Volkswagen presented three concept cars at the Shanghai Motor Show. The three cars mark the intention to continue the path set by the ID.Code, a prototype unveiled in Beijing in 2024. The three models were developed by Volkswagen together with its Chinese partners: the ID. Aura with FAW, the ID. Era with Saic and the ID. Evo with Anhui. The showcars anticipate a new generation of zero-emission vehicles designed for the Chinese market and are part of the strategy to launch 30 new models on the Asian market by the end of 2027.

The ID. AURA from FAW-Volkswagen is the first concept based on the Compact Main Platform (CMP) that Volkswagen designed especially for the Chinese market. With its high computing power based on artificial intelligence, the highly automated driving system used on this platform raises the bar for intelligent and natural driving behaviour. The concept was developed especially for price-conscious customers, combining modern technology and dynamic design. A smartphone-like UI/UX concept is integrated in the vehicle’s centre console, while the artificial intelligence-based humanoid assistant controls the infotainment system.

The ID. EVO is aimed at young buyers eager to stand out from the crowd. Based on an 800-volt architecture platform, the ID. EVO is the first fully electric full-size SUV in the ID. UNYX family by Volkswagen. The concept vehicle features a high-performance electronic architecture that not only facilitates a wide range of new digital services, but also expands the customer experience with over-the-air updates.

The ID. ERA is a spacious full-size SUV with three rows of seats, offering a preview of the first Volkswagen model equipped with range extender technology. A fuel-powered generator charges the battery while driving and provides an additional range of more than 700 kilometres. Together with a range of 300 kilometres in electric mode, the concept car can thus cover more than 1,000 kilometres.

‘Describe it in one word? Impossible. In three? I can try: muscular, light and mean’. Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari’s Chief Design Officer, describes the latest creature to take shape from the pencils of the Maranello Style Centre. It is called the 296 Speciale and is the most exclusive and powerful variant of the 296 GTB presented in 2021. ‘More than a variant I would speak of a completely new model. The aesthetic interventions have been important and decisive, releated with the new stylistic course that we inaugurated first with the 12Cilindri and then with the F80,’ explains Manzoni. ‘The objective is always the same: to give unique shapes to a car that has performance in its blood’.

To go faster, the 3.0 V6 hybrid of the 296 Speciale (also available in the spider variant Speciale A) has been brought up to 880 horsepower (+50 horsepower over the 296 GTB), but, above all, a great deal of lightening work has been done overall using super-performance materials such as aluminium and (lots of) carbon fibre. The front of the car immediately clarifies the model’s strong sporting and expressive charge thanks to the bonnet, which is more hollowed out, while the lower part features a suspended splitter, a winged element in body colour that visually widens the base of the front. ‘The mouth is imposing: it almost looks like that of a catamaran,’ says Manzoni. The influence of the racing world, in particular the 296 Challenge, can also be perceived in the rear, while the side is a clear homage to the legendary 250 LM. ‘At the rear, the most characteristic element is the two unprecedented cantilever wings that frame the transom, remaining anchored at the end of the tail,’ continues Carlo Palazzani, head of exterior design.

The action of the style centre to carry out a major slimming treatment also came in the interior: ‘Here we adopted different materials to achieve the lowest possible weight. Of the 60 kilos saved on the model, one third comes from the interior,’ explains Nicola Bevilacqua, head of interior design. ’An example? 10 kilos less come from the use of the new seats, while the floor mats are made of aluminium and the door panel, in its entirety, is made of carbon. In addition, we have replaced the leather with Alcantara, which is lighter and performs better when it comes to high-performance driving’.

For greater ergonomics, the touch controls on the steering wheel have returned, abandoning the ‘all-touch’ setting: ‘After several tests we believe it is the right way to go,’ Manzoni continues. ‘We also talked to customers to understand what they needed in everyday driving. This is true for any Ferrari model because it is part of our mission. We have to make life easy for our customers and try to provide answers and solutions. I fully espouse what the great sculptor Brancusi said: ‘Simplicity is complexity solved’.

