Design

Back in 2007 Kia was keen to launch a new sports model to help build the brand’s reputation and inject some fun into its lineup, which at the time was dominated by dowdy econo cars with questionable reliability. The automaker even rolled out a rear-wheel drive sports coupe concept car in the...

Mercedes-Benz is in a process of reinventing its design language, going from the sharp edged and relatively boxy designs of the past to a much more fluid form for its next-generation of cars. Challenged by modern pedestrian impact design regulations, as well as increasing environmental awareness...

The 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show is fast approaching, with press days scheduled for November 17-18. As always, Motor Authority and High Gear Media will have a team live on the show floor to bring you photos, news, and the unexpected as it happens. Here's an overview of what to expect from the 20-plus...

Each year the Los Angeles Auto Show hosts its Design Challenge, pitting design studios against each other and against a goal to test the limits of future thinking about automotive design. This year's goal is to create a vehicle that will hold four passengers, meet safety requirements, yet weigh...

With Porsche now officially the 10th brand of the ever-expanding Volkswagen Group, there are fears the ethos of the famous sports car company from Stuttgart will be diluted as focus shifts towards more upmarket performance brands like Lamborghini and Bugatti. We’ve already seen this with the...

The all-new 2011 Volvo S60 is certainly much more charismatic than the car it replaces—with a sportier driving feel and even some track cred, yet more comfort than most other sport sedans. While the S60's driving personality—and safety, of course—is part of its appeal, it's also...

The audio sounds like the background to a James Garner TV montage, but the visuals are pure cutting-edge Mazda design. Wrapping the Kodo design theme around a compact three-door hatchback model, the video gives us an idea of what the next Mazda2 or Mazda3 could look like. While we're big fans of...

Looking an awful lot like the Tesla Model S crossed with Infiniti's Essence Concept, the Mazda Shinari might not be entirely unique, but it's certainly attractive. Today, Mazda released the full official details on the 'Kodo' design thesis to be unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, along with a...

Mazda recently shocked the automotive world by unveiling the stunning new Shinari four-door coupe concept car at an exclusive event in Milan, Italy. The latest concept is the result of collaboration between Mazda’s design studios in Germany, the U.S. and Japan and previews the...

Giving brilliant people free rein to build their dreams has led to some of the best designs in automotive history, no small portion of which were penned by people working for the legendary design houses like Stile Bertone and Pininfarina. Well, one designer, Jason Castriota just happened to work at...

Italdesign-Giugiaro, based in Turin, is one of the most legendary automotive design houses in Italy and the company behind such icons as the original Volkswagen Golf, Audi 80, Lancia Delta and even the Hyundai Pony. The design house has had close links with Volkswagen since its founding back in...

Four-door coupes seem to be all the rage these days. With Mercedes-Benz preparing a new generation of its CLS and the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera winning praise all around the world, we now have a look at a potential design for an Audi four-door that looks much more sports car than...

Lotus Engineering has applied its approach to vehicle materials and engineering to the Toyota Venza.

Not all the concepts on show at this week’s 2010 Geneva Motor Show were from big name automakers or illustrious design houses. In fact, one of the hottest concepts to grace the stands in Geneva was actually designed and built by a small design firm based in Turin, Italy. The concept is the...

General Motors Company’s [NYSE:GM] management reshuffle shows no signs of slowing, with news today that Kurt McNeil has been appointed the U.S. sales and service vice president for Cadillac. McNeil was previously in charge of sales for Chevrolet and replaces Bryan Nesbitt, who held the top...

The first-ever Creative Commons rally facer looks impressive in action.

The future of automotive mobility is a question that has always captivated the mind of the automaker and the driver alike. Today Bentley takes its turn to give us a glimpse into what it thinks the future may hold, seen through the eyes of design students at Britain's Royal College of Art and their...

The information comes directly from the automaker’s new design chief, Gordon Wagener.

Walter de Silva is a powerhouse of modern automotive design. With cars like the Audi R8, TT and A5 among the many to his credit, his exteriors have a way of capturing the mind as well as the eye. But it wasn't always thus. In 1999, when Volkswagen was just beginning the revival of Bugatti...

The hit 3D animated movie Avatar is just out in theaters, but already the same technology behind the movie is being used to help improve car design by studying how people move when they interact with their cars. While the basic technology has been around for years now, constant improvements in...