Stile Bertone unveiled a full-scale model of the Mantide at the Shanghai auto show today, the first vehicle designed by Jason Castriota since he took the role of Design Director. Based on the Corvette ZR-1 platform, Castriota and his new design team re-skinned the vehicle in a sensual cloak that the designer feels lies somewhere between two extremes: namely "the organic sensuality of the Ferrari 330 P4 and the brutality of the Lancia Stratos Zero and LP500 Countach prototype".
Drawing inspiration from aerospace and F1, the design theme is defined by a teardrop-shaped fuselage enveloped by organically grown wings that wrap around the body. These are a nod to the original Bertone BAT concept's, while the wheelarches are a tip of the hat to Marcello Gandini's avantgarde designs. A black graphic, which rises from a transparent cover on the hood that provides a window to the car's soul, leads to an aerodynamic groove in the roof that drives air to a small but highly effective rear Kamm spoiler. All the surface volumes converge at the rear, providing a sense of continuity within the modern form language, which also includes geometric shapes that are repeated in the front, side and rear of the car.
"I've had this car in my head for a number of years," Castriota told us at the stand in Shanghai. "All we needed to do was get it developed". In so doing, the Mantide was designed entirely in VR before being milled. A fiberglass shell was then mounted on the Corvette chassis and the aerodynamics honed in the wind tunnel before the one-off car was fabricated from carbon fiber. According to Castriota, the Mantide is designed not only to show off an extreme aesthetic but also extreme aero values: "We wanted to create proper air channels so we could achieve real-world numbers; the Cd went from 0.38 [the stock Corvette package] to 0.29 and the downforce was increased by 30 percent."
As other design directors have before him, Castriota is already leaving a significant imprint on Bertone while paying homage to some of the iconic vehicles developed by the coachbuilder. But the Mantide is not a retro car: it has been conceived to show manufacturers that the possibilities of developing all-new, dramatically different design themes over existing platforms are not limited, but endless.
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Porsche revealed its new Panamera on the eve of the Shanghai auto show with the aim of combining coupe-like sportiness with luxury sedan and station wagon functionality.
Design boss Michael Mauer told Car Design News that a key goal was to create a "dramatic relation between width and height". The final production car fulfills the remit, fitting four tall adults plus luggage in the trunk despite overall proportions that are lower (1418mm), wider and longer (4970mm) than the Cayenne SUV's.
Also part of Mauer's remit - who has overseen the Panamera project from the start - was to retain Porsche design cues like wheelarches higher than the hood lid, an absence of a conventional radiator grille and a passenger cabin that tapers away at the rear. The trunk is accessed by a large hatchback (rather than a separate trunk lid) and the rear seats fold flat. To make the nose appear longer, the rear-view mirrors on both sides are mounted well back on the front doors, not by the A-pillars.
The Panamera's interior design takes inspiration from the raised center console of the Carrera GT, but is all-new and will inform the next Cayenne's interior. "It represents a new starting point for Porsche interiors," said Mauer. He also defended the number of switches and knobs in the IP on safety and ergonomic grounds, maintaining that it is preferable to an i-Drive-style system. Where possible the switches are clustered together to improve intuitive use.
Any Porsche straying from the design path of the 911 is prone to criticism - the Panamera has had its share - but in the metal this vehicle is a much more successful design than the Cayenne, suiting its hunkered-down stance well, especially in rear three-quarter view. As a means to win sales in emerging markets with an appetite for luxury four-door coupes, like China and Russia, it's much harder to criticise. Porsche intends to sell 20,000 per annum starting later in 2009.
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One of the surprise hits of today's Shanghai auto show was this four-door luxury sedan displayed by Guangzhou Auto (GAC) - a Chinese joint venture with Honda and Toyota. Dubbed the VIP-Lounge Concept, the design study wears the company's independent GAC brand label and is rumored to have been created by an Italian coachbuilder, most likely Stile Bertone. Insiders indicate that it uses the front-drive platform from the Alfa Romeo 166.
Guangzhou hopes to catch the attention of what it calls "noble, wise and executive people" and "senior VIP customers" that would usually confine their aspirations to a BMW or long-wheelbase Audi A6. And it may well succeed; the VIP-Lounge is a handsome take on the classic executive sedan, echoing the stepped trunk design and C-pillar treatment of BMW's 6 Series while offering some innovative design solutions of its own and an imposing - almost boroque-looking - down-the-road graphic.
