The Designers Have Spoken
At Detroit, industry professionals choose an Audi and a GMC for design nods
Despite its intimidating stance (and eco-friendly attitude), the Revenge Verde is not, according to a panel of 15 retired automotive design professionals, the best-designed concept car at Detroit's North American International Auto Show -- that award goes to the hulking GMC Granite (pictured, left).And despite interior and exterior appointments that would be the envy of most country clubs (with a price sticker to match), the Bentley Mulsanne was beaten out by a less rarefied -- though only slightly -- ride for best production vehicle: the new Audi A8.
The entire field of possible picks drew praise from one of the head judges, Willie G. Davidson, who said: "I think what’s been going on right now is a renaissance of design. As the industry reinvents itself, design becomes more important to tell the story of the future. I think new alternative powertrains create new opportunities for designers to give birth to new design direction."Former design honchos from companies overseas (Mazda) as well as domestic (Ford) had an interesting pool to choose from, including the MINI Beachcomber concept and the slick Buick Regal GS production car.
For a full run-down of what's happening at the North American International Auto Show, follow MSN Autos' wall-to-wall coverage here.
(Source: Detroit Free Press.)
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