only in hong kong

i've been trying to get a picture of this for months now.

in hong kong, even the delivery trucks sport gawdy, unpainted front fascias.  riced.  out.

volt strikes

forgive the break from hong kong: this is pretty, significant. though i'm not so sure about chevy's new "let everyone see the car two years before we sell it" plan, it's certainly reassuring, and inspiring, to see how far they've come with the volt. thank god it's not as much of a prius knock-off as the new honda hybrid. still excited to see how this pans out, great success or total failure. love the little details on this thing, especially the lights.

Ford Taurus

at extreme risk to my credibility, i want to confess my affection for this monster.

after i read mary walton's book car, i understood how and why this jellybean was designed. if you squint your eyes a little bit, it's actually pretty. not hardly an edge on the whole thing, the jaguar xk-e influence comes through if you know to look for it. it was a case of too much of a good (oval) thing being just too damn much. but a real A-for-effort affair.

chevrolet camaro

this is really excellent. i am very, very proud that gm has, at long last, knocked one out of the park. it's sad that gas prices have doomed this car to fail already, because it deserves far better. the gesture is consistent and badass, the details are very well finessed. and it just looks so damn cool.

wagons west: jeep cherokee

i really love these trucks.

my car, an older vw jetta, broke down, and i've been tooling around in my stepdad's cherokee. it's been a treat. it's a small truck, as trucks go, but it's more than enough vehicle --- so long as you're not grossly overweight. it fits, like a tailored shirt, comfortable but no excess. nothing looks more awkward than a 5ft-nothing mom piloting an escalade down the highway.

what's more, the styling is simple, but powerful. it's as square as an old volvo, but design is completely resolved, no mistakes, no afterthoughts, no compromises. the chamfer on the main shoulder line, for instance, transitions right into the a-pillar, controlled, purposeful.

with rising gas and raw material prices, i expect -- and hope -- to see more rightsized, classic styling in cars soon.

BMW GINA

sometimes, some guy from Minnesota comes along and completely changes the game. this is certainly the most incredible (arguably, about the only) concept car i've seen in a long time.


way to take the "skin-stretched-over-muscles" metaphor to another level, Mr. Bangle. it seems strange, then, that the same company would introduce this car:


which somehow pulls off the trick of looking older than the car it's replacing. then again, it is appropriate that sports cars are fresh, and big luxury sedans are conservative.

More

jaguar rendering

this is what this blog is for, after all. revisited an old project from the beginning of clay studio, now with an ounce of talent.