Past, present, and future—art as an expression of design philosophy and a symbol of evolving creativity. These are the themes explored and celebrated by the installations and events presented by several car manufacturers during Milan Design Week, which once again drew large crowds to the city from April 7 to 13. From art exhibitions to multisensory experiences and new product reveals, design remained the undisputed star. Here are a few highlights:

Range Rover: when the past still inspires
Range Rover, now a flagship brand under the new JLR umbrella, created an installation in Piazza Belgioioso that celebrated the connection between past and future in a unique way. Two environments, created in collaboration with NUOVA, a Californian design studio, served as a backdrop for two cars representing the beginning and culmination of the Range Rover story. The common thread: color. In the first room—evoking the 1970s with immersive sensory elements such as lighting, background music, wood and Carrara marble furnishings, and Aeir-brand scents—the original pre-series Range Rover stood proudly in classic Olive Green. That same color, reinterpreted for today, was used on the 2025 Range Rover Autobiography in the second room, a more metaphysical setting featuring white columns and stones. Accompanying it: the Wet Stone fragrance and ambient melodies.

Kia: a journey into the human soul
In recent years, Kia has often explored themes such as multiculturalism, encapsulated in its current design philosophy “Opposites United.” The brand hosted a dual exhibition: one titled Transcend Journey at East End Studios on Via Mecenate, where it showcased the EV2 concept—previewing an upcoming electric B-SUV—and the adventurous WKNDR concept of the new PV5 electric utility vehicle, both introduced by design chief Karim Habib. The other, Opposites United: Eclipse of Perceptions, was housed in the Museo della Permanente and featured four artworks by Philippe Parreno and A.A. Murakami. Two of Murakami’s pieces, The Cave and Beyond The Horizon, offered particularly evocative experiences. The Cave featured still waters and red light with robotic arms moving through the scene—symbolizing the creative drive of the human soul—while Beyond The Horizon filled a dark wall with giant, floating bubbles.

Omoda 9: a growing personality
More pragmatic, without artistic ambitions but with a clear philosophy guiding its brand identity, Omoda revealed its latest model on Via Tortona. The brand, which entered Europe alongside sister marque Jaecoo under the Chinese giant Chery, introduced the Omoda 9—marking the next step in its fashion-forward, high-tech evolution beyond the pioneering Omoda 5. This large SUV represents a stylistic maturation, with less emphasis on the distinctive oversized grille of the Omoda 5, replaced by a more refined front end with luminous horizontal and vertical lines that convey an aristocratic yet reassuring presence. There’s more: proportions were defined using the golden ratio, and the aerodynamics were honed to optimize comfort and efficiency. Great care was also given to the onboard experience, not just through materials and design, but also with a tactile interface (including touch controls on the steering wheel), a 24.9” display, and a dedicated Sony sound system.

Zeekr: the meaning of connection
Zeekr, one of the most intriguing brands in the vast Geely portfolio—alongside Lotus and Volvo—also brought its vision of future mobility and sensory art to Design Week. Teaming up with Lotus and other fashion, furniture, and leather brands (Konzepthaus, Leonhard Kurz, Royal Smit & Zoon), Zeekr filled the Phid Hub on Via Tortona with talks and events. On the product side, the main attraction was the Mix, a futuristic and versatile electric MPV featuring pillarless “wardrobe” doors and rotating seats. First unveiled in Beijing in April 2024, the Mix is a digitally connected long-range vehicle designed to encourage interaction between passengers. This idea was also reflected in the exhibition The Art of Connection, which featured a dynamic dual installation of two walls with light compositions that responded to the visitor’s hand movements. Nearby, a 1:4 scale concept car created by a team of design students was on display—somewhere between a space shuttle and a racecar—along with full-scale items such as its steering wheel, a backpack, and a raincoat.

Never before has Auto&Design collected so much evidence from car design managers on how important it is to continue to create physical models. We had further confirmation of this from Katharina Sachs, a thirty-two-year-old German senior exterior designer from Volvo, whom we met at the AgenForm CEMI (European Center for Industrial Modeling) school in Savigliano, an hour’s drive from Turin, where she returned in April for a day of meetings to testify to her experience.

His professional history has its roots in the desks of AgenForm CEMI, an institution founded in 1998 from the collaboration with A.N.F.I.A. (Italy’s National Association of the Automotive Industry Supply Chain) and established itself as a reference training center, attracting students from every corner of the globe eager to pursue a career as a model maker in the transportation design sector. The path of Katharina Sachs, who between October 2010 and July 2011 attended the Industrial Model Technician course when she was just seventeen, is an eloquent example.

As Katharina herself pointed out, her Italian experience at AgenForm CEMI gave her a “deep understanding of 3D design and turning ideas into tangible reality.” In an industry where the transition from virtual concept to physical object is far from obvious, mastery of clay modeling is an irreplaceable bridge. The designer’s hands become tools to give shape to visions, to explore volumes and surfaces with a freedom and sensitivity that software can hardly fully replicate. “I learned how to bridge the gap between idea and practice, between concept and execution, developing both the technical skills and the creative mindset needed to bring projects to life.” Clay modeling is not just a manual technique, but a real training ground for the creative mind. It allows you to develop a sense of space, proportions and flowing lines that are essential for a harmonious and eye-catching automotive design.

