‘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’.

It is called the Bigster and marks Dacia’s entry into a new, hitherto unexplored segment since the Renault group manufacturer changed its look with a more effective, adventure-oriented design. In lines and content, the production model has remained faithful to the Bigster Concept of 2021, as David Durand, Dacia’s vice-president of design, recounts: ‘With Bigster we have realised the intentions expressed in the Bigster Concept. Bigster is the ultimate expression of Dacia’s values and is now the flagship vehicle of our brand’. The SUV’s volumes are square, pronounced and robust. A concreteness that we also found when we drove the car in full hybrid version with 155 horsepower on the roads of Provence, France.

The Bigster’s design emphasises its robust styling and ability to support customers in their work, leisure and family activities. The generous dimensions (the car is 4.6 metres long, 1.81 metres wide and 1.71 metres high) are accentuated by taut geometric shapes and volumes whose simple lines go straight to the essentials. The large wings and the position of the headlights and lights at the end of the body contribute to a rather assertive image. A further novelty from the Color&Trim department is the new colour scheme: for the Bigster, the designers have developed Indigo Blue, which they claim gives the car an elegant and understated touch.

Right from the start of its design, the designers had been thinking of bold shapes and a look that echoed that of its little sister Duster. The proposal chosen to start the project was Sebastian Mihai Stoianov, now Senior Exterior Designer at Dacia: ‘I am proud that the model we see on the road is so close to what I had imagined and put down on paper as an idea,’ says the designer. ‘The most important thing, from an aesthetic point of view, is that an SUV has a strong character, so the pronounced lines and robust stance of the Bigster reflect power and refinement. The designers also paid attention to sustainability. The protection that runs along the entire bodywork on the sides, wheel arches and the underside of the bumpers is made of Starkle, an untreated, unpainted plastic material.

‘In the interior we wanted to emphasise one of the Bigster’s main strengths: its exceptional space. We focused on simplicity, with geometric lines that echo those of the exterior, while offering the quality that C-segment customers expect,’ explains Durand. To further increase the space on board, the dashboard is streamlined, while instrumentation and infotainment are conveyed by two 10-inch displays. The creatives have played with the conformity and colours of the interior by treating the harder plastics with pleasant graphic motifs and customising some components: the air vents have the same styling signature as the headlamps thanks to the contrasting colour of some elements.

Models change, style remains. The Japanese manufacturer has unveiled the Mazda 6e, an electric hatchback that replaces the 6 saloon whose three generations have been on the market for 23 years. Developed in collaboration with Changan, the Mazda 6e was designed in pursuit of the sporty soul that is part of the brand without, however, sacrificing comfort. ‘We followed the concept of Authentic Modern, where consistent shapes are juxtaposed with modern, well-defined lines’, explains Jo Stenuit, head of design at Mazda Europe.

The barely-there rear bonnet and sleek sedan shape make it look like a typical sedan, hiding its true hatchback identity with a large tailgate for the benefit of the load compartment. Complementing the 330-litre boot capacity is a practical 70-litre compartment that can hold an additional luggage or charging cable. Two parallel lines run along the car’s sides, adding to the car’s dynamism, while the lower part of the doors is inspired by the spray produced by a speedboat whizzing through the water. ‘We wanted it to look like it was moving even when stationary,’ explains Stenuit.

The sharp edges of the front end elements contrast with the round shapes of the rear, which include four distinct cylindrical elements, punctuating the horizontal bar of the taillights and paying homage to the brand’s styling heritage. In contrast, the rear spoiler, electrically and automatically retractable depending on speed, not only adds an additional athletic touch, but also improves road stability. Particular attention has been paid to aerodynamics with solutions such as handles flush with the bodywork or low-resistance alloy wheels.

For the cockpit, the designers were inspired by the concept of Ma, a Japanese philosophy that attaches particular importance to the empty space between things and the creation of a balanced and serene atmosphere for both body and mind. The subtle horizontal design element running along the entire dashboard gives it a ‘floating’ appearance, lending visual lightness to the entire interior. At the same time, the prominent console conveys a sense of security while enhancing the driver’s ability to concentrate. Gone are almost all the physical buttons, replaced by a large display in the centre of the dashboard and digital instruments.

