#so much whimsy in learning and executing a room. and the use of tech is just so nice and fun

[ricecaqes]

i wish i had the right words for this rn but yall dont know how happy i am to like actually play through darkmoon ruins. its always been popular but i feel like it very easily could be a case of ppl saying its good automatically because its hardlist or whatever but like . going through it has been the most fun ive had in celeste in a While. this map is so fucking good yall !!!!!

[anthemnz]

SXSW Series: The final analysis: redeeming the digital revolution

Anthem’s Executive Director Vincent Heeringa shares his thoughts and insights on what was shared at SXSW about redeeming the digital revolution and the importance of Team Human.

At 3am on Friday 15 March I opened my PC in Austin and read the shocking news from Christchurch. I did a double-take: a white supremacist on the rampage with an AR-15. What country am I in again?

It was a tragic bookend to what was becoming a consistent theme at SXSW: that the internet, this revolution in human creativity, this great hope for global connection, came with a burden of unintended consequences: of loneliness and narcissism; of social media bubbles and alternative facts; of dark webs of Nazis and terrorists.

 “Cyberpunk hasn’t died,” said the grandfather of the Cyberpunk genre, Bruce Sterling, on the last day of SXSW. ‘It’s simply moved from the pages of dystopian fiction to reality.” Sterling gives an annual lecture at SXSW, a kind of doxology for all things digital. This year he was gloomy, describing Facebook et al as the ugly children of our Mother Internet.

It’s a bit purple, but not without foundation.

 At SXSW we learned that loneliness has joined depression as one of America’s leading mental health issues; yet the second highest ambition among Americans is popularity. Twenty years ago popularity was ranked 16th.

 There was a strong tinge of remorse about what Silicon Valley has created. Aza Rushkin, the inventor of the infinite scroll, recalls his invention thus: “When I invented the infinite scroll I was super excited because I found a way to reduce the number of decisions users had to make. But it’s like a bottomless cup, people will eat more and more soup. There are thousands of designers now working on making pages stickier and more scrollable – it’s like we’re sprinkling cocaine over the keyboard.”

 From cars and media to food and medicine, automation and digitisation were not so much celebrated at SXSW as mulled over for their potential dark side.

 Even in the Alternative Protein session, where growth is going through the roof, the leaders were leery. “Tech is leading the discussion in food as it did in media. Twitter started microblogging and it looked cool but look at the unintended consequences. Food has the opportunity to learn a lesson from what happened to media,” said food academic Art Markman.

 So, now what? The antidote is not simple. Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google – the so-called FANG -- are popular for a reason. They work incredibly well. The digital revolution has delivered so much goodness. But some of it isn’t working. And Christchurch has been a terrible reminder that social is home to some of worst of humanity. And we need to fix it.

 I saw four big platforms Here are four agendas that I believe will driving business decision-making in reaction to the digitization.

  Join Team Human

The headlong rush to digital everything will revive an interest in all things human. Writer and Silicon Valley provocateur Douglas Rushkin calls it joining Team Human. He advocates the revival of whimsy, joy, unpredictability, creativity. “These days, even physical touch has become an act of revolution,” he says.

 So, a question: what part of your business allows for joy, whimsey, warmth or spontaneity? It’s so hard to tie these back to a business agenda but there are ways. The largest advertiser-free blog in the world is PostSecret, a whimsical project by artist Frank Warren, in which people mail their secrets anonymously on a homemade postcard. Selected secrets are then posted on the PostSecret website, or used for PostSecret's books or museum exhibits. The site has attracted over a million postcards and created a career for the still-surprised Warren.

  New metaphors

Part of the Team Human agenda is finding new metaphors that prioritise humane values over the traditional language of business. Efficiency, relevance and stickiness are the metaphors that generate massive profits for social media companies but simultaneously create addiction among the users. Likewise with urban design. “I don’t give a sh#t about smart cities. The smart metaphor implies efficiency which creates inequity. I want a kind city, an equitable city, a liveable city,” says Max Elder of the Institute for the Future.

The values creeping into business language will increasingly be human, like kindness, warmth, authenticity, generosity.

  Empathy

Empathy was probably the word of the festival. With trust in institutions at an all-time low empathy is a key tool for winning back confidence. There were many examples at SXSW that we enjoyed but this one, related by writer Michael Ventura, appealed. GE decided to put empathy at the centre of its mammogram product in order to use human-centred design to make the experience more positive for women and launched GE for Women by Women. In doing so, GE made the full customer journey sympathetic and warm, making major adjustments to the functionality of the machines themselves right down to small environmental adjustments such as developing comfortable gowns to wear during the process, warming treatment rooms and fast-tracking the reporting process to cut down anxious wait times. GE decreased discomfort by 79% and anxiety surrounding the test by 54% and lifted the efficacy rating of the mammogram by 12%.

  Environments that reward humanity

I was especially struck by an idea put forward by Eli Pariser of the New America Foundation. A thoughtful, academic sort, Pariser asked us to consider why humans behave so badly online: the trolling, the anonymous abuse, the slut shaming. Is it because online humans are especially horrible? Well, that can’t be true. The same humans drive cars and live in neighbourhoods without the equivalent carnage.

 The difference is the environment. The lack of online rules and accountability allows our worst nature to flourish. It’s like road rage without the awkwardness of being forced to see other driver at the next stop sign.

 So where in history can we see that a change in environment has led to an improvement in behaviour? Architecture.

 “I’ve been looking at what happened in urban development in 1970s: the shift from tall, isolating boxes like council estates and apartments to planned communities and social housing. In these new communities crime and loneliness are reduced and property values have increased.”

 The new urban communities:

•        Create spaces that encourage diverse participation

•        Make it feel humane and safe

•        Create a sense of ownership and belonging.

 Applying this kind of design-thinking to social media would make the world of difference, argues Pariser.

 It’s a hopeful message not just for social media but for all places where humans interact: humans can flourish when the right conditions are created. And vice versa.

 Two weeks after the Christchurch massacre it’s the right thing ask: if automation and digitisation continue apace how can we create places that make it easy for humans to be generous, kind, creative and empathetic?

[jesusvasser]

2017 Frankfurt Motor Show Hits, Misses, and Revelations

FRANKFURT, Germany — Stanley Kubrick famously had planned a pie fight between the Yanks and the Soviets for the final scene of his 1964 classic, “Dr. Strangelove.” We couldn’t help thinking about such a pie fight breaking out in Volkswagen Group’s Hall 3 at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show, where the walking lanes came to a standstill as Audi conducted its Elaine concept press conference.

