Today the automotive world lost one of its greatests (if not the greatest) legends in car design – Signor Marcello Gandini. Know affectionately as the “Maestro”, his career and achievements aren’t defined by corporate titles, but by the remarkable legacy he leaves behind. Generations have been inspired by his work and will continue to be for many years to come. His extensive portfolio of iconic cars is the stuff every designer dreams of, yet very would ever achieve in a lifetime…
It is merely impossible, nor practical to showcase all of his incredible work in a single post. It will take a lot of writing and images to upload. Therfore, please excuse me, if I haven’t included all of his creations in this single post. However, I am going to do another post looking at his amazing book Marcello Gandini: Maestro of Car Design by Gautan Sen.
Thank you for being such an inspiration. Rest in peace, Maestro!
In the month of October 2023 myself and my dear friend Deyan Denkov had the pleasure to offer one week workshop for the master students in the Bulgarian Academy of Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria.
New Land Rover Defender – sketch examples from the one week workshop for the Master Design Students at the Bulgarian National Academy, Sofia. October 2023
The workshop lasted one week and was organised with the help of, Rangel Chivep, an industrial design professor at the Bulgarian Academy of Arts and open everyone – subject to application. Its primary objective was to enhance the skills of master students through hands-on guidance in car sketching techniques. We delved into fundamental principles such as the essence of volumes and proportions that constitute a compelling car design sketch, emphasizing the significance of developing a strong design theme in order to with a project within the design studio. Students were challenged to propose designs as if they were tasked with reimagining a renowned British icon for Jaguar Land Rover.
Furthermore, we shared invaluable insights gained from our long experience within the Automotive Design industry, shedding light on the operational dynamics of design studios. Through discussions, we shared anecdotes from various projects, elucidating the challenges encountered by designers in the course of a typical day in a Car Design Studio.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all students who joined the workshop class and especially Rangel Chipev without who this won’t be possible.
Following up my previous post about the Porsche 911 (964) restomod sketches and ideas and still in the mood of celebrating Porsche’s 75th anniversary, here is another shot but this time it’s the legendary and unbeatable Porsche 917K. It would be interesting to see what a street-legal 917K (if such a thing can even be considered in one’s wildest dreams) would look like. Perhaps that’s an idea to go back to? Anyway, I hope you enjoy the Porsche 917K sketches below π
Q: After a successful career in some of the biggest automotive companies, you now have your own design studio. Who are your customers? What projects are you working on? Could you please tell us briefly about the most interesting projects of recent years?
A: When I worked as a car designer in the studios of the big automotive companies, I often felt like another cog in the big machine, whose contribution to the final product was minimal for a number of reasons. Itβs different now; my clients include companies and individuals, some not even in the automotive business. In the several years since I have been completely independent, Iβve had the pleasure and rare opportunity to work on projects ranging from concept cars, go-karts, electric scooters, lighting fixtures, limited edition boutique cars, high-performance sports cars, bodykits, restomods, electric cars, medical furniture, and nanosatellites. The work is varied, with each project posing its own unique challenges. Unfortunately, as with major studios, not every promising project sees the light of day. One of the most interesting projects was for the Bulgarian company EnduroSat, a world leader in nanosatellite technology. I never imagined that I would be working on a product destined for space, but it turned out that even in this industry, dictated entirely by space science and engineering, there is room to contribute.
Q: What moment in your life and what event was decisive for your future successful career as an automotive designer?
A: There are moments in a personβs life when decisive choices are made, and sometimes itβs impossible to know whether those choices will lead to success β this clarity often comes after years. Back in 1997, at the age of 13, I decided to turn my passion into a profession, and everything seemed unattainable, let alone a successful end. In those years and specific circumstances (considering that at that time, a monthly salary in Bulgaria was 100-200 Euros, and overseas exotic jobs seemed not only a daydream but extremely naΓ―ve and impractical), considering my qualities and skills, the only realistic option for realization seemed to be architecture. But my late elementary school drawing teacher, Stoyan Dichev, could not accept that path for me. He believed I had too much talent to be fully utilized as an architect. He argued that one should follow their dreams and not waste their God-given gift β in my case, my talent β but use it for its intended purpose. He took a small group of us to the Art School in Kazanlak, where the basics of industrial design are studied β for me, it was one step closer to my still absurd dream. Years later, I realized his pivotal role in my life and how his refusal to let me waste my talent charted my path. Everything afterward was the struggle of a child from Yambol to achieve his dream. The road was difficult and unclear, but the direction was set. I am deeply grateful to him and will pass on this precious life lesson to the next generation.