Four years seem a short time to design an immortal car, but when the pencils are those of Flavio Manzoni, Chief Design Officer of Ferrari, and his team then anything becomes possible. The exterior design was entrusted to Carlo Palazzani (Head of Exterior Design Sports Cars), while the development of the interior was conducted by Angelo Nivola (Head of Interior Design Sports Cars). The Ferrari F80 expresses the concept of versatility at its best: it is, at the same time, a car, a super technological product and a cult object for enthusiasts all over the world who look to Ferrari as a reference. “I believe it is one of the Ferraris that best expresses the concept of form embracing function: there is no style here, but everything functional seeks beauty”, explains Flavio Manzoni.

Cutting-edge aeronautics
“This time we went further: we overstepped our codes and created something unique that went beyond the typical aesthetic canons of cars and referred to futurism, speed, elegance. To enable this transition, we moved away from the classic human traits to approach those of the most cutting-edge aeronautics”. In short, it’s hard not to be impressed by this car, if only because of the weight of the legacy it carries.

Aerodynamics and lightness
At the heart of the project is lightness and aerodynamics to transform air flows into weights that crush the Rossa to the ground when it is hurtling along at 350 km/h. Different materials were used for each compartment: the frame and roof are made of carbon fibre and composite materials, while the front and rear subframes are made of aluminium and secured with titanium screws. The body is made of carbon fibre, while the bonnet features an S-Duct, a fixed element that integrates the two front wings. The interplay between the dark composite material and the colour of the bodywork enhances the shapes and visually lightens the lower part, giving the model a distinct vitality even when it is stationary.

A front less romantic but more sophisticated
The front end picks up on the black visor containing the headlights whose début was on the 12Cilindri: “It is a characteristic feature of our new models”, explains Manzoni. “We wanted to avoid the typical anthropomorphic effect whereby the headlights look like eyes, the grille like a mouth. The effect is perhaps less romantic but more sophisticated and the result is more modern, futuristic and simple”.

A sculpture in motion
A single taut line crosses the side, encircles the windows and ends straight at the rear that features a truncated tail topped by a spoiler. There are two possible configurations: in the first the wing is closed, almost resting on the tail, in the second it is raised. “We decided not to adopt the fixed wing, like on the F40 or F50. I think the result is very elegant, not overdone”. The NACA-style side opening, a reference to the F40, defines one of the most original styling themes of the side.

A single-seater for two
For the interior, the design team started with an extreme idea. “We wanted a single-seater for its unique style and very special technical qualities. Commercial reasons, however, stopped us. So how could we get a two-seater?” smiles Manzoni, as he points to the cockpit. “The miracle happened by staggering the two seats: we saved 50 millimetres in width by reducing the front section”. There are two seats, but the main focus is one: the driver around whom the cockpit develops and towards whom all controls in the cabin face directly.

(Full article in A&D no. 270)

Sometimes the most exciting projects are born by combining pure passion with the desire to celebrate a legend. This explains the genesis of the Ford RS2.00. It all started when the American manufacturer’s European design team decided to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1984 RS200, a legendary car, a legend of Group B Rallying in the 1980s. The re-enactment of the car in a digital key wanted to underline the passion of Ford of Europe’s designers for sports cars and video games.

For the RS2.00, the creative process was unconventional. Amko Leenarts, head of design at Ford Europe, met author Steve Saxty while preparing a book on the brand’s secret projects and both decided to conclude the text with a styling exercise celebrating the 1984 RS200. The work ended with a series of sketches, but both felt that more could have been done.

So, a group of designers from Ford Europe decided to continue the project secretly, creating new sketches and developing a virtual 3D model of the car. All this during their spare time, in true ‘Skunkworks’ style. And when Leenarts found out that his team was working on the RS2.00 in secret, he decided to support it and take it forward. The design team worked in a unique and collaborative way, with volunteers joining in over time. Furthermore, all decisions were made by the designers themselves, ensuring that the final product was truly the result of their collective vision and creativity. This approach allowed them to experiment with new tools and software, maintain agility and promote unexpected ideas.

The designers also used traditional methods such as clay and clay modelling to ensure that the RS2.00 remained an attractive car with compact dimensions. The overall theme that inspired the car is based on the principles of the ‘Friendly Monster’ while respecting the original mandate given by Ford to Ghia for the production of the RS200 of ‘84 in which the car was not meant to look like a racing model. The aesthetics, therefore, are almost playful, in line with the latest Ford cars, while still being a high-performance and agile car.

