Is form and presence an integral function in car design? More so than ever before in the history of the car industry, it’s a resounding yes.
One car designer, Chris Bangle, now former head of BMW Group’s Design department, feels that modern cars, by design, are rolling works of art built to fit into their respective environments. I’ve taken that to heart as I look at car design, trying to appreciate the car for it’s stance, lines and curves just as much as I appreciate it’s drivability and peformance.
My perception of what car design can be was altered by Audi last night. After leaving the family’s BMW E60 5 Series at the valet, we walked into an upscale restaurant to grab a beeper and wait for the first available table. While walking around the stores by the restaurant I came across a beautiful Phantom Black Audi S8, parked between Loius Vuitton and Brooks Brothers stores, looking every bit the part of a $100,000 luxo barge that can hit 60mph in under 5 and aptly parked in front of two other upscale, elegant brands.
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For my money, I can’t rationalize an M5 when I know there’s a perfectly capable, more attractive and likely more useable V10 sedan out there than can go about it’s business with nobody none the wiser. The S6 just carries with it so much more presence and handsome looks over the M5 while still satisfying the driver - for me, the design is as important as the performance, a balancing act that the S6 has yet to be rivaled on.
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