Jalopnik
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novelties
Audi Designs Exceptionally Precise Grand Piano
Audi's got a problem. The piano used at its jazz concerts clashes with the Bauhaus present in the rest of the room. The solution? The Audi Design Piano. Shame it's not aluminum und Schteel. More »
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By Wes SilerComment by Alphamazing: So... it's an Audi branded Bösendorfer. How is this designed by Audi? They don't really say what they did. Did they... 15 Responses | Other threads
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Crazy Euro Car Boy
Deception in Sant’Agata: How the Lamborghini Miura Made Mid-Engined Layouts Look Good
Super cars need drop-dead gorgeous looks. Conventional wisdom insists putting a long monster-of-an-engine up front is how to accomplish this. Then how come the mid-engined Miura is the prettiest thing ever? More » -
novelties
Person Parking: Single-Serving Parking Lot for Humans
From the Department of the Comically European comes this project by Dutch branding agency Springtime, developed for the Public Design Festival in Milan. More »
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By Peter OroszComment by Flathead Smith: Get some jobs you hippies. 10 Responses | Other threads
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concept cars
Citroën Karin Concept Car Should Have Made The 80s The Trapezoidal Decade
CitroĂ«net is one of the few marque-specific car websites that can measure up to the standard set by Allpar, and it doesn't take much digging there to unearth some jaw-dropping stuff. More »
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Comment by Ryan Bugaj: Look at the bluish car in the background shot of the Karin rear clip (fourth row, first column). I'd swear... 5 Responses | Other threads
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car design
How The Stile Bertone Mantide Got Angular Rear Wheelarches
When Jason Castriota left Pininfarina for Bertone, it was like switching to Coke after a lifetime of Pepsi. Let’s examine a design element he’s started using that’s alien to Pininfarina but essential to Bertone. More » -
Crazy Euro Car Boy
The $2 Million Showdown: Bertone Mantide vs. Corvette ZR1
Stile Bertone's Mantide now has a price and production run size: $2,000,000 and ten. Let's see if it's worth the 20Ă— premium over its donor car: the Corvette ZR1. More » -
space saving
Parking Space That Doubles as a Playground Swing: A Deadly Space Saver
You know that space saving concepts have gone too far when someone proposes that a collapsible swing be integrated into a parking space. [Gizmodo]
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By Sean FallonComment by Balance_In_Life: Can't wait till some kid tries a back flip off one of these and eats pavement. I did it once... 5 Responses | Other threads
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porsche design
Porsche Cayenne GTS Design Edition 3: Blacula's New Ride
Porsche has released the newest member of its Design Edition club: the limited edition, murdered-out Porsche Cayenne GTS Design Edition 3, complete with triple black racing stripes, black wheels and Lava Grey Metallic paint. More »
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Comment by Gary says maow: You know, I'm not a big fan of the Cayenne but this is tastefully done. Not only that, it's extremely... 7 Responses | Other threads
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design
The Mystery of Peugeot’s Lion Fetish Solved
In a South African road test of the Peugeot 308 wagon, a 150-year enigma of the brand's lion fetish is cracked. More »
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By Peter OroszComment by Quattro-luvr: They are French, why do you think they have those outrageous accents you silly king? 6 Responses | Other threads
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design
Camper Transforms Into Full-Fledged Hipster Abode
If you're a skinny jeans-wearing, Mini Cooper-driving hipster you can now live in whatever place is "of the moment" thanks to this supermod, accordion-style Hipster Camper. More » -
Crazy Euro Car Boy
The Ferrari 599’s Archways of Aerodynamics
Three years after its Geneva introduction, the 599 GTB Fiorano is in bloom with a track special and a performance upgrade. We are happy to report its most graceful piece of aerodynamics remains unchanged. More »
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By Peter OroszComment by engineerd: I don't think there has been a Ferrari that I have objected to, ever. Oh sure, there might be... 5 Responses | Other threads
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car design
Classic & Sports Car Magazine Names Citroën DS "Most Beautiful Car Of All Time"
Classic & Sports Car Magazine announced they've chosen the Flaminio Bertoni-designed 1955 CitroĂ«n DS as the 'Most Beautiful Car Of All Time.' It's certainly one of our favorites, but is it really the most beautiful? More »
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Comment by Ford Tempo Fan: I'm thinking the Ford Tempo is the most beautiful car out there. Hang in there for a second. For me,... 14 Responses | Other threads
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industry news
Regime Change: Adrian Van Hooydonk Appointed BMW Group Design Director
Adrian van Hooydonk has been appointed BMW Design Director, taking over the reigns from Mr. Bangle Butt himself, Chris Bangle. Current BMW's have just gotten weird, so we welcome the regime change. More »