Compounding the crowd, Audi moved in with the rest of VW Group this year from its old spot in the center square between Hall 3 and Mercedes-Benz’s Guggenheim-like grand arena. Audi used to have a big, crowded, temporary arena all to itself. Dieselgate budget cuts, you know.

The Audi Elaine is a connected, electric four-door SUV “coupe” that premiered at Shanghai earlier this year (a sign of the times) and spoke to the automaker executive conducting the presser in a Cortana-like voice. It was in German, so we can’t tell you who the exec is or what he and Elaine said, but we yearned for Dustin Hoffman to yell “Elaine! Elaine! ”from offstage.

Enough of the cinematic metaphors. The big celebrity highlight was when three-time Formula 1 Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton drove out into Mercedes-Benz’s stand in the Mercedes-AMG Project One.

BMW and Mini moved from the front of the Frankfurt Messe, near Mercedes and VW Group, to Hall 11 about a kilometer away, which at least provided incentive to walk into the non-German automakers’ displays in-between. With General Motors gone, Opel shrunk to a smaller stand as part of PSA Peugeot, and nine other automakers having stayed home this year, the 2017 Frankfurt IAA was a smaller, more German industry-intense affair. Nonetheless, this show has plenty of cars and concepts to like, criticize and contemplate.

Hit: The idea behind the Mercedes-AMG Project One

I like the concept of a Formula 1-powered hypercar.

—Robert Cumberford

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One

Totally unconvincing collection-of-clichés styling. A serious disappointment.

—R.C.

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One

The biggest buzz of the show, if far from an unqualified hit. No, it’s not pretty and looks like an update of the legendary BMW-powered McLaren F1 road car. But Gorden Wagener’s team designed it for best aero and downforce, like a purpose-built racecar. Better yet, it’s the first hypercar that will be capable of speeds of nearly 220 mph from just 1.6 liters worth of hybrid turbo V-6.

—Todd Lassa

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One Nose

Perspective matters. My first glimpse of Project One came from a second story balcony, revealing a sculptural, wasp-waisted shape bisected by a contrasting air intake and dorsal fin in matte black carbon fiber. Coming down to ground level revealed an entirely different slant: viewed head-on, the 1,000-plus horsepower sled seemed surprisingly unemotional. Despite a more than a passing resemblance to the late, great McLaren F1, the AMG’s schnoz simply couldn’t deliver on the promise of that striking top view, let alone the sculpted, tucked, and diffuser-clad rump. Blame the slavish demands of the wind tunnel (or whatever/whomever you want), but Project One’s proboscis is a reminder that form can lose charisma when it’s tied so directly to function.

–Basem Wasef

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One Fin

Every great hypercar needs a signature design touch and Project One’s pièce de résistance is the carbon fiber piece that spans the mid/aft section of its roof. Doubling as an air intake and a shark fin intended to improve lateral stability in high-speed corners, this smoothly contoured form manages to evoke both a sense of function and touch of whimsy.

–B.W.

Hit: ASpark Owl

Is it a serious effort? Who knows, but in terms of styling, it really puts Project One on the trailer. Spectacular.

–R.C.

Revelation: ASpark Owl

I love walking along at an international auto show, minding my own business, and getting stopped dead in my tracks by an abjectly beautiful vehicle I’ve never seen before. Case in point: the ASpark Owl, a new electric supercar from Japan that makes some bold claims just begging for substantiation. Though I couldn’t find an expert on-hand, I did learn from a large format hardbound book (seriously) that this lean, mean, carbon fiber EV weighs only 1,900 pounds and packs two motors that can scoot it to 62 mph in two seconds flat. The prose includes no shortage of buzzwords (power amplifier, supercapacitor, speed reducer), but can we just brush all that aside for a moment and drool at the Owl’s killer looks?

–B.W.

Miss: Renault Symbioz Concept

Worst concept of the show. Lumpy plastic windshield, bad seating package, awful profile. Not at all up to the usual Renault concept standard.

–R.C.

Renault gets credit for unveiling not just a concept car, but an entire house to go with it. The Symbioz is one of those Internet of Things things, a battery-powered blobbymobile that can park itself and communicate with the house (i.e. if the heat’s on in the car, the house heats up as you approach). It can fold away its own steering wheel and turn into a sitting room, which is exactly what we don’t want from a car. The sad part is that in order to make the Symbioz the focus of its press conference, Renault gave short shrift to its other Frankfurt introduction, the Megane RS, a 276-hp hot hatch with four-wheel-steering. Now that’s the Renault we want to drive.

–Aaron Gold

Hit: Renault Symbioz Concept

Yes, yes, it’s all that. But the good news is: 2020, your new Renault Avantime is here.

–T.L.

Miss: BMW Concept X7 iPerformance

We love a big, imposing SUV just as much as the next jerk, but the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance’s odd proportions and massive maw is more off-putting than it is badass. Sure, it gains eco points for its plug-in hybrid drivetrain. But let’s leave the mean, menacing look for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, shall we?

–B.W.

I wouldn’t be so offended by the hideously massive “Star Wars” tie-fighter kidney grille if it weren’t for the Nissan Patrol/Infiniti Q80-style rear quarter-windows and d-pillars. Why didn’t they simply tap partner Toyota for a Land Cruiser to reskin?

–T.L.

Hit and Miss: 2019 Bentley Continental GT

The new Continental GT is big, bold, and breathtakingly beautiful. I’d call it a hit if the back end didn’t look like it was ripped off from an Audi A7—a sin that might be forgivable were both brands not owned by the Volkswagen Group. The A7 may well have the best-looking rump this side of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, but grafting it on to the Continental GT is just plain lazy.

–A,G.

Hit: The Bentley Continental GT’s Creased Haunches

Bentley’s long overdue Continental GT replacement has a lot going for it, including a new platform from Porsche, nearly 300 pounds of weight savings, and, finally, a modernized interior. But one curious detail caught our eye in Frankfurt: the coupe’s sharply creased haunches. “[Showgoers] haven’t stopped touching it,” one Bentley flack said of the aluminum panel. Manufactured using an aerospace-derived superplastic forming technique, the panels have an interesting engineering backstory. But arguably more important is a tactile invitation that bodes well for the car’s market appeal.

– B.W.

Hit: Borgward Isabella concept

Best concept in the show. Illustrates what happens when a brilliant designer tackles an electric car. Anders Warming, ex-Mini design chief, is one of the best young Germans in the business. The Isabella has many innovative styling ideas, but some old ones that didn’t work 40 years ago, and don’t work now, such as the fading paint on glass.

–R.C.