Q: How do design teams work at major automotive companies? Do they have big teams with lots of designers? Is there competition between designers? Who decides which proposal is to be the winning design? How long does it take to develop a new model?
A: Most car manufacturers have their own design studios, and some even more than one. The need for more than one studio comes from developing products for the local and specific market as well as competing with other studios within the company to win a project. Teams vary greatly in terms of organization, number of people, and even activity. Letβs say a studio of 100 people is average in size and there are no more than 20 designers in it. The rest of the team are clay modelers, 3D CAD modelers and visualisers, engineers, modelers and some administration. But there are also large studios with over 200-300 people working together in one building or several buildings.
Yes, competition is not only there, but it is ruthless. Letβs not forget that we, who come from countries where such professions are not practiced, have to compete not only locally (England, Italy, France, Germany, USA, Japan, etc.) but globally, with everyone who aspires to prove themselves or join a particular company.
Iβd love to say that the best solutions are chosen based on the merits of the design itself or whatβs best for the product/company, but unfortunately, thatβs not always the case. In theory, several designers compete for their proposal to be selected and developed by the team, but this is rarely the reality. As anywhere else, internal politics and intrigues play a significant role in deciding whose design moves forward. Ultimately, the design director of a studio is responsible for the studioβs output and its success. Itβs also their responsibility to defend their teamβs work to the companyβs management. Iβve witnessed many instances where design directors yielded to pressure from senior management, resulting in products with numerous compromises that the company later regretted. The larger the company, the more convoluted these decisions become
The development time for a model varies depending on whether itβs a concept car, a facelift, or a new model. A concept car can take an average of 6-12 months, while a production car typically takes around 18-36 months. Every new model you see on the road was completed at least a year earlier, and its first sketch was made at least 3 years prior!
Q: How are consumer trends and opinions researched?
A: It is crucial for manufacturing companies to thoroughly understand and position their products in the market. Often, company objectives do not align with reality, leading to products that lack competitiveness, regardless of the marketing investment. Each project and design process should start with understanding the target consumers and the productβs function, emphasizing the importance of market research. Human psychology shows that asking 1000 people will yield 1000 opinions, and car design does not adhere to this approach. During certain stages of design development, car companies conduct βclinicsβ where individuals matching the target customer profile review multiple solutions and provide feedback. I personally doubt the effectiveness of this process, and an industry joke comes to mind: βWhat is a camel? Answer: a horse designed by a committee.β Designers are forward-thinking innovators; therefore, studies and statistics are based on existing knowledge or whatβs known to people.
What is the most important feature when designing a new car today, in the 21st century?
A: I wish I could provide a single-word answer, but due to the productβs complexity and its indispensable role in our daily lives, itβs challenging to offer a concise response. Certainly, a modern car must be reliable, technologically advanced, environmentally friendly, and aligned with consumersβ lifestyles. However, itβs crucial to remember that cars in the 21st century are still used by humans. For instance, an interior solely featuring a tablet in the vehicleβs center is not only sterile but also impractical and lacks ergonomic design.
How do new technologies affect car design?
A: Regarding their influence on the work process, I can say that things have become more fast-paced. New technologies donβt inherently make us better designers; in fact, examining cars from the golden era of design in the 60s and 70s illustrates this point clearly.
However, when considering their impact on the final product, itβs a different story. Although new technologies sometimes interfere and create limitations (such as sensors, safety regulations, and more complex hardpoints), the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. A closer look at modern automotive headlights reveals how much technology shapes the end result. Similarly, in interiors, advancements in infotainment systems and CMF (colors, materials & finishes) have made significant strides in less than a decade. Simultaneously, the rise of electric cars and their construction, notably the skateboard platform, introduce possibilities that were previously non-existent
Q: What is more important for the success of a new vehicle model β impressive technical parameters or the emotional impact of the design?
