Hot sketches?  Check.  Giant wheels?  Check.  Aggressive styling?  Check.  Production vehicle?  Check..?  Yes, CHECK.

Local Motors has released information on their first build, the “Rally Fighter” by recent winner Sangho Kim.  The concept was born of true open-source thinking via LM’s Design Process community section of their website: Designer creates concept, community critiques concept, designer refines concept, community critiques again, and so on.  To designers, the process is reminiscient of every college design course (and every succesful design studio) we had, with weekly critiques of our designs in efforts to make it better.  (We’ll have more on the Design process in a future article).  Kim’s concept was one of the first to utilize the Design Process, and did so effectively, evolving over the summer into the vehicle that you see in the images below.

The vehicle, although it will have to slightly morph to fit today’s safety and manufacturing standards, is a take on the stylish not-so-off-road genre that BMW, Audi, and even Hyundai are starting to take a look into seriously.  Dubbed a “larger lighter-weight” car that is fuel-efficient, the Rally Fighter had it’s roots as a BMW-inspired concept, picking up the look of the X6 and eventually evolving the proportion and form language to become more unique.  While not as outlandhish as many concepts we see come out of other design competitions (and other start-ups) the Rally Fighter has a clean, modern aesthetic that will aim to help define the Local Motors brand language.

If the final vehicle retains much of the “sketch on wheels” appeal of Kim’s concept, then the Rally Fighter will be a winner.  With the help of LM team members such as Ben Messmer (Lead Designer at Local Motors) and their engineering staff and community, the project looks promising, and will be a nice way for the design communityto showcase itself in the increasingly open-source world that we live in.  Congratulations to Sangho Kim, who’s having one heck of a summer!

Official press release (and a few more images) after the break.
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Not really. Mopar Enthusiast magazine did some fan service to its readers and mocked up a conceptual 2010 Plymouth Roadrunner concept. While probably-maybe-definitely not going to happen, it raised some great questions about what to do with the Challenger platform next, as soon as the Camaro and the next Stang hit the pavement.

Sketches looked great, and there are some nice design elements, but that rear end has to go (too boxy for our tastes).  The article explains that they took their inspiration from the early 70’s model years.  My dad would be proud.

Take a look at the latest issue of Mopar Enthusiast, and check out images at ChargerForumz.com

Yes, that teaser header is from yet another HOT Mazda concept. This one, the Kazamai, is set to debut at the Moscow Motor Show in just a short while. However, Mazda graced the intrawebz with its presence a few days early, showing off some sexy images.

First and foremost from a design standpoint, Mazda is doing some incredibly exciting things with their concepts. The “wind” theme direction hasn’t gotten old, only BETTER.  The Kazamai excels on all aspects of the form vocabulary: bending, shaping winds criss-cross each other playfully, while at the same time redefining and resculpting the vehicle’s surfaces as they move across.

The vehicle proportions, although a little snouty, have a fresh, muscular look.  This car looks as if it will fly past you on the highway, guaranteed.  And you will be caught staring (also guaranteed).  The vehicle design is pure emotion AND motion.

While only a concept, Mazda is getting closer and closer to reality with their theme.  And although the Kazamai looks like it will speed past anything on the road, the next gen of Mazdas can’t come fast enough.

Click the link to see more images.

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The Oracle at Volkswagen.  Nah, doesn’t have a nice ring to it.  VW, on the other hand, seems to think so.

Debuting recently was their research vision for 2028, creatively titled “Volkswagen 2028″, which relies heavily on the “green” factor that is already sooo 2006.  VeeDub has launched a site to go with their venture, explaining their aims and goals for 20 years into the future.  While the vehicle designs are very Volkswagen, they are also very… well, un-exciting aesthetically.  In fact, they have that “1984 Art School Sophomore” aesthetic: overly simple and probably based on a hot, completely unfeasible sketch.