Hit: Borgward Smartphone Fan

No question, the best swag at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show was this little fan that plugs into the bottom of your smartphone. It was given out by Borgward, a once-well-known German concern now reborn and backed by China, where its cars are sold. (They plan to return to Europe soon.) This little gizmo is exactly what you’d expect from a Chinese concern: Useful, amusing, cheaply made and potentially dangerous (good luck unplugging it without sticking your fingers in the whirling blades). I plan to steal about half a dozen of them by any means necessary. And what about Borgward’s SUVs, you ask? Trust me, the fan is better.

–A.G.

Miss: BMW i Vision Dynamics concept

Instead of showing us a Tesla Model S with a kidney grille, I’d like to have seen BMW unveil something new and forward thinking, like the Borgward Isabella concept.

–T.L.

Revelation: Jaguar I-Pace Trophy

With plans to electrify their entire lineup by 2020, Jag is going gangbusters on EV tech. This much we know. But the latest surprise from Frankfurt is that the folks from Coventry are transforming electric I-Pace crossovers into a support series for the Formula E series. Built by the carmaker’s Special Vehicle Operations division, the I-Pace eTrophy racer packs a satisfying visual punch: despite its family-friendly configuration, the wide-hipped, spoiler-clad, roll cage equipped sport ‘ute looks mean enough to appease the most hardcore internal combustion apologists.

–B.W.

Hit: Ferrari Portofino

To me, a successful Ferrari design is one that looks instantly familiar. You know you’re looking at something you’ve never seen, but you also know you’re looking at a Ferrari. The Portofino is one of those cars—it just looks right, and it manages to look right whether the top is up or down. Thirty years down the road, this will be remembered as one of the great Ferrari designs, and it’s a privilege to have seen it make its world debut.

–A.G.

Hit (qualified): Ferrari Portofino

Much better than the California, still not up to the usual Maranello standard.

–R.C.

  Hit: Hyundai Kona

If the Genesis G90 shows that the South Koreans can do a great imitation of Lexus, the Hyundai Kona shows they can do a great imitation of Citroën. This car has just enough nutsy details to keep it interesting without veering off into weird (Toyota CH-R), controversial (Nissan Juke), or downright ugly (Kia Sportage). What with all the mature-but-dull designs Hyundai has introduced over the past couple of years, the Kona might be the vehicle that gives them back their mojo.

–A.G.

IFTTT

[jonathanbelloblog]

2017 Frankfurt Motor Show Hits, Misses, and Revelations

FRANKFURT, Germany — Stanley Kubrick famously had planned a pie fight between the Yanks and the Soviets for the final scene of his 1964 classic, “Dr. Strangelove.” We couldn’t help thinking about such a pie fight breaking out in Volkswagen Group’s Hall 3 at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show, where the walking lanes came to a standstill as Audi conducted its Elaine concept press conference.

Compounding the crowd, Audi moved in with the rest of VW Group this year from its old spot in the center square between Hall 3 and Mercedes-Benz’s Guggenheim-like grand arena. Audi used to have a big, crowded, temporary arena all to itself. Dieselgate budget cuts, you know.

The Audi Elaine is a connected, electric four-door SUV “coupe” that premiered at Shanghai earlier this year (a sign of the times) and spoke to the automaker executive conducting the presser in a Cortana-like voice. It was in German, so we can’t tell you who the exec is or what he and Elaine said, but we yearned for Dustin Hoffman to yell “Elaine! Elaine! ”from offstage.

Enough of the cinematic metaphors. The big celebrity highlight was when three-time Formula 1 Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton drove out into Mercedes-Benz’s stand in the Mercedes-AMG Project One.

BMW and Mini moved from the front of the Frankfurt Messe, near Mercedes and VW Group, to Hall 11 about a kilometer away, which at least provided incentive to walk into the non-German automakers’ displays in-between. With General Motors gone, Opel shrunk to a smaller stand as part of PSA Peugeot, and nine other automakers having stayed home this year, the 2017 Frankfurt IAA was a smaller, more German industry-intense affair. Nonetheless, this show has plenty of cars and concepts to like, criticize and contemplate.

Hit: The idea behind the Mercedes-AMG Project One

I like the concept of a Formula 1-powered hypercar.

—Robert Cumberford

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One

Totally unconvincing collection-of-clichés styling. A serious disappointment.

—R.C.

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One

The biggest buzz of the show, if far from an unqualified hit. No, it’s not pretty and looks like an update of the legendary BMW-powered McLaren F1 road car. But Gorden Wagener’s team designed it for best aero and downforce, like a purpose-built racecar. Better yet, it’s the first hypercar that will be capable of speeds of nearly 220 mph from just 1.6 liters worth of hybrid turbo V-6.

—Todd Lassa

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One Nose

Perspective matters. My first glimpse of Project One came from a second story balcony, revealing a sculptural, wasp-waisted shape bisected by a contrasting air intake and dorsal fin in matte black carbon fiber. Coming down to ground level revealed an entirely different slant: viewed head-on, the 1,000-plus horsepower sled seemed surprisingly unemotional. Despite a more than a passing resemblance to the late, great McLaren F1, the AMG’s schnoz simply couldn’t deliver on the promise of that striking top view, let alone the sculpted, tucked, and diffuser-clad rump. Blame the slavish demands of the wind tunnel (or whatever/whomever you want), but Project One’s proboscis is a reminder that form can lose charisma when it’s tied so directly to function.

–Basem Wasef

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One Fin

Every great hypercar needs a signature design touch and Project One’s pièce de résistance is the carbon fiber piece that spans the mid/aft section of its roof. Doubling as an air intake and a shark fin intended to improve lateral stability in high-speed corners, this smoothly contoured form manages to evoke both a sense of function and touch of whimsy.

–B.W.

Hit: ASpark Owl

Is it a serious effort? Who knows, but in terms of styling, it really puts Project One on the trailer. Spectacular.

–R.C.

Revelation: ASpark Owl

I love walking along at an international auto show, minding my own business, and getting stopped dead in my tracks by an abjectly beautiful vehicle I’ve never seen before. Case in point: the ASpark Owl, a new electric supercar from Japan that makes some bold claims just begging for substantiation. Though I couldn’t find an expert on-hand, I did learn from a large format hardbound book (seriously) that this lean, mean, carbon fiber EV weighs only 1,900 pounds and packs two motors that can scoot it to 62 mph in two seconds flat. The prose includes no shortage of buzzwords (power amplifier, supercapacitor, speed reducer), but can we just brush all that aside for a moment and drool at the Owl’s killer looks?

–B.W.

Miss: Renault Symbioz Concept

Worst concept of the show. Lumpy plastic windshield, bad seating package, awful profile. Not at all up to the usual Renault concept standard.

–R.C.

