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Auto Car
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
MWIC Bonus Episode 13: Autocar Meets car designer Julian Thomson, GM Advanced Design Europe
Close Julian Thomson is one of the world's best car designers and if you don't know the name, you'll know his cars. As Lotus's chief designer he designed the Elise and at Jaguar Land Rover created the LRX concept, which went on to become the Range Rover Evoque. But most of Thomson's career has been spent in advanced design and that's where he finds himself now, at General Motors' new advanced design centre Europe. Why does GM need a European design centre and what will it do? Join Steve Cropley and Matt Prior as they put these questions and many more to one of the world's most eminent car designers.
Auto Blog
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
The Kyza Creates A Concept To Make The M2 CS Look Tame
This M2 Blends Old And New Perfectly Khyzyl Saleem, better known as 'The Kyza,' is a sometimes controversial character. He's designed wacky cars for videogames, some of which occasionally come to life, and he's part of the TWR Supercat project that gives the old Jaguar XJS a whole new attitude far beyond anything the original creators could have imagined. Some love his work, and others hate it – something he's fine with, by the way. The same goes for BMW M cars, and the oddly styled G87 M2, in particular. So what happens when a controversial virtual render artist and designer tries to improve one of the most controversial designs of the modern era? Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, something racier than even the new M2 CS, yet also something more elegant. It sounds like a contradiction, and it is to a degree, but just look at what The Kyza has dubbed the M2-KS. It's hardcore, yet stylish. The BMW 2002 Concept Could Have Made A Great M2 Back in 2016, BMW created the 2002 Hommage Concept for its annual Villa d'Este showcase, which, as its name implies, paid tribute to the brilliant 2002, which arrived in 1971 (though the 02 series of cars with smaller engines had been around since 1966). With his new render, Saleem has maintained most of the underlying structure of the G87, but in replacing the box flares that come standard on the M2, he's also widened the track. This widening has been applied to the front and rear fascias, too, and that's how the 2002 influence is injected; new shrouds for the headlights create a sleeker, more aggressive look. The squared intake vents and false rear vents have been swapped for more angular and aggressive pieces, and the sides of the car gain additional vents and intakes. Finally, a wider and larger set of concave 827M wheels fills he arches in the same bronze as current CS-badged Bimmers. The New Look Is Too Extreme For A Production Car, But… The NACA duct on the hood, the vents behind it, the massive rear spoiler, and the excessive vents along the side of the vehicle (and even below the taillights) are too much for BMW to ever embrace, but something must be said for how much better the M2 can look with some softer lines. Someday, the eventual replacement for the G87 will have a cleaner look, with inspiration from the Vision Neue Klasse concept. Until then, all we can do is wait. Unless, of course, The Kyza gets enough interest in this look. After all, his Live To Offend bodykit brand has brought wild interpretations of the E36 to life, as well as the E30. Oops! We're unable to load this content right now. View directly on Instagram About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
Motor 1
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
The McLaren P1's Designer Thinks the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale Is 'Stunning'
Believe it or not, Frank Stephenson , the famed car designer, is still gushing about the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The Italian automaker revealed the car nearly two years ago, pledging to build just 33 examples. It's a faithful tribute to the 33 Stradale of the late 1960s , considering the quagmire of modern safety constraints, and it's a car that Stephenson calls one of the "most stunning" of the last few years. The Stradale revival has retro-inspired sheet metal and a mid-engine layout, just like the original. However, despite Stephenson's praise, he reveals to Top Gear the car is "still not perfect," and that there's "room for improvement." He criticizes the 33's chunkier rear-end design , noting the license plate's distracting location and other styling flubs. Stephenson praises the front-end design of the Alfa , however, calling it "fantastic," although he questions