Hasta La Ideas

Guest post by Eric Capper

Conservative designs like the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Smart ForTwo have spread infectiously across a cost-conscious automotive industry vying for fuel efficiency. These cars certainly have their place in the market, but many consumers have wondered when they’d see a fuel-conscious car that actually looked like a car. Yes, there are already cars that promise strong fuel economy and unique exterior designs—the Tesla Roadster, Fisker Karma, Frazer Nash Namir and Koenigsegg NLV Quant—but none of these have the fire-breathing American grit of a good old muscle car.

Enter the Revenge Verde, a $190,000, 200 mph+ green monster marketed as “the world’s first guilt-free mid engine Supercar.” Though we’re not sure how the car’s absurd price and performance relinquish buyers from guilt, a fuel-efficient, mid-engine supercar manufactured entirely in America is certainly something to feel cozy about.

Based on the iconic Ford GT’s platform, the Verde is powered by the HP2g, a 400 hp V8 hybrid that achieves 110 mpg running on ethanol. Zero to 60 mph takes an estimated 3.5 seconds, and, much like the GT, the Verde’s expanse and sheer size are arrogant and alluring in a very American way. This is a true sports car: the Revenge Verde features either an electronic sequential 6-speed paddle or stick shift – both mandating a clutch pedal.

Two decidedly un-green engine options are also offered: Ford’s 605 hp engine and the Corvette ZR1’s 630 hp engine. The Verde is available in seven different colors, aside from the obvious Lamborghini Gallardo green to match the vehicle’s name.

More shots after the jump,

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Guest post by John Cantwell

Yesterday was perhaps the biggest day in recent memory for Ford, as the manufacturer swept the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards and, just a few minutes later, introduced its brand-new Focus to the world. A far-cry from the dowdy Foci currently on the road, the 2011 Focus marks a significant turning point for Ford, both in terms of the company’s heightened emphasis on the global small-car market and its approach to design.

Core77 sat down with Moray Callum, Ford’s executive director of design, to discuss the shape of the next wave of sustainable cars, the new Focus, and how the iPod changed the way car designers approach new projects.

Core77: This isn’t the first time that auto manufacturers have tried to be more fuel-efficient; after the fuel crisis in the 1970’s fuel efficiency shot up dramatically, but then gas got cheap again and cars got bigger. Do you see sustainability being a lasting initiative, or is it just a trend?

Moray Callum: I’ve been in the business nearly thirty years and I think there’s a real concerted effort now from a political and national standpoint to really be serious about alternative energies; I think this time we’re actually going to see a real sea change in the types of vehicles we see on the road. Whether it’s going to be 50% electric vehicles in ten years’ time I’m not sure, but I think there’s certainly going to be electric vehicles out there and I think they’re here to stay this time. It’s not just the ecological side of it, it’s the political side as well; people are trying to keep the power base in the U.S. So there’s a major interest from the auto industry, and I really sense it’s happening this time, in different ways. As I said, I’m not really sure what that final solution will be. But there’s definitely a concerted effort to make improvements.

Core77: I’m wondering if you see a “look” for these green vehicles emerging. The new Focus, for instance, is a lot tighter and more muscular than its predecessor, and we’ve seen other cars here in Detroit with a similar look, almost like a skin pulled very taut around a skeleton. Is that how designers are articulating efficiency, through these leaner designs?

MC: Well, I think, yes, you’re seeing a lot of these more muscular designs now, and that certainly is one way to indicate a car may be more efficient. There are also technical considerations. The drivetrains of gas cars mean the cars basically have to look a certain way because things have to go where they need to be; that may change as new powertrains are introduced. You may start to see cars looking very different then. At Ford, we’re not necessarily aiming for a “green” look for our cars right now, we think our technology will tell people the cars are more efficient.

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Looking for fun stuff to do while in Detroit for the North American International Auto Show? After (or before) trying some great Detroit spots like Slows Barb-B-Q or Supino PIzza in Eastern Market, consider heading out to Royal Oak to see Bethany Shorb’s “Crash” exhibition at the 323East Gallery.

Shorb, a Detroit-based artist, photographer, designer, and founder of the Cyberoptix Tie Lab, will be showing her current series of neckties, photographs, and screen prints (on both paper and deployed airbags) inspired by the J.G. Ballard novel Crash and the Normal song “Warm Leatherette”.

Crash by Bethany Shorb
6pm, January 15th
323East Gallery
Royal Oak, MI

More shots of ties, photos and prints after the jump.

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The ManaMana’ association of Turin, Italy is experimenting with a new concept of street market, where money is entirely banned. Instead not just barter, but true human exchanges that can sometimes be quite unusual.

Read all about it in these translations from Turin’s local La Stampa newspaper.

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In case you missed it, Good’s got a decade roundup by Alissa Walker, highlighting iconic moments in design from the past 10 years. If we had to choose our favorite, maybe it’d be 2008? Or 2001? Hmmm.

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