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Comment by Bumblebee: Wait a minute: I understood that Bangle was given a meaningless promotion some time ago that removed him from having... 7 Responses | Other threads
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design
Sustainable Cardboard Chair Design Inspired By Volvo C30 Taillight
This modular cardboard lounge chair designed by Luis Fernando Luna Bermudez, a Universidad de Monterrey student, took top prize in the 2007 Volvo For Life Design competition. It's inspired by a Volvo C30 taillight. More »
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By Ben WojdylaComment by Matt Hardigree: whatever, I still want one. We maybe should have mentioned the first Volvo for Life Design winner. A chair inspired... 3 Responses | Other threads
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car design
Apple Should Design An Electric Car... Interior
Only 21% responding to a recent survey claim they would buy an Apple electric car. 48% would buy one from BMW. Good. Apple shouldn't design an electric car. They should design the interior of one. More » -
industry news
GM Europe Launches New Design Site
GM Europe has just launched a new design site for Chevrolet to discuss the relevancy of the bow-tied brand's global positioning and to remind everyone how decidedly corporate their designregimestaff really is. More »
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Comment by Ash78: Narrated by an all-too creepy LeVar Burton wannabe Butterfly on the grilleWe can make cars that thrillTake a lookAt Chevy's bookOf... 4 Responses | Other threads
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camilo pardo
Misnomered Auto Buff Mag Reporting Camilo Pardo Leaving Ford
AutoWeek's now reporting rock star car designer Camilo Pardo's leaving Ford. Hey, didn't we break the news on that story yesterday? Well, better late than never. Kind of like AutoWeek's new not-so-weekly publication schedule. [AutoWeek]
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By Ray WertComment by leavethegun-takethecannoli: I'm just happy it's not some green coverage, you know, like the type we've been force-fed for the past few... 4 Responses | Other threads
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spy photos
2010 Hyundai Equus Sketches Hit The Web
Hyundai’s follow-up to the much-acclaimed Genesis sedan leaked onto the web today and thanks to Hyundai-Blog we’ve got the official designer sketches as well. -
design
Automotive Cockpit Concept Punishes Bad Driving With Hasselhoff Tunes
If the designers of the Automotive Cockpit have their way, the next time you cut off your fellow traveler or turn without signaling, you'll be punished by a serenade from none other than the Hoff.
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By Ben WojdylaComment by Drachen: And a truly bone-headed move on the part of the driver results in the car playing William Shatner's rendition of... 1 Responses | Other threads
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Ten Hot Design Elements On A Car
The Ten Best Car Design Elements Of All Time
Proving that decades of automotive history and design can be summarized and exemplified in a few small details, we, with the help of our readers, have isolated the ten best car design elements of all time. These are ten aesthetic features that represent eras, movements and philosophies in automotive design. Not only is each element iconic, but each invokes a pleasurable response from the viewer. Hit the jump for the list. More » -
paris motor show
Mazda Kiyora Concept Shows Off Fierce Nagare Design Language On The Paris Show Floor
We saw the first official press shots of the Mazda Kiyora earier this morning, but we dug the flowing Nagare design language so much we had to hunt it down on the show floor and check it out in the flesh. As you can tell from these live shots, it certainly didn't disappoint and Mazda seriously needs to figure out a way to bring these designs to production. We're not demanding anything ridiculous like a Furai (though we wouldn't mind it), but even an otherwise boring hatch like this Kiyora looks fantastic with the Nagare styling. Press release below the jump. More » -
Four-Door Ferrari
Ferrari Sedan Designed By Fanboy; We'll Take A Pinin Instead
With the likes of the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and Lamborghini Estoque super sedans coming to the Paris Motor Show, it made sense for young Russian designer Krasnov Igor to render up his idea of what a Ferrari four-door should look like. Thankfully, there likely won't be such a product, but if there will, we sure hope it doesn't look much like Igor's design. One could argue that the basic shape, if you squint, isn't all that bad, but the roof treatment and rear end completely ruin the rest of the package, and the wavy body panels make BMW's flame-surfacing look tame. More » -
paris motor show
Mazda Kiyora Concept To Debut At Paris Motor Show; More Nagare Styling, Anyone?
Not content to debut just the freshly face-lifted 2009 Mazda MX-5 at the Paris Motor Show, Mazda will also be showing off it's latest iteration of the Nagare design language via the Mazda Kiyora Concept. The "urban compact concept car" features not just the swoopy design style, but also a four-cylinder direct-injection engine capable of stop-start operation and a new conceptual platform designed for optimized safety and driving dynamics. In addition to the MX-5 and the Kiyora, we'll get our first peek at the Euro-spec Mazda6 with a 2.2-liter turbodiesel, and the Mazda2 with a 1.6-liter turbodiesel, both of which we'll wantonly covet. Press release below. More » -
lifestyle branding
You've Got The Porsche Car, Now Get The Porsche Kitchen!