whether the headlights should have been rounder. Alfa revealed the 33 Stradale in August 2023 , even though it had sold all of them nearly a year earlier. The car is available with two powertrains— a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine or a battery-electric setup. Alfa never revealed the split between the two choices, but he admitted that it had " just a few EVs " in development despite it being the more powerful option. The EV version produces 750 horsepower and could sprint to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds. The V-6, meanwhile, makes 620 hp, sending power to the rear wheels. Alfa announced it delivered the first example last December. And if you want the company to make more cars like the 33 Stradale, you're going to have to buy more SUVs first . Here's More Alfa Romeo News: Alfa Romeo Could Delay Its Most Important Car Alfa Romeo's Next Quadrifoglio Models Will 'Surprise You' Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: Top Gear Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Top Gear
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Aston Martin DB12 - long-term review - Report No:5 2025
Which got me thinking: is there a way to make the subjective quandary of beauty objective? Could beauty in cars – particularly modern Aston Martins – be measured, if not by tape, then perhaps by involuntary public reaction? Because, if that's the case, the current crop of Astons (and the DB12, given my firsthand experience) are some of the most beautiful cars on the road. Beauty, famously, is in the eye of the beholder. But ever since I've been behind the wheel of our Aston Martin DB12, there seems to have been an increase in beholders. They pop up like wet gremlins, offering their admiration in car parks, at petrol stations, pulling out their phones at traffic lights and shouting 'That's GAWWWJUSSS!' from cab windows down the M4. 'The DB11 was a striking car, but the 12 is dominantly striking. It's got an appropriate grille that supports the increased drivability – more cooling, more aero – but it's also a more stately object now. It's more of that noble rogue you'd expect. Not the answer I came for – and it made me wonder if it was going to be a wasted four-hour round trip. But then Reichman opened up, insisting that car design is less about diktats and more about seduction with the DB12. But what are people actually reacting to? The shape? The proportions? The colour? The badge? Or is there something less tangible at play? To try and qualify my very unscientific survey, I took our long-term DB12 back to its birthplace at the Gaydon factory, parked it alongside its immediate family – a Vantage, a DBX 707, and the all-new, even more pin-up-worthy Vanquish – and asked the man behind the lines, Aston Martin's chief creative officer Marek Reichman, if he could explain why strangers stop mid-sentence to stare. 'As a designer, as a creative – all of us, the entire company – we're existing in two worlds,' Reichman explained. 'We're in the automotive space, yes, but we're also in the luxury world. The world of being noticed.' And being noticed matters. If you drive an Aston Martin, people look. 'They are consciously thinking about who you are. You've got to be conscious. We're designing and engineering within that context.' The idea, it turns out, wasn't to make the DB12 more beautiful. It was to make it more present. 'It's simply wearing the right clothes,' he said. 'It's presence. It's proportion. It's elegance. It's stature. That's the DNA of our brand.' Marek is fantastically articulate and avoids designer jargon. The DB12 is, after all, built on an Aston Martin platform – not a shared one, not a group hand-me-down, not something diluted by cross-brand committees. That, Reichman said, gives it more room to breathe. More room to wear its clothes. 'All of those platforms, whether it's from DB9 onwards, it's an Aston Martin platform – not a group platform we've had to derivatise,' he explained. 'We have the ability to control proportion, working with engineering to control performance from day one. And that's been fundamental – the makeup of our brand. That gives us the ability to define, particularly on Vantage. I think it's one of the best-proportioned cars in its class. DB12 is close, but nothing comes near Vanquish. When you're rare, you can play more with proportional change.' According to the man with the pens, it's that phrase – proportional change – that gets to the core of why the DB12 pulls eyes out of sockets. 'It's a wider car. More punch. The nose is more upright, more dominant. Taller. All the fenders, front and rear, are pushed out from the body – gives it more room to play with.' Marek makes a sculptor's gesture as he speaks, curving his fingers around invisible haunches. 