The Corporate Nose

In recent years, the uniqueness of cars can to some extent be dull. In the way the cars from marques look similar with only a few differences. Evolutions of the car being made to fit different body styles (hot-hatch, coupe, family car etc.)

Audi, the most famous of the marques, used their "Corporate" Grille and fitted it to every car they make. From the A3 to the R8, the grille is almost the same.

Now I ask, is this what is going to happen and are other marques going to follow suit???

I hope not. Looking around I see that this isn't the case and am glad.

For one simple reason. Designers have imagination. The freedom to build different cars to fit different models. It's the way to do it.

I may sound like a bit of a hypocrite right now, but I do see Audi's point to it. Why they wanted the look on every model. Because they wanted a recognisable almost iconic design.

Although I agree with Audi, I also disagree with keeping the same look on every car.

Have the freedom to design good, different cars. Similar looks can be good, but there is a way of making them look different at the same time...

McLaren MP4-12C

After watching McLaren's media event of the Launch of the MP4-12C on Thursday made me think about the whole Supercar production and Supercar's in general.

The event showcased the technology behind the MP4-12C. With McLaren claiming that all the 1000+ parts in the new car being designed and manufactured for the sole purpose of the 12C, it makes me think about Supercar production in general.

From the production of the Composite Carbon Fibre Structure that is integral to the chassis from which the rest of the car is bolted onto, to how safe the car is after 3 consecutive car crashes.

Don't get me wrong, a Supercar that's been tested in car crashes and still been rigid is good news, but what does bother me is how much detail has been put into the car, and can other Supercar manufacturers afford to spend Millions on R&D???

My concern is that it doesn't seem like this will happen too often in the future.

Just like the Bugatti Veyron, a car that cost £5 million to make, and VW selling the car at a £4 million loss, could this be a rarity?

In the current financial state we're in, and with manufacturer's downsizing, or even closing their doors altogether (most recently, the news of Maybach possibly being written off by parent company Chrysler) are we going to see new Supercar's being built from the ground up?

As with many other manufacturer's borrowing parts from other cars, or just changing some of the internals of a car, and reworking some of the parts, it seems that car's are just evolving and having a few brand new parts.

Bugatti's Veyron, some say was built purely as a Technical Exercise, and therefore the costs spiralling to the £5million mark, wasn't using any parts that had been re-engineered, but built from the ground up. Hence the costs.

But will we see more cars like this?

Although McLaren has the technical know-how and resources (and how they can use F1 technology and application to the real-world!) we have seen many bigger manufacturer's drop models, or stop production of their cars altogether.

My theory is that less and less manufacturers that exist purely to be a Supercar Manufacturer will be able to spend this much time, effort and money on creating car's. Therefore we will see more and more "evolutions" of the Supercar. Rather than the Purpose built, one-off Supercar that we have seen in the MP4-12C and Veyron to name only a few.

Only time will tell what manufacturer's will do. Whether they will allow the R&D and designers the freedom they deserve to push the boundaries of what is capable and what they could achieve without the restriction of money and Board-member's dictating...

Turning Supercar's into "Normal" Cars

Today, just after reading a story that the Bugatti 16C Galibier is to eventually become a reality, my post today is about Supercar Makers turning their flagship models into 4 seaters.

Now, everyone knows that a Supercar (or Hypercar) and a "Normal" car are worlds apart, but can you really blend the two together???

Porsche's Panamera isn't something I call a success of this. I dont see how you (as a manufacturer) can turn from what you know best, to venture into the unknown and build a "family car". Now don't get me wrong, I'm the first to say that its an accomplishment if you can diversify from what you know best and make something different. Its done everyday in other industries and technologies.

But, can you blend the two? Supercar and family car? Returning to the 16C Galibier, I dont think you can. a family car with 700+ bhp? In my opinion, any big family car with more than 500bhp is just pointless and almost a "Mine's bigger than yours" conversation. Are you really going to risk your family's life in a supercar/familycar combined?

Now, I know what I've just said isn't always the case. Not everyone would put pedal to the floor with the kid's in the back. But you get my point.

Can anyone justify spending the wrong side of £150,000 for a family car? Ok, not everyone has that kind of spending money, but unless your rich, you aren't going to buy these cars. And would you justify it? I couldn't. There's already a number of cars that fit the criteria of expensive, lavish and fast.

Going back to the original point. Why? Why would you drop a supercar's engine into a car with 4 seats? It has been done. The Bentley's of the world have already done it, but they were good at making Luxury 4-Seaters then stepped into the supercar club.

