Category Archives: CONCEPT CARS

CONCEPT CARS

Lexus Glam LX Concept: The SUV That Doubles as a Dressing Room on Wheels

If you’ve ever wished your luxury SUV could double as a backstage beauty lounge, Lexus has just rolled out your dream ride. Meet the Lexus Glam LX, a one-off concept that turns the red carpet experience into a full-on mobile glam suite. Forget heated seats and massaging cushions—this LX is outfitted for makeup touch-ups, wardrobe changes, and last-minute nail fixes before you even step out of the driveway.

Lexus calls the Glam LX “a bold statement of design and innovation applied in a completely unexpected way.” Translation: it’s an SUV for the fashion-forward, a vehicle that puts self-expression above all else. Senior marketing manager Lisa McQueen summed it up best: “The Glam LX celebrates the latest chapter of Lexus, one that goes beyond comfort and craftsmanship to connect with our guests’ passions.”

Built in collaboration with Texas-based Complete Customs, the Glam LX wears a pearl symphony chameleon wrap that shifts in the light, accented by crystal-faceted badging that wouldn’t look out of place on a jewelry display. Inside, pink-and-white stitched leather collides with plush mohair, silk, and stone inlay—an interior less “off-road adventure” and more “couture runway.”

But it’s the features list that makes this LX truly shine:

  • Trunk Vanity & Dressing Suite: French doors open to reveal dual illuminated Robern mirrors, pullout chairs, and a retractable privacy screen. There’s even an LED-lit clothing rack and acrylic drawers for accessories.
  • Manicure Station: The front passenger seat is home to a nail bar with UV/LED lighting, ideal for a quick polish before a gala.
  • Second-Row Beauty Studio: The back seat transforms into a professional-grade makeup space, complete with stone-inlay tray tables, a dropdown illuminated mirror, and a halo-lit skylight for flawless lighting.
  • Smart Storage: Hot tool holders, integrated outlets, a refrigerated makeup console, and an LED handbag compartment mean essentials are always at hand.

The Glam LX won’t be showing up at your Lexus dealer anytime soon. Instead, it’s a marketing showpiece, set to appear at select brand activations throughout the year. But in an industry where “lifestyle” has become as important as horsepower, Lexus makes a convincing case that the ultimate luxury is not speed or power—but personalization and self-expression.

Call it over-the-top. Call it ingenious. Either way, the Lexus Glam LX proves that when the red carpet starts in your driveway, there’s no such thing as being overdressed.

Source: Lexus America

CONCEPT CARS

Lancia Pu+Ra Montecarlo: A Ghost from Turin’s Golden Age

There are two types of car designers. The ones who carefully colour inside Stellantis’ corporate lines, making sure every plastic panel fits neatly with a budget brief. And then there’s Christopher Giroux, a senior Ford man who, in his downtime, decided to resurrect one of Italy’s most charismatic ghosts: the Lancia Montecarlo.

Yes, the Montecarlo — the rakish Pininfarina-penned coupe that arrived in 1975 with mid-engine mischief, rear-wheel drive, and the DNA that would go on to create the flame-spitting Lancia Rally 037, the last rear-driven car to ever beat Audi’s quattro in the WRC. Proper heritage. Proper romance. And Giroux thought: why not? It’s the 50th anniversary. Let’s bring it back.

The result is the Lancia Pu+Ra Montecarlo, and it’s equal parts retro postcard and sci-fi sketch. Think wedge-like profile, blacked-out nose, and T-shaped LED lights — the kind of thing you’d expect to see in Turin’s design studios after a long lunch of Barolo and cigarettes. Only here, the nostalgia has been filtered through Blender, Photoshop, and AI, which is either blasphemy or genius, depending on whether you still have Paolo Pininfarina posters on your bedroom wall.

From some angles, it looks like a glassier, sleeker Stratos. The front chin juts out with proper exotic swagger, while the roof gets circular cutouts like it’s been moonlighting as a Bauhaus experiment. Around the back, there’s a discreet spoiler, razor-thin lights, and a diffuser that seems to whisper: don’t worry, I’ll look fantastic in Martini stripes.

Speaking of which, Giroux didn’t just stop at the showroom fantasy. He built a full-blown Alitalia-liveried rally version, complete with gold alloys, swollen arches, and more intakes than a Dyson showroom. It’s a clear nod to the 037, but updated with LED daggers, a ducktail spoiler, and a diffuser that screams “I’m ready for Monte Carlo 1983, where’s my group B entry form?”

Of course, there’s one small problem: it doesn’t actually exist. No drivetrain, no chassis, no Stellantis green light. It’s a sketch, a digital passion project. Giroux hints at an EV layout — slim proportions, sealed surfaces — but he’s also teased exhausts and vented rear ends like it’s packing a mid-mounted turbo four. The truth is, it could be anything from a hairdryer to a hydrogen rocket.

