Automotive Detailing: The 6 Sexiest Design Elements in Modern Cars
There are so many parts in a modern automobile, sometimes the details get lost. Here, an examination of the little things that make a big impact.
TESLA MODEL X
Car doors open in many different ways — suicide, as on a Rolls-Royce; scissor, as on a Lamborghini; gullwing, as on a Mercedes SLS-AMG — but until this latest Tesla came along, doors have never opened quite like this. The Model X has Falcon Wing doors. They were dreamt up by Elon Musk and engineered from scratch by Tesla. They’re double-hinged, allowing them to lift up and out even in the tight confines of an underground parking lot. They make strapping a baby into a car seat (relatively) painless, and allow second-row passengers to make quite an entrance at soccer practice. $125,100
AUDI R8 SPYDER
5.2-litre V10 Engine
Internal-combustions engines exist on life support. They require a steady supply of air, oil and coolant, running through an elaborate system of pipes, without which an engine will quickly melt itself and explode into a thousand tiny pieces. This carbon-fibre side blade on the Audi R8 Spyder hides one of two air intakes for the exotic V10 engine, co-developed with Lamborghini. Spinning at 7,000 rpm, this engine could theoretically ingest as much as 18,000-litres of air per minute, half of which would be sucked through the honeycomb grille of this side intake. $198,100
JAGUAR F-PACE
Panoramic Roof
The sunroof on your typical stretch limo accommodates two people standing up, having the time of their lives. The roof on the F-Pace accommodates at least four, so we’ve heard. As safety regulations encourage smaller windows, many automakers are looking at ways to bring more light into cars. Jaguar was not the first to offer a panoramic all-glass roof, but it does it best. The glass top on the F-Pace covers all rows of seats, pops up and slides back, and has a shade for when you get sick of all the light. And it’s better than a convertible because you can see the outside world without it messing up your hair. $50,900
BMW 5 SERIES
Display Key
Tomorrow Never Dies was a bad movie with a great car chase. Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond uses a flip-phone to remotely drive his BMW 7 Series into some bad guys and off a roof. That was 1997 and it was pure fiction; this is 2017 and it’s reality. Almost. The new BMW 5 and 7 Series have a touchscreen key (dubbed the Display Key) that allows you to remotely lock your car, turn on the lights — and even drive from outside the car. The catch? You can only drive it straight forward into a parking space while standing near it. Useful, perhaps, if you have a narrow garage, but certainly best used to terrify your neighbours. You’re not James Bond yet. $61,500
CADILLAC CT6
Bose Panaray Stereo
A good car stereo system is not defined by stomach-churning bass or window-rattling volume, despite what the Fast & Furious franchise tells us. For its new flagship CT6 sedan, Cadillac worked with Bose to create this, the 34-speaker, 12-channel Panaray stereo (a $4,255 option). Bose brought the technology from those noise-cancelling headphones you love so much, then applied it on a bigger scale. A microphone in the car’s cabin monitors road and wind noise, and the stereo adjusts to mask it accordingly. The Panaray’s forte is, well, forte. It likes to be played loud. But this is a Cadillac, so of course the windows — nor anything else — will never rattle. $61,915
VOLVO V90 CROSS COUNTRY
Scandinavian Functionalism
The V90 was designed and built in Sweden. It shows. “If you look at functionalism in Scandinavia it was always more human-friendly, softer sided, than hardcore Bauhaus functionalism,” said Thomas Ingenlath, head of design at Volvo and the person behind the shape of the V90 Cross Country. You can see what he means here, around the rear light, where crisp edges are softened by luxurious curves. Volvo is in the process of re-inventing itself. By offering good Scandinavian design. As seen here, Volvo is carving out a niche. $61,900
Photography: Adrian Armstrong
