron-like neon surfaces.

Chief Designer Bertrand Dantec devotes some love to the stylish “ribbon” aesthetic, which is exemplified along the surfacing of the door and pillar and up into the roof.  The printed graphics along some of the body panels and the pretzel-twisty wheel designs are a nice frosting instead of a mouthful of cream.  The dark gray sheer sheet of silk that forms the car’s curves are akin to those of any Victoria’s Secret angel; we can’t help but caress the car with our eyes.

One more bit of housekeeping: kudos need to go to the marketing team behind the Survolt for the spectacular photos and imagery.  All cars need to be debuted with this much passion.

The Survolt balances along the tightrope of being almost overdone, which will keep making us give it a double-, triple-, and quadruple-take every time we see it.

Image credits

[Citroen Survolt: Laurent Nivalle, Director]