Among the key aspects is the car’s transparent front end, which creates an unprecedented inside-outside visual connection. This feature stems directly from the car’s gaming nature, which aims to share the feeling of speed with the player/driver. Finally, the interior design is directly inspired by racing simulation devices, with most elements organised around a structural component visible from the outside. The seats are made up of flexible pieces that adapt to the shapes of the occupants’ bodies and use fastening systems to simulate different levels of driving sensations, filtering or emphasising the car’s movements. The steering column? It is the heart of the car and houses all the settings that the driver can customise to his or her liking.

Two concept cars, a growing trend. Kia unveiled at Sema in Las Vegas, the traditional showcase for the most extreme vehicles on the planet, two interpretations of vehicles designed for adventure leisure: ‘EV9 “ADVNTR” and PV5 “WKNDR” tell of a phenomenon that has been developing for some time but has exploded since Covid: people increasingly want to experience nature in their vehicles. It is a very strong trend in Asia and the United States, but it is also growing in Europe,’ says Andre Franco Luis, Future Design Manager at Kia. ‘With these two vehicles we have satisfied them: they have all the equipment to explore the world and are electric for zero impact on nature.’ Designed by Kia Design Center America (KDCA) designers, the concepts envision a future where vehicles will offer the ultimate in capability, adaptability, utility and organisation, all with an eye on sustainability.

The EV9 ADVNTR is a very special variant of the seven-seat electric SUV to be unveiled by Kia in 2023. ‘I think it is the most adventurous Suv that Kia has ever imagined. The level of customisation is very high,’ explains Luis. ‘Front and rear are fully customised and we have fitted the vehicle with reinforced bumper panels for greater ability to withstand jumps and bumps.’ The SUV is also three inches taller than the standard version and has rugged, knobbly tyres to cope with the roughest terrain. The roof can accommodate a variety of equipment: ‘From roof racks to tents, there is room for everything: it is a vehicle that can be exploited to the full’.

Equipped with a highly flexible and adaptable modular interior, the PV5 is a Swiss army knife on wheels. The ‘Gear Head’ function provides a sheltered storage space for equipment when the vehicle is stationary: ‘So when you’re stationary, the interior is free and everything inside can be safely stored’. The ‘Gear Head’ can also turn into a mobile larder for cooking enthusiasts who wish to ‘cook with a view’. Energy is provided by solar panels and unique hydraulic turbine wheels that can recharge the batteries. The equipment is endless. The most useful? The compressor for adjusting tyre pressure or inflating sleeping mats when camping for the night.

Two sides of the same coin. Looking at the new Volvo EX90 and XC90, it is immediately obvious that they belong to the same styling family. Despite their close kinship, however, the designers have managed to mark out certain differences, most of them closely related to the nature of the models’ drive systems: the EX90 is electric, the XC90 is hybrid.

The face-to-face between the two models starts at the front. The electric propulsion of the EX90 allowed the designers to create a full nose without the need for openings to allow air in to cool the engine. In contrast, the XC90 displays a more traditional front end with a grille containing the Volvo logo in the centre. The end result gives the EX90 a more clean-cut appearance.

The rear of the two models shows several differences. On the EX90, the designers’ desire to recall the styling approach inaugurated by the EX30, the small electric car, is evident: ’The lowest part of the tail houses mirror-positioned C-shaped lights. Then, during the clinic tests, we realised that it would be wrong to eliminate the vertical lights, a Volvo symbol. The idea was to bring them into the future, with a series of small horizontal light segments that, one on top of the other, draw the vertical light,’ explains Örjan Sterner, Senior Design Manager Exterior at Volvo. The XC90, on the other hand, has retained a more traditional approach with the vertical lights that have become one of the Swedish manufacturer’s styling identities.

The headlamp system developed for the EX90 is particularly innovative. The Thor’s hammer light signature approach has remained, but now when the high and low beams are switched on, the headlamps literally open up and make way for Matrix LEDs. For the XC90, however, the classic solution has remained, while the daytime light signature has been updated: it is now more subtle and modern.

