Design

Starting in June, Lorenzo Ramaciotti will take on the responsibility for the future styling of all the brands of Fiat Group and Maserati. Directly reporting to Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, Ramaciotti will be in charge of the future direction of some of Fiat’s most important models including...

Kelley Blue Book (KBB) and its marketing research team have listed the brands that car buyers find to have the most exceptional ‘exterior styling’ in each vehicle segment. The results come from a study conducted by Brand Watch, KBB’s newest automotive research study. Though...

The Spada Codatronca is the creation of designer Ercole Spada from SpadaConcept and Italian tuning shop UK Garage. Spada is the former styling chief of the Zagato design house and his previous works include cars like the Aston Martin DB4, Alpha Romeo TZ and Fulvia Zagato Sport. His latest work, the...

A new intelligent lighting system that uses an on-board camera to detect oncoming traffic or pedestrians and then adjusts the car’s headlight beam angle so as to not dazzle them has been developed and could one day be introduced as standard equipment on all new cars. The UK’s...

Researchers at MIT have come up with a new engine design that improves the fuel efficiency and output of today’s powerplants but at a fraction of the cost of an equally efficient hybrid drivetrain. Scientist Daniel Cohn gives the example of a simple 2.4L four-cylinder mill, a motor that...

General Motors recently demonstrated its latest development in the field of smart materials during a media event at its R&D center. New technologies such as shape memory alloys and polymers are just some of the new materials that GM is investigating for future use in its cars. The materials get...

Future Mercedes Benz models will share much more components across its lineup thanks to a new strategy that's being implemented. Currently, engineers design and build unique components for each model series, a practice that increases both development time and costs. CEO Dieter Zetsche gave a good...

Volkswagen will use manufacturing techniques picked up from sister company Audi to cut development times of its new vehicles by up to a year and expand its portfolio while reducing the number of employees at the same time. The claim comes from VW’s new development boss, Ulrich Hackenberg, who...

Giugiaro will be showcasing its own Vadhò hydrogen concept car at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, the design house’s first attempt at an all-green vehicle. Built of a unique platform, the Vadhò is powered by a hydrogen fuelled powerplant located next to the rear seat, which itself is...

This futuristic looking Audi is the creation of a computer design fan who always wanted to create a modern version of Audi’s own AVUS concept car. You may recall that the AVUS was a concept displayed by Audi back in 1991 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The designer of the AVUS 2, however, even...

Inspired by the classic lines of the Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg sports cars of the 1930’s, Coventry Transport Design student Andrew Varnish has drawn up his own take of the classic sports coupe in the form of the 2007 AV Design Forte concept. The proposed specs read like those of a modern...

Ford is developing a new global design theme for future models, a move that ties in with the company’s “one Ford” vision strategy. The design chiefs for Ford’s North American and European divisions have combined their respective development teams to create a common design...

Italdesign’s Fabrizio Giugiaro gives a quick walkthrough of all the design elements that went into making the Giugiaro Mustang the stunner that it is. Displayed once again at last week's Detroit Auto Show, Fabrizio describes the 500hp coupe, with its sharp edges and low roofline, as...

The Michelin stand at this week’s Detroit Auto Show revealed the strangest looking and most diverse range of concepts of the entire show. The Challenge is to celebrate, promote, publicize and give visibility to original creative thinking and innovation in vehicle design and to help give young...

Peugeot recently ran a design competition asking entrants to submit their sketches of future concepts that had the following attributes: Pleasurable (to drive), lively, efficient, accessible, simple and ecological. Over 4000 entries were received, and surprisingly the largest number came from China...

Following on from where the Kabura, Sassou and Senku design concepts left off, Mazda will be displaying its latest work at this month’s Greater Los Angeles International Auto Show. The Japanese carmaker will take the wraps of its Nagare concept, whose styling will indicate the future trend of...

The Wildcat design concept is the third major project from Bulgarian based design group 12B Concept. Created by a core team of three members, the Wildcat is purely a design study but could form the basis of a production version if the company receives financial backing. Positioned as a mid-ranged...

One of BMW’s most prominent designers, Albrecht Graf Goertz, has passed away aged 92. The legendary designer was most recognized for his work with the German brand, but Goertz had also worked with Porsche, Nissan and Toyota. Some of his most popular works include the famed BMW 503 and 507 of...

As the auto industry starts to adopt LED lights in more mainstream vehicles, we’ll start to see cars featuring new and exciting headlight designs such as those seen on the Audi R8 and Aston Martin Rapide. Consumers will also benefit from features such as the compact size and weight, low cost...

Sabino is a relative newcomer to the automotive design world, but the Netherlands based company has already developed its first major showpiece that it hopes will gather public interest, and more importantly investment dollars. Labelled the B3, the aggressive looking coupe is a mix of both European...