Lamborghini Reventon

The decade started with such excitement. As the century turned it seemed that automotive design was on the cusp as well, looking backwards with retro designs like Volkswagen’s New Beetle, Chrysler’s PT Cruiser and Ford’s GT as well as forwards with Audi’s original TT and Ford’s original Focus series.

The 00s ended with excitement too – only it was the bad kind that leads to acid reflux and no jobs. Noted Italian design firms such as Bertone and ItalDesign were hanging on by a thread, if at all. Some of the most storied brands in the automotive world were similarly imperiled or had disappeared entirely: Saab, Pontiac, Saturn, Chrysler, Dodge.

Nevertheless it was a fascinating and sometimes frustrating ten years of automotive design. Here are my favorites in no particular order. Note that I’ve included both production models and concepts in the mix.

1. 2009 Chevrolet Camaro

The protracted build-up to the actual launch of Chevy’s newest Camaro (which included an appearance in Transformers almost a year before availability) blunted some of the freshness of this neuvo-retro-musclecar. With a clear eye though it’s evident that this is the most successful bridging of past and present in the segment. The design takes copious cues from the first generation late 60s Camaro but renders them in fresh and dynamic ways that could only be achieved with current design and manufacturing technology.

2. 2007 Audi R8

Audi has been at the forefront of raising the bar for interiors for almost two decades now and the R8’s interior is as lovely as ever. The real innovation though is striking exterior which finds a fresh take on the mid-engined supercar cliche. Aside from the perfect surfacing and detail work and Audi’s trademark use of advanced headlight design, there are the distinct contrast colored side blades which help to break up the side surfaces.  As it should, the design flair of the R8 is making it’s way back through the rest of Audi’s lineup.

3. 2008 Alfa Romeo 8C

Alfa Romeo spent much of the 90s floundering, as did parent company Fiat. Like the French, Italian companies have increasingly mistaken outre design for good design but Alfa beagn to bring things back on track in the latter part of the decade, primarily with the lovely (if overpriced) 8C.  As a design the 8C is nearly perfect in every way, a monument to the importance of proportions.

4. 2005 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Any Aston Martin made over the last ten years looks great but the V8 is the cleanest, clearest expression of the design ethos.  Lithe, muscular and unencumbered by extraneous detail.

5. 2008 Chevrolet Malibu

After a long, long spell in the doldrums GM design finally began to wake up and reassert it’s primacy within the product development process (though it may have come too late to rescue the company as a whole.) The latest generation Chevy Malibu is a prime example. It’s simply the best resolved design in the family car segment with the kind of detailing and strongly defined theme that is more usually seen on luxury vehicles by brands like Audi and Acura. The roofline is key to the design, especially as it relates to the flowing hood line and shoulder indent.

6. 2007 Maserati GranTurismo

Maserati shook off a string of mediocre designs with the Quattroporte and especially the GranTurismo. A more expressive design than competitors like Aston Martin and Porsche and rightly so – the curve of the front fenders over the wheels are themselves worthy of celebration.

7. 2007 Audi A5

The fantastic R8 notwithstanding, Audi seemed to concentrate over the last decade more on interiors and headlights than on the whole of their designs – a far cry from their great run in the 90s and 80s. Yet at the end of the decade signs of a reintegration were apparent with the graceful A5 coupe as a prime exponent.  The undulating shoulder line is contrasted perfectly by the hard swath at the lower door skins and the wraparound of the front and rear fascias. It adds up to a lovely modern take on the traditional coupe.

8. 2009 Ford Flex

The decade was peppered with so-called crossovers, neither fish-nor-fowl mashups of cars and SUVs that all to often resembled genetic experiments gone horribly wrong. A happy exception was Ford’s Flex which, much like Chrysler’s iconic minivan in the 80s, recast the venerable station wagon. This time it’s as an aspirational vehicle, less Mom’s taxi than family luxobarge. This is reinforced by the Range Rover-like contrast roof, strategic chrome and brushed aluminum highlights, and an imaginative interior.

