Wooden #Setsuna Concept Car Is a Work of Art [Auto Styling News]

Toyota's Setsuna concept is made of wood. It's therefore a ridiculous concept, right? Well...

The Setsuna defies the notion that cars should only be seen as industrial products loaded with the latest technologies. 

Toyota says this unique wooden roadster was conceived to embody the affection owners grow to feel for their cars, and to show how cars continue to change and offer new value as they are taken care of with love over time.

Traditional Japanese techniques such as okuriari and kusabi were used so that the wood could be joined without nails or screws. Okuriari, which allows the exterior panels to be fitted and taken off without using any nails, not only increases the strength of joints but also makes it possible to make partial changes to dovetailing and mortise joints if the fastenings have worn down. 

This means it's possible to continue using the car without additional processing of the main body. In joints of the frame, split tenons are fastened to through tenons that have been pushed through several parts to hold the frame together. 

The Setsuna's body is composed of 86 handmade panels. Considerable thought was given to the design and creation of each panel from the outset, and each of these panels will develop and change differently as the car ages. Eventually, when repairs become necessary, individual panels can be replaced rather than needing to replace the entire body.

Small details, like the beautifully crafted wooden mirrors, really make this a work of art as much as a design study. The lacquer finish used on parts of the vehicle has been carefully applied by hand. To bring out the grain of the wood, wipe-lacquering has been used for the door mirrors, seats, steering wheel, and body banding lines. 

Rather than normal lacquer, which is applied in layers, this method involves repeatedly applying lacquer to the surface and wiping it to set the lacquer along the grain of the wood, creating a combined texture from the wood grain and the lacquer. The intensity and color will change with use over time, becoming even more beautiful and evoking a completely unique impression at different moments spread out in time.

Chinese LeSEE #Concept Car Hopes To Take On #Tesla [Auto Styling News]

Chinese entertainment and consumer technology company LeEco has unveiled its own self-driven electric car.

The futuristic-looking sedan called LeSEE was unveiled at a launch event in Beijing staged by LeEco. The current prototype model has a theoretical top speed of 130 miles an hour, said Ding Lei, head of LeEco’s automobile division, called the Super Electric Ecosystem unit.

The exterior design of the vehicle is indeed impressive. While somewhat Tesla-like it its rear haunches, nothing else resembles it, or in fact, anything, currently on the road. the large LED bar on the front apparently has functional headlights in there (or around it) somewhere, and the overall appearance is muscular and curvaceous.

In what Ding calls the "most beautiful" angle - from above and rear, shown below - one can see the full-glass roof which reaches from the hood to the trunk area. 

The launch featured a colorful mix of tech and entertainment, starting off with a performance by a popular Chinese singer and a demonstration of the tech company's virtual  reality headset device. Ding then delighted the crowd by using his cell phone to order the prototype to move on stage and park itself.

LeSEE was developed in 28 months, during which LeEco forged partnerships internationally to speed up the process.

Without providing technical specifications, Ding said the car will surpass the Model S from leading electric car maker Tesla in "all aspects of performance." That, of course, remains to be seen. But clearly this will, if it is built, be a challenger in the massive Chinese market.

#Toyota uBox Concept, Designed By, And For, #GenZ [Auto Styling News]

Toyota, in collaboration with graduate students at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research, have released what they think "Generation Z" will be driving in 10 years.

The "uBox concept" is a result of a two-year collaboration with Toyota Motor North America designers and engineers called "Deep Orange," and probably gives Toyota much needed feedback on what college-age future buyers have in mind when they enter the workforce and need transportation.

Most of Toyota’s North American vehicles are engineered in Southeast Michigan. The newest concept to wear the automaker’s famous badge, however, has its roots firmly planted in the red clay of South Carolina.

The program immerses students into every aspect of automotive development – from market research and design studies to engineering design and manufacturing.

"It's like automotive boot camp for the real world, and it wouldn’t happen without industry partners like Toyota," says Johnell Brooks, an associate professor in Clemson's graduate engineering program.