The modeling course has also instilled in Katharina a design philosophy rooted in the understanding of the physical world. “It taught me that every material has its own logic and that successful design is about respecting and using that logic rather than insisting on form without understanding its foundations.” After the training experience in Savigliano, which provided her with solid technical foundations, Katharina continued her path with an experience at Italdesign Giugiaro and then with more specific studies in automotive design at the University of Pforzheim. It was precisely the practical experience gained thanks to AgenForm CEMI that allowed her to access that university, where experience in the workshop was a prerequisite.

Joining Volvo Cars in 2017 marked the beginning of a distinguished career that culminated in the leadership of the exterior design of the revolutionary EX30. A success that, as Katharina herself acknowledges, has its foundations in learning the “basics of how to work with volumes and build surfaces” acquired at the Savigliano school, “key elements for successfully transferring design ideas into reality”, especially in an era in which design plays a crucial role in communicating the cutting-edge technology present in cars. Katharina Sachs’ return to AgenForm CEMI was not only an opportunity to celebrate a successful career path, but also a moment of inspiration for young students who, like her in the past, take their first steps in the fascinating and complex world of automotive design.

Mazda has accustomed us to choices that go against the tide, at times even courageous but always in keeping with its philosophy, and the new Mazda 6e, the subject of a Roman preview following the international one last January, is certainly part of this vision. For its first long-range electric model, in fact, the Hiroshima-based company has not opted for an SUV, a choice that would also be popular in this sector today, but has taken the opportunity to put one of its best-loved models, the Mazda6 saloon, back on the road.

The Mazda 6e is based on the Deepal L07, produced by Changan’s Chinese partners, but has been thoroughly customised by the parent company’s design centre in its lines and partly in its shape to take on the characteristic features of Kodo Design and become Mazda’s new top-of-the-range model.

The wheelbase remains unchanged at 2.90 meters, but the body has been extended beyond 4.90 meters (up from 4.88). While retaining the practical rear hatch, the design gains newfound dynamism and elegance, with cleaner lines and improved aerodynamic efficiency — helped in part by the newly designed wheels. Part sports sedan, part luxury car, the Mazda 6e doesn’t shy away from impactful details — all functional — such as flush door handles and a retractable rear spoiler. But it’s inside the cabin that Mazda’s philosophy truly comes to life, showcasing a refined sense of comfort and artisanal attention to detail.

The interior has been redesigned with inspiration from the Japanese concept of Ma, the deliberate use of empty space to bring harmony to shapes. This approach is evident in the dashboard and central tunnel, shaped as straight lines in space but separated by empty volumes. A solution rooted in tradition, yet open to innovation, for a model defined as “the most technologic Mazda of ever”.

A showcar to celebrate a new beginning. At the Shanghai Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz presented the Vision V, a luxury van designed to offer the greatest possible comfort. Starting in 2026, the introduction of the modular, flexible and scalable Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) will usher in a new era. The new platform will redefine the van conception for private use and bring it into the luxury segment, with a focus on the so-called ‘Private Lounge’. The future model range will range from practical family vans in the entry-level segment to exclusive VIP shuttles and luxurious limousines with an enormous amount of space, each in line with different customer requirements.

The Vision V offers a preview of the top-of-the-line version, demonstrating Mercedes-Benz Vans’ vision of combining spaciousness with maximum exclusivity and an unprecedented immersive digital experience. The Vision V is a luxurious and elegant chauffeur-driven limousine that allows you to pamper yourself in a whole new world of comfort. Analogue craftsmanship elements blend with an immersive user experience to create a holistic experience with an enveloping effect. The sporty and elegant exteriors underline the iconic design and highlight dynamism and status at the same time. ‘Mercedes-Benz vans have been iconic for decades. With the Vision V we are taking this legacy and transforming it into a completely new context of high-end luxury transport. This show car embodies the perfect harmony between luxury and van design, setting a new benchmark for the future,’ said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-Benz AG.