According to the Swedish manufacturer, the EX90 is the most technological Volvo ever built to date. The model has dozens of sensors that the designers have cleverly concealed behind bumpers and shapes. All except one: the LiDAR stands in the centre of the roof, above the windscreen. The XC90 lacks it and its overall line is, thus, cleaner.

It is not every day that you see a sculpture capable of travelling at 350 km/h. But when the pencils behind it are the hand of Flavio Manzoni and his team, we have now learnt that anything is possible. “With the Ferrari F80 we wanted to break all the codes. To go beyond, to create something unique,” says Manzoni, whom we meet in the e-Building in Maranello, the new factory designed by Mario Cucinella where the new Ferrari will be built from January. “Right from the first drawings four years ago, the intention was to create a car that would refer to futurism, that would also be a manifesto of Ferrari’s new stylistic canons: we left the human dimension behind to move towards something more avant-garde inspired by aeronautics: an UFO on wheels”. The F80 belongs to the Supercar category, the one that at Maranello translates into prestige and sportiness: 799 examples produced, 3.6 million euro price tag, and a decidedly cumbersome legacy given that its ancestors are called the LaFerrari, Enzo, F50, F40 and 288 GTO. An ideal model, then, for experimenting with new ideas, designed with the intention of remaining immortal.

“Aerodynamics was at the heart of the project right from the start, we even wanted to try to make a single-seater for the road, but by reasoning with engineering and marketing we were able to tighten the seats thanks to a cabin completely oriented towards the driver. So we saved 50 millimetres and exploited all the space we could,” Manzoni continues. The result is in front of our eyes: the F80 resembles a flying saucer with a cockpit that is perfectly set into the body of the car and 50 millimetres more compact than that of the LaFerrari. As with all the latest-generation Ferraris, the combination of the body-coloured upper part and the painted carbon-fibre lower part allows the design of the car to be enhanced, revealing the technical functions in the background.

On the F80, an attempt was made to avoid an anthropomorphic effect of the car’s front end: the front headlights are concealed inside a visor, a sort of black screen with both aerodynamic and optical functions that makes the F80 particularly original. The rear end, characterised by the truncated tail theme, features two configurations: one with the wing retracted and the other with the wing raised. The light clusters are set inside a double layer, composed of the transom and spoiler, with the idea of creating a sandwich effect that gives the rear a very sporty character in both configurations. Speed is taken care of by the Formula 1 V6 turbocharged engine with 1,200 horsepower, 900 thermal and 300 electric, combined with an 800 volt hybrid system.

The functions have been resolved from a design point of view to create a perfect relationship between performance and form. Some of them, related to thermal and aerodynamics, have been integrated in a very characterising way: for example, the channel that channels air towards the engine intake and side radiators in the “NACA” style is an iconic element, as well as functional, and defines one of the most original styling themes of the flanks. Another functional element, but one with a strong symbolic value, is represented by the air vents on the dorsal: six slits, equal to the number of cylinders of the combustion engine, define an unexpected relationship between the precise, geometric lines and the plastic surfaces of the car.

The F80 also has a new steering wheel with crown geometry reduced by 70 mm in the vertical axis to increase visibility and a sporty feel while driving. “A new shape that allows a good view of the cluster in all positions and does not encumber the driver in any way. Safety remains paramount, even more so when travelling at the supersonic speeds that this F80 is capable of reaching,” Manzoni concludes.

With its Quintessenza, Italdesign pioneers a conceptual journey, a revolutionary architecture targeting the new generations in the global marketplace. Inspired by the four elements – earth, air, water, fire – the project places humans at its core,  a tradition deeply rooted in the company’s 55-year history. Under the banner of innovation and sustainability.

Joaquin Garcia – The new values of mobility
“The merging of expertise is key to a successful project. Only a fusion of different values can generate a result that is complete in every detail”. When the Italdesign designers started working on the Quintessenza concept car, they set out to explore different worlds, bringing together the most diverse of skillsets and combining them in a mix of creativity and ingenuity. “Here every project starts from scratch”, says Joaquin Garcia, Italdesign’s design director. “I say it again and again: we must not forget that we are a service company that works in the open market. This gives us enormous creative opportunities because we are not bound by family feeling or a specific house style, but we can innovate freely and make our skills available to everyone”.