A: It varies, sometimes both are essential. Consider Tesla as an example where, to put it mildly, design takes a backseat. In this market segment, weβre dealing with products featuring groundbreaking technologies that hold a specific purpose and market position, yet emotional purchase considerations, particularly with Tesla, are notably absent. Conversely, boutique sports car manufacturers prioritize factors like acceleration from 0-100km/h or horsepower, but these arenβt the sole drivers behind a customerβs decision β emotional elements play a significant role as well.
Q: How do you see the vehicles of the future being developed?
A: The evolution of cars as products and their application directly correlates with peopleβs lives, and these dynamics are subject to the global situation. Weβre currently witnessing substantial geopolitical shifts and alterations in the world order, significantly impacting energy sources and subsequently altering our lifestyle. This will inevitably shape the automotive sector and determine the future of cars. Despite the European Unionβs autocratic pressure for a complete shift to electric cars, EVs alone donβt provide the sole and ultimate solution for addressing pollution and CO2 emissions. Numerous promising technologies, such as hydrogen or synthetic fuels, hold tremendous potential. While vehicles will always be necessary, the choice of energy source will be pivotal. Equally critical is whether people will embrace change in their vehicle preferences, considering factors like living conditions, the need for autonomous driving, infrastructure availability, and more. We live in a highly dynamic world, making it immensely challenging to predict the exact form and features of future cars. However, one certainty remains: personal transportation will persist, though the extent and form it will take are uncertain
Q: How would you complete the sentence: βGood design isβ¦β
A: Itβs an amalgamation of numerous solutions, tasks, and challenges crafted into an aesthetically pleasing form for the end consumer. Unlike art, where the goal is often self-satisfaction, design involves creating a product that fulfills diverse requirementsβ¦ and ideally contribute with something of yourself.
Q: How do you perceive the future of design?
A: Speaking realistically, our profession emerged during the industrial revolution, driven by the need to enhance and innovate the products surrounding us. Presently, design pervades a significant part of our daily lives, even reaching those unrelated to the field on a subconscious level. Design has become an integral aspect of modern life, and irrespective of future directions, it will hold a central position in various forms and dimensions of our lives.
Charge Cars reimagined the 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback into a modern luxury EV, blending vintage allure with cutting-edge technology.
Let’s talk about the exterior design of the Charge Cars EV. n 2019, I was brought in to provide design services to the London based start-up company for their ambitious EV project: the 1967 Fastback Mustang, or also know as the ’67. Collaborating closely with the Design Director, I assumed a pivotal role in managing various aspects of the design development process. Utilizing my considerable expertise, I played a key part in shaping the direction of Charge Cars’ design studio, ensuring alignment with the project’s objectives and the company’s overarching vision.
Charge Cars ’67 EV, Image Credits: Charge Cars
At the heart of the project was the company owner Denis Sverdlov’s ultimate vision: to modernize the iconic muscle car while preserving its authentic charm eternally. This required a delicate balance between innovation and tradition, with a focus on minimal exterior changes. During the initial sketch phase the Charge Cars EV, we proposed various changes to the car’s exterior, but Mr. Sverdlov’s brief was clear: create a modern interpretation of the iconic muscle car while preserving its original essence. This meant minimal exterior alterations, prioritizing execution and attention to detail. It wasn’t an easy task believe me!
During the process several bodies of the donor car were scanned and utilized partial reverse engineering techniques to optimize the vehicle’s exterior. Carbon fiber panels were strategically incorporated to enhance both aesthetics and performance, while modern features such as flush door handles and bespoke LED lights added a touch of contemporary flair. Notably, the innovative integration of the charging port into the side intake showcased our commitment to seamless design integration. The introduction of a new front grille proudly displaying the Charge logo further emphasized the brand’s identity, while modern wheels and wide tires underscored the vehicle’s formidable presence on the road.
More information about the Charge Cars EV and my involvement in the project you find on my website.
