Land Rover Range Stormer concept

Compared to the Range Rover, the exterior design of this 4x4 ‘Grand Touring SUV’ puts the emphasis on horizontal lines, faster pillar angles and shallower window areas. Studio Director Richard Woolley explains “Many of the well-known design cues remain - the floating roof, thin pillars, clamshell hood, castellated hood corners and square taillamps - but treated in a slightly softer way”.

The unique doors offer a surprise element however. Above the lower line of the side intake they are Lamborghini-like scissor doors but below this is a lower fold-out step, like that on a personal jet. Likewise, the trunk incorporates a double opening feature but here the glass opens up and the lower tailgate powers vertically down behind the bumper.

The interior features seats inspired by the form of a Möbius strip, a floating aluminium console and gauges that use backlit fluid rather than pointers for readings. NH

Lincoln Aviator concept

This surprising car-based SUV concept from Lincoln previews the next-generation Aviator. Both the Aviator and Mk X concepts feature a new front mask for Lincoln inspired by the iconic 1961 Continental. Key features are a wide, egg-crate grille, upper chrome band and LED headlamps bound together by a perimeter 'Bright Strip' surround that continues up the fender and A-pillar. The rear features a notably wide C-pillar and horizontal taillamps.

The interior continues the theme of jet travel with four individual cream leather seats, integrated footrests and two sliding consoles with fold-out aluminium tables and sliding covers for storage. Chief Designer Dave Woodhouse explains “The vehicle is designed to make you feel as though you purchased a first class ticket on an exclusive airliner”.

The Aviator features a 3.5L V6 with 6-speed automatic transmission and Hill Descent Control. NH

Lincoln Mark X concept

"The focus with Mark X was on pure, integrated design." That's Marek Reichman, chief designer on the Lincoln Mark X concept, a hard-top convertible that harkens back to the kind of vehicle that would be seen in the salons of the 1950s. Sort of like a Thunderbird, which it resembles in more than a small amount. The resemblance becomes even more clear when its determined that it is actually based on the RWD T-Bird architecture.

In the front there is a new grille design that may become characteristic of Lincoln: an egg-crate replaces the vertical bars (presumably the vertical pieces are going to be exclusively used by stable-mate Mercury). The headlamps have a chrome U-shape on its side surrounding an arc capsule that's said to provide twice the light of typical headlamps. The rear has a boat-tail shape with a long, angled fascia with horizontal tail lamps at the top echoed by the flush chromed rectangular exhaust tips at the bottom. Even with the hardtop retracted into the trunk there is approximately 15 cubic feet for storage.

Inside, there is seemingly a herd's worth of leather used throughout. Although the gauges and large compact-case style rectangular shift knob are all backed by high technology, even there this 21st-century concept harkens back to an earlier age.

While some companies emphasize pushing the wheels to the corners, the Mark X has a front overhang of 32.6 inches and a rear overhang of 43.7 inches, with a 108.8 inch wheelbase. All in all, this is a car that the original Edsel Ford would have undoubtedly appreciated. Which is no faint praise. GV

Mercedes Vision GST

This is really a ‘Vision GST type 2’ as the original version was shown at Detroit in 2002. Since then the concept has been further refined and what is shown today is virtually signed off, ready for production in 2005.

Although it looks superficially identical to the ‘type1’ version, the whole body has been extensively reworked and simplified and the barn-style doors deleted. It’s a credit to the styling that the scale of this car is hard to discern from photos, but this car is big – 5130mm long and 1648mm high. The interior layout brings new qualities to the meaning of luxury, featuring six individual seats, each with electric controls, DVD player and colour screen.

Power comes from a V8 hybrid diesel with 250ps, supplementary 50kW electric motor and permanent 4WD providing huge performance with relatively modest fuel thirst. NH

  Read our full Design Review...

Mitsubishi Sport Truck concept

Mitsubishi unveiled two concepts at the NAIAS today, the Eclipse Concept-E and the Sport Truck. Both designs emanate from Mitsubishi Motors Research and Design of America in California, and both are notable for a distinctively softer direction for Mitsubishi styling.

Silver contrast bands are used to frame the main graphic elements of the Sport Truck design, for instance around the wrap-around windshield and side windows, the rear loadbed and the split front grille. Silver bands are also used within the front and rear lamp graphics and to define the mechanical areas such as the front and rear skidplates.

The interior uses strongly linear forms for seats, doors and IP and features metallic-finished surfaces that add to the vehicle’s sense of purpose and strength.

It’s also interesting to compare the Sport Truck with the Honda SUT – similar concepts but opposite form language. Where the Honda is geometric the Sport Truck has a sculptured form with very soft intersections between the body and wheelarches but both feature a high-sided loadbed, double cab format and an El Camino type profile to the rear sail panels. NH

Volkswagen Concept T

A surprise launch from Volkswagens’s Simi Valley studio was this two-seater offroad sports coupe.

The exterior is notable for using a softer, less rigid form language than current VW design and is clearly inspired by 60’s dune buggies. “We went up to Pismo Beach, to chill out and soak up the atmosphere” explains Exterior Designer Christoph Brockschmidt. “We wanted the appearance of the body floating above the chassis and wheels and the black lower graphic is used to define the two layers”. Taking the new Golf 5 front drivetrain and rear axle, the design features frameless butterfly doors and a T-bar roof, while the front face also builds on the current Golf expression.

The interior was designed by Gael Buzyn and is informed by the Italian sculptor Pomodoro, who uses split and pierced bronze forms. Elements of the dashboard, door linings and centre console can be removed or customised and pierced rubber is used as a new tactile material. NH

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