Cars

The Volvo EX60 and the Swedish Idea of the Future

In Stockholm, designer Sara Erichsen Susnjar stood beside a wall of swatches and wood veneers and began talking about the EX60 the way an interior designer might talk about a room. Sara, a Senior Color and Material Design Manager at Volvo Cars, has been with the company for nearly 20 years. Her vocabulary is less

A Weekend Inside the Calty Design Lab with Lexus

I didn’t expect my automotive design education to start with a perfume bottle. But there I was in a hotel in West Hollywood carefully measuring drops of vanilla and blood orange, trying to capture something about my own identity in fragrance form.  This wasn’t some wellness retreat gone sideways—it was day one of understanding how

Sabine Marcelis Reinvents Renault’s Cult Classic Twingo

Twingo, the beloved compact city car manufactured by Renault, celebrates its 30th anniversary with a birthday makeover. The manufacturer recruited artist and designer Sabine Marcelis to re-envision the hatchback with her signature ethereal style. Sabine is known for working with translucent materials like resin, glass, and neon. The Dutch artist plays with light and space

Behind the Design of the Lotus Eletre Hyper SUV

Ben Payne is the chief creative officer at Lotus Technology. He talks about the process of creating the all-new and all-electric Lotus Eletre, a Hyper SUV. Chris Force: How did you find yourself as the chief creative officer for Lotus? Ben Payne: I worked an awful lot as a consultant is the honest truth. I

Magnus Walker Reveals his Porsche Collection

In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the film Urban Outlaw, a collection of Magnus Walker’s Porsches and projects are on exhibit at the Petersen Museum Vault. I took a (virtual) walk-through with Magnus to discuss the exhibit. Chris Force: So where are we? Magnus Walker: The Vault. It’s where the Petersen Museum keep cars

A Porsche 911 Gets Offroad Ready

In 1984 designers and engineers at Porsche took the 911 sportscar, gave it four-wheel drive, massive suspension, modified the hell out of it, then raced it in the grueling Paris Dakar Rally. They won. Shortly after they abandoned the project. But what if Porsche had continued racing and developing safari-ready 911s? That’s the question TJ

Relive an Iconic Ferrari Design with the Testa Rossa J

The Testa Rossa J, an electric, 75% scale replica of Ferrari’s classic 1957 car, is now reaching the garages of enthusiasts and collectors. Ferrari and The Little Car Company developed the car from the original design drawings and adapt many of the 1957 details, from the hand-beaten bodywork to the suspension geometry, for the Junior

Taking on the Future of Electric Motorcycles

“It’s a paradigm shift that hasn’t been seen in 120 years. This is it, now, and it’s here today,” says Alex Earle. Alex is a designer for Audi, an instructor of motorcycle design at Art Center College, and the man behind Earle Motors. And he’s excited about the future of electric motorcycles. Alex has a

El Diablo: A Throwback Low Rider from Gunslinger Custom Paint

If you were motorcycle touring in Southern California in the mid-80s the bike you wanted was the Harley-Davidson FXRT. It was a sporty, red, pin-striped beauty. Ever the student of Harley history and SoCal cool, Brad Richards, Vice President of Design and Creative Director for Harley, dove into the details of the ’83 FXRT for

Andy Warhol “Cars” Shows the Artist’s Love for Automotives

Andy Warhol never had a driver license—but that speed bump did nothing to deter car fanaticism. Throughout his career, Andy made artwork of great vehicles, including “Cars,” a series commissioned by Mercedes-Benz to celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary in 1986. Beginning July 23, the series goes on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los

LiveWire Reveals the S2 Del Mar Electric Motorcycle

Reservations for the highly anticipated all-electric S2 Del Mar motorcycle from LiveWire are now available with anticipated delivery in Spring 2023 with a target MSRP of $15,000. The new motorcycle is the first to feature S2 ARROW Architecture that was designed at LiveWire Labs in Mountain View, California. The system is built around a proprietary

Norman Foster Curates Motion. Autos, Art, Architecture for Guggenheim Bilbao

Motion. Autos, Art, Architecture is on view April 8 through September 18, 2022 at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. British architect Norman Foster is behind the concept and design along with curators Lekha Hileman Waitoller and Manuel Cirauqui of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. The exhibit links the art of the automobile with painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography.

The Best Electric Cars from CES 2022

Will CES 2022 be the best car show of the year? Here’s a look at the best cars unveiled at CES 2022. BMW color-changing iX Flow •  Yes, it can change colors by using a similar e-ink technology as the Kindle e-reader. •  The car “becomes an expression of different moods and circumstances in daily

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