And therein lies the tragedy. Because while Lancia is busy selling a single Ypsilon to pensioners and planning crossovers that’ll inevitably wear more chrome than soul, this Pu+Ra Montecarlo proves the brand could still build something with fire in its belly. Something worthy of the badge that once conquered rally stages and lit up Italian piazzas.

Will it happen? No. Stellantis has more spreadsheets than sports car dreams, and Lancia needs stable sales before Turin’s accountants let the word “coupe” into the boardroom. But still, Giroux’s vision is a reminder: the Montecarlo isn’t just history. It’s a challenge. A dare. A stylish ghost from the ’70s tapping Stellantis on the shoulder and whispering: remember what you used to be?

Source: Lancia

CONCEPT CARS

Hyundai Concept THREE: A Bold, Compact Vision of the Ioniq Future

Hyundai rolled into IAA Mobility 2025 with something small, sharp, and unashamedly ambitious: the Concept THREE. It’s the company’s first compact EV concept to wear the Ioniq badge, and also the clearest signal yet that Hyundai wants to democratize electric mobility without sacrificing personality.

Compact in footprint but brimming with character, the Concept THREE debuts a new design language called “Art of Steel.” It’s not just an aesthetic exercise—it’s a philosophy born out of Hyundai’s unique position as one of the few automakers that actually makes its own steel. That fact became the seed of an entirely new design direction.

Simon Loasby, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center:
“We asked ourselves: how can we celebrate steel? Not just make a car out of it, but design a form that expresses its strength, flexibility, and beauty. ‘Art of Steel’ is about capturing the artistry of bending, curving, and flowing steel into volume.”

Paper, Steel, and the Birth of Form

The design team didn’t start with clay. They started with paper sculptures.

Nicola Danza, Head of Exterior Design, Hyundai Design Center Europe:
“When you look at a steel coil in a factory, gravity alone creates highlights as it bends and folds. Even the gentlest curves reveal something beautiful. We simulated that first with paper—studying tension, flow, and natural form—before experimenting with actual steel sheets.”

From those experiments emerged the Concept THREE’s most distinctive visual cue: three intersecting bends running across the fender, door, and C-pillar. These layered planes create highlights that shift in the light, giving the compact hatchback a taut, muscular stance without resorting to overwrought surfacing.

Loasby recalls the moment the winning silhouette appeared.

“One sketch just jumped off the screen. We called it the Aero Hatch. The roofline accelerates just behind the rear passengers for headroom, then plunges into a ducktail spoiler. Aerodynamic, efficient, but also emotional. And honestly—who doesn’t love a ducktail spoiler?”

A Hatchback Without a Face

Unlike other brands that force a single corporate grille across their lineup, Hyundai embraces individuality.

Nicola Danza:
“Every model is a chance to invent something new. Our cars don’t share a single face, and that’s deliberate. That freedom is what allows Hyundai to create fresh identities for each segment.”

The Concept THREE’s face is crisp and modern, punctuated by playful details—like the mysterious “Mr. Pix.”

Simon Loasby:
“We wanted to create a character for this car. The team chose the pixel—so we made Mr. Pix, a little figure hidden throughout the design. You’ll find him in the displays, HUD, speaker grilles, even the rear loudspeakers. The designers had fun with it, and people enjoy discovering him.”

Inside the Curve

Step inside and the Concept THREE doubles down on its mission: keep the driver’s eyes on the road, hands on the wheel.

Raphaël Bretecher, Head of Interior Design, Hyundai Design Center Europe:
“We clustered key screens around the steering wheel, so you’re not searching through menus for basic functions. Screen reduction is key—it’s about immediacy, not distraction.”

The cabin architecture plays with both safety and sustainability. An illuminated battery strip glows subtly along the floor. Door panels use aluminum foam—lightweight, structural, and visually striking. Upholstery blends wool with metallic-finished leather, creating what designers call the “Curve of Upholstery.”

Emilie Grimm, Advanced CMF Designer:
“Because it’s a concept, we can push materials that aren’t yet ready for mass production—like UV-absorbing tinted glass, seat fabrics from recycled ocean waste, and floor coatings made with aluminum powder. It’s about previewing innovations that could trickle into the next generation of Ioniq.”

Small Car, Big Future

Hyundai’s compact EV concept is more than just a showpiece—it’s a preview of where Ioniq is headed.

Simon Loasby:
“Concept THREE stretches the bandwidth of electrification. It prepares us for a compact, lower-cost production car that makes Ioniq accessible to everyone. And, just like the SEVEN concept, the production version will be even better.”

Playful details, a ducktail spoiler, recycled aluminum powder floors, and a digital pixel mascot—Hyundai is showing that small EVs can be affordable and emotional. The Concept THREE isn’t just a vision of what’s next for Hyundai. It’s a reminder that the future of mobility doesn’t need to be bland—it can smile back at you.

Source: Hyundai