9. 2008 Lamborghini Reventon

Lamborghini’s stock in trade has always been low-slung drama but ownership by the German’s at Volkswagen seemed to mellow their design sense. On the one hand it was a relief to not be confronted by the tacky wings and scoops that adored some of their late 80s creations but what followed was very nicely rendered but a bit cold.  Not so the threatening Reventon. Like Cadillac’s recent design language, the Reventon’s brutally sharp edges are inspired by the Stealth bomber but Lamborghini takes it all a step further with a killer matte paintjob. A great example of how subtly tweaking the details of an existing design language can substantially alter the feel of the result.

10. 2008 Dodge Challenger

The Challenger would appear to be the most slavishly retro of the big 3’s musclecars, following Ford’s Mustang and Chevy’s more futurist Camaro. Yet a closer look reveals that the Challenger is more faithful to the idea of its early 70s predecessor. If anything the stance of the newer car is tougher, the look is bluffer, and the feel is kind of an amalgam of 70s cues with a contemporary application. Unusually the production model is better looking than the concept on which it’s based primarily due to the ditching of Dodge’s trademark crosshair grille design.

11. 2009 Ford Fiesta

Ford of Europe has continued to explore design possibilities even as the North American arm has sometimes fallen back into blandness. Thankfully CEO Alan Mullaly has decreed that all designs msut be shared between markets which means the dynamic and appealing little Fiesta will soon be sold here (though sadly not in 3-door from shown.)

12. 2002 Ford Thunderbird

The new T-Bird came at the tail-end of the retro craze and was one of the sales flops that led to Ford radically restructuring their business and leadership team. This had little to do with the slick design of the car which ably updated the themes of the 1955 original  with it’s own particular flavor. The unusual declining shoulder line and lovely headlight placements are echoed by the circular taillights and the trim beltline cut.

13. 2000 Mini Cooper

On one level the new Mini is the apogee of fake retro – like the VW New Beetle it’s a theme that belies much of what was original about the car that it’s meant to evoke. In the Mini’s case that means that the car is more maxi-sized than truly Mini, and Alec Issigoni’s groundbreaking hydragas suspension and innovative packaging are largely abandoned. And yet the design has proved to be arguably a bigger hit than the original (though not in total sales), becoming a must-have automotive accessory for elites in markets like the United Sates where the original barely made a dent. It’s also a canny updating of the original Mini theme with far better materials and execution befitting a product pitched at the style market rather than the original people’s car orientation of the classic version.

14. 2003 Land Rover Range Rover

How do you update an icon? Land Rover redid the Range Rover once before this model, with a blandly rote refresh that took all the thematic elements and re-rendered them unimaginatively. This third generation model also hews close to the original formula set forth in 1970 by William Town’s original design.  However it extracts a new purity and refinement, highlighting iconic elements like the roof and blacked out D pillars and the upright fender vents and tying it together perfectly. In addition the new interior was an industry-leading luxury cocoon.

15. 2005 Pontiac Solstice

When GM’s now dead “performance” brand decided to get into the Miata fighting business it did so with a tough, sporty little design that was one of the best the brand had produced. Alas, though, it wasn’t enough to stave off the reaper.

16. 2003 Infiniti FX45

Infiniti was early to the crossover party with this crossbreeed between an SUV and a sports sedan and stylistically they nailed it. All curves and bulges with big wheels and a characteristically 00’s turret-like greenhouse The FX chooses sides rather than compromising and the side it chooses is sporty, thank you.

17. 2005 Chrysler 300

Chrysler’s decade was simply awful and yet the 300 was decided bright spot, a successful relaunch of the big American sedan for a new millennium. The high shouldered styling set the trend for the rest of the decade and the muscularly purposeful design led to a slew of concepts (but sadly no production) responses from rival firms.

18. 2004 Toyota Prius

The Prius ubiquitous nature has rendered it bland but at launch it was a breakthrough. A truly futuristic looking car to match it’s future-facing powerplant. The design has become shorthand for caring about the environment, as well as being environmentally compatible in subtler ways such wind resistance that add to efficiency.

19. 2008 Bentley Brooklands

Bentley’s VW owners haven’t seemed to figure out quite what to do with teh brand stylistically but oh the big bold Brooklands! The kicked up beltline, huge wheels, imposing grille all say move out of our way, plebian. Elegant, purposeful luxury.