'We have a massive benefit. That distance – that pressing distance for a rear arch – it's immense. Porsche, Mercedes, Bentley? They don't come close. What these new iterations have done is given more room for the clothing. It's what every show car does. Only we can actually do it.' But the kerb appeal is also down to pedestrians seeing the car from the right angles, at the right distance – because the way we view cars isn't up close but from afar. Not through detail, but silhouette. 'We never design within three metres,' he said. 'Always 20 metres away. We sketch on A2 paper. You need to understand the aesthetic in two dimensions to deploy it in three. You're not discovering the idea in 3D – you've already nailed it in 2D.' So where do the ideas begin? I wondered what was on the DB12's mood board – and was surprised by the route-one response. 'With DB12, believe it or not, it was James Bond. It was more about elegance, stature. Less of the rogue, more of the gentleman.' The car, in his mind, is a character. A type. Like a cast list on wheels. For the other cars, there are more. 'One of them was Idris Elba. Another was a buffalo. A bull. A large shark. And... I can't remember the other one,' he said, laughing. 'But the point is, we start with personality. We use characters to help the designers start their designing.' I asked what happens when engineering gets in the way – when the chassis says no, or the finance team wants it smaller, or the emissions team wants more vents. Reichman smiled. 'We have the benefit of controlling the platform,' he said, 'so when the engineers say 'better turn-in, three millimetres forward', we can actually do it.' The level of agility and influence, he pointed out, hasn't existed since the David Brown days. 'Then a bunch of stuff happened,' he said, dryly. 'But now it's back.' Credit, he noted, goes in part to Lawrence Stroll – not just for the money, but for bringing a kind of fashion-world rigour to branding. 'If you're a luxury brand – and we coined the term ultra luxury – you need consistency,' Reichman said. 'An artist may vary, but their expression is consistent. Rothko is always a Rothko. And our customers say, 'I own an Aston Martin', then they say which one.' So, I asked him if he were in one of Aston's new, super-jazzy NYC-inspired speccing pods at Gaydon, how would he spec a DB12? 'My next one's ultramarine black. Very dark blue with a black wheel and a dark night interior. Popped with a dark red calliper and red stitch. It's quite subtle, but not black. In sunlight, you see the blue. It's elegant and sporting. More dark denim jeans than dinner suit.' Quite the opposite of what he's rocked up to work in today – an orange over orange (is that orange squared?) DBX. But Marek again believes you should wear your cars like a wardrobe – especially in this ultra high-net-worth world – where, if you're going to a cocktail party at a beach club, you'll wear something slightly different to a night at the opera. And with our cars, you can do exactly that. Your character remains the same, but you can tune and tweak it for what you want. We spoke just as Trump introduced sweeping tariffs, another reminder that like it or not, cars are now entangled in the wider theatre of politics, policy, technology, and power. How does this affect Marek's thinking? 'I'm conscious of everything on a global scale that happens, because I have to be. As a designer. We're a respected brand – and that means we have to be conscious of everything that exists.' But that context, Reichman insists, comes with a unique advantage. 'We have a massive, massive bonus point in that we're a love brand. We are loved by many – we are. You get the thumbs up, not the finger up, when you drive our cars. People let you out in traffic in London.' You can't disappear in an Aston Martin. 'If you want to drive into London without being papped by a kid on a street corner, forget it. Because you will be papped in that car.' That visibility, he says, brings a responsibility. And part of that consciousness is a long view. 'We've made 113 years' worth of cars. 125,000 in total. And 96 per cent of them still exist.' His voice brightens slightly. 'So from that perspective, I'm creating a future collectible – not a throwaway object. So what I have to design – what we have to design – is something that, 50 years from now, people will still respect. Still appreciate. Still see as an object of beauty.' Well, if the cab drivers and beholders are anything to go by – with their shouts of 'That's GAWWWJUSSS!' – he's doing a pretty good job.
