Detroit Motor Show 2008 – Automotive Design

The Detroit Motor Show is now under way and it's time for all the manufacturers to pull out all the stops and show how creative they are. There are many nicely crafted concepts on show but what I find personally disappointing is that they never actually see the light of day. It's all very well showing us what might be possible in the future, but what about now? And really, what is the point of showing cars that cannot and will not ever be built? Design is not only about being creative. Surely it's about making the impossible possible. Isn't a key part of designing being able to make something achievable or usable? If I designed a brochure and showed it a customer but then said 'oh but you can't have it, it's not possible to print it and it would be far too expensive' I wouldn't be popular. Don't get me wrong, let the imagination run wild – be creative, but keep it real.

Look at the 4x4s that seem to dominate the show (it is the USA afterall...). The new Hummer... nice design, funky interior, detachable panels, great. And about 10mpg still? And the Land-Rover LRX for example, a fairly 'realistic' concept and described as "a cross-coupe". It's based on the current Freelander and shows how the Land Rover brand can evolve in the future while still retaining it's family styling. Very nice too. Trouble is you won't ever see it with an all glass roof, an ambient glowing red/green lit interior, or 20 inch wheels. It will be watered down, or sanitised, for 'mass appeal'. And why aren't Land Rover using hybrid engines? Surely the way forward in automotive design is to create something more focussed and practical that tackles the problems of the future on the roads but is still desirable. 4x4s generally have one of the worst fuel economies, emissions and running costs of most everyday cars. Why not a more efficient engine? A smaller, cheaper, lighter Land Rover for the more congested roads but still capable of going anywhere and not falling to pieces? I know I'd buy one.