Features
The Man Behind Hyundai’s Design Revolution: Interview With SangYup Lee
Over the last decade, Hyundai has emerged as a design leader in the automotive industry, and its luxury arm, Genesis, is upending the traditional hierarchy with distinctive, beautiful cars. Much of that credit goes to SangYup Lee, who joined Hyundai…
Wheels Are More Complex Than Ever. Here’s Why
Once upon a time, most new cars came with simple steel wheels designed for strength. Hubcaps took care of the styling, even on snazzy luxury cars. There were some exceptions of course, but even when widespread use of styled aluminum…
How 300-MPH Hypercars Come to Life
Car designers do not simply draw cars. To be a great one, you need a deep technical understanding, and must form productive relationships with everyone involved in making a vehicle come to life. Bugatti design chief Frank Heyl is a…
Why SUVs Are More Square Than Ever
Blob-shaped crossovers dominate our roads. It’s impossible to avoid them, each more devoid of appeal than the last. Aerodynamics and safety standards have shaped today’s cars to be largely the same flavor of bland. A few special vehicles break from…
How to Design a Timeless Hypercar: Interview With Horacio Pagani
At automaker dinners, you’ll often find designers scribbling on their napkins. To design is their compulsion, and if you ask them to sketch a car, they sure as hell won’t draw a Pinto. Invariably these sketches lean swoopy and sleek,…
Toyota Designs Its Most Beautiful Cars in California
You've probably never heard the name "Calty." But walk through any crowded parking lot in America, and you'll see a dozen or more cars penned by the US design studio—you just don't know it. In 1973, Toyota established Calty in…
How Rivian Beat Everyone to Better Headlights
For well over a decade, drivers around the world have enjoyed better headlights. Adaptive Drive Beam (ADB) moves beyond the old-school binary of high and low beams, taking advantage of modern lighting technology that allows parts of a headlight’s beam…