Charge Cars ’67 EV rear end, Image Credits: Charge Cars
My first “proper” iPad Pro sketches. After having it for some years, I never got around to using it for my design work – I usually stick to Wacom Intuos Pro and Photoshop. I must admit I struggle with it and find ProCreate extremely frustrating and fiddly software to work with. The brush settings are eithet too hard or too soft, never right. For something that’s meanth to be a simple app for the iPad – i.e. replace the computer software I find it too bloated with useless settings and. One of the sketches is actually done on Autodesk Sketchbook, which seems more adequate and fit for purpose.
If you want to see more examples of my sketches digital or analogue, please loot at my sketchbook page.
BOXX RenderPro Review: Many people make the wrong assumptions that all designers and creative people work on Mac computers – Totally Wrong! Despite their “Pro” name, MacBookPros and MacPros are just good looking consumer grade computers ideal for photographers, graphic designers and home enthusiasts. When it comes to demanding professional work however, we are talking about BOXX, Lenovo ThinkStation, HP Z series and DELL Precision series. Workstations like these are designed to be fast, very reliable and run under heavy loads for many hours, even days! BOXX needs little introduction to the creative professionals. They are computer specialist making some of the finest and fastest workstations for creative professionals.
What is renderPRO then? RenderPRO is a product made from BOXX computers designed to help the creative professionals doing a lot of 3D rendering while simultaneously working on their main workstation, in other words it’s a personal render farm/slave. For more information, please check out the video provided below.
Build & Design If you’re familiar with certain BOXX products already you will find that the unit is cleverly designed to sits on top of your Apexx 4 or 5 workstation. It comes in the same black grained exterior colour to match your workstation too. It’s really good to look at and it feels solid! Unlike the mainstream computer vendors, all BOXX products feel solid and made with high quality and durable materials so no surprise here. One thing to consider, this little beast is not meant to be used as a main workstation or stand alone computer, although it can be. The main purpose of this little but powerful unit is to sit on top of your workstation and render large 3D scenes while you’re working on your computer.
Some Useful Info: For many years Autodesk Showcase was the main Realtime Visualisation software used in the Car Design Studios, however since Autodesk bought RT, VRED has become “the new thing” for realtime visualisations. It’s the software we use in the design studios for reviews, still shots and VR sessions too. I personally use VRED a lot to render my designs, so rendering in VREDis going to be the main topic here.
I have 4 computers that I use for work, but my main workstation is BOXX Apexx 4. The specs are: Intel i7-5960X overclocked to 4 GHz, 64GB DDR4-2133 RAM, NVMe PCIe SSD, NVidia Quadro M4000 etc. Why i7 and not Xeon one may ask? Because most of the applications we use in the design world are still single core/thread hence the highest the clock speed the better. Softwares like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe illustrator and Alias Design still use a single core and spending money on dual processor platform with multi cores will be quite unjustified baring in mind they are all designed to run at lower core speeds and are more expensive. Therefore the extreme i7 is the best option here. Then one might say, but what if you have to process a lot of 3D scenes on your machine, don’t you need a machine with dual processor setup? Yes you do, but if you try to do it all on one machine it’s often a bad idea because regardless of how many processors and cores you may have, they are never enough. Once you start a production rendering in V-Ray/VRED or similar software, the rendering engine will absorb all your cores and cpus and will leave no computer resources for you to continue your creative work. A high-quality image takes on average 2 hours to complete in VRED, therefore it is frustrating and inefficient to stop your work for two hours until your scene is rendered. Fiddling with the affinity on your processor cores is not ideal either as it slows down the rendering times and often makes the software not responding.
And finally to the point. What’s the best solution? Answer: Get the fastest singe processor computer you can get to do all your design work and send the 3D scenes to a render farm/slave! The guys from BOXX realised there is a niche for this kind of product and offered a neat and easy to use solution in the form of renderPRO. It’s portable and compact, yet very powerful computer designed just to do that – render in the background while you work. Those professionals having access to massive render farms probably don’t have to worry about this, but to those of us who don’t, it’s a great help!
