JACK RIX Editor-in-chief @jack_rix editor@bbctopgearmagazine.com
My name is Jack Rix and I am a car design ignoramus. Sure, I probably know more about Hofmeister kinks and Fuchs wheels than the average person in the street, but by and large I judge not on historical references and the designer’s CV, but on my own raw reaction to seeing something for the first time. And I’m fine with that, because that’s what makes car design so endlessly fascinating: there is no single formula for what makes one vehicle an absolute stunner and another a hideous waste of natural resources.
The new Renault 5 and Honda e are a curious case study because while both radiate cute retro vibes with a layer of tech on top, the Renault is a direct reboot of the original R5, whereas the Honda is a more general homage to the past. Still, both work brilliantly and the want is strong.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is something different. It came out of nowhere with its crisp sci-fi creases and dot matrix lights, blending retro with dystopian future to create a ridiculously desirable EV family hatch. Yes, there are references to Hyundai’s first production car – the 1975 Pony – in there, but I learned that later... its shape just slapped instantly, no prior knowledge required.
Then there’s the Tesla Cybertruck. More polarising than Trump, but as a piece of pure shock and awe it’s unparalleled. It’s silly by any conventional design standards, but not since the Lamborghini Countach have so many jaws had to be scraped off the floor... and for that reason I’m a fan. Being shocking, or even mildly surprising, isn’t a requirement though. Enter the Mazda Iconic SP, a preview of a future RX-7 so taut in its skin, so voluptuous and flowing that it’s physically impossible not to fall head over heels for. See also the Alfa 8C.
By the same token, there are all sorts of ways to create off-putting designs. The snouty, bloated and