Renault gets credit for unveiling not just a concept car, but an entire house to go with it. The Symbioz is one of those Internet of Things things, a battery-powered blobbymobile that can park itself and communicate with the house (i.e. if the heat’s on in the car, the house heats up as you approach). It can fold away its own steering wheel and turn into a sitting room, which is exactly what we don’t want from a car. The sad part is that in order to make the Symbioz the focus of its press conference, Renault gave short shrift to its other Frankfurt introduction, the Megane RS, a 276-hp hot hatch with four-wheel-steering. Now that’s the Renault we want to drive.

–Aaron Gold

Hit: Renault Symbioz Concept

Yes, yes, it’s all that. But the good news is: 2020, your new Renault Avantime is here.

–T.L.

Miss: BMW Concept X7 iPerformance

We love a big, imposing SUV just as much as the next jerk, but the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance’s odd proportions and massive maw is more off-putting than it is badass. Sure, it gains eco points for its plug-in hybrid drivetrain. But let’s leave the mean, menacing look for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, shall we?

–B.W.

I wouldn’t be so offended by the hideously massive “Star Wars” tie-fighter kidney grille if it weren’t for the Nissan Patrol/Infiniti Q80-style rear quarter-windows and d-pillars. Why didn’t they simply tap partner Toyota for a Land Cruiser to reskin?

–T.L.

Hit and Miss: 2019 Bentley Continental GT

The new Continental GT is big, bold, and breathtakingly beautiful. I’d call it a hit if the back end didn’t look like it was ripped off from an Audi A7—a sin that might be forgivable were both brands not owned by the Volkswagen Group. The A7 may well have the best-looking rump this side of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, but grafting it on to the Continental GT is just plain lazy.

–A,G.

Hit: The Bentley Continental GT’s Creased Haunches

Bentley’s long overdue Continental GT replacement has a lot going for it, including a new platform from Porsche, nearly 300 pounds of weight savings, and, finally, a modernized interior. But one curious detail caught our eye in Frankfurt: the coupe’s sharply creased haunches. “[Showgoers] haven’t stopped touching it,” one Bentley flack said of the aluminum panel. Manufactured using an aerospace-derived superplastic forming technique, the panels have an interesting engineering backstory. But arguably more important is a tactile invitation that bodes well for the car’s market appeal.

– B.W.

Hit: Borgward Isabella concept

Best concept in the show. Illustrates what happens when a brilliant designer tackles an electric car. Anders Warming, ex-Mini design chief, is one of the best young Germans in the business. The Isabella has many innovative styling ideas, but some old ones that didn’t work 40 years ago, and don’t work now, such as the fading paint on glass.

–R.C.

Hit: Borgward Smartphone Fan

No question, the best swag at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show was this little fan that plugs into the bottom of your smartphone. It was given out by Borgward, a once-well-known German concern now reborn and backed by China, where its cars are sold. (They plan to return to Europe soon.) This little gizmo is exactly what you’d expect from a Chinese concern: Useful, amusing, cheaply made and potentially dangerous (good luck unplugging it without sticking your fingers in the whirling blades). I plan to steal about half a dozen of them by any means necessary. And what about Borgward’s SUVs, you ask? Trust me, the fan is better.

–A.G.

Miss: BMW i Vision Dynamics concept

Instead of showing us a Tesla Model S with a kidney grille, I’d like to have seen BMW unveil something new and forward thinking, like the Borgward Isabella concept.

–T.L.

Revelation: Jaguar I-Pace Trophy

With plans to electrify their entire lineup by 2020, Jag is going gangbusters on EV tech. This much we know. But the latest surprise from Frankfurt is that the folks from Coventry are transforming electric I-Pace crossovers into a support series for the Formula E series. Built by the carmaker’s Special Vehicle Operations division, the I-Pace eTrophy racer packs a satisfying visual punch: despite its family-friendly configuration, the wide-hipped, spoiler-clad, roll cage equipped sport ‘ute looks mean enough to appease the most hardcore internal combustion apologists.

–B.W.

Hit: Ferrari Portofino

To me, a successful Ferrari design is one that looks instantly familiar. You know you’re looking at something you’ve never seen, but you also know you’re looking at a Ferrari. The Portofino is one of those cars—it just looks right, and it manages to look right whether the top is up or down. Thirty years down the road, this will be remembered as one of the great Ferrari designs, and it’s a privilege to have seen it make its world debut.

–A.G.

Hit (qualified): Ferrari Portofino

Much better than the California, still not up to the usual Maranello standard.

–R.C.

  Hit: Hyundai Kona

If the Genesis G90 shows that the South Koreans can do a great imitation of Lexus, the Hyundai Kona shows they can do a great imitation of Citroën. This car has just enough nutsy details to keep it interesting without veering off into weird (Toyota CH-R), controversial (Nissan Juke), or downright ugly (Kia Sportage). What with all the mature-but-dull designs Hyundai has introduced over the past couple of years, the Kona might be the vehicle that gives them back their mojo.

–A.G.

IFTTT

[eddiejpoplar]

2017 Frankfurt Motor Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations

FRANKFURT, Germany — Stanley Kubrick famously had planned a pie fight between the Yanks and the Soviets for the final scene of his 1964 classic, “Dr. Strangelove.” We couldn’t help thinking about such a pie fight breaking out in Volkswagen Group’s Hall 3 at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show, where the walking lanes came to a standstill as Audi conducted its Elaine concept press conference.

Compounding the crowd, Audi moved in with the rest of VW Group this year from its old spot in the center square between Hall 3 and Mercedes-Benz’s Guggenheim-like grand arena. Audi used to have a big, crowded, temporary arena all to itself. Dieselgate budget cuts, you know.

The Audi Elaine is a connected, electric four-door SUV “coupe” that premiered at Shanghai earlier this year (a sign of the times) and spoke to the automaker executive conducting the presser in a Cortana-like voice. It was in German, so we can’t tell you who the exec is or what he and Elaine said, but we yearned for Dustin Hoffman to yell “Elaine! Elaine! ”from offstage.

Enough of the cinematic metaphors. The big celebrity highlight was when three-time Formula 1 Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton drove out into Mercedes-Benz’s stand in the Mercedes-AMG Project One.

BMW and Mini moved from the front of the Frankfurt Messe, near Mercedes and VW Group, to Hall 11 about a kilometer away, which at least provided incentive to walk into the non-German automakers’ displays in-between. With General Motors gone, Opel shrunk to a smaller stand as part of PSA Peugeot, and nine other automakers having stayed home this year, the 2017 Frankfurt IAA was a smaller, more German industry-intense affair. Nonetheless, this show has plenty of cars and concepts to like, criticize and contemplate.

