Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione has been a long time coming. Launched at Paris on Thursday, the 8C is the production version of the concept that was shown at Frankfurt in 2003 and the realization of a classical high performance sports car flag ship that the Nuvola concept of ten years ago first suggested.
The car uses the Maserati coupe platform and a developed version of its engine producing 450bhp but is a far more simple and focused sports car in the traditional idiom. Alfa Romeo director of design Wolfgang Egger explained to Car Design News how they intentionally kept to the minimum of interior equipment, how even the radio is sited under the IP half out of site, how the driving position was determined by a racing driver not an ergonomist, and how it is the design he is most proud of in his career because "it represents the pure idea of Alfa Romeo".
The car's voluptuous form is luscious, simple and well resolved - it is hard to imagine anyone perceiving this car as anything but attractive - although unfortunately many people at Paris won't have seen the car properly given that it was successfully obscured from view by a large smoked glass box.
Conceived as a spiritual successor to the classic pre-war Alfa Romeo front engine 8C road going race cars, the new car makes strong reference to the 33 coupe Stradale although Egger is emphatic in saying "it is not retro design". In its poised stance, compact size, clean surfaces and exquisite detailing (hand brushed aluminium trim and surely the most perfect lights!) only the Aston Martin Vantage gets close, but clearly both cars are very different in their individual character. Only alloy wheels that look like off-the-peg sports sedan designs could be criticised.
In our Highlight story of the concept version three years ago we wrote: "Over ten years ago Alfa produced the conceptually similar SZ in small numbers, lets hope that the 8C might also make it to production". Having seen the 8C Competizione in the flesh we're very glad 500 of these special cars are being made.
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Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione - Frankfurt 2003
Renault Nepta concept
The Nepta follows a relatively long line of luxury orientated car types that Renault has shown as concepts over the years: the Initiale of 1995, the Vel Satis of 1998, the Talisman of 2001 and the Fluence in 2004. But now that Renault has publicly declared its intent to move the brand 'up-scale' and sell more cars within the 30 - 40 thousand Euro bracket, the Nepta might be taken more seriously as a signpost for a future direction than its predecessors.
The two clearest messages conveyed by the Nepta about future up-scale Renaults are in its concept of a four seat cabriolet with classical rear wheel drive proportions, and in its form language. Based on the Nissan / Infiniti 'front-midship' platform used on the Teana, Altima, Maxima and Skyline, the car is nearly five meters long, although a production version would probably lose nearly half a meter and position itself against the BMW 3 series, Mercedes CLK and Audi A4 cabriolets.
But it is the exterior form that gives the most convincing message about how Renault might compete head to head with established premium cars. Surfaces subtly flow across the car in large radius curves and then meet with each other at clearly defined but very shallow ridges. This is almost impossible to appreciate unless viewing the car up close in the flesh, except perhaps where the shallow secondary front lights sit atop of the wings on a surface bound by shallow ridges that sweep around and abut bonnet and wing surfaces.
The way the car uniquely comprises large sweeping forms and exceptional surface control is more significant than the technically ingenious and very theatrical giant gull wing doors that pivot from the centre tops of the front and rear decks. Oddly when these open they also reveal the engine and a windscreen continues downward into the engine compartment to pointlessly allow light into the foot wells when the doors are open. Several designers we spoke to at the show were underwhelmed by such a classical and quietly dressed concept from Renault. But we think if you look closely there was a lot to appreciate in the Nepta.
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Renault Talisman concept - Frankfurt 2001
Hyundai Arnejs concept
A near-production concept for a C-segment car, at first sight, Arnejs - pronounced 'Ar-nez' - reminds one of other C-segment vehicles such as BMW's 1-series, the previous Ford Focus and even Mazda's Sassou concept.
Unlike its sister vehicle the Kia Cee'd, which has an Asian look to it - and with which it shares many parts - the Arnejs looks far more European. This is because the car was designed at Hyundai's new European Research and Design centre in Russelsheim, Germany (unlike the Kia Cee'd which was primarily designed in Korea, then reworked for Europe).
Arnejs builds on styling elements first seen in the Genus concept at Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, such as the face, where we see a further development of the Hyundai grille. The headlamps are production ready though, unlike those seen on Genus. The most notable exterior elements are the unusual use of glass that runs down the center of the roof and the overly large, high and wide triangular tail lamps.
The car does have a lot of character - Hyundai's communications people claim that the car "marks a further significant milestone in Hyundai's development of a stronger brand identity" - it's just that its individual character is still not yet unique.
What's more, although Hyundai is capable of producing good concepts, the chances of the production car looking this dynamic seems unlikely if spy shots (around the web) of the production car are anything to go by and the fact that Hyundai's conservative management have historically toned down such strong design for production.
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Hyundai HED-2 Genus concept - Geneva 2006
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