Here are the specs of the renderPRO unit:
2 x Intel Xeon E5-2680v4 CPU 2.4 GHz. 14 cores each 64GB (4 x16GB) DDR4 ECC memory NVidia Quadro K1200 4GB 240 GB 2.5inch SATA SSD Win 10, 64 Bit Price: Β£6,907 (excluding VAT)
The Test: For the purpose of the test I tried a few different scenes to compare rendering times of the extreme i7-5960X vs dual Xeon renderPRO. Same scenes were rendered on both machines using the same settings, same resolution and same camera angles. Please check the results and times bellow:
Image 1, Lotus 78: VRED image | Resolution 4K, 4096 x 2160 px | 512 Image Samples. Local: BOXX Apexx 4, Intel i7-5960X @ 4.0 GHz (8 core): 27:27 min Cluster: BOXX renderPRO, 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2680v4 CPU 2.4 GHz (28 core): 11:35 minImage 2, Ultima GTR: VRED image | Resolution 2560 x 1600 px | 512 Image Samples. Local: BOXX Apexx 4, Intel i7-5960X @ 4.0 GHz (8 core): 15:05 min Cluster: BOXX renderPRO, 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2680v4 CPU 2.4 GHz (28 core): 6:23 minImage 3, Ultima GTR: VRED image | Resolution 2560 x 1600 px | 512 Image Samples. Local: BOXX Apexx 4, Intel i7-5960X @ 4.0 GHz (8 core): 9:55 min Cluser: BOXX renderPRO, 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2680v4 CPU 2.4 GHz (28 core): 4:11 minImage 4, Ferrari LaFerrari: VRED image | Resolution 2800 x 1477 px | 512 Image Samples. Local: BOXX Apexx 4, Intel i7-5960X @ 4.0 GHz (8 core): 36:45 min Cluser: BOXX renderPRO, 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2680v4 CPU 2.4 GHz (28 core): 15:30 minImage 5, Porsche 918: VRED image | Resolution 2560 x 1340 px | 512 Image Samples. Local: BOXX Apexx 4, Intel i7-5960X @ 4.0 GHz (8 core): 9:36 min Cluser: BOXX renderPRO, 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2680v4 CPU 2.4 GHz (28 core): 4:05 min
As good as the i7-5960X is, it’s tough to beat 2 Xeons with 28 cores in total! So on average the renderPRO is ~55-60% quicker than the i7-5960X powered workstation. A few minutes here and there probably sound insignificant, but in real life scenario when you have a massive queue of files to be rendered and if each rendering takes ~1 hour to complete, it will take 10 hours for the workstation and ~4-4.5 hours for the renderPRO…..and very importantly, you’ll be able to continue your work on the main workstation. Recently I completed a customer project involving dozens of VRED rendered scenes and the renderPRO was a great ally in achieving the goal. We all know how it is when the deadline approaches…
Conclusion: For those creative professionals working for massive companies and having access to big render farms, this very likely isn’t the droid you’re looking for! However, for those of us working in small teams and multitasking all the time, a solution like this is quite a breakthrough. One could probably argue that buying several desktop computers to use as render farms can do the same thing – yes, maybe, but it’s quite a hard work. You have to manage several more PCs, they take much more space and for sure they will be slower. In my own experience this is a very niche product addressing the problem we have working with heavy 3D scenes. It’s also small, portable and if accompanied with an Apexx workstation it makes a great pair for every creative professional out there working on his own or in a small studio. My only criticism is the noise the renderPRO makes when fully loaded. The fans obviously need to cool down the two processors, but I wouldn’t mind if it was a little bit more quiet. Perhaps water cooling can be introduced for the next models. So is it worth it? If you’re a casual/hobby 3D Artist then probably it’s too expensive to justify. If you’re working in a small team or studio you should probably know the benefits and value of such and efficient workflow.
Pros: – Very good solutions for the Creative Professionals. – 2 processors with multiple cores make a difference when rendering scenes – Easy to set up, you don’t need to be an IT expert. – Compact and good looking device. – Great Customer Support from BOXX.
Cons: – Noisy when under heavy load. – Price. At the very top end the unit could cost Β£15,000. (My configuration sells for around Β£7000).