Hit: The idea behind the Mercedes-AMG Project One

I like the concept of a Formula 1-powered hypercar.

—Robert Cumberford

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One

Totally unconvincing collection-of-clichés styling. A serious disappointment.

—R.C.

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One

The biggest buzz of the show, if far from an unqualified hit. No, it’s not pretty and looks like an update of the legendary BMW-powered McLaren F1 road car. But Gorden Wagener’s team designed it for best aero and downforce, like a purpose-built racecar. Better yet, it’s the first hypercar that will be capable of speeds of nearly 220 mph from just 1.6 liters worth of hybrid turbo V-6.

—Todd Lassa

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One Nose

Perspective matters. My first glimpse of Project One came from a second story balcony, revealing a sculptural, wasp-waisted shape bisected by a contrasting air intake and dorsal fin in matte black carbon fiber. Coming down to ground level revealed an entirely different slant: viewed head-on, the 1,000-plus horsepower sled seemed surprisingly unemotional. Despite a more than a passing resemblance to the late, great McLaren F1, the AMG’s schnoz simply couldn’t deliver on the promise of that striking top view, let alone the sculpted, tucked, and diffuser-clad rump. Blame the slavish demands of the wind tunnel (or whatever/whomever you want), but Project One’s proboscis is a reminder that form can lose charisma when it’s tied so directly to function.

–Basem Wasef

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One Fin

Every great hypercar needs a signature design touch and Project One’s pièce de résistance is the carbon fiber piece that spans the mid/aft section of its roof. Doubling as an air intake and a shark fin intended to improve lateral stability in high-speed corners, this smoothly contoured form manages to evoke both a sense of function and touch of whimsy.

–B.W.

Hit: ASpark Owl

Is it a serious effort? Who knows, but in terms of styling, it really puts Project One on the trailer. Spectacular.

–R.C.

Revelation: ASpark Owl

I love walking along at an international auto show, minding my own business, and getting stopped dead in my tracks by an abjectly beautiful vehicle I’ve never seen before. Case in point: the ASpark Owl, a new electric supercar from Japan that makes some bold claims just begging for substantiation. Though I couldn’t find an expert on-hand, I did learn from a large format hardbound book (seriously) that this lean, mean, carbon fiber EV weighs only 1,900 pounds and packs two motors that can scoot it to 62 mph in two seconds flat. The prose includes no shortage of buzzwords (power amplifier, supercapacitor, speed reducer), but can we just brush all that aside for a moment and drool at the Owl’s killer looks?

–B.W.

Miss: Renault Symbioz Concept

Worst concept of the show. Lumpy plastic windshield, bad seating package, awful profile. Not at all up to the usual Renault concept standard.

–R.C.

Renault gets credit for unveiling not just a concept car, but an entire house to go with it. The Symbioz is one of those Internet of Things things, a battery-powered blobbymobile that can park itself and communicate with the house (i.e. if the heat’s on in the car, the house heats up as you approach). It can fold away its own steering wheel and turn into a sitting room, which is exactly what we don’t want from a car. The sad part is that in order to make the Symbioz the focus of its press conference, Renault gave short shrift to its other Frankfurt introduction, the Megane RS, a 276-hp hot hatch with four-wheel-steering. Now that’s the Renault we want to drive.

–Aaron Gold

Hit: Renault Symbioz Concept

Yes, yes, it’s all that. But the good news is: 2020, your new Renault Avantime is here.

–T.L.

Miss: BMW Concept X7 iPerformance

We love a big, imposing SUV just as much as the next jerk, but the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance’s odd proportions and massive maw is more off-putting than it is badass. Sure, it gains eco points for its plug-in hybrid drivetrain. But let’s leave the mean, menacing look for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, shall we?

–B.W.

I wouldn’t be so offended by the hideously massive “Star Wars” tie-fighter kidney grille if it weren’t for the Nissan Patrol/Infiniti Q80-style rear quarter-windows and d-pillars. Why didn’t they simply tap partner Toyota for a Land Cruiser to reskin?

–T.L.

Hit and Miss: 2019 Bentley Continental GT

The new Continental GT is big, bold, and breathtakingly beautiful. I’d call it a hit if the back end didn’t look like it was ripped off from an Audi A7—a sin that might be forgivable were both brands not owned by the Volkswagen Group. The A7 may well have the best-looking rump this side of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, but grafting it on to the Continental GT is just plain lazy.

–A,G.

Hit: The Bentley Continental GT’s Creased Haunches

Bentley’s long overdue Continental GT replacement has a lot going for it, including a new platform from Porsche, nearly 300 pounds of weight savings, and, finally, a modernized interior. But one curious detail caught our eye in Frankfurt: the coupe’s sharply creased haunches. “[Showgoers] haven’t stopped touching it,” one Bentley flack said of the aluminum panel. Manufactured using an aerospace-derived superplastic forming technique, the panels have an interesting engineering backstory. But arguably more important is a tactile invitation that bodes well for the car’s market appeal.

– B.W.

Hit: Borgward Isabella concept

Best concept in the show. Illustrates what happens when a brilliant designer tackles an electric car. Anders Warming, ex-Mini design chief, is one of the best young Germans in the business. The Isabella has many innovative styling ideas, but some old ones that didn’t work 40 years ago, and don’t work now, such as the fading paint on glass.

–R.C.

Hit: Borgward Smartphone Fan

No question, the best swag at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show was this little fan that plugs into the bottom of your smartphone. It was given out by Borgward, a once-well-known German concern now reborn and backed by China, where its cars are sold. (They plan to return to Europe soon.) This little gizmo is exactly what you’d expect from a Chinese concern: Useful, amusing, cheaply made and potentially dangerous (good luck unplugging it without sticking your fingers in the whirling blades). I plan to steal about half a dozen of them by any means necessary. And what about Borgward’s SUVs, you ask? Trust me, the fan is better.

–A.G.

Miss: BMW i Vision Dynamics concept

Instead of showing us a Tesla Model S with a kidney grille, I’d like to have seen BMW unveil something new and forward thinking, like the Borgward Isabella concept.

–T.L.

Revelation: Jaguar I-Pace Trophy

With plans to electrify their entire lineup by 2020, Jag is going gangbusters on EV tech. This much we know. But the latest surprise from Frankfurt is that the folks from Coventry are transforming electric I-Pace crossovers into a support series for the Formula E series. Built by the carmaker’s Special Vehicle Operations division, the I-Pace eTrophy racer packs a satisfying visual punch: despite its family-friendly configuration, the wide-hipped, spoiler-clad, roll cage equipped sport ‘ute looks mean enough to appease the most hardcore internal combustion apologists.