Ah, lifestyle brands. You're a Porsche sort of person, right? You've got the 911, the Cayenne, the sunglasses, even the audio system. But then you step into your kitchen and it hits you: there's something painfully un-Porsche-like about this place! Not to worry- Poggenpohl can set you up with everything from appliances to faucets, all packed with Porsche Design style. We're waiting for the Daihatsu Design kitchen ourselves, but to each his own. Thanks to SOS10 for the tip! [Poggenpohl] More »
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Comment by mariospants: On the one hand, I'm very cool with rectilinear, masculine design. I love it. On the other, *anyone fool* can... more » | Other threads
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andrea pininfarina
Andrea Pininfarina, Dead At Age 51 In Motorcycle Crash
Andrea Pininfarina, CEO of Italian design and contract manufacturer Pininfarina, died Thursday morning in a road accident near Turin at the age of 51. Details are still sketchy, but the first local police reports say a car crashed into Pininfarina's motorbike in the city of Trofarello, Italy while he was riding to the company's design and R&D center in Cambiano.
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By Ray WertComment by LandofMinos, I took the O out of Cuntry: @layabout: Personally I don't care who's fault it is. If you're on a motorbike and they are in a car,... more » | Other threads
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question of the day
Are Cars Getting Uglier?
Today's reveal of the "polarizing" look of the new 2009 Acura TL and the minor facelift on the 2009 BMW 3-series got us thinking about design. Specifically, bad design. Does the TVR Sagaris 2 really stand up to the TVR designs of yore? After a sudden revolution in design a few years back we feel like maybe some designers are just adding more lines to cars they've already created rather than going bold. More »
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Comment by jocastaSHOCK: No cars are NOT getting uglier, but we seems to be going thru yet another phase where we're waiting for... more » | Other threads
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novelties
1963 Corvette-Inspired Speedboat Takes Retro To Sea
Inspired by the split rear window and svelte shape of the 1963 Corvette, Bo Zolland created this speedboat as homage. The designer pictures it at SEMA, being towed by some monstrous GM SUV, but we'd rather use it to run up and down the river outside the RenCen to remind the General that they used to make cars that inspired people. Honestly, with all the retro rip-offs that have gone around, why hasn't someone re-made the '63 Vette? Bo pictures the boat being powered by anything from an LS-9 marine engine to a Volvo diesel putting out 550bhp, but we see a Viper engine peeking out in at least one of the pictures, never purists, we'd take ours with a V10. More »
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By Wes SilerComment by scott johnson: @Wes Siler: Check that image again. That's not one but two Viper engines! more » | Other threads
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concept cars
LYNX Mobile Crane Concept Gives Driver A View
By incorporating a cab capable of moving from low and forward for driving to high up for controlling the boom, designer Jiri Kubec hopes to eliminate the compromise necessary in mobile crane design. We like this concept mostly due to our child-like fascination with driving cranes, but also because the idea promises to pack more function into an existing design without sacrificing practicality. [via Yanko Design] More »
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By Wes SilerComment by LaughingAtFate: This is a solution to a problem no-one has asked for. Not only that, but it's been answered before, with far... more » | Other threads
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design
Ford’s Message to Kids: Stay In School
Thursday is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, but Ford designers have been told to keep their kids at home. -
novelties
Crash Bonsai Brings Miniature Hoonage Aftermath To Your Cubicle
Someone who has experienced a car-on-tree collision first hand generally never wants to reenact the event, but if you do, there's now a company that caters to you. Crash Bonsai provides a means of reenact your tree collisions — in like 1/8 the scale. That's right folks — it's essentially nothing more than model cars crashed into bonsai trees. More » -
design
Ford Looking To Nanotechnology For Future Design
Rather than dumping millions upon millions of dollars into alternative energy engine design to compensate for the ridiculous high fuel prices and desire to be green, Ford is taking a different route: nanotechnology. Nanotechnology allows for the average vehicle to shed anywhere from 250 to 750 pounds of weight without compromising the structural integrity of the vehicle. Lightening the vehicles can significantly boost the mileage ratings, but that isn't the only area receiving some nanotech love. And as a side explanatory note, nanotechnology involves the manipulation of materials at a molecular or atomic level to change properties of the material. More »
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Comment by zsvdkhnorc: @Novaload: Who says the tires can't be lightened? Look up the Michelin Tweel. more » | Other threads
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news
Unnamed German Luxury Automaker Creates Digital Factory System
