This Month in Car Design

This month the team reflects on key stories from Monterey Car Week, namely McLaren’s dramatic new form language following two new design leaders, plus an unexpected concept from Acura. There has been plenty of people news to keep us busy, no less a new global design boss at Nissan, and the team unpick some of those new appointments – including a surprise arrival at Porsche. Over on the website the...

This month the team looks back on Goodwood which as always was more than a festival of speed and a celebration of design both old and new. It was also a chance to see both the Audi Nuvolari and Ferrari Luce in a new context. Between expensive ice creams we caught up with plenty of designers, one of whom sported an impressively on-brand cowboy hat. Away from the show we drew inspiration from the ma...

This month it is the Audi Nuvolari that had chins wagging across the car design world. The CDN team give their take on the unexpected hypercar and the direction of Audi’s form language under now not-so-new design chief Massimo Frascella.   We also reflect on ‘Project Cornerstone’, a new concept (and initiative) from JLR to create recycled components and reuse materials, and share some takeaways fr...

In the latest episode of This Month in Car Design, the team consider some last-minute news that is hot off the press: the Ferrari Luce. The brand’s first electric car has caused quite a stir, and the  Car Design News  team dig into its exterior and interior before addressing broader reactions among the design community. It’s the second time the Luce has taken the pod by storm in just a few months…...

CMF innovation, global auto shows and the future of car design take centre stage in this month’s Car Design News in Review. The team discusses playful materials and sustainable finishes, then dives into highlights from the Beijing Auto Show and Milan Design Week, from standout concepts and immersive installations to shifting design trends in China and Europe. Also featured: major industry people m...

This month the team reflects on conversations around design tools, where digital and physical processes continue to merge. Chat also turns toward recent launches including the BMW i3, Volkswagen ID. Unyx 08 and Changan’s aviation-inspired S05 (which we drove on an airfield this week, no less). The team also discuss what’s coming up in April, with trips to Germany, Italy and China in the works. Plu...

This month the team discussed:   Autonomous driving, with stories involving Lucid, Tesla, Tensor, UE Studios and a chat with Romulus Rost (who designed the interior of the original Audi TT) A visit to MG and SAIC’s ever philosophical chief designer Jozef Kaban A conversation with design expert Robert Forrest live in the studio, touching on tech-led strategies and brand power. Plus, will car brands...

This month the team discussed:  The importance of design for manufacturing, highlighting how early production constraints improve creativity, feasibility and cross-team alignment across startups and major OEMs such as Ford, Xpeng, Zeekr and Oil Stain Lab Why Detroit’s design boom is in danger of leaving is hallowed car show behind; plus is Brussels neutral territory a good substitute for the now d...

A monthly podcast from the CDN editorial team delivering sharp insight into the stories, people and trends shaping global automotive design - from concept cars and production launches to leadership moves, emerging talent and the technologies redefining how cars are created.