–B.W.

Hit: Ferrari Portofino

To me, a successful Ferrari design is one that looks instantly familiar. You know you’re looking at something you’ve never seen, but you also know you’re looking at a Ferrari. The Portofino is one of those cars—it just looks right, and it manages to look right whether the top is up or down. Thirty years down the road, this will be remembered as one of the great Ferrari designs, and it’s a privilege to have seen it make its world debut.

–A.G.

Hit (qualified): Ferrari Portofino

Much better than the California, still not up to the usual Maranello standard.

–R.C.

  Hit: Hyundai Kona

If the Genesis G90 shows that the South Koreans can do a great imitation of Lexus, the Hyundai Kona shows they can do a great imitation of Citroën. This car has just enough nutsy details to keep it interesting without veering off into weird (Toyota CH-R), controversial (Nissan Juke), or downright ugly (Kia Sportage). What with all the mature-but-dull designs Hyundai has introduced over the past couple of years, the Kona might be the vehicle that gives them back their mojo.

–A.G.

IFTTT

[jesusvasser]

2017 Frankfurt Motor Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations

FRANKFURT, Germany — Stanley Kubrick famously had planned a pie fight between the Yanks and the Soviets for the final scene of his 1964 classic, “Dr. Strangelove.” We couldn’t help thinking about such a pie fight breaking out in Volkswagen Group’s Hall 3 at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show, where the walking lanes came to a standstill as Audi conducted its Elaine concept press conference.

Compounding the crowd, Audi moved in with the rest of VW Group this year from its old spot in the center square between Hall 3 and Mercedes-Benz’s Guggenheim-like grand arena. Audi used to have a big, crowded, temporary arena all to itself. Dieselgate budget cuts, you know.

The Audi Elaine is a connected, electric four-door SUV “coupe” that premiered at Shanghai earlier this year (a sign of the times) and spoke to the automaker executive conducting the presser in a Cortana-like voice. It was in German, so we can’t tell you who the exec is or what he and Elaine said, but we yearned for Dustin Hoffman to yell “Elaine! Elaine! ”from offstage.

Enough of the cinematic metaphors. The big celebrity highlight was when three-time Formula 1 Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton drove out into Mercedes-Benz’s stand in the Mercedes-AMG Project One.

BMW and Mini moved from the front of the Frankfurt Messe, near Mercedes and VW Group, to Hall 11 about a kilometer away, which at least provided incentive to walk into the non-German automakers’ displays in-between. With General Motors gone, Opel shrunk to a smaller stand as part of PSA Peugeot, and nine other automakers having stayed home this year, the 2017 Frankfurt IAA was a smaller, more German industry-intense affair. Nonetheless, this show has plenty of cars and concepts to like, criticize and contemplate.

Hit: The idea behind the Mercedes-AMG Project One

I like the concept of a Formula 1-powered hypercar.

—Robert Cumberford

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One

Totally unconvincing collection-of-clichés styling. A serious disappointment.

—R.C.

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One

The biggest buzz of the show, if far from an unqualified hit. No, it’s not pretty and looks like an update of the legendary BMW-powered McLaren F1 road car. But Gorden Wagener’s team designed it for best aero and downforce, like a purpose-built racecar. Better yet, it’s the first hypercar that will be capable of speeds of nearly 220 mph from just 1.6 liters worth of hybrid turbo V-6.

—Todd Lassa

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One Nose

Perspective matters. My first glimpse of Project One came from a second story balcony, revealing a sculptural, wasp-waisted shape bisected by a contrasting air intake and dorsal fin in matte black carbon fiber. Coming down to ground level revealed an entirely different slant: viewed head-on, the 1,000-plus horsepower sled seemed surprisingly unemotional. Despite a more than a passing resemblance to the late, great McLaren F1, the AMG’s schnoz simply couldn’t deliver on the promise of that striking top view, let alone the sculpted, tucked, and diffuser-clad rump. Blame the slavish demands of the wind tunnel (or whatever/whomever you want), but Project One’s proboscis is a reminder that form can lose charisma when it’s tied so directly to function.

–Basem Wasef

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One Fin

Every great hypercar needs a signature design touch and Project One’s pièce de résistance is the carbon fiber piece that spans the mid/aft section of its roof. Doubling as an air intake and a shark fin intended to improve lateral stability in high-speed corners, this smoothly contoured form manages to evoke both a sense of function and touch of whimsy.

–B.W.

Hit: ASpark Owl

Is it a serious effort? Who knows, but in terms of styling, it really puts Project One on the trailer. Spectacular.

–R.C.

Revelation: ASpark Owl

I love walking along at an international auto show, minding my own business, and getting stopped dead in my tracks by an abjectly beautiful vehicle I’ve never seen before. Case in point: the ASpark Owl, a new electric supercar from Japan that makes some bold claims just begging for substantiation. Though I couldn’t find an expert on-hand, I did learn from a large format hardbound book (seriously) that this lean, mean, carbon fiber EV weighs only 1,900 pounds and packs two motors that can scoot it to 62 mph in two seconds flat. The prose includes no shortage of buzzwords (power amplifier, supercapacitor, speed reducer), but can we just brush all that aside for a moment and drool at the Owl’s killer looks?

–B.W.

Miss: Renault Symbioz Concept

Worst concept of the show. Lumpy plastic windshield, bad seating package, awful profile. Not at all up to the usual Renault concept standard.

–R.C.

Renault gets credit for unveiling not just a concept car, but an entire house to go with it. The Symbioz is one of those Internet of Things things, a battery-powered blobbymobile that can park itself and communicate with the house (i.e. if the heat’s on in the car, the house heats up as you approach). It can fold away its own steering wheel and turn into a sitting room, which is exactly what we don’t want from a car. The sad part is that in order to make the Symbioz the focus of its press conference, Renault gave short shrift to its other Frankfurt introduction, the Megane RS, a 276-hp hot hatch with four-wheel-steering. Now that’s the Renault we want to drive.

–Aaron Gold

Hit: Renault Symbioz Concept

Yes, yes, it’s all that. But the good news is: 2020, your new Renault Avantime is here.

–T.L.

Miss: BMW Concept X7 iPerformance

We love a big, imposing SUV just as much as the next jerk, but the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance’s odd proportions and massive maw is more off-putting than it is badass. Sure, it gains eco points for its plug-in hybrid drivetrain. But let’s leave the mean, menacing look for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, shall we?

–B.W.

I wouldn’t be so offended by the hideously massive “Star Wars” tie-fighter kidney grille if it weren’t for the Nissan Patrol/Infiniti Q80-style rear quarter-windows and d-pillars. Why didn’t they simply tap partner Toyota for a Land Cruiser to reskin?