20. 2006 Ford F-250 Super Chief

This concept set forth a number of stylistic elements that have since wended their way through Ford’s car and truck line-up but as a pure expression of truckness in the new millennium the Super Chief sets the standard.

21. 2006 Nissan Urge

Nissan’s Urge concept took a cue from ultra-modern furniture design, reducing the elements to major shapes like the silver side swaths and the dark fenderettes over the wheels.  A cool added element was the inset open door panels, designed to give driver and passenger a motorcycle-like sensation of openness with the full-body protection of a car.

22. 2006 Saab Aero-X

Saab’s Aero-X looked like a leftover Star Wars prop and in a perfect world would have helped define the companies new direction. Instead it defined the road not taken as GM starved the company of investment.

23. 2006 Renault Altica

Renault’s appealing chunky Altica concept was riddled with neat surface elements like the broad shoulder lines that extend from the front fenders to define flares over the rear wheels. Also cool were the rear quarter panels with random geometric shapes in place of a full window. Practical? Non. Pleasing to the eye? Oui.

24. 2006 Citroen C-Metisse

Citroen’s C-Metisse concept signaled a new willingness for the storied French company to once again explore groundbreaking design. The van-like hatch is most striking for the way the rear wheels are framed by the broad flares which intersect the descending swath of greenhouse. The side glass echoes the circular wheel openings enhancing the relationship, as do the chrome strips at the extreme rear corners.

25. 2007 Ford Interceptor

Ford’s Interceptor concept was a vision of what the blue oval’s Chrysler 300 fighter might have been before budgets constraints and runaway gas prices put the kibosh on production. The low roofline and gunslit windows all bespeak the influence of Chrysler’s big sedan but Ford also finds it’s own way to express the brand with the wide stacked grille and headlight design and sweeping wheel openings.

26. 2007 BMW Concept CS

BMW’s concepts during teh decade were sometimes as polarizing as their production cars but were often more successful as designs. The big CS previewed themes that are starting to creep into BMW’s that are in dealerships but is also an extremely well-resolved take on the  sedan-as-coupe trend that has spread through the ranks of German companies since Mercedes-Benz introduced the CLS.  The body surfacing is particularly nice here as is the overall form which is well-proportioned given its size.

27. 2002 BMW GINA

The GINA was tucked away inside BMW’s design center for most of the decade before finally being revealed post the launch of the disappointing Z4 which it obviously influenced. This is what ground-breaking conceptual car design is all about – literally stretching the boundaries with a fabric wrapped frame which stretches to accomodate everything from active aerodynamic aids to door openings.

28. 2007 Toyota iQ Concept

Toyota’s production iQ is notable as well, a sort of smarter Smart car but the concept takes the great packaging a step further with surface elements that seem to transform from concave to convex depending on where the viewer stands.

29. 2007 Mazda Taiki

Mazda trotted out their new design ethos on a number of concepts towards decades end. The look is meant to be inspired by the elements interacting with nature, such as water on rock or wind on sand. The best of these was the Taiki with its nifty sculpted rear-wheel nacelles and flowing headlight elements.

30. 2008 Land Rover LRX

Land Rover’s LRX concept was a clear production ready glimpse of how they could (and will) move towards a smaller, friendlier SUV. Though others (notably Subaru’s Forester) have tried to scale down the segment this is the most successful attempt yet, aided by great detail work like the  dropped edge of the hood over the front wheel arch and the reverse wedge of the greenhouse.

31. 2009  Cadillac CTS Coupe

Cadillac started to revamp their design language in the late 90s but the refinement of their hard-edged “Art & Science” theme at the end of this decade was far more aesthetically successful than initial forays. The CTS sedan is quite handsome but it’s this Coupe concept (due to go into production soon) that really moves things forward with it’s radically sloped backlight and V shaped C-pillar.

32. 2009 Fisker Karma

Designer Henrik Fisker started his own company in the middle of the decade and began re-bodying BMW’s and others. His true plan emerged with the reveal of the Karma prototype – to build luxury gas/electric hybrids. Luckily the Karma is drop dead gorgeous with sinuously bulging fenders and a tapering greenhouse. Production is expected to commence late in 2010.