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Hyundai Aims To Win Through Design; The 2026 Palisade Ups The Game
The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Not all that long ago buyers looked at Hyundai and sister company Kia, wondering 'what's the difference?' and didn't see a clear answer. Sedans and SUVs built by the two brands shared (and still do) platforms, powertrains, and technology. They differed in design, but subtly; it was easy to see the shared DNA. About that time the parent company Hyundai Motor Company set a new path to become a global player and drive future technology. This meant getting out of the budget rut that squeezes margins and can diminish reputations. The goal was set to turn the brands into premium carmakers. This is where Hyundai and Kia began to diverge: Hyundai focused on 'modern lounge' designs with more intuitive, sophisticated interiors and evolving its track-worthy N trim. Kia focused on rugged modernity defined by its X-line and star map lighting signatures. Both created distinct design languages that apply across their landscapes and unify their lineups. This idea of unified design comes through clearly in Hyundai's newest project, the redesign of the 2026 Palisade, a three-row SUV inflected with the brand's evolved design language. Inside you'll find elements we first saw in the Ioniq 5: Pixels, advanced technology and flexible, comfortable interiors that recognize that time in the car should be relaxing and social for everyone. The pixel motif, denoted by small squares that create patterns in Hyundai's EVs, is less prevalent and more intimated on the Palisade; pixels replace the 'H' logo on the steering wheel, which now features four diminutive squares (Morse code for the letter 'H'). The pixel design is hinted in seat perforations and rear backup lights that form a vertical line next to the tail lights. Other EV inspired details include the floating center console between the front seats, relaxation seats with a greater recline angle and foot rests and an updated flat-screen multimedia panel that spans the front dash. The interior of the 2026 Hyundai Palisade features rounded corners and muted tones An intentional sense of calm balances the pixels and technology that define modern Hyundai models, especially in its larger models such as the Palisade and the Ioniq 9. This was achieved using muted colors and tones, from light and medium gray leather or leatherette to softly-finished wood trims and a reduced use of chrome; those elements are further quieted by adding a matte finish. Rounded corners and gently sloped surfaces add to the relaxed feel; the center console armrest, which floats between the dash and the front seats and allows space to stow a handbag, is curved on all sides. It rises slightly to meet your elbow, adding a more human scale by reducing the sharp-edged puzzle-piece assembly that can define a car's interior. The result is a sense of coziness that's still roomy and allows for stretching out. New technology in the Hyundai Palisade also adds to the sense of calm with faster, more intuitive function. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now connect wirelessly; 'Hey Hyundai' voice assistance is now included and a rear occupant alert is so sensitive it can detect a sleeping baby. New daytime running lights mirror the rear tail lights to create the Palisade's new lighting ... More signature Probably most notable on the 2026 Hyundai Palisade are the front and rear ends flanked by stacked linear lights to create its lighting signature. Daytime running lights, which are etched metal panels designed to glow during the day and light up at night, flank the front corners of the Hyundai Palisade and frame new LED headlights. On the rear, the tail lights nearly mirror the daytime running lights with a similar shape and also define its rear corners. Overall, the effect is distinct and allows the Palisade to show off its new signature in any light. The Hyundai Palisade XRT model is designed for off road adventure The biggest news for buyers are two new options for the Hyundai Palisade: a hybrid Ecco model and an off-road focused XRT model. The Ecco model may shake the marketplace the most; it offers a powerful 4-cylinder hybrid powertrain that delivers 329 hp and is estimated to earn 34 MPG. Hyundai showed off the Ecco model in the Calligraphy trim, its most luxe level that features leather upholstery, heated power seats in all three rows and front massaging seats, among other pampering details. The XRT model, following in the footsteps of the Santa Fe and the Ioniq 5 XRT, delivers more off-road capability with off-road driving modes for mud and sand, all-terrain tires, recovery hooks and a higher ground clearance. The Palisade XRT also features model-specific leatherette seating with a mountain motif and a unique front grille designed to better deflect brush and dirt. The boxy SUV trend defines the 2026 Hyundai Palisade If there's one thing that the automotive industry has learned, it's that SUV buyers like voluminous and muscular SUVs. Hyundai Motor Company learned first hand in 2020 when it rolled out the best-selling Kia Telluride and since, the mantra seems to have been 'boxy is better.' We saw this in the Hyundai Santa Fe and now the Hyundai Palisade. Even the Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV, the first model to build on the pixel design language, delivered on the boxy trend, becoming not only one of the best-selling EVs but winning all sorts of awards including World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle and World Car Design of the Year for 2022. For 2026, the Hyundai Palisade, through its design and attention to detail, illustrates just how far Hyundai has come on its journey to lead the automotive industry.
