Top motoring highlights of 2010

A flood of recalls from some top manufacturers and an industry-crippling metal workers strike were amongst the less-than-memorable motoring events that made headlines in 2010. Well, that and the continuing existence of the Chrysler Sebring Convertible…
But none of these misfortunes were enough to stop these significant motoring highlights from making waves last year.

BMW 1 Series M coupé

Like any “M” BMW, months of fuzzy illustrations of what the 1 Series M Coupé may look like preceded its eventual launch late in 2010. This is the car that BMW fans could barely wait for – finally, a genuinely compact BMW with an M badge attached to it is a reality. The M3, great as it is, has become so large and pricey that it is out of the reach of those who would most pride its ownership.

The 1 Series M Coupé comes with some nicely beefed-up bodywork, a 3,0-litre, twin-turbo motor and some nifty weight-saving technology, all to realise a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4,9 seconds. Official pictures released by BMW show the M parked alongside the original M3 and if the greasy bits under the skin emulate the original as noticeably as the design does on the outside, get ready to see some bloodied noses from the likes of Audi in comparative road tests everywhere.

Budget cars in SA (Vivo and Figo)

Although not as cheap as the Citi-Golf and Tazz, the new Volkswagen Polo Vivo and Ford Figo have done much to plug the QUALITY budget car gap in the local market with two proven, good value propositions. Proven, because the Vivo is of course based on the hugely successful previous generation Polo and the Ford Figo on the previous Fiesta. While the Vivo rules on the sales charts and is South Africa’s current top-selling passenger vehicle, it’s the base model Figo at a tad over R100 000 that is the quintessential example of a modern budget car: great value, spacious, well-built and with all the important equipment fitted as standard.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Not very long ago, Mercedes-Benz would be the last of the German brands to be named as a maker of a seductive, well-balanced and shatteringly fast super car. Yet, in the SLS AMG, it has achieved all of this and more.

The design is breathtaking and despite exquisite use of the original 300 SL’s Gullwing door design, the new SLS forsakes that car’s comparative daintiness for all the aggression and anger of a typically modern super car that could easily star in the latest hip hop music video – and the sound of that gigantic V8 would be the one bagging the Grammy.

On another positive not, a revived local passenger vehicle market saw an increase in sales of 23% for the first three quarters of 2010. A significant shift to smaller cars as consumers are forced to downsize has seen buoyant A- and B-segment activity – a good sign for the aforementioned Figo and Polo Vivo, both of which should see even stronger numbers being moved in 2011.

Jags with Swag

When Ford launched the Focus in 1998, this Golf-challenger singlehandedly revitalised the dwindling brand by introducing a mix of driving fun and design “edge” that had been missing since the earlier generations of the Escort and the classic Cortina.

The same phenomenon of a single model revitalising an entire brand’s reputation was seen with Mazda (when it launched the Mazda6) and Renault (with the Clio).

Jaguar is the latest brand to follow on from the simple principle that making better, more desirable vehicles leads to improved sales figures and boy, have they done so with aplomb!

You see, Jaguar as a brand has always been right up there with the best for street cred but for far too long, that was apparently enough. All their models were carbon copies of older designs and desperate attempts to milk the whole retro theme for all its worth.

In 2006, the traditional Jaguar rulebook (probably handwritten in ancient calligraphy on stained, yellowed paper) was angrily tossed out of the window and traded for some new age, 21^st century thinking. The result was the fantastic Jag XK coupé.

It competes with Aston Martin for exclusivity and ability but costs far less.

While it’s still identifiable as a Jaguar, it also comes across as thoroughly contemporary and 4 years later, it hasn’t aged a bit.

Now, Jaguar has taken the standard set by the XK and come up with the jaw-dropping, svelte XF and XJ models. The XF was launched in 2008 and has already been lauded by numerous established motoring magazines around the world.

In essence, Jaguar has come from nowhere to surpass the mighty Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series in terms of raw appeal.

One look at the XF’s interior will tell you all you need to know; it is a triumph of style and ergonomic efficiency and has been my favourite car interior since its launch.

The brand new XJ, Jaguar’s flagship sedan which competes with the S-Class and 7 Series, is similarly contemporary in its execution.

Most impressive, and in stark contrast to the sombre Germans, is that each new Jaguar manages to carve its very own identity rather than being a larger or smaller version of other Jags. If you can tell an Audi A6 apart from an A8, chances are your eyes are in pretty good shape…

Sleek and clean... the all-new XJ

As you can see here, the XJ is as colossal as the Germans it competes with but somehow strikes a far more lithe and dynamic figure with those elegant rear lights being my favourite exterior design element.