With the likes of Rolls Royce, Maybach and Bentley already building 2+ tonne, sub-6 Second cars, is there really any point? The reason why I think these Marques are doing it well, is because they started off as coach builders (ok, we're going back a fair few years, but luxury family cars!) Then came the 150+mph top speeds.

To wrap up this post, I think there isn't the need, nor will it work. You can't achieve a supercar-family car blend and do it successfully. In this instance, the leave it to the guys-who-do-it-best approach would suit.

Jap Sports Cars

Thinking about the Geneva Motor Show and all the sports cars that have been revised, updated and rebodied makes me think about the Jap cars that have not. The greats of the 90's have yet to make a return in new forms.

From the Iconic RX-7, Supra, 200SX, to name a few, the noughties have brought nothing but disappointment. Ok, I maybe contradicting myself by saying that Nissan's GTR and the Lexus LFA are 2 models that have brought the Jap Manufacturers to light (the GTR being a Proper competitor to the Porsche's and M3's of today)(and the Lexus trying to be a supercar.)

But to be honest there isn't much else.

A few months ago I saw a rendering of a new 200SX on a website and it was totally wasted (for those of you who know me, I'm a real fan of the old 200SX's having owned one!) and the conversation that followed between myself and my brother-in-law wasn't exactly positive and one that said we would be looking forward to Nissan creating such a poor attempt at a 21st Century model.

Now many people may say that Nissans 350z and 370z, Mitsubishi's Lancer EVO and Subaru's Impreza are good cars. This I am not dismissing. What I do say is that we dont look towards the Land of the Rising Sun' for cars that you can take and spend a bit of money on and make them your own. The point I'm making is that there is no real modification scene for the Jap Manufacturers. Gone are the days where you would see a highly modified JAP sports car rumble past you with an exhaust note that made you know that it isn't what it sounded like when it left the production line.

So I ask, what is there for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) tuners that destroyed the rulebook with their out-of-this-world, highly modified, borderline street and track legal cars?

In my opinion, there isn't. And won't be until resurrection of the likes of the Toyota Supra, Mazda RX-7 and Nissan's 200SX. Bring them back with the same (if not bigger) impact they left when they hit the roads during the 90's.

Do it manufacturers, make some great cars for the public, not cars tagged at prices that could buy you a house! Make some iconic, day-to-day cars that most can enjoy.

Geneva Motor Show

Well as everyone is checking out all the cars at the Geneva Motor Show on all the car sites out there, Im thinking that it's about time that we see some new cars from the Marques across the world!

With every car maker showcasing new cars, new versions, and face-lifted models, whats great to see is that the design factories that are well known for their out-of-the-world models (likes of RUF, Mansory, and Abt to name but a few!) are out in force showing their visions of current models in a different guise.

Now, although they could be the concepts that are mules (all show of their designs but you cant turn the key and go!) some of them, such as the Mansory Rolls Royce Ghost are available to buy. Now, the Ghost' they have tuned (and in my opinion ruined!) is their twist on what they call the ultimate luxury. I mean maybe this is to someones taste, others, a joke. But you cant knock what they do. Not to say that all the cars from concept houses are great, but they are the ones that push the envelope. Take a look at the Bugatti Veyron. The epitome of car, but these design houses dont see the epitome, they see it as a starting point. So this leads me to a simple question:

Should these design houses do this or should they just start from the ground up? Like the rest of the manufacturers have done, or just be the "consultants" being asked for their "opinion" or ideas as to what they thing can, or should be done to make the cars better, or just build the "AMG badged" version of the car as an addition to the lineup???

My answer is simple. Do it. Like modifiers everywhere, they take a car and tune it, change the aerodynamics of the car to make it faster, louder and more bespoke.

Respect is due to these Companies. They're doing a great job.

Porsche Design

About a week ago, I was looking at the design of Porsche and realised that the overall shape of a Porsche hasn't changed in nearly 30 years!

After discussing with a close friend how some people think that the Porsche design is ugly to some (him included!) I thought that there is a potential to change the design of Porsche and make it something new...

Then today while checking the usual car sites, I saw a pic of the new 918 Spyder (Pictured) and how Porsche has done what I was thinking! Re-vamped the overall look! You could say that they've started from the ground up! And not even "evolved" the design from the current styles we've all been accustomed too from the German Manufacturer!

I think it is a great design and that if Porsche is using some kind of new design-ethos then they should roll with it!

Lets just see if this becomes another concept that stays on the drawing boards or whether the heads at Porsche give it the nod and it goes into production, or if they will just settle for the standard designs we're used too...