The plan is interesting, if VW actually works towards it and keeps it in its sights.  But, we won’t hold our breath.  Oftentimes these types of product concepts are nothing more than corporations feeding the Green crowd just enough to stave them off until the next fiscal earnings report.

Take a look at the images of the three concepts after the break: the ego, one, and room.

Remember to pack your tin foil helmets.

[via Volkswagen2028 via Carscoop]

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This, my friends, is CAR DESIGN.  This is what it is all about.  Thinking completely outside of the box, outside of the wheels, outside of what makes modern vehicle design so conventional.  This, my friends, is the BMW Gina Light Visionary Model.  And truly, this is CAR DESIGN at it’s greatest.

In what may be the biggest leap in design thinking in a long time, BMW has broken the mold with the Gina.  It has made vehicle design COOL AGAIN.  And it did it all with a vehicle whose concept is not far-fetched, not new, just right.  And we are oh-so-thankful!

The Gina is intended to be an in-house vision model, something all designers know and love: a vision (direction) for  where Bimmer’s styling and design will head.  The much-maligned flame surfacing has sudden taken a spectacular turn into stardom.

What makes this vehicle so special is that it takes sheet metal away completely.  Utilizing a Michealangelo-esque method of draping material over a form to create a shape, the Gina is able to be sexy and lightweight.  Like a Victoria’s Secret model stepping onto the runway wearing a full head-to-toe silk dress, the vehicle entices with what you DON’T see… what is hidden there behind the thin curtain, shaped by undulating forms.

There IS one way to see more… by clicking the link to read more!

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Recently, we at CDf  have been making the rounds at various art & design schools for their annual shows, often fondly remembering the days when we “used to design cool cars”.  We’ve been ogling vehicle designs, sketches, models… secretly critiquing, and always wondering if the student concepts could foretell the future design direction of some giant automotive OEM.

While not a said gaint OEM, Local Motors has emerged as a way for students, designers, and enthusiasts to create compelling vehicle designs that may one day actually make it to market as an LM product.  Utlizing a crowd-sourcing concept, LM has created a community (heavily designer-centered… yay!) where individuals submit work to their pre-defined competitions (such as the recently completed California Off Road Machine).  The winning design receives a monetary award, with the possibility to sell the concept to LM for an additional sum.  We will do a full deep-dive of Local Motors very soon.

To find out how you can enter the latest competition, and to see entries from the previous competiton, read on!

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The Scion brand is kind of like a fish out of water right now. Started out swimming strong, but now is struggling with the introduction of some new models. Did their underground niche become too mainstream? Or does everyone know that it is just another Toyota now? Either way it is an interesting brand with a strong marketing strategy. This years Hako Coupe concept was deffinitely a stretch, but was it bad?

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The Geneva Motor Show is undoubtedly the biggest on the planet for concept vehicles, debuts, and blond Swedish models. This year GM took the wraps off of the Saab 9-X BioHybrid Concept, showcasing the latest in the theme that Saab has been evolving over the last couple of years.

Saab tends to be the forgotten horse in the GM stable of brands, yet it may have an identity that rivals Cadillac in strength… especially with the 9-X.

Watch the video of GM’s Design Chief Ed Welburn talk about the 9-X and read on for our full crit.

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We’ve kept our eyes on the Geneva Motor Show for upcoming trends, as we’re sure to find vehicles that we want (but know we can’t get in the US). One vehicle concept that caught our eye is the Opel Meriva. This is the second concept crafted in the new Opel design language, and if history proves right this will undoubtedly become the US’ Saturn design language as well. Watch the video of GM Chief of Design Ed Welburn explaining the Meriva, and read on for our crit.

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Since the recent announcement that the H2 is on its way out, I thought it would be a good time to show what is in Hummer’s future. We have already seen the HX in Detroit, but here is a link to a video showing more of the details that were never really shown. Get past the overplayed “designers out of school speech” and look the images. This is a great concept and hopefully we will see it through to fruition.

Hummer HX VIDEO Link