Like the Maserati Quattroporte, the VIP-Lounge is a car that conceals its bulk very well (along with its door handles, Alfa 166-style). While some designers we spoke to felt that the integrated grille and headlamp graphic was a little over-the-top, there's no doubting its visual impact. Other highlights include small concave surfaces at the outer edges of the full-width front intake and a narrow protruding body section that visually links the front and rear arches while containing the intersecting shutlines formed by the car's four doors.
Arguably the GAC's defining characteristic, however, is its complex shoulder treatment. The lower shoulderline runs from the kick in the lower edge of the headlamp, arcing over the wheelhouse before running in an almost straight line to form the upper frame for the taillamps. A gently tapering greenhouse generates quite a significant tumblehome around the C-pillars, too, hinting at contained power.
Sadly, we weren't able to assess whether the VIP-Lounge's interior is as cohesive and well executed as the exterior. But assuming that it is, and that GAC has the resources to build it, it would make a welcome addition to the luxury car sector.
SAIC's 'start-up' brand Roewe launched its N1 concept at the 2009 Shanghai auto show to preface a forthcoming sportier production sedan that will sit slightly below the existing 550.
The N1 is shorter than the 550 (4.6m vs. 4.7m approximately) but SAIC's China design boss Ken Ma said the N1 has a longer cabin and will offer greater interior space. The car has a more cab-forward look than the 550 and features a squarer front face with more angular lights and a grille featuring just a single horizontal vane, above which has been slotted the heraldic Roewe badge (moved down from the hood). The side profile is more dramatic than the 550 with a pronounced BMW 3 Series-esque side crease starting at the front door and rising upwards and then right back to join the rear lights.
Ma told Car Design News one of the main the ideas behind the concept was to create a "net car" (thus its 'N1' name) that would appeal to younger families by acting as "a moving information platform". Part of that functionality could come from the large TFT screen that occupies the whole space behind the steering wheel - complete with graphically convincing virtual driver's dials - and that could potentially also display pop-up boxes describing local road conditions, satnav information and more.
The Roewe N1's interior also features an unusual see-through blue plastic center stack design with switches partially embedded in the sides as the focal point for a cabin that otherwise looks very production-ready. Indeed, a production version of this concept potentially badged '350' could be on sale as early as 2010. Roewe's range expansion will not stop there either. Set to follow is a Roewe-badged Land Rover Freelander-sized small SUV and a smaller supermini from sister SAIC brand MG.
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Acknowledging the important role luxury vehicles in the Chinese market often fulfill as both work place and mobile meeting room, Buick showed a five meters-plus, super spacious six-seater MPV with a difference at the 2009 Shanghai auto show.
Appropriately called the Business Concept it was designed in Shanghai at GM and SAIC's joint venture Asian studio PATAC. PATAC's design director Friedhelm Engler confidently told Car Design News: "We think this vehicle is exactly what China needs. When a businessman turns up at a prestigious hotel to pick up a colleague or client for a meeting, his car has to represent his business too. This is not just a people mover."
The concept's front face is suitably big and business-like featuring an imposing and more jewelled new interpretation of Buick's waterfall grille. The side of the car shows the brand's now established 'double sweep spear' highlighted by a thick bar of chrome starting from the angular front headlamps and then accentuating the high front door beltline - which dips half-way along the rear door, partly to provide better rear passenger vision - before finally wrapping round the rear lights. Teamed up with a strongly raked back front windscreen and a rocker line angling back in parallel with the first half of the belt line, it makes the large vehicle look much more dynamic.
Large conventionally opening front doors and sliding rear ones open to reveal a deep burgundy and cream color scheme inspired by ivory and a dark red hard wood called Zitan. Blue-lit acrylic sets off the wide instrument cluster and also the round seat bases to add to the prestigious lounge feel. The second-row seats individually swivel and legroom throughout looks excellent.
Given how well the basic China-only GL8 minivan already has sold, Engler believes the Business Concept would be a logical production move, but would require a different platform. Industry insiders suggest it could be sold alongside the GL8 and launch within three years.