The typical customer for uBox is a young entrepreneur who wants a vehicle that can provide utility and recreation on the weekend but that can also offer office space or other career-centric or lifestyle uses during the week.

Close up of the front "buttresses" on the uBox concept.

The bold,  distinctive exterior design is meant to align with generation Z's personality trait to stand out, embodying a muscular stance that looks like it's sprung forward in motion, even when standing still. The rear side panel actually reminds one of the KIA Sportage, which is a good look.

The two "buttresses" on the front are like nothing seen on any car, and these alone set this vehicle apart, visually. Toyota officials say they were suitably impressed when students developed a unique pultrusion technique developed by the students that allows for these composite carbon fiber rails to be bonded with aluminum to support a curved glass roof.

They'd seem to cause an obstruction for the driver but, man, they do look bold, that's for sure. Of course if this is built as a self-driving car - and perhaps it should be - never mind that objection.

A versatile interior that can be rearranged for various activities, from working or operating a business, to hauling bulky cargo. A low floor allows for reconfigurable, removable seats on sliding tracks that can be nested. (How removable seats would make it through the rigorous safety protocols of an actual car company is unknown. But that hasn't stopped MANY concepts from imagining this before.)

Vents, dashboard display bezels and door trim that can be personalized and made with 3-D printing technology, and an online community is envisioned, where owners can share design ideas - and that is an extremely plausible scenario, given this interconnected generation's ease with social media.

The thing is powered by a compact, dual-purpose, all-electric powertrain and emission-free stationary energy to power consumer electronics, power tools or other devices through various 110-volt sockets located throughout the interior and exterior.

Meet the 2020 Apple iMaybe - Car & Driver's speculative mini-ute [Auto Styling News]

"Google the word 'Apple' and a link to the fruit we've consumed for thousands of years doesn't appear until page four." - that's Car and Driver magazine in its May, 2016 issue, preparing to describe it's speculative (and completely fictional, for now) 2020 Apple iMaybe mini-Ute.

The completely automated vehicle, which the magazine speculates would be built by BMW, would be heavily connected to the internet, via your iPhone 12, of course.

While it may take Apple some getting used to collaborating with another company (something C&D correctly notes it's never done before) the draw of the Apple name may not only be golden to consumers' ears, but also be like a steel girder to the magnet of their wallets.

The magazine again speculates that the cost of this mini-Ute could be north of $30,000, and wouldn't make an appearance until the 2020 model year.

(Photo is from the May 2016 issue of Car & Driver. Good luck finding an image online!)

4th-Gen #Lincoln Navigator Concept Goes Big, Sprouts X-Wings [Auto Styling News]

This March, Lincoln Motor Company released its fourth iteration of the Navigator - a vehicle it launched in 1997 that gave rise to all other SUVs.

That seems very long ago, and Lincoln is now playing catch-up to many others in the class, notably Cadillac's Escalade.

But just ahead of the North American Auto Show last month, it released it's fourth generation concept, hoping that "going big" (literally) would have an impact. Visually: it's "mission accomplished."

Featuring massive, gull-wing doors, gargantuan 20+ inch pinwheel-style wheels, and a grand-staircase step ladder entrance to both front and back seats simultaneously, the Navigator looks more like a small house - or a subway car, or a yacht - than a vehicle meant for the road.

But that's all part of the calculation. One can see a CEO as well as a rapper entering and exiting this thing with style and panache, with paparazzi all the while snapping away.

Is all of this practical? Of course not. It's extremely easy to discount the enormous gull-wing doors and the three-step entrance as the stuff of car show concept fantasy-land. The doors, which expose both front and back occupants to the elements - not to mention the aforementioned paparazzi - every time they're opened for exit or entrance, are flawed as as a design element.

That said, in the era of the Tesla X, which successfully integrated them into a PRODUCTION vehicle (and solved the problem of scuffing up the neighboring car each time they're opened) one cannot discount the idea that they'll see actual daylight. One designer, in fact, noted that the doors alone could cause Chinese millionaires (a target audience for this vehicle) to throw heaps of cash at Lincoln. So there's that. In fact, the entire "over-the-topness" of the design may be attributable to the Chinese market, which goes wild for such extravagant-looking beasts.