The interior has a swathe of wood trim that wraps around its occupants and apparently makes one feel as though you’re “sitting in a Riva luxury speedboat.” Gorgeous.

Evidently, it’s possible to revolutionize an entire manufacturer’s image in the marketplace with the launch of just one, two or three well-conceived models.

Jaguar has rocketed up the desirability scale once more and I hope enough executive buyers out there realise it to justify the considerable effort that the Brits have put into these cars.

Over-inspired design: when women become dashboards

Modern car designers are also keen, devoted poets. Well, only that would explain their increasingly profound sources of inspiration for the work they do.
I can understand design cues which hark back to older models in order to create hype around classic forms and pull at the target market’s nostalgic heartstrings. That’s why a Porsche 911 today looks the same as the one made in the 70s.

However, things have become a lot more complicated. That which motivated your design is now thrust into the limelight with the same oomph as the design itself.
Nadya Arnaout, the lady responsible for the design of the new BMW Z4’s dashboard, claims that she was inspired by the “female figure.”
She went on to say that “It was to me a similar thing of how the body flows. Especially the female figure… It makes it very emotional and sexy.”







Nadya's "female-inspired" Z4 interior




One wonders if she sprawled herself down in front of a mirror, drew a self-portrait and suddenly, right there on her piece of grained arty paper, appeared the new Z4’s dashboard.
True, the new Z4’s interior is a sumptuous place in which to watch the world go by at warp-speed, and perhaps some men enjoy the site of a woman laying an arm’s length away, provided they look closely enough.

The Volvo S40’s cockpit was another result of a “dramatic” light-bulb moment. Its designers crafted the controls to mimic those of a household remote control.

Volvo's "remote-control" console

Why? So that the driver can fight over what temperature the air-conditioner is set at with his noisy brood? How about designing the dashboard around the needs of, I don’t know, the driver?
Similarly, the new Ford Fiesta’s dashboard layout is said to be inspired by mobile phone interfaces.

One day, your cell phone might be inspired by car dashboards...

Then again, designing a car around the most important thing – its occupants – can result in a dicey (not in the Cape-coloured colloquial sense!) finished product.
The first Fiat Multipla was said to be designed purely around the needs of the six passengers it could accommodate. But just look at it!

Those six passengers may have plenty of room in which to stretch out, but all you actually want to do when travelling in the Multipla is to curl up into a ball and hide from the people driving around you in normal cars, many of whom will be pointing, laughing and/or gagging.

Another “comically inspired design offender” is the aircraft-style handbrake found in Renault’s Megane II. As you will have surmised, it was inspired by aeroplanes.
While this may make for an interesting conversation piece, the lingering question will still be why it was necessary. A simpler way to funk up a handbrake would be to slap a piece of leather or chrome on it.

Renault's "aeroplane-inspired" handbrake

Of course, that means Renault wouldn't have been able to mention the aeroplane reference in the media press-kit, thereby enabling them to give the false impression that the Megane actually flies.

More bizarre still are the explanations provided for concept car innovations where designers have the freedom to really push the boundaries in every sphere, their ostentatious imaginations included.
The aggressive Lamborghini Insecta concept car’s exterior was enthused by the exoskeletons of insects.

Lamborghini Insecta

Let’s say the Insecta made it to production and Christiano Ronaldo bought himself one with some spare change. I somehow don’t see him bragging about the bone-inspired design to his mates in the locker room.

More hilarious than all of these is the headlight design of the Volvo S60 concept car. An official article explaining the detail of the lighting elements that made up the headlight proclaimed the following.
I suggest referring to the picture as you read this.

Volvo S60 "ship-inspired" headlights

“In each of the headlamps, the lights create a silhouette of two miniature Viking longboats sailing side by side, one for the main beam and one for the dipped beam. When driving in the dark, the light is reflected from the concealed, upward-facing High Performance LED bulbs, projected by the ships’ filled sails.”

That one makes me giggle every time and after hearing about all of these, I can only wonder what we’ll hear about next. Perhaps a speedometer inspired by a bathroom scale? Or maybe a group of buttons inspired by the control panel in an elevator?

I’m no designer myself and can well imagine the task of creating something new and fresh in a constantly changing industry to be incredibly arduous.
In that regard, I commend these professionals on their creativity.

Sometimes, however, a brilliant design is best left to speak for itself.