Car Design round-up: Skoda sketches revealed, new pixelated light sources & Mini collaboration

Lucy Abbott Lucy Abbott

Published 8 September 2025 - 22:57

Car Design round-up: Skoda sketches revealed, new pixelated light sources & Mini collaboration

Bernhard Filser

Away from the noise of IAA Munich, Car Design News takes a look at new that may have gone under the radar over the last week

Nichia expands pixelated light source family

The pixelated light source family now includes the µPLS (MicroPLS) alongside the µPLS Mini and DominoPLS – taking glare-free headlighting from entry-level ADB applications to high-definition projection.

This line-up spans three tiers. The DominoPLS has been designed to support popular small cars transitioning from halogen or conventional LED systems. The µPLS Mini brings digital ADB capabilities to the broader car market, enabling individually addressable pixel dimming, higher brightness and symbol projection. The MicroPLS, already used in vehicles like the Porsche Cayenne, can project images using over 16,000 individually addressable pixels.

This expanded portfolio aligns with growing market trends towards adopting glare-free lighting.

The expansion of the pixelated light source

Skoda Vision O design sketches revealed

As the final teaser of the Vision O ahead of its reveal on 8 September in Munich, the design sketches reveal the bodywork and interior lines. The silhouette of the vehicle has been designed to improve aerodynamics, which should translate to an improvement in range.

Keep up to date with Car Design News for further updates.

Amalgam Collection recreates Aston Martin Valkyrie in 1:8 scale

As perhaps the ultimate accessory for Aston Martin Valkyrie enthusiasts, Amalgam Collection has created the only Aston Martin approved 1:8 scale model of the vehicle.

Over 3,000 hours were spent developing the models alongside the Aston Martin design and engineering teams. Each model takes over 300 hours to hand assemble by a small team of model artists and craftspeople.

And it can be yours for the low-low price of £14,740.

Mini partners up to create one-off cars

Mini and Deus Ex Machina have teamed up to unveil two one-offs: The Skeg, a stripped-back, fiberglass-heavy JCW Electric in vivid yellow and silver, inspired by surf culture’s raw minimalism.

The Machina is the second new reveal, a rally-bred JCW combustion car drenched in motorsport nostalgia, with widened fenders, bonnet-mounted lights and a Can-Am spoiler.

Inside, both trade gloss for grit – waxed fabrics, visible seams, neoprene and levers. Each carries the bold white “X,” a visual signature of co-creation.

Škoda Felicia Fun

Škoda has dusted off one of its quirkiest icons – the 1997 Felicia Fun – and reimagined it through its ‘Modern Solid’ design lens.

Designer Julien Petitseigneur’s concept keeps the cult pick-up’s sunshine yellow paint but trades the frog badge and colour-coded bumpers for chunky black cladding, neon-pink highlights and a light bar that glows pink instead of red.

The Tech-Deck face grille and T-shaped LEDs anchor it firmly in Škoda’s new design era, while retro flourishes – like dashboard graphics styled after old-school CRT monitors –capturing the original’s spirit.