Other than these striking design elements, one sees a Range Rover pedigree in the long, sleek horizontal design language of the side panels - unsurprising given the past connection between the companies until Rover's sale to Tata in 2008.

I'd note the more than passing resemblance also to the Ford Flex in its side architecture - that is, if anyone knew what I was talking about, since the Flex is a non-advertised red-headed stepchild over at Ford, apparently.

The front grille and lamps deserve notice here, as well, since they're vastly improved and far more elegant than in previous generations. The grille features a massive, but gently rounded, trapezoid with mesh and a lighted ornament in its center that is elegant, impressive and would be unmistakable for any other vehicle on the road. The headlamps are huge - befitting the entire concept, and don't offend, though one could say they somewhat resemble styles one could see on any other model. Hyundai comes to mind. Still, they are deserving of respect, straddling this grille and pointing to non-functioning air intakes that contribute mightily to the horizontal-ness of the design.

Despite this blog's obsession with exterior styling, one must take a moment to note that the rear door panel (which sadly resembles too much a Toyota) opens up  to a built-in closet of sorts, where the driver can put his suits, shoes and brief case in a rather elaborate set-up.

All rear seats feature wide-screen TVs and the blond wood and leather are amazingly attractive and are clearly a step up from any other American SUV - or they will be, if they make it past the bean-counters.

All-in-all, this is a grand and notable concept that deserves some respect for "going big."

Staving off the fears of bankruptcy and oblivion that haunted it just a few years back, A Detroit News article notes that Ford has committed funds to the Ford Kentucky truck plant that will build the next Navigator, has signed a four-year contract there with unions.

Not that recessions can't change everything, but the Navigator and other Lincoln models are clearly stepping up their game and are making an effort to keep Lincoln Motor Company in business for the short-term, anyway. They're betting the farm on the Chinese buying enough of these land yachts to keep the Lincoln brand afloat. And they just might.

More photos, from the Lincoln Motors site: http://www.lincoln.com/navigator-concept/

2016 #Jaguar XF Gets Nicer Curves [Auto Styling News]

The Jaguar XF was never an ugly duckling by any stretch. But it's clearly outgrown a bit of an early, somewhat awkward phase to become a true beauty.

This is the second generation of the car, which was totally new in 2009, and had a mild refreshing in 2011. Previous exteriors for the XF (2009-2011) actually looked far more generic and arguably less beautiful than this iteration. Or to be blunt, if you squinted at the '09 model, you might have seen bits and pieces of other cars, cobbled together. And it was jarring. Have a look:

The 2009 XF - or is it a Lexus? Or a Volvo? Or a BMW?

It had a clearly Volvo-like grille, seemingly had borrowed 1990s-era rounded Chrysler parts bin headlights, had a side that overly-resembled a Lexus, and even sported a BMW-style "Hofmeister kink" rear-quarter window. These companies must have been VERY flattered by all the imitation.

Much like the early KIAs and Hyundais, this first edition of the model seemed so unsure of itself, that it looked like it had stolen visual cues from other cars. Yes, it's odd comparing Jags to these "lesser" vehicles, but since Jaguar left England, it's looked like the dog's breakfast; this model in particular. And it's a well-deserved criticism.

Thankfully, this 2016 model actually seems far more evolved, and has a bit of its own DNA now, and its identity crisis seems like it's over.

The headlights - which were refreshed in 2011 - look even less bulgy, less round, and over all, more beautiful and sleeker. They are available in an all-LED version featuring daytime running lights. I like the new lower bumper work on the front as well, which looks racy.

The front section extends forward, as if the Jaguar is about to pounce. With the grille jutting out in this way, it gives the entire car a distinctive feel.

The grille itself is more upright, and wider than before, which is far more elegant and erases any comparison with the Volvo's grille. To add this feature, the entire grille and headlamp area of the hood is clearly and visibly chopped off from the rest of the hood in a separate piece of sheet metal. (This shows up more in white and lighter colors, it seems. Darker colors, like this examples here, don't reflect it as much.)