33. 2008 GMC Denali XT

The car-like pickup truck has had a mixed history since the glory days of Chevy’s El Camino and Ford’s Ranchero (roughly the 60s and 70s) and lesser 80s entries like Dodge’s compact Rampage, Subaru’s delightful Brat and Volkswagen’s odd Rabbit/Golf based model. The idea was revived by Honda this past decade for the Ridgeline  but GMC showed this very attractive concept that suggested how the attributes of both vehicle types could be melded harmoniously.

34. 2009 Audi Sportback

Audi gave some clues to their emerging next-gen design language with the Sportback concept, while also throwing their hat in the crowded and often ugly German luxury hatch field dominated by BMW.  Strong defined character lines give the flanks a sculpted look while their signature stylized headlamp elements echo the palm-like shape.

35. 2009 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics

Another brilliant BMW concept, the Vision is all intersecting planes and overlapping elements while exhibiting a light, glassy greenhouse that allows the elements to float together.

36. 2000 Jaguar F-Type

Jag’s F-Type concept was almost too good. It’s safety-reg unfriendly low glass height and lack of even a pretense of a roof made the design impossible to translate well to production despite repeated tries. Pity, as it’s purity is exquisite.

37. 2001 Buick Bengal

Look past the oh-so-00s vestigial rear doors that never became a trend and the Bengal concept offers a clean, uncluttered reboot of Buick’s antiquated design cues. The front end is especially nice with it’s canted headlamp strips and broad dollar-grin style grille.

38. 2001  Ford Forty-Nine

Chrysler kicked off the the trend of incorporated classic custom car cues into production and concept vehicles with the Plymouth Prowler in the mid 90s but Ford’s delicious Forty-Nine is a touchstone in post-modern retro-futurism. While cues nod to Ford’s iconic 1949 coupe, the whole is an homage to chopped and channeled “sleds” with modern headlight and interior technology that places the design in a contemporary context. If only Ford’s production models were as interesting in North America.

39. 2001 Dodge Super8 Hemi

Like the Ford Forty-Nine, Trevor Creed designed the Super 8 Hemi to be an amalgam of 50s cues and modern touches. The result was far more polarizing but with the benefit of hindsight can be seen to have it’s own virtues. Creed was reported to have been shocked by the extent of negative reaction, having considered this as a testing ground for ideas that would be used on a production basis. The wraparound windshield and roof shape are the clearest nods to 50s elements but the side strakes and brutally short overhangs could only be from the present time.

40.2002  Dodge Razor

Ah the road not taken. Though Pontiac’s Solstice got much of the contemporary attention, Dodge’s concept for a small, raw sports coupe was arguably even more compelling. A simple design that incorporates a strong stance, upright a-pillars and suggestive upkicks around the rear wheels it’s a pity  Chrysler’s German masters couldn’t see their way to producing this gem.

41. 2003 Cadillac Sixteen

Cadillac’s superb Sixteen cast a long shadow over the brand in that none of their production vehicles has yet to look as wonderfully impressive and clear of purpose. The central spine and stylized grille have made their way throughout the lineup though but it’s that elegantly formal roof and pillar-less sidelight that stick in the retina.  The double side-hinged hood adds a touch of retro whimsy.

42. 2003 Chevrolet SS

Chevy’s response to Chrysler’s impending big sedans and Ford’s big sedan concepts was the overtly sporty SS, a softer and sleeker take on the segment. The small rounded greenhouse is nestled atop bulging fenders and aggressive wheels giving a sense of power but also a sense of tidy maneuverability unusual in the class.

43. 2003 Ford 427

Ford kicked off the decade with the brilliant 427 concept for a full-sized American sedan, lacked the stones to actually produce it, and then watched Chrysler steal their thunder with the 300.  The 427 is traditional sedan in stance but in detail and execution its completely contemporary from the neat interlocked squares within the headlight elements to the chrome strip on the lower bodysides that echoes the single strip below the window line. The front end treatment did wind up, in watered down form, on the first-generation Focus.

