Chinese Electric Car Company BYTON Unveils Sexy Autonomous electric #KByte Concept [Auto Styling News]

Fresh off a successful round of funding, in which it raised a reported $$ million, Chinese electric car company BYTON has introduced the K-Byte autonomous concept car, and it's a beauty.

The company opines:

"Freed from driving, it is time to expand your personal comfort in your car. Thanks to its intuitive user interface, BYTON K-Byte Concept turns the vehicle into a living and working space. You can enjoy all the benefits of being chauffeured without being confined to the back seat."

The K-Byte's autonomous tech was developed by Aurora Innovation, which was started by the former head of Google's self-driving car division Waymo. The K-Byte was designed by Benoit Jacob. Before joining BYTON, Jacob served as BMW Group’s vice president of design, and was responsible for the design of the innovative i3 and i8 electric cars, and designed 2008's BMW M1 Hommage concept.

With a lineage like that, perhaps Elon Musk and Tesla should be worried about the 2020s and the future of competition in the autonomous electric market.

This car is unique in so many ways it's hard to begin describing it. The glorious (or wild) front end, featuring a beautifully detailed headlamp feature that will either remind one of the Joker's painted on smile, the front end of a 1989-era Mercury Sable, or simply a beautiful art piece. We'll go with the more flattering description here.



The frontpiece is adorned with the clever "B" logo of the company, which reminds one of the Bentley B, or of Bitcoin's, and the BYTON name is appropriately sized here in these images (which are all digital, since not one of these has yet to be built - production is at least three years off.)

Absolutely necessary for this to be an autonomous vehicle are the pieces on the roof and sides, which resemble smokers a beekeeper might use, or elegant lamps used on carriages of old. But even THEY look elegant, and are of a beautiful black lacquer that is in keeping with this vehicle's pretentions - that of a luxury car. And it does look luxurious.

The sides are curvaceous, with a "cut" in the lower door panel, sloping gently to the rear tire, giving it all great depth, and a pointed, dainty rear side panel that reminds immediately of the 2006 Spyker D12 "Peking to Paris" concept (irony noted) a concept that SHOULD have been built, but is now somewhat reincarnated in this concept.

The rear quarters are equally gorgeous, with a wrap-around tail light feature that is thin and dainty and manages to be utterly unique. The rear is instead dominated by a large metal strip featuring again the BYTON B, which looks elegant.

What say you? Should they build it as is, make changes, or give up before they start?


Photos: BYTON website.

#Jaguar E-Pace Is An Attractive Luxury Offering [Auto Styling News]

The 2018 Jaguar E-Pace is a lot of things. It's an attractive vehicle, a luxury car, a Mini-Ute, and a production car that resembles a Concept. But don't make the mistake of thinking it's an electric car.

Many people will make that mistake, unfortunately, but Jaguar is leaving that for it's I-Pace vehicle. This small, beautifully wrought Mini-Ute (a small SUV) is, however, a worthy effort. And it will likely be a success for the company. Though it's not without its flaws.

Coming in at just 173 inches (the I-Pace is 184 inches long) this cute little bundle of engineering is a true entry-level luxury offering, starting at just $38,000.

It's curves up front remind one easily of a Porsche, but the similarities end there. The curves are definitely attractive, especially on the side, which provide the high doors of an SUV and the rakish rear window seen in many others of its size (the Mercedes GLA and its cousin the Infiniti QX30 have similar roof shades in the rear. As does the Nissan Rogue, Subaru Impreza, and... the Honda Fit.)

The front air intakes are huge, and while some my compare them to the Porsche as well, they add a uniqueness to the front fascia that is undeniably attractive.

The rear side view is very "butch" and masculine, if one may still say that these days. The C-Pillars are a bit large and thick, and the back window seems too small, both of which may be problems for visibility, but this is a common complaint for all Mini-Utes. Great back-up cameras will alleviate this problem.

The tail lights are exceedingly attractive, and uniquely beautiful. One cannot mistake them for any other make of car, and that's something rare in today's styling choices. They are similar to other models in the Jag line-up, but that's totally fine. They distinguish the car immediately and give it credibility.

The interior is stunning, as one expects from a Jaguar. Fit and finish inside, not to mention a properly working drivetrain under the hood, will make or break this car among luxury enthusiasts.

But from the looks alone, there's no doubt that the car will be successful in the marketplace - even a crowded one, filled with Mini-Utes already. It will be a stunner on the road, and in driveways, and that's part of the draw for its target audience.

Photos: Jaguar USA