Disruptive start-ups have set the pace this past decade. Chinese brands few of us are currently familiar with are queuing up to do the same over the next five years. Ask yourself, does anyone still truly care about heritage?
Mercedes-Benz thinks so. "It's very much about icons. Icons make the difference between mainstream and luxury," the company's chief design officer Gorden Wagener tells TG. "Artists and designers always want to make a big statement in history, right? Whether or not a designer's work actually becomes iconic only becomes apparent with the passage of time, but icons define luxury. We love sports cars, we love Gullwings, we love low cars, and we love orange cars."
Enter the Vision One-Eleven, a concept car of such old school flamboyance it's worth checking you haven't fallen through a hole in the space-time continuum to 1969. Back then car designers - mostly Italian, it must be said jettisoned the curvy sensuality they'd become famous for in favour of radical proportions and wedge shaped silhouettes. Think Bertone's Alfa Romeo Carabo and Lancia Stratos Zero, Italdesign's Bizzarrini Manta, and Pininfarina's Ferrari Modulo. NASA had just put mankind on the moon. These looked like cars you could drive there.
Esta historia es de la edición July 2023 de BBC TopGear India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición July 2023 de BBC TopGear India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
THE FOUR FACES OF MUMBAI
How the Tata Nexon Matches Your City Vibe
KANYAKUMARI TO KASHMIR
Everyone is out to find an alternative to petrol or diesel. Could this be yours?
FROM CITY STREETS TO SNOW-CAPPED PEAKS
The summer sun beat down mercilessly, a stark contrast to the yearning for cool mountain air.
2024 MARUTI SUZUKI SWIFT - Still Swifty without a cylinder
Most of us know or are accustomed to Swift.
2024 FORCE GURKHA - Terrain Tamer
The Gurkha's story began in 1987 with the introduction of India's first indigenous utility vehicle.
DUBAI - Revving Up the Luxe
A Tesla picks you up from the airport - that's Dubai for you. TopGear India embarked on a quest to uncover the finest cars and indulge in extraordinary experiences during our recent visit to Dubai.
LAUNCH CONTROL
Tesla has finally unlocked the Cybertruck's off-road potential. We grab a rival and head to the desert for a baptism of fire...
QUESTION OF SPORT
The standard Ioniq 5 N sweeps the hot hatch title, and now there's an even racier version. Can it convince us electric motorsport isn't a total waste of time?
ASSAULT & BATTERY
The Taycan has always been quick, but Porsche just took things to a whole other level...
BRITS ABROAD
Is the MG Cyberster a return to form for the Great British Roadster? Bizzarely, we had to travel to China to find out...