The large, automatically opening door on the right-hand side and the illuminated retractable platform ensure comfort and easy access to the luxurious rear lounge area. An intelligent, switchable glass wall separates the ‘Private Lounge’ from the driving area. If desired, the glass can be changed from transparent to opaque, completely or in sections. The ‘Private Lounge’ seating area is exceptionally spacious. This comfortable environment conveys an unprecedented feeling of space and freedom, as well as security and quiet. Crystal white Nappa leather and shimmering white silk contrast with the large, open-pore briarwood decorative elements. Similar to an exclusive sideboard, the cabinets are set in dark wood trim along the side walls, framed by strips of polished aluminium. The first-class seating is reminiscent of elegant lounge chairs and rests on polished aluminium bases. Made of highly flexible tubular cushions, they have a unique futuristic design. One of the highlights of the ‘Private Lounge’ seating area is the retractable 65-inch cinema screen – with split-screen functions – located under the floor. As soon as passengers are inside and the doors are closed, the screen lifts as if by magic from a console designed with burl wood and Nappa leather.

The Renault Group has acquired the remaining 51% of the Chennai plant in India belonging to its partner Nissan and opened the largest design centre outside France. The opening of this design centre, which marks an important turning point for Renault in India, is part of the brand’s new strategy for expansion in the Indian market. ‘Having a dedicated design studio is crucial to understanding the nuances of the market, listening to its needs and building on its strengths,’ said Laurens van den Acker, Chief Design Officer of the Renault Group.

After a considerable transformation, the Renault Design Centre Chennai now covers 1,500 m² and is equipped with the latest technology, creating a state-of-the-art environment for innovation and creativity. One of the most technologically advanced design spaces Renault offers today. At the centre of the inauguration of the Renault Design Centre Chennai is renault. rethink, a sculpture at once conceptual and high-tech that embodies Renault’s transformation and commitment to India.

During the Car Design awards ceremony, Auto&Design held a Talk in Milan on the theme “Emotional connections”. As in previous editions, the discussion took place within the prestigious ADI Design Museum, alongside the winning objects of the Compasso d’Oro over time, with the involvement of actors and actresses belonging to multiple fields, not only related to mobility. In fact, the following participated: Domitilla Dardi, design historian; Joaquin Garcia, head of style at Italdesign; Eugenio Lolli, president and CEO of Alcantara; Andrea Rosati, at the helm of strategic design at Lotus Cars.

To structure the theme, an interesting dichotomy of our times: on the one hand, cars are becoming more and more technological (starting with virtual assistants and driving aids), on the other hand, the designers’ care for human experiences on board is growing. How do these different and complementary spheres interact?

Lolli, at the helm of a very refined company and partner of the event, begins by illustrating with a video the processes that bring the material closer to the sensitivity of those who elaborate or enjoy the final result, that is, through a flexibility capable of satisfying multiple personal or brand identities. A perfect approach for Dardi to emphasize the importance of “creating connections by looking at neighboring fields“, for example by formulating the discourse on the automobile starting from the inside and from the “domestic”. There is no shortage of historical examples in this direction, including the famous Kar-A-Sutra by Mario Bellini (1972), a precursor of MPVs based on the idea that the body could assume different positions in the passenger compartment. Even the notion of “common sense” – again reported by Dardi with reference to the inventions of two women, at the end of the nineteenth century: the heating system of the passenger compartment by Margaret Wilcox and the windshield wiper by Mary Anderson – exemplifies a non-obvious modality of the man-machine relationship.

Garcia’s point of view is grafted onto this subject, agreeing on concrete reasonableness since “the important thing is not the product, but rather what people do with it”, so it is necessary to “fully explore user behavior” and make it central. Later on, the concept will re-emerge in his words in a very interesting key, according to which “rationality itself represents an emotion” and the relationship with people is also created “in owning an object for a long time, becoming attached”, thus respecting an apparently “cold” criterion of sustainability and durability. First, however, it is up to Rosati to suggest a further reflection: if someone (especially the youngest) moves away from the emotional bond with the car, the interest can be reconstructed by telling the stories behind a metal creation, with special regard for participatory values such as collaboration and courage.

Again moderated by Silvia Baruffaldi, editor of Auto&Design, the debate then revolves around the “central dimension of feeling safe, in a physical sense and beyond” (Dardi), the car “extension of the home” (Lolli), the proposal that designers become “less self-referential, reducing the spectacularity of the dashboards to allow passengers to concentrate on the outside” (Garcia),  the use of advanced but human-oriented solutions, such as “seats with air padding capable of gently vibrating  to send driving signals thanks to a fabric with integrated air chambers, which therefore uses air as a material. In fact, we started from the concept of a wearable car, our co-founder Colin Chapman used to say that a Lotus is worn like a glove” (Rosati).