The four natural elements
The idea behind the Quintessenza stemmed from a desire to humanise technology in a world where we are increasingly distracted by digital reality. “After the Climb-E that we unveiled at the CES in January 2023, we chose a different theme for this year’s Beijing Motor Show. The goal? To put the focus back on to the car itself and the driver. We put together a lean, dynamic team of five and asked ourselves how to get back to basics. The answer was unequivocal: explore the four natural elements and develop a concept car that embodied their essence”, Garcia went on. So, earth would give structure and security to the design, water would provide adaptability, air would be the experiential and intangible part of the car, while fire would convey the more emotional values such as passion, love and attraction.

Exterior Design – The harmony of contrasts
The roots that inspired the Quintessenza are to be found in Moncalieri, the town near Turin that has been home to Italdesign since 1968. “It was here in 2013 that the Parcour was designed, a hypercar that could also go off-road”, says Samuele Errico Piccarini, exterior designer. “The same multi-purpose spirit can be found in the Quintessenza, which is a true 5.6-metre-long pick-up, but thanks to its streamlined profile and contoured surfaces it manages to hide its dimensions behind a coupé silhouette.
“The contrasts are also revealed in the bodywork, characterised by rather strong and pronounced perimeter elements and marked lines that coexist with smooth, polished surfaces”, continues Piccarini. Characteristics that converge in one purpose: the Quintessenza is a vehicle designed to accompany man in his encounter with the very elements that generated him: water, air, earth and fire.

Interior Design – An open-air lounge
Cabriolets aside, there aren’t many cars from which you can admire the stars. “In China, stargazing is becoming increasingly popular. It is normal for us to admire the night sky, but in Asia it is often not possible because of the light pollution, even in the big cities, interior designer Alessandro Rota says. “So it is common for people to organise weekend trips out of town in their cars to stargaze. From the Quintessenza you can admire the sky in the best possible position: sitting on armchairs that convert from seats to chaises longues at the press of a button”.

Exploring sustainability
At the heart of the Quintessenza lies a deep commitment to material selection. “It’s the area where we pushed the boundaries the most in an important research phase, experimenting to the utmost”, says Joaquin Garcia. The designers opted for a carbon fibre frame, while the perimeter and aerodynamic appendages of the Quintessenza are made of flax fibre. “All our materials have a link with nature and focus on sustainability”, explains Giorgia De Silva, CMF designer. The desire to experiment led the designers to use Hero Flooring made with Nike Grind, a soft, recycled and water-repellent material used, for example, for the soles of trainers, for the floor of the Quintessenza.

(Full article in A&D no. 268)

Small, friendly and jaunty. The restyling of the Kia Picanto has not changed its main ingredients that have made it a commercial success with more than 178 thousand units registered in Italy, where it has been present since 2004. In these 20 years and four generations, the Picanto has become more refined, particularly in its design, which is now consistent with Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ styling philosophy. The result creates a bold, futuristic impression of the car with a modern, sportier design.

Agile and fun despite its low engine power (we drove the 1.0 MPI three-cylinder petrol with 63 horsepower), the new Picanto has more personality thanks to a new front end that gives it a bold and striking image. The hatchback features a distinctive, distinctive light signature that links the distinctive Tiger Nose, wing and bonnet to the side air intakes. Headlights with LED technology and vertically developed daytime running lights emphasise the modern, high-tech look, as well as giving the new Picanto a more robust appearance. The rear view, with its simple, defined lines, highlights the vertical connection between the lights and the bumper.

The new light signature, together with the new front bumper, characteristic ‘tiger nose’, redesigned mudguards and bonnet, give the car a more personal image. LED headlights and daytime running lights emphasise modernity and technology, as well as giving the Korean citycar a more confident stance. The lighting theme with a bright, continuous bar is echoed at the rear, where the full-width headlamps give the model a certain power.

To make it even more impactful, Kia designers led by Karim Habib also worked hard on the colours. The new Picanto offers a range of interior and exterior colours inspired by nature, four of which are completely new: Signal Red, Smoke Blue, Sporty Blue and Adventurous Green. For the cabin, which features two displays for instrumentation and infoatinment (floating), quality fabrics or leather alternatives are available, which can be chosen to suit owners’ tastes and lifestyles.