44. 2004 Jeep Rescue

From a design standpoint this was a tough decade for Jeep but the Rescue was a terrific concept that pointed to what might have been. Emphasizing the core values of the brand but on a bigger canvas it’s immediately identifiable as a Jeep despite being a big four-door SUV, a full size and a half beyond anything the brand had marketed. The only positive that came from this concept was the idea of a 4-door Wrangler. When Jeep did attempt to size up they did so with the atrocious Commander which lacked entirely the grace and elemental rightness of this design.

45. 2008 Morgan LifeCar

Morgan has been known for 45 years essentially for their resistance to modernism. Even their most advanced car harbors a wooden frame that harks back to pre-war sports car construction. So the LifeCar, a fuel-cell powered electric sports car concept, came as something of a shock. Even more so was it’s machine age meets iPod body design which is of a piece with Morgan’s traditional theme but augmented by a novel hinged passenger canopy that mimics the scissoring of the front-hinged hood-and-fender tops unit.

46. 2001 Honda Unibox

While automotive design is often about hinting at or even obscuring the mechanics underneath the body panels, Honda’s Unibox concept is like a translucent watchback boldly exposing and flaunting the pure engineering below.

47. 2002 Mercedes-Benz F400 Carving

There have been a few tilting concepts before but they tended to be more like slightly evolved cycles. Here Mercedes gets the tilt jones on entirely with the suspension but the lack of roof (and windshield!)  and open front wheels still give a motorcycle feel but within a conventional layout.

48. 2006 Volvo C30

Volvo’s decade long design language which mimicked the idea of a sectioned violin found it’s best expression in the little C30, which also incorporated the glass hatch that distinguished the P1800 sports  coupe of the late 60s. In addition the floating center section of the dash connected the brand to classic Swedish furniture design.

49. 2004 Ferrari F430

The last two decades were hardly the best for Ferrari from a design standpoint as longtime stylist Pininfarina struggled to respect the brand’s and reflect modern forms. By keeping things simple the F430 managed the job ably. Front air intakes and exposed circular headlamps all look back to past Ferraris as does the overall mid-engind layout and theme but the execution is admirably smooth.

50. 2007 Nissan Pivo 2

There are certain design quirks that Japanese manufacturers go for but which can seem downright eccentric to others. Things like a dashboard mounted robot head that comments on your driving with helpful tips and glowing LED eyes.  The body of the vehicle also rests on a turntable that allows for full 360 degree rotation and the wheels and fenders can pivot to allow for four way steering.

Bryan Nesbitt

In a sign of how important design has been to the revival of GM’s Cadillac division, the company has named Vice President of North American Design Bryan Nesbitt to run one of the most storied brands in cardom. Nesbitt was plucked from Chrysler by GM’s former Chrysler guy Bob Lutz several years ago and he has been instrumental since then in the design revival at America’s biggest carmaker, which just emerged from bankruptcy last week.

Nesbitt is best known for the controversial PT Cruiser, a Chrysler design that grafted retro 1930s cues to a compact trucklet. It was a hot seller initially though it is currently slated to be shelved within the next year or two. He also masterminded the brilliant CCV concept, a Chrysler idea for a cheap people’s car for the Chinese market which took inspiration from Citroen’s classic 2CV. Ironically the Chinese had been recently tapped for an on-again off-again project to revive Chrysler’s small fortunes of late which declined precipitously in the post-Nesbitt years.

It’s very unusual to have a designer in a lead role at a brand or company – it will be interesting to see if this is the start of a trend in the industry or merely a product of the specific situation GM is in as it tries to shake up it’s old ways.

Chrysler CCV

At GM he has been known for the Chevy HHR, a knockoff of his own PT Cruiser design, and the stewardship of some fine Opel and Saab concepts at GM Europe as well as the very handsome new Opel Insignia sedan. He also oversaw design of the outstanding current Chevy Malibu and the striking Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept which is expected to hit the market in 2012.

