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.
This story is from the July 2023 edition of BBC TopGear India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2023 edition of BBC TopGear India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
No It's Not An SUV
But an FUV Ferrari Utility Vehicle
THE STORY OF THE MULTI RALLY
Why this Ducati is the ultimate one-pony horse
INFINITI FX VETTEL EDITION
The list of special edition road cars bearing the name of F1 world champions is short, but not short enough.
BIKE SALES ANALYSIS THE WINNERS AND LOSERS
The Indian two-wheeler industry continues to grow at a rapid pace. India runs on two-wheelers and this age-old adage has stood the test of time.
(2004) MG XPOWER SV-R VS MG4 XPOWER (2023)
The 429bhp Chinese hot hatch meets its troubled, V8-engined namesake. Is there any relation?
RICCI'S GARAGE
Reportes Mark's pondering the biggest question of all: single or twin turbos for his GT-R rebuild
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
A new book gets unfiltered access to BMW Design’s cutting room floor. These are the projects that could have been...
THE LAST OF US
The Audi R8 is no more. TG was there to witness the final build, and we couldn't help but get involved...
FUTURE PROOF
The Chinese auto industry is moving at pace. And it means business
PURE KLASSE
Last year saw the saloon version of BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse, now here comes the SUV...