Today
The unofficial portrait of a superlative designer, from the memory book of Giancarlo Perini.
«When he dreams, the man is a genius; indomitable and brave as a Genius» (from Akira Kurosawa's Dreams, 1989).
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«Gandini is fantastic. Unbeatable when it comes to creating way-out sports cars with overpowering aggression: some of his coupes seem to bite the ground even when they are standing still. »
Fiat reported to get new 124 Spider from Hiroshima, instead of Alfa Romeo.
The return of the Fiat 124 Spider is not breaking news but in Italy it made the cover page of the second largest and influential Italian newspaper on the opening of the Geneva Motor Show to the public. «Il Corriere della Sera» was the only daily to grant the news, reported by Bianca Caretto, almost one page. In this case the source is relevant: Fiat owns a major stake in the newspaper and the reporter has excellent and long lasting relations with Fiat's executives. The way the news is reported is very significant, a sort of official statement.
I met Mark T. Allen, Head of Jeep Design, at the Geneva Motor Show and asked him to explain the designers goals and drive for its designers.
The conversation, recorded on video as a memo for my text tells more and here is the first part of it. Say you like and I will post more of it, with my apologize for the very amateur production. I need help and I am looking for it.
Hyundai used to name its concept cars with the letters and numbers and this latest project unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show shoulod have been the HED-9. However, there is always room for improvement and the two-door-four-seater SUV concept has got a name. Not the most meaningful but at least it comes with first and last name: Intrado (by) Hyundai.
The concept has been developed in Germany, at Hyundai Motor Europe’s design centre in Russelsheim.
As usual, the show-car is an attractive window onto different areas of development. The first being the new architecture that looks to a Korean alternative to the concept that produced the hyper successful Nissan Qashqai and its little sister, the Juke.
Next is the translation of the concept into a shape introducing the new design language named by the communication experts “Fluidic Sculpture 2.0” for the exterior and showing more discipline, less gadget but plenty of light and colour inside the passengers compartment. It is one of the most balanced and attractive design at the show this year.
How wrong were we when we guessed what Giugiaro had in store for Geneva? We leave the answer to you. Sure this is not the sort of classic saloon-style three-box limousine. Not a sort of elegant SUV, the sort of four (unusual) doors, six-seater evolution of the Parcour few ones would dream of. But how else would you call a luxurious, elegant, simple and more conservative than classic, if not a new form of luxury limousine with the DNA of the Golf?
The concept is one, which Maestro Giorgetto Giugiaro is very keen on: the greatest space for passenger in a given length and widht. Well, line the fast Clipper design to cross the oceans at the fastest speed with their full load of people and goods, the Italdesign-Giugiaro Clipper offers great comfort to six passenger on three rows and each of them in his own armchair. We shall discuss the ultimate concepts from Giugiaro again and again in the near future because it seems to point to an interesting direction everybody will want to look at.
The Peugeot 308 has just been declared the Car Of The Year 2014 by the International Jury of Motoring Writer. The announced was made at an event in Geneva on the eve of the Motor Show.
Surprisingly, the French range of attractive but very conventional middle class hatchback and station wagon has advanced the BMW i3, the most innovative car in many decades introduced. In third place the Jury have put the Tesla Model S. The score has been 307, 223 and 216 votes respectively. 2014