–T.L.

Hit and Miss: 2019 Bentley Continental GT

The new Continental GT is big, bold, and breathtakingly beautiful. I’d call it a hit if the back end didn’t look like it was ripped off from an Audi A7—a sin that might be forgivable were both brands not owned by the Volkswagen Group. The A7 may well have the best-looking rump this side of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, but grafting it on to the Continental GT is just plain lazy.

–A,G.

Hit: The Bentley Continental GT’s Creased Haunches

Bentley’s long overdue Continental GT replacement has a lot going for it, including a new platform from Porsche, nearly 300 pounds of weight savings, and, finally, a modernized interior. But one curious detail caught our eye in Frankfurt: the coupe’s sharply creased haunches. “[Showgoers] haven’t stopped touching it,” one Bentley flack said of the aluminum panel. Manufactured using an aerospace-derived superplastic forming technique, the panels have an interesting engineering backstory. But arguably more important is a tactile invitation that bodes well for the car’s market appeal.

– B.W.

Hit: Borgward Isabella concept

Best concept in the show. Illustrates what happens when a brilliant designer tackles an electric car. Anders Warming, ex-Mini design chief, is one of the best young Germans in the business. The Isabella has many innovative styling ideas, but some old ones that didn’t work 40 years ago, and don’t work now, such as the fading paint on glass.

–R.C.

Hit: Borgward Smartphone Fan

No question, the best swag at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show was this little fan that plugs into the bottom of your smartphone. It was given out by Borgward, a once-well-known German concern now reborn and backed by China, where its cars are sold. (They plan to return to Europe soon.) This little gizmo is exactly what you’d expect from a Chinese concern: Useful, amusing, cheaply made and potentially dangerous (good luck unplugging it without sticking your fingers in the whirling blades). I plan to steal about half a dozen of them by any means necessary. And what about Borgward’s SUVs, you ask? Trust me, the fan is better.

–A.G.

Miss: BMW i Vision Dynamics concept

Instead of showing us a Tesla Model S with a kidney grille, I’d like to have seen BMW unveil something new and forward thinking, like the Borgward Isabella concept.

–T.L.

Revelation: Jaguar I-Pace Trophy

With plans to electrify their entire lineup by 2020, Jag is going gangbusters on EV tech. This much we know. But the latest surprise from Frankfurt is that the folks from Coventry are transforming electric I-Pace crossovers into a support series for the Formula E series. Built by the carmaker’s Special Vehicle Operations division, the I-Pace eTrophy racer packs a satisfying visual punch: despite its family-friendly configuration, the wide-hipped, spoiler-clad, roll cage equipped sport ‘ute looks mean enough to appease the most hardcore internal combustion apologists.

–B.W.

Hit: Ferrari Portofino

To me, a successful Ferrari design is one that looks instantly familiar. You know you’re looking at something you’ve never seen, but you also know you’re looking at a Ferrari. The Portofino is one of those cars—it just looks right, and it manages to look right whether the top is up or down. Thirty years down the road, this will be remembered as one of the great Ferrari designs, and it’s a privilege to have seen it make its world debut.

–A.G.

Hit (qualified): Ferrari Portofino

Much better than the California, still not up to the usual Maranello standard.

–R.C.

  Hit: Hyundai Kona

If the Genesis G90 shows that the South Koreans can do a great imitation of Lexus, the Hyundai Kona shows they can do a great imitation of Citroën. This car has just enough nutsy details to keep it interesting without veering off into weird (Toyota CH-R), controversial (Nissan Juke), or downright ugly (Kia Sportage). What with all the mature-but-dull designs Hyundai has introduced over the past couple of years, the Kona might be the vehicle that gives them back their mojo.

–A.G.

IFTTT

[jonathanbelloblog]

2017 Frankfurt Motor Show Hits, Misses, & Revelations

FRANKFURT, Germany — Stanley Kubrick famously had planned a pie fight between the Yanks and the Soviets for the final scene of his 1964 classic, “Dr. Strangelove.” We couldn’t help thinking about such a pie fight breaking out in Volkswagen Group’s Hall 3 at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show, where the walking lanes came to a standstill as Audi conducted its Elaine concept press conference.

Compounding the crowd, Audi moved in with the rest of VW Group this year from its old spot in the center square between Hall 3 and Mercedes-Benz’s Guggenheim-like grand arena. Audi used to have a big, crowded, temporary arena all to itself. Dieselgate budget cuts, you know.

The Audi Elaine is a connected, electric four-door SUV “coupe” that premiered at Shanghai earlier this year (a sign of the times) and spoke to the automaker executive conducting the presser in a Cortana-like voice. It was in German, so we can’t tell you who the exec is or what he and Elaine said, but we yearned for Dustin Hoffman to yell “Elaine! Elaine! ”from offstage.

Enough of the cinematic metaphors. The big celebrity highlight was when three-time Formula 1 Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton drove out into Mercedes-Benz’s stand in the Mercedes-AMG Project One.

BMW and Mini moved from the front of the Frankfurt Messe, near Mercedes and VW Group, to Hall 11 about a kilometer away, which at least provided incentive to walk into the non-German automakers’ displays in-between. With General Motors gone, Opel shrunk to a smaller stand as part of PSA Peugeot, and nine other automakers having stayed home this year, the 2017 Frankfurt IAA was a smaller, more German industry-intense affair. Nonetheless, this show has plenty of cars and concepts to like, criticize and contemplate.

Hit: The idea behind the Mercedes-AMG Project One

I like the concept of a Formula 1-powered hypercar.

—Robert Cumberford

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One

Totally unconvincing collection-of-clichés styling. A serious disappointment.

—R.C.

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One

The biggest buzz of the show, if far from an unqualified hit. No, it’s not pretty and looks like an update of the legendary BMW-powered McLaren F1 road car. But Gorden Wagener’s team designed it for best aero and downforce, like a purpose-built racecar. Better yet, it’s the first hypercar that will be capable of speeds of nearly 220 mph from just 1.6 liters worth of hybrid turbo V-6.

—Todd Lassa

Miss: Mercedes-AMG Project One Nose

Perspective matters. My first glimpse of Project One came from a second story balcony, revealing a sculptural, wasp-waisted shape bisected by a contrasting air intake and dorsal fin in matte black carbon fiber. Coming down to ground level revealed an entirely different slant: viewed head-on, the 1,000-plus horsepower sled seemed surprisingly unemotional. Despite a more than a passing resemblance to the late, great McLaren F1, the AMG’s schnoz simply couldn’t deliver on the promise of that striking top view, let alone the sculpted, tucked, and diffuser-clad rump. Blame the slavish demands of the wind tunnel (or whatever/whomever you want), but Project One’s proboscis is a reminder that form can lose charisma when it’s tied so directly to function.