Former military truck supplier to the People's Liberation Army of China, Changfeng Motors, chose today's Auto China 2009 press day to unveil a pair of new cars based on the Lancer sedan sold by joint venture partner Mitsubishi. Openly referred to in the Changfeng press release as a 'Volvo S40 lookalike', the Acumen production sedan strays furthest from the its Lancer roots. But it was the Acumen Sports Coupe concept that grabbed the attention of the designers gathered in Shanghai.
The greenhouse fore of the B-pillars and hood appear to have been carried straight over from the Lancer, and the prominent trapezoidal grille is almost identical. Within the grille aperture, however, is a matt black T-shaped graphic element flanked by pair of D-shaped chrome bars that extend into the bumper to form a home for a horizontal strip of LED lamps. It's a nice touch. The headlamps also step down more acutely at the outer edges, creating a dramatic look from head-on.
A number of the car's design themes seem to have been 'borrowed' from European rivals, however. The crease that runs from the front fender and accelerates up into the rear wheelarch is straight off the Audi A5, for example, and like the Acumen sedan parked nearby, the Acumen Sports Coupe's shoulder treatment calls to mind the work of Volvo: specifically the C70 coupe cabriolet. In fact, the way that the (fixed) greenhouse arcs down to meet a wide, flat rear deck very much calls to mind the proportions of a folding hardtop. Somebody needs to tell Changfeng that these cars only look that ungainly out of necessity...
Not exactly the donor Lancer's strongest feature, the four-seat, Changfeng-designed Acumen interior is nothing short of shabby. Even the bright orange upholstery and door card inserts can't detract attention from the brittle switchgear, nasty-looking fake aluminum trim on the center console and childish font used to adorn the orange-lit instruments. While it's good to see the brand stepping into bolder design territory, a more holistic approach is required if it's going to be taken seriously on the global stage.
MG showed its new face at the 2009 Shanghai auto show on a thinly veiled 'concept car' that could make production within 18 months.
Called the MG6, the model is a five-door hatch that will act as an all-new model below the current MG7 executive sedan (based on the old Rover 75 and MG ZT). The MG6 uses the same platform and wheelbase as its sister car the Roewe 550 sedan but offers a much sportier profile reminiscent of a small Lexus GS due to a wide rear pillar. The front face abandons the vertically split front grille of the MG7 with its badge placed above and opts instead to put the famous MG logo at the center of the design, as SAIC's UK's design director Tony Williams told Car Design News: "A key idea of the new face is MG's octagon-shaped badge. It's unique so we placed it within the thin upper grille and gave the model a large lower intake suggestive of a sportscar."
A feeling of safety is created by a reassuringly high beltline teamed with a smooth shoulder line that runs the length of the car from behind the front lamps in a very gentle arc that gets close to the beltline. Other than a shallow rocker line rising up slightly to the rear wheelarch, there is little other side detail, just refined surfacing.
Williams said much of the early sketch and CAD design work for the MG6 was carried out in the UK with later modeling work done in Asia, citing the creative talents of Daniel Bowen and Rob Battams on the exterior and Matt Dillon on the interior in particular.
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One of the surprises of the 2009 Shanghai auto show was the Chana E301 Concept from Chongqing Changan Automobile - a manufacturer more commonly known for making everyday vehicles like the Mondeo, Swift and 2 in joint ventures with Ford, Suzuki and Mazda.
Forget its notional EV aspect - no more details are explained in the press info for this vehicle billed as part coupe, part SUV and part pick-up - the 301's most interesting details are its boldly angular exterior styling and unusual two-plus-one interior seating arrangement with enclosed luggage tunnel in place of the fourth seat space behind the driver.
The aggressive look starts where the bodywork wraps around the inset ultra slim headlamps and connects up to the equally recessed front air intakes to create two sharp and symmetrical black graphics within the white bodywork. The wraparound windshield creates a clamshell roof and dramatic gull-wing-doors hinge halfway down their height and feature see-through lower sections. At the rear the symmetry turns to asymmetry as the roof tapers to one side to reveal a sliding horizontal hatch that hides the aforementioned luggage space. This space can also be accessed by a pick-up-style tailgate.
Inside, the grey, white and black cabin is accented with fluorescent yellow and a good feeling of space is created via slim seats, organic-looking bone-like seat bases, and an arch-shaped centre console with 'major air' behind it.