Some reviewers have noted that in an accident, that piece, if it alone is damaged, would be far cheaper to replace. But if you can afford the $57k to $65k price tag of the regular or Premium edition of the XF, then perhaps that's not as much of an issue as if you were forced to pay $2,000 to replace the bumper of a Hyundai.

The side seems much less of a Lexus-thief than before, and a bit more rounded, especially at the rear, which is a hint at tradition. The leaping Jag - missing from some earlier models, to the consternation of longtime Jag buyers - is good to see as a fixture on this XF, as it was before.

The wheelbase has actually been stretched in  this model, giving it more interior room, though the entire car is shorter by less than an inch. That interior, it goes without saying, is sumptuous, with wood and leather galore, great leg-room (thanks to that wheelbase stretch) and many technical bells and whistles - though perhaps too many as pricey "add-on" packages. $300 for an in-car Wi-Fi package is certainly affordable, but when Chevy is offering it for free in a $25k car, it's hard to see why it's an add-on HERE.

The BMW hat tip on the side window also is thankfully gone, with a luscious curved rear panel window in its place, assuring us that yes,  this is a Jaguar. The side vent behind the front wheel is more elegant, and smaller, metallic, and completely horizontal, replacing the earlier one, which was paint-colored, clunky and entirely vertical.

The rear features a dual exhaust, gorgeous lamps and the leaping Jaguar, which adds character and tradition. Though one must say that the overall design looks a bit Toyota-like. A rounder rear window would go a long way towards making this a more traditional Jaguar look, from behind at least.

Overall, the XF has grown up, and has grown into a personality of its own, rather than imitating others. That's a good sign for those who are longtime admirers of the prancing Jag, and may even convince more of them to plunk down 57-65 large for a true luxury car.

Mercedes' "Vision Tokyo" is Designed Appeal to Millennials When They Hit 40 [Auto Styling News]

Mercedes Benz is hoping that by the mid-2020s, Millennials in their 40s will have paid off enough student loan debt to be able to afford their new self-driven, tech-heavy "Vision Tokyo" minivan. But the concept and its technology seems to raise the question, "Why," rather than answer any existing problems or needs of drivers.

The concept, based on the earlier design study F015 Luxury In Motion concept, was unveiled recently at the Tokyo Motor Show, and it certainly looks like it would appeal to Millenials - as well as their GenX older siblings.

Mercedes describes the vehicle as a "lounge" vehicle and, "a chill-out zone in the midst of megacity traffic mayhem." And its exterior design advertises these facts in every possible way.

From the Bass-shaped mouth to its massive 26-inch tires, it's rakish windshield and curvaceous hindquarters, the Vision Tokyo isn't subtle. With healthy doses of neon accent lights (perhaps not so healthy) from the grille to the tires to the tail, this car WOULD be noticed on any street in any city. Perhaps it's too much for the suburbs but make no mistake -  this is a party wagon. 

The grille on the concept acts like a light show, with LEDs designed to pulsate to the vibrations of the music being played inside, though why exterior viewers who can't hear the music will respond to the pulsating neon lights would need to see this is a bit of a mystery. And pulsating LEDs pulling up behind your car at night would probably appear more like a police traffic stop than anything else.

How this would be street-legal, or even well-advised, remains to be seen. (And no, these will not ever, ever, ever make it to the production model.)

The tech, of course, is why this exists. This is designed to be a zero-emissions, plug-in hydrogen-fuel cell vehicle, with holographic multi-media technology inside its generous interior which is meant to entertain while it drives itself around town. One wonders if  the technology will understand that most users will simply want to be driven in circles, while the party continues inside.

Mercedes estimates that it will have 600 miles of total range, 120 of which would be battery-derived. So, it will allow for a lot of cruising on  those megacity streets. 

So we're left with an awesome shape, and a lot of bells and whistles. When we take away all the non-street-legal and ill-advised neon and LEDs, and add a proper gas or diesel engine, this concept may very well see the streets around the year 2025.

More: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/innovation/autonomous-driving/