–Basem Wasef

Hit: Mercedes-AMG Project One Fin

Every great hypercar needs a signature design touch and Project One’s pièce de résistance is the carbon fiber piece that spans the mid/aft section of its roof. Doubling as an air intake and a shark fin intended to improve lateral stability in high-speed corners, this smoothly contoured form manages to evoke both a sense of function and touch of whimsy.

–B.W.

Hit: ASpark Owl

Is it a serious effort? Who knows, but in terms of styling, it really puts Project One on the trailer. Spectacular.

–R.C.

Revelation: ASpark Owl

I love walking along at an international auto show, minding my own business, and getting stopped dead in my tracks by an abjectly beautiful vehicle I’ve never seen before. Case in point: the ASpark Owl, a new electric supercar from Japan that makes some bold claims just begging for substantiation. Though I couldn’t find an expert on-hand, I did learn from a large format hardbound book (seriously) that this lean, mean, carbon fiber EV weighs only 1,900 pounds and packs two motors that can scoot it to 62 mph in two seconds flat. The prose includes no shortage of buzzwords (power amplifier, supercapacitor, speed reducer), but can we just brush all that aside for a moment and drool at the Owl’s killer looks?

–B.W.

Miss: Renault Symbioz Concept

Worst concept of the show. Lumpy plastic windshield, bad seating package, awful profile. Not at all up to the usual Renault concept standard.

–R.C.

Renault gets credit for unveiling not just a concept car, but an entire house to go with it. The Symbioz is one of those Internet of Things things, a battery-powered blobbymobile that can park itself and communicate with the house (i.e. if the heat’s on in the car, the house heats up as you approach). It can fold away its own steering wheel and turn into a sitting room, which is exactly what we don’t want from a car. The sad part is that in order to make the Symbioz the focus of its press conference, Renault gave short shrift to its other Frankfurt introduction, the Megane RS, a 276-hp hot hatch with four-wheel-steering. Now that’s the Renault we want to drive.

–Aaron Gold

Hit: Renault Symbioz Concept

Yes, yes, it’s all that. But the good news is: 2020, your new Renault Avantime is here.

–T.L.

Miss: BMW Concept X7 iPerformance

We love a big, imposing SUV just as much as the next jerk, but the BMW Concept X7 iPerformance’s odd proportions and massive maw is more off-putting than it is badass. Sure, it gains eco points for its plug-in hybrid drivetrain. But let’s leave the mean, menacing look for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, shall we?

–B.W.

I wouldn’t be so offended by the hideously massive “Star Wars” tie-fighter kidney grille if it weren’t for the Nissan Patrol/Infiniti Q80-style rear quarter-windows and d-pillars. Why didn’t they simply tap partner Toyota for a Land Cruiser to reskin?

–T.L.

Hit and Miss: 2019 Bentley Continental GT

The new Continental GT is big, bold, and breathtakingly beautiful. I’d call it a hit if the back end didn’t look like it was ripped off from an Audi A7—a sin that might be forgivable were both brands not owned by the Volkswagen Group. The A7 may well have the best-looking rump this side of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, but grafting it on to the Continental GT is just plain lazy.

–A,G.

Hit: The Bentley Continental GT’s Creased Haunches

Bentley’s long overdue Continental GT replacement has a lot going for it, including a new platform from Porsche, nearly 300 pounds of weight savings, and, finally, a modernized interior. But one curious detail caught our eye in Frankfurt: the coupe’s sharply creased haunches. “[Showgoers] haven’t stopped touching it,” one Bentley flack said of the aluminum panel. Manufactured using an aerospace-derived superplastic forming technique, the panels have an interesting engineering backstory. But arguably more important is a tactile invitation that bodes well for the car’s market appeal.

– B.W.

Hit: Borgward Isabella concept

Best concept in the show. Illustrates what happens when a brilliant designer tackles an electric car. Anders Warming, ex-Mini design chief, is one of the best young Germans in the business. The Isabella has many innovative styling ideas, but some old ones that didn’t work 40 years ago, and don’t work now, such as the fading paint on glass.

–R.C.

Hit: Borgward Smartphone Fan

No question, the best swag at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show was this little fan that plugs into the bottom of your smartphone. It was given out by Borgward, a once-well-known German concern now reborn and backed by China, where its cars are sold. (They plan to return to Europe soon.) This little gizmo is exactly what you’d expect from a Chinese concern: Useful, amusing, cheaply made and potentially dangerous (good luck unplugging it without sticking your fingers in the whirling blades). I plan to steal about half a dozen of them by any means necessary. And what about Borgward’s SUVs, you ask? Trust me, the fan is better.

–A.G.

Miss: BMW i Vision Dynamics concept

Instead of showing us a Tesla Model S with a kidney grille, I’d like to have seen BMW unveil something new and forward thinking, like the Borgward Isabella concept.

–T.L.

Revelation: Jaguar I-Pace Trophy

With plans to electrify their entire lineup by 2020, Jag is going gangbusters on EV tech. This much we know. But the latest surprise from Frankfurt is that the folks from Coventry are transforming electric I-Pace crossovers into a support series for the Formula E series. Built by the carmaker’s Special Vehicle Operations division, the I-Pace eTrophy racer packs a satisfying visual punch: despite its family-friendly configuration, the wide-hipped, spoiler-clad, roll cage equipped sport ‘ute looks mean enough to appease the most hardcore internal combustion apologists.

–B.W.

Hit: Ferrari Portofino

To me, a successful Ferrari design is one that looks instantly familiar. You know you’re looking at something you’ve never seen, but you also know you’re looking at a Ferrari. The Portofino is one of those cars—it just looks right, and it manages to look right whether the top is up or down. Thirty years down the road, this will be remembered as one of the great Ferrari designs, and it’s a privilege to have seen it make its world debut.

–A.G.

Hit (qualified): Ferrari Portofino

Much better than the California, still not up to the usual Maranello standard.

–R.C.

  Hit: Hyundai Kona

If the Genesis G90 shows that the South Koreans can do a great imitation of Lexus, the Hyundai Kona shows they can do a great imitation of Citroën. This car has just enough nutsy details to keep it interesting without veering off into weird (Toyota CH-R), controversial (Nissan Juke), or downright ugly (Kia Sportage). What with all the mature-but-dull designs Hyundai has introduced over the past couple of years, the Kona might be the vehicle that gives them back their mojo.

–A.G.

IFTTT