Chief designer Li Bo says the car was built by Turin's Vercarmodel but designed in-house as a group effort between Changan's Chinese and Italian design studios (Changan has a team of 20 based in Turin). The concept could preface a near-future production car shorter and wider and of a similar height to a Nissan Qashqai but Bo concedes any production version would have five doors and five conventional seats. Either way, the 301 is one of the more exciting concepts we've seen from a Chinese OEM in some time.
One of the most dramatic designs sporting a Chinese OEM badge at the 2009 Shanghai auto show was the GT or 'Geely Tiger'. Although attendees of the Beijing auto show in April 2008 will be already familiar with the basic sports coupe exterior shape, the 2009 version now features a complete four-seat interior accessed by working scissor doors and a new maroon metallic paint job plus engine details for the first time.
Powered by a 300bhp 3.5 V6 unit, it is fractionally wider, taller and shorter than the Maserati Gran Turismo it could rival, with a shorter wheelbase (2805mm vs. 2942mm). The large 'growling' but 'butterfly wing-topped' front grille features a series of lozenge-shaped and chrome-accented holes, while a forward character line extends from the front wheelarch to move almost horizontally back before undercutting another line coming from the rear wheelarch. Exaggerated brightwork wraps around the tail lights to help define the dynamism of the rear of the car and bisects another line rising up from the center of the color-coded bumper section to form a subtle 'x' graphic on both sides.
Geely's design chief Mike Ma told Car Design News the car was designed by Giugiaro and is destined for production in 2010. The doors still have no conventional handles, opening instead through intelligent sensing and identification, and the view behind is catered for via a hidden rear view mirror using video imaging technology.
Aside from these showcar touches the inside all looks very much production-ready with smart horizontally-ribbed sports seat cushions, bolstered black seat backs, a straightforward high center stack and console with red-lit controls to convey a sporty feel and a regular steering wheel and black and maroon IP.
Along with the IG city car (see separate report) it was one of the stars of the Geely exhibit and shows the growing confidence of the brand.
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Guangbin, a joint venture between Honda and local manufacturer Guangzhou Auto, unveiled a new concept at Auto Shanghai 2009. Called the Li Nian Roadster, it is the second prototype revealed by the brand in as many years. The joint venture is seeking to gauge public response to products prior to its expected launch in 2010.
Following from the Li Nian SUV/CUV concept unveiled at last year's Beijing Auto Show, the two-seat roadster is smaller than the OSM design study shown at the 2008 British Motor Show, though it does have some familial similarities. Flanking its sculpted hood, the headlamps stretch far over the fenders providing the car with an assertive face and disguising its rather long front overhang. But these are pulled so far back that they nearly connect with the A-pillar and taper off just before blending into the narrow shoulderline. Other less successful design details include the vertical vents directly beneath the headlamps and the Roadster's gaping mouth grille. Canted forward at the top, it is reminiscent of the jet-fighter grille found on the Mitsubishi Lancer: a missed opportunity to showcase individual brand identity.
The profile is arguably the best vantage point, with a feature line that departs from the side fender vent and rises gradually to connect with the corner of the taillamp. But the rear features disjointed detailing: aerodynamic blisters on the decklid are nowhere near as aesthetically appealing as those on the Pontiac Solstice and the aluminum-look plastic accent strip is unnecessary. The rear diffuser is another cheap looking piece of plastic and a further set of vertical vents - which jut down from the horizontal taillamps - are poorly integrated, appearing to have been an afterthought.
Fortunately the simple, functional interior is clean and modern. But as with the exterior details, what could be a more cohesive design is in part diminished due to a myriad of material finishes and colors, which creates a fussy interior ambiance. The U-shaped steering wheel, for example, would be ideal for a spaceship; here it just looks out of place.
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While the GT was admired by many on Geely's 2009 Shanghai auto show stand, the GE, or 'Geely Excellence', was largely derided by the Western journalists Car Design News bumped into on the first press day. It is a shocking example of copycat car design, and poorly done at that.
The object of the 'intense flattery' on this occasion is clearly a Rolls-Royce, from its trademark upright grille, rectangular front lights with circular ones beneath and long hood, to its strong vertical sides and wide and fast sloping rear pillar - especially when viewed in profile. There's even an approximation of the winged Spirit of Ecstasy figure perched at the front.