Opel Insignia

Cadillac CTS Coupe

The recession claimed another victim this week as GM announced the shutdown of the storied Pontiac brand. Pontiac represented both the best and the worst of car design at GM over the years, evolving from a staid image in the 1950s to the so-called “excitement” brand by the early 1980s. Along the way it boosted the careers of automotive luminaries like John DeLorean who rose to stardom within GM by adding much-needed flavor to the brand with nameplates like GTO, Tempest, Firebird and LeMans. Here are some of the best designs to come out of a brand that will be missed not just by the many people who worked in it’s factories, dealerships and offices but by enthusiasts of American design:

1954 Pontiac Bonneville Concept

1956 Pontiac Club De Mer

1961 Pontiac Ventura

1964 Pontiac Banshee Prototype

1964 Pontiac GTO

1966 Pontiac GTO

1968 Pontiac GTO

1969 Pontiac Grand Prix

1977 Pontiac Trans Am

1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

1984 Pontiac Fiero

2006 Pontiac Solstice

Fisker Sunset

After all is said and done the New York car show, or at least its preview days, gave a good sense of where the industry and its players are at as well as allowing me a close up look at some of this season’s most interesting designs.

Ford Taurus halved

The overall mood was glum but tempered by some bright spots. GM and Chrysler had drastically reduced floor space and bare bones presentations and displays. Ford on the other hand engaged with the press and with showgoers with a slot car track, a new Taurus that coheres around the driver as they sit in the seats before splitting apart again, and a display featuring submissions from their innovative Fiesta Movement social media campaign.

The newly roomy main hall was able to welcome Volkswagen – upstairs for the first time I remember, as well as Fisker automotive and a Mini display that featured astroturf and the artificial smell of fresh grass which I suspect is toxic.

Here were some of the sights of the show:

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Chrysler’s in dire straits but if they can hang around for a year they should be able to launch a successor to what was once a best-seller. The current Grand Cherokee has some nice lines that fight with awkward detailing and lackluster quality of materials. The new version is nothing revolutionary but feels like a more substantial quality vehicle.

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The front end is particularly well resolved with a sweeping hood bulge that meets the a-pillars, a handsome grille and headlamp treatment and very German lower body cladding. Even more impressive was the interior:

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The wood was high quality fake, the dashboard trim satisfyingly seamless, but most impressive were the rich leather seating materials and the expensive looking piping around the seats themselves. This is easily the best looking interior of any Chrysler product I’ve ever seen. Now they just have to survive.

Fisker Karma

Fisker Karma and Sunset

Fisker Automotive is a startup dedicated to plug-in hybrid electric luxury vehicles. The Karma is far more stunning in person than in photos – low, wide and sleek with incredible presence. The same goes for the two-door Sunset convertible which at this stage is billed as a concept.

Fisker Sunset

I still don’t know whether designer Henrik Fisker, ex of Aston Martin among others, is for real or whether this is the second coming of Vector – a giant scheme designed to liberate people from deposits with exciting concepts that keep getting pushed back from actual production. What I do know is that with their voluptuous fenders and outrageously large wheels Fisker knows his proportions.

Fisker Sunset

Fisker Karma

From the back you can see the diamond shaped exhaust tips and how low both cars are.

Fisker Karma

You can see the huge bulging fender lines of the Karma with the back door open – the door itself is flared and contains the trailing edge of the bulge.

Fisker Karma

The front wheel cutout on the Karma shows the sure hand of a master designer – the radius of the fender flare is cambered to create a flate surface that houses the side reflector. Check out the low profile tires too.

Fisker Karma

Similarly the care taken to line up the bumper seam with the headlight washer unit with the whole outer edge of the light housing framed with LED lights. The projector-style main lighting units are staggered in both height, size, and protuberance.

Acura ZDX Prototype

Acura ZDX Prototype

Acura bills the ZDX, which made it’s debut in New York, as a prototype but it’s a thinly disguised version of a crossover that’s due to hit dealerships this fall. The fastback roof and rear glass have some overtones of sister company Honda’s products like the FCX fuell cell vehicle but overall this is one of Acura’s best looking recent vehicles and considerable more easy on the eye than competitors like BMW’s X6.  The wavelike plane over the rear wheels is especially nicely done, skirting a heavy look that can ruin this sort of neither-fish-nor-fowl layout.

