Chevrolet Camaro concept

Unveiled to universal rapture is a new everyday hero: the Chevrolet Camaro. Drawing from the 1969 original, this new interpretation designed under Tom Peters is derivative yet contemporary, with bold lines defining tight surfaces. Maintaining the low horizontal swage of its predecessor, the sides use the door shutline to break the front and rear haunch treatments. These tall sides are skirted and have large wheels to contrast with a shallow glasshouse, giving the car a menacing poise. This is furthered by the front and rear graphics that feature capped lights at the rear with a scowling face up front. The exhaust pipes are also a cropped circle in section, though the similarly positioned front fog lights remain whole.

Designer Christos Roustemis' interior lives up to the promising exterior, having dark leather seats with orange contrast stitching and beautifully considered gauges and centre console details. The anodised orange door trim softly repeats the exterior theme, while the associated upper part of the IP also displays radio and HVAC information.

Judging by the response from the crowd, it's clear that good designers having a good time have created one of the stars of the show.

Audi Roadjet concept

It’s hard to know how to take the Roadjet. Audi invented the term 'Avant' for its shallow-raked tailgated station wagons in the early eighties, but this car is neither Avant nor sedan, more of a tall hatchback in the mould of the unlovely European market Fiat Croma. It also moves away from many traditional Audi design elements: proportionally it’s front wheels are positioned further forwards like a rear wheel drive car and the nose is quite low, and in its form there are many discontinuous feature lines fading in and out around the car and less voluminous surfacing than we’ve seen before with Audi.

Sitting inside the most notable aspect of the car is the sense of space relative to Audis past from its low-set IP, high seating position, light colours, slim seats and large ambient light roof panel. The single third-row child seat slides forward between the two individual first row passenger seats is one of the most unusual elements of the interior that is otherwise most notable for its softer, less masculine character and fine attention to detail.

Design Review coming soon...

Aston Martin Rapide concept

Introduced by Director Ulrich Bez is Aston Martin's most practical car to date, the Rapide. Based on a stretched DB9, the Rapide was developed by Chief Designer Marek Reichmann and seems a natural addition to Aston Martin's existing range. The extra length gives the car strong presence, though the shoulder and roofline lose some of the tension that the coupes have. At the front, the grille now extends below the bumper, while silver nickel is used to give tidy lamp details. Little is changed at the rear over the DB9, save for silvered bars in the lights, though when viewed in three-quarter appears a little narrow given the contrast with the wheelbase.

Inside, the Rapide combines luxury with the flexibility afforded by the extra length and folding rear seat backs. Tipped leather mimics shark skin on the upper IP, and is repeated to line the cubby holes, while ash adorns the centre-console and the reverse of the seats.

When the production version arrives in few years this Aston Martin looks like it will be a thorn in the side of the new Porsche four door, and we can't help but think that this must have been just what Bez intended.

Volvo C30 concept
This is a show car preview of the forthcoming production C30 to be announced at Paris later this year, a car that focuses on the European premium C-class segment as defined by the Audi A3.

Introduced in Detroit by Volvo’s new design director Steve Mattin, the car is essentially a shortened S40. As a hatchback it clearly differs most from the S40 at the rear where it features a glazed rear hatch treatment similar to last year’s 3CC, the 2001 SCC concept and the production 480ES and P1800 Volvo coupes.

Inverted horse shoe shaped rear lamps sit within the now classic Volvo upright rear lamp graphic, and inside the separate rear seats have a gap between them enabling a clear line of sight to the low rear window from the front of the car. A bronze brown lower section runs around the concept which was also sitting unusually low at the front – two aspects that won’t be seen on the production car but enhance a stance that is slightly more dynamic than the S40 and V50 sedan and estate versions.

Related Stories:
Volvo 3CC concept (Detroit 2005)

Nissan Urge concept

The Nissan Urge is a small three-seat sports car based on a truncated 350Z. Inspired by motorcycles, it uses materials in new ways for youth appeal and a fun driving experience. A high-revving engine is visible through the extended windshield, and upholstery inspired by the livery found on Superbikes. Inside, instruments have also been inspired by F1 cars to bring them close to the driver, while glass in the lower part of the doors gives increased sense of speed. This area is framed outside by aluminium foam set inside acrylic, a literal visual average between the colour of the interior and the material of the exterior.

The exterior has elements akin to the 1994 Renault Argos, the silver walls graphically dividing the arches from the rest of the body, lending the Urge the feel of open-wheeled cars such as the Arial Atom. The Urge too uses low profile, round-section tires to further this and the motorcycle connection.

Though there are no plans for production, the Urge is a successful example of product and vehicle design being balanced to create a new aesthetic.

Design Review coming soon...

Hyundai HCD9 Talus concept

Building on what the HCD8 established two years ago, the HCD9 Talus is a large crossover coupe with Mazda RX8-style small rear doors.

At the front, the grille is flanked by swept back lamps that interestingly sit within a subtly differentiated surface on the hood. An Italianate thin side scallop sweeps back along the door surface from the side air outlet vent in the front wing and the DLO kinks unusually in its lower edge to delineate the small rear door. At the rear a clamshell tailgate sits above distinctive lamp graphics.

Inside the car is dominated by light tan leather, lots of Spinelle trim (a magnesium/aluminium metal finish) and blue lighting to rather garish effect.

Related Stories:
Hyundai HCD8 concept (Detroit 2004)

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