A kaleidoscope of ideas that is very varied and certainly a harbinger of future developments, which concludes with a promising intervention by Dardi: “We are now moving towards ‘technocraft’, a term capable of blending absolute modernity and craftsmanship”. Therefore, “synthetic materials will lose the negative aura associated with the ‘fake’, generating, instead of an imitative effect, a sort of ‘super-nature'”. It will soon be understood how much such a tendency can unfold on the car and on the personal interest it arouses.

Audi renews its station wagon par excellence: the A6 Avant. And it does it by evolving a well-known concept that, however, for this sixth generation, takes a considerable step forward. First of all in terms of size. The car body grows by a good 6 centimeters and reaches 4.99 meters. The car also increases in width and height, thus appearing larger and, at the same time, more streamlined. Today more than ever, the German “family car”, which is born on the new PPC platform, adopts a design born of functionality. Every shape and every surface have been defined for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. Thus, the new A6 Avant boasts a Cx of just 0.25, which is the lowest value ever for a station wagon from the House of the 4 Rings.

On the front, a new aesthetic interpretation of the single-frame grille appears, which is now wider and positioned lower, reaching the bumper. The new A6 Avant also adopts new advanced Digital Matrix LED headlights alongside rear light clusters with OLed 2.0 technology: they are able to adapt the light signature based on the various information received from other cars using a Car-to-X cloud connection.

Inside, you discover a renovated passenger compartment dominated by the Audi Digital Stage, a digital stage that uses 3 monitors: the 11″9 virtual cockpit plus behind the steering wheel, the 14″5 curved touchscreen dedicated to infotainment in a central position and the 10″9 display (also with touch technology) placed in front of the passenger seat.

The car, available in both petrol and turbodiesel versions, boasts refined driving dynamics that take advantage of the quattro all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering and the set-up with adaptive air suspension. This injection of technology translates into a comfortable and precise ride. The car is always stable and balanced, but also agile and pleasantly reactive.

What happens when certain components of engineering excellence are separated from their original context to become autonomous masterpieces themselves? We find out thanks to an unprecedented initiative by Maranello, which reinterprets multiple essential technical elements (brakes, exhausts or even entire engines) detached from their original performance location and made to rise to individual aesthetic representations into collectors’ items. From speed to beauty, from beauty to speed, reads the description of the initiative.

‘I really like this cut,’ explains Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari’s design director. ‘It illustrates well the process by which we conceive our cars, starting from racing-related needs that then, inevitably, generate aesthetics. As if beauty were necessary, or rather a direct consequence of aerodynamic and functional requirements: nothing, for us, is detached from the rationality of the result. It is a concept I hold dear’. Having trained as an architect, Manzoni then goes on to illustrate the relationship between small everyday objects and the enormous imagery of the automobile, intrinsically confirming that mechanical components can become exhibition-worthy.

However, we have to treat them as creative proposals: ‘Each one required specific elaboration, even if only to imagine a physical support, as these are always different parts normally mounted on cars. For example, we strongly desired the introduction of transparent elements precisely to highlight the metal’. Some of those present, then, note how surprising is the static pleasantness of elements always imagined to rotate at very high speeds, thus here totally decontextualised with success. Perhaps it is precisely in this singular capacity for transformation, not without a sort of peculiar tension towards ameliorative recycling, that the truly powerful alchemy of this collection lies.

– Tipo 048B Formula One engine: a 3.0-litre, aspirated V10 that delivered 790 CV at 16,300 rpm, it saw Ferrari scoring its ninth Constructors’ World Championship in 1999;
– 6.3-litre V12 engine that powered the LaFerrari (2013), one of the most remarkable in the company’s 78-year history because of the F1-derived HY-KERS. This special piece comes from a LaFerrari prototype, which was created during the model’s development process, representing a real one-of-a-kind item;
– Camshaft from a Ferrari F2003-GA, a single-seater F1 car that scored seven race wins and two World Championship titles with Michael Shumacher;
– Exhaust from the 2.4-litre aspirated V8 in the Ferrari F60, as raced in the 2009 Formula 1 world championship by Kimi Räikkönen;
– Crankshaft from the Ferrari F10, the car that allowed Fernando Alonso to win his debut racing for our team in the 2010 F1 world championship;
– Carbon fibre brake disc from a Ferrari SF71H, as driven by Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen in 2018 season;
– Conrod and piston from a 2011 Ferrari F150° Italia driven by Fernando Alonso;
– Piston from the Ferrari F2002 single-seater, as raced to spectacularly successful effect by Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.