Audi designer Marc Lichte – Driven To Write

Hark! What Sound in Yonder Window Breaks?

An old name makes a barely audible comeback.

Audi A8L Horch Founders Edition. 20mn.fr

There appears to be something rather half hearted and unmistakably anti-climatic surrounding recent product activity amid the traditional full-sized luxury saloon car. Last year, Mercedes introduced a new-generation S-Class and the automotive world yawned. In fairness, the renewal of the Mercedes flagship has long ceased to be a notable event and truth be told, the W223 bears hallmarks of even Sindelfingen’s ambivalence, now that the EQS EV bears its electrified North star.

So too at Ingolstadt, where Audi’s A8 has this week been in receipt of a refresh, aimed at seeing the model through to 2024 and its reputedly more ambitious replacement, heralded by the recent Grandsphere concept. Speaking of which, the current A8 itself was previewed in 2014 by the striking Prologue, an indulgent 2-door coupé (remember those?) whose muscular proportions were somewhat lost amid the transition to a production-ready four-door saloon.

The current A8 arrived in 2017 and has since settled down to Continue reading “Hark! What Sound in Yonder Window Breaks?”

Pinned Together, Falling Apart

Do we get the stylistic leaders we deserve?

In recent weeks the design chiefs of the German car industry’s premier division reminded us exactly how they justify their retainers. This elite trio of Audi’s Marc Lichte, BMW’s Adrian van Hooydonk and Mercedes-Benz’s Gorden Wagener hold perhaps the most coveted and yet simultaneously least enviable jobs in the business, being at the very sharp-end of the changes rapidly encroaching upon all carmakers, but impacting the upper denizens in potentially even more profound a manner.

Earlier this week, we talked to a design commentator about the challenges facing carmakers; given the lack of vision which characterises the mainstream legacy motor car in the current environment. Viewed in this context, the manner in which these particular figures have deigned to Continue reading “Pinned Together, Falling Apart”

Infra Dignitatem

Ingolstadt presents ‘the off-roader of the future’. What fresh hell is this?

There has been, I’m reliably informed, a discernible atmosphere of fin de siècle about this year’s Frankfurt motor show; in the curiously underpopulated halls, the appearance of evident cost-cutting amongst some of the larger OEMs, not to mention a marked bi-polarity in the semantics being proffered, particularly by the home team.

But while the metaphorical (and to some eyes, actual) barbarians mass outside the gates, inside the bacchanal continues unabated – at least in some quarters. Volkswagen came to Continue reading “Infra Dignitatem”

Prologue, Sequel Or Repeat?

Audi has previewed its new styling direction. It looks a lot like the old styling direction.

audi-prologue-25-970x646-c — Image credit: car revs daily

Based on the cumulative reaction to Audi’s new design direction embodied by the recent Prologue concept, Marc Lichte and his designers may have considerably more work to do if Audi is not to Continue reading “Prologue, Sequel Or Repeat?”