The inside is more original, sporting a 'two-plus-one' seating arrangement where the aircraft-style recliner rear seat is located centrally and cut off from the driver via a taxi-style partition. An extending seat footrest, pure wool carpet, panoramic roof plus veneer-fronted fridge and wine cabinet all add to the opulence. The multitude of 'stars' in the headliner, however, is a carbon copy.
Geely's design chief Mike Ma told Car Design News that the car - from yet another of Geely's sub-brands: a blue, red and yellow logo called 'Shanghai Englon' - was designed in-house and should make production by the end of 2010. With the target customers being private Chinese bosses, Ma said it could eventually sell up to 50,000 units.
When asked what he says to those who suggested the GE is just a Rolls-Royce rip-off Ma replied: "Look at the rendering, look at the interior, it's smaller in size than a Rolls-Royce and about eight times cheaper. All cars can look the same, but this is different."
Hhhhmmm...
The M1 hatchback, M5 sedan and X1 SUV are the first three models to be launched by Chinese automaker Chery under the new Riich nameplate. Previewed as a group of seven models at last year's Beijing auto show, the new B-segment models - formerly known as the Faira NN, HH and JJ concepts - were penned by Roberto Piatti's Torino Design in Italy and will slot into the automaker's product line-up beside the G5 sedan and the forthcoming G6 sedan, also unveiled at the Shanghai auto show.
The three models are virtually identical to their concept precursors and share many design elements, but each has a distinctly different face. The five-door M1 hatchback has a long slender grille, upswept headlamps, and a groove running up the center of the hood. It measures 3601mm long, 1587mm wide and 1527mm wide and has a 2330mm wheelbase. The M5 sedan, meanwhile, has smaller headlamps and a revised hood with feature lines extending from the small upper grille. Identical in width and height, the M5 is 304mm longer and has a 15mm longer wheelbase. The X1 SUV is shorter in overall length (at 3866mm), is wider (1622mm) and higher (1638mm), but has the same wheelbase as the M1 hatchback. Its larger grille, dual headlamp core and plastic lower appliqué also sets it apart from the hatchback and sedan. All three vehicles share common design elements in profile, such as the upswept shoulder line in the rear fender and distinctive door handle in the trailing edge of the rear door.
Inside, the models all share the same basic interior, with a raised element sweeping across the IP incorporating the air vents at either end. Prominently displayed at the center is the digital instrument display with analogue gauges at each corner. The door panels and center stack are identical in each model.
Marketed under the new Riich nameplate - whose mantra is 'commercial, dynamic and fashionable' - the three new M Series vehicles are scheduled to be launched in December 2009, followed by the mid-size G6 sedan in 2010.
Arguably the most innovative of Geely's concepts at the 2009 Shanghai auto show was the IG or 'Intelligent Geely' city car that proposes a small chassis and body with interchangeable powertrains from a small conventional combustion engine to hybrid and full-electric.
The aesthetics are interesting too. The tiny sub-three-meter car offers an athletic cab-forward exterior proportion accentuated by exceptionally long and angular front lamps that rake well past the door mirrors and match parallel feature lines rising from mid-way up the bulging front wheel arch before fading away towards the rear. With a hood almost completely covered in dark solar panels and a large lower air intake sandwiching a pencil thin upper grille', a very characterful and original front face is created. The IG's high beltline and clamshell roof also frame the small DLO neatly and add a sense of chunky fun.
Access to the inside comes via a single gull-wing door to reveal a stripped-out, minimalist interior with a flat floor and just a single front driver's seat frame made of two basic metal hoops filled with mesh seating. This seat is able to slide horizontally for left- or right-hand drive markets and thus create room for luggage in the vacated space too. Behind the driver are two more full-size seats plus a very small pull-down child seat 'perch'. All the driver information is graphically shown in a full-width display featuring touch screen technology.
VP of design, Mike Ma told Car Design News Geely hopes to sell the chassis and body for only 10,000 RMB (£1000) with the customer paying separately for the powertrain of his or her choice to go with the shell. Ma said the IG can accommodate batteries under the floor and if no combustion engine is selected the front engine bay could also be partly used for more luggage.
Ma said the car was mostly designed by Taiwanese design outfit Nova Design based in Shanghai although he says Geely did a third of the work in-house. The car goes on sale in 2010.
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