Acura ZDX Prototype

The front is the least-pleasing aspect of the ZDX. The headlights are the least likely part to make production though their housing shape is probably accurate. Unfortunately Acura’s can-opener grille seems here to stay. While this is its least offensive application yet I hope that this begins to be phased out sooner rather than later.

GMC Terrain

GMC Terrain

GMC’s Terrain sharply divided viewers with some admiring it’s sharp angular theme and strong differentiation from Chevy’s platform-mate the Equinox. Others found the detailing to be too heavy. To be sure this is a truck that is very color and wheel combo sensitive. I found the fender bulges to be a bit cartoonish and the lower body cladding to be the wrong side of brutalist though I like the striking face with its strong grille form.

GMC Terrain

This shot of the rear of the Terrain shows how a darker color and flashier wheels can alter the looks from techno cool to something more, well downmarket looking. The shape of the rear glass is neat but the black plastic panel over the pillar looks cheap rather than classy.

Chevrolet Equinox

Chevy’s new Equinox is built on the same platform and mechanicals as GMC’s Terrian, but in a  far more attractive and less polarizing wrapper.

Nissan 370Z Convertible

Nissan 370Z Convertible

New York also saw the premier of Nissan’s droptop version of the latest Z. The previous incarnation was one of the rare convertibles that turned a handsome coupe ugly. Though the back end is still too bustle-like, the curved fenders soften the impact of losing the distinctive roof far better than on the previous model.

Nissan 370Z

The 370Z in general is full of intriguing curves and fillips that stay just this side of busy, like the comma-shaped front and rear lights and the buckle style doorhandles.

Nissan 370Z

Hyundai Nuvis

Hyundai Nuvis Concept

Hyundai’s design team is in the midst of transition with the Nuvis representing the last of Joel Piaskowsk’s supervised designs. Under him Hyundai has gone from an also ran to a real design contender and the Nuvis has some very interesting forms indeed.

In some ways the overall shape is reminiscent of Mazda’s concepts though the detailing is very different. The intersection of forms between the taillights, rear fender, roof, and sidelight is the most interesting area of the concept. The fender creeps up almost to the trailing edge of the roof, covering the pillar but not actually making it all the way to the top.

Hyundai Nuvis

The clean line that sweeps from the lower bumper vents up and over the headlamps, the bottom edge of the A-pillar and opens like an eye to create the side window opening before pinching over the rear fender is brilliant. Less brilliant is the heavy crushed grille treatment which seems constricted, especially in light of the airiness of the rest of the design.

GMC is Genral Motors trucks-only brand in the United States. Despite the slowdown in SUV sales they are GM’s numer two selling nameplate here currently and the General wants to protect the brands growth in the coming gas sipping era.

The Denali XT concept, to be revealed to the public at next week’s Chicago Auto show, is a stab at a more efficient pick-up truck. Some commentators have compared the rwd car-based vehicle to the Chevy El Caminos and GMC Caballeros of the 60s-80s but to me this seems like a logical outgrowth of the current “crossover” craze.

Just as crossovers build a new vehicle that has truck attributes off of a car platform, the Denali XT has pickup truck features but a platform that is the same as GM Australia’s new rear-drive base (which also makes it the same as the upcoming Chevy Camaro coupe and Pontiac G8 sedan.) This is unlike the El Camino/Caballero which were usually just Malibu wagons with their rear sections modified to form a pickup truck bed.

A malaise-era 1979 Caballero

As a design the Denali is very strong, and this represents a possible exciting new direction for GMC. There is a touch of Chrysler’s fulls size LH cars in the stance and the high beltline/ low roofline, which makes for a chopped side window profile. The face is fantastic, aggressive without being over-the-top cartoonish. The texturing of the grille, the placement of the headlight/vent units that sweep back into the sculpted fender forms, the sides of those same forms that flow from the bumper face are all expertly handled. The rear echoes the front lamps with tailight/vent clusters of its own. The tailights are very nicely shaped, as is the oversize chrome tailgate handle. The roofline is extremely well-executed and overall the design is a real winner. Here’s hoping GM follows through and produces this.