A "luxury car manufacturer" from southern Stuttgart has invested a lot of money into something that isn't even real. We're thinking it was the brainchild of Dr. Z., but the unnamed company has picked up six of the ridiculously expensive Christie HD8K 1080p DLP high definition projectors that creates virtual factory floors and production plants to maximize production efficiency. It's quite the elaborate setup as individuals have to don special 3D goggles to get the full, stomach churning experience. More » -
news
Claus Luthe, BMW Designer, Dead At 75
The man responsible for a lot of the design trends BMW produced in the 70s and 80s, Claus Luthe, is dead at the age of 75. Luthe is known for the refining the design of the 3, 5 and 7 series BMW as well as designing the 1967 NSU Ro8o. The New York Times did a decent job burying the other reason Luthe was so well known—you know, how he was convicted of murdering his own son in 1990—until the very end of the obituary. More »
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Comment by PlayerX: @Armand, Star-Spangled Pedant: Actually, Luthe came "to power" when most of the work had been done on the E28. The... more » | Other threads
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novelties
"Reactive Sparks" Turns Traffic Agony Into Pretty Art
A new art installation by Markus Lerner is turning the agony of sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic into something a bit more pleasing on the eyes. "Reactive Sparks" is an art installation commissioned by lighting company OSRAM. It watches traffic patterns and maps the patterns into seven light towers that sit alongside the road. Each tower contains 110,000 LED lights, likely provided by OSRAM. More »
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Comment by davewin: Ah yes, technical masturbation at its best. Could these distractions not themselves perpetuate congestion? more » | Other threads
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concept cars
Skateboard Car Doubles as Rolling Sculpture
With wheels just 10-inches in diameter and a completely flat, deck-style body, Florian Dobe's 10-Inches car resembles a 10:1 scale skateboard. When parked, the two seats fold flat, sealing the compartment they sit in. Dobe calls this "Sculpture Mode," envisioning the vehicle can enhance the space it's parked in. We're not sure how practical this makes it, but would still take one over the Scion Hako concept. [Florian Dobe via Yanko Design] More » -
novelties
A Unique Approach To Car Design
Sure, the big boys are busy making computer models, followed by clay and other models when designing a car, but the French blog Design Matin has taken a different approach to designing cars. It involves a somewhat easy, three-step process: 1. Cut, 2. Assemble, 3. Colorize. More »
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Comment by Craig01: Citreon SM Peugeot 406 Coupe Peugeot 306 Renault Clio VW Beetle Audi TT more » | Other threads
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novelties
Steampunk Aston Martin Model?
I don't know if I would classify this work of art from Christopher Conte as steampunk, but it's hard to put any other kind of label on this customized Aston Martin model. Conte is an industrial artist who has given this Aston his own touch. I usually don't condone chopping up AM's, models or not, but this has an unusual and intriguing feel that's hard to dismiss. More »
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Comment by Rob P: The wheels sort of need to be on the ground in order to do anything. It just looks like... more » | Other threads
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offbeat news
The Evolution of Automobile Logo Design
Because they are the kings of all things neat, Neatorama took a look at the neat history of the big boys in auto manufacturing and how they came to develop their sometimes odd logos. The Ford and BMW logos are two that have stayed more or less the same over their respective lifetimes; Buick and Renault, by contrast, have experienced some significant changes in design since their inception. More »
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Comment by Spasticteapot: Ferdinand Porsche did quite a lot of work on the Volkswagen, but all in all, it was an agglomeration of... more » | Other threads
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gadgets
Tracer HUD Tattles On Speeding Teens Via SMS
Designed by a student at the University of New South Wales, Tracer HUD will be a parent's best friend and a young driver's worst enemy. Tracer sits on the dash and will project the current speed on the windshield for easy viewing. It's important for the driver to see the speed at all times, because exceeding the speed limit comes with severe repercussions. More »
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Comment by FĐŻeeMan: @Littlebitsofpaper: I would consider that an advantage! more » | Other threads
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novelties
Nestt Futuristic Car Seat Design Makes Us Shed A Tear
There's something about a good bucket-seat. You know, the kind that fit you just right, look sexy, and make you feel at one with the machine. On the other hand, Nestt's version of the bucket isn't sexy—at all. And I'm not sure that it would fit anyone right enough to make them feel at one with their ride. Nevertheless, there's ambition here: Nestt says it wants to make it the best car seat in the world. There were many factors that lead to the egg-shaped design, including an air-suspension system, breathable material, memory foam and retractable seatbelts. But somehow I'm not totally buying it. More »
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Comment by Elhigh: I'm going to clamber out of my egg car seat, latch onto your face, incubate in your chest, burst out... more » | Other threads
design
Detroit, 12:20 AM
Sat Jul 11
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