Car Design News looks at some of the design stories that may have gone under the radar over the past week. Read on for the latest from Alpine, Mahindra, Volvo and more…
Welcome to this week’s Friday round-up of car design short stories. There are some subtle refreshes, new branding strategies and dates for upcoming concept reveals.
Alpine at Le Mans
We saw the hard-to-pronounce A290_β concept tearing around a go-kart course last year in Bristol, UK but the production version of the city car will have a slightly grander stage for its official reveal. Alpine has confirmed it will lift the curtain on 13 June during the Le Mans endurance race.
Full release here.
BMW M5 Touring
Following the launch of the M3 Touring, BMW has confirmed it will introduce a new generation of the M5 Touring, building on the E34 and E61 iterations. Quad pipes (hopefully all functional) and the obligatory stance of an M car check two of the main boxes. Beyond heavily camouflaged teaser images there is not too much to go on just yet.
Full release here.
Jeep returns vivid pink ‘Tuscadero’ colourway for 4x4 Day
Almost comically close to ‘Canyonero’ (a truly niche Simpsons reference) the bright magenta colourway makes the 2024 Jeep Wrangler even more of an extrovert. The colour first launched in 2021 and in something of a grey world it is hard not to appreciate the injection of colour.
Full release here.
London Concours to honour the V12
Organisers of the central-London motor show like big engines and they cannot lie. It has been revealed that the V12 engine will be the theme of this year’s event, with the showstopping Jaguar XJ13 prototype serving as the centrepiece. Expect to see various other iconic 12-cylinders including the Vanquish, Diablo and the legendary 27-litre ‘Super Rolls’.
Full release here.
Mahindra teases new concept
The XUV 3X0 will be officially unveiled on 29 April and makes bold promises: “Everything you want and more… A bonanza of [an] offering with thrice the excitement and exuberance.” Compared to what exactly, we are not sure, but the teaser images suggest a bold, angular exterior accented by a prominent light bar at the rear.
Full release here.
Maserati aces it with one-off special
A new special edition of the MC20 has been revealed to coincide with the Monte-Carlo Masters tennis series: the MC20 Cielo Opera d-arte. It is easily distinguished with striking livery and took an entire year to put together in Modena, made to spec for one very particular customer.
Full release here.
Porsche at Milan design week
At this year’s Salone, Porsche will run an exhibit dubbed ‘The Art of Dreams’. A mix of artists from different disciplines will create sculptures inspired by the brand’s iconic Pepita pattern – almost a cross between houndstooth and shooting stars – first seen in the 1960s. Like last year, CDN will be hosting an event at the show – we hope to see you there.
Full release here.
Renault Captur facelift
The main changes can be seen with the front end, which sports a new grille and lower mask, narrower (and less busy) headlamps along with the new Renault logo. It retains contrast wheel arch and sill trims to give the impression of all-road utility, while the interior gets a tweak to the HMI and infotainment screen – said to be a ‘world first’ for the segment…
Full release here.
Volvo’s new naming strategy
Volvo will use new nomenclature as electrified models take up a greater share of the portfolio; the battery electric C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge will become the EC40 and EX40 respectively. The Recharge name will also be dropped from all plug-in hybrid models. It will be interesting to see if Volvo sticks with it, as Audi recently made a U-turn on its own renaming strategy that used double-digit indicators to indicate power output.
Full release here.
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