Design round-up: Tesla Roadster 2; Porsche Mission S; Aston Martin’s new global design director

Tesla Roadster 2 

You’ll have surely seen by now, but Tesla has unveiled what Elon Musk claims is the ‘world’s first flying car’ at the SpaceX rocket development and testing facility in Texas. The viral video shows the Roadster 2 driving up a rollercoaster-like ramp using a multi-mode suction system before driving off the edge upside down to fly, flip and then land using cold-gas thrusters. Is this just a one-off trick of smoke and mirrors? This writer needs more convincing.  

As for the design, minimalism appears to be the guiding principle with sharp, angular motifs appearing throughout the bodywork. The headlights appear like two small hidden slats, and tinted glass windows are designed to mimic the copper coating of spacesuit visors. The exterior is coated in Ano White paint, which apparently takes inspiration from space-proof paint, and the interior is equally as white, accented with grey microsuede detailing.  

Watch the video below. 

Porsche Mission S 

Also revealed in the last 24 hours is the Porsche Mission S – what the brand has called the next generation of Porsche sports cars positioned above the 911. 

The exterior design is characterised by floating volumes – through the flowing forms and surfacing that wrap around the car. The lines are kept clean, with an encompassing main line connecting the light signatures at the front and rear.  

It’s clear that inspiration has been taken from previous models, with the round headlights and fenders harping back to the 911, the shut lines that merge into the light graphics paying homage to the G model and the flat front takes its cue from the GT1. 

The interior retains a clear focus on driver experience, with two defining lines running through the dashboard and the doors to create the feeling of sitting deep within the car. There’s a nice mix of classic buttons and displays and the CMF palette is a visually pleasing mix of metallic white, red and black chrome – staying true to the heritage of Porsche racing cars. 

Full release here. 

People news 

Alistar Whelan has joined Aston Martin as global design director, CDN presumes he will be working alongside current design director Marek Reichman. Whelen was previously chief creative officer at McLaren. 

Jorge Furuya has joined Ford as senior director of digital design. Furuya was previously head of car UX at Volvo. 

Andrea Armadoro has joined Xpeng as senior automotive interior designer. 

Joakim Njie has joined Volvo as senior surface designer. 

Charlie Berrisford has joined Urban Automotive as automotive designer. 

Daniel Nguy has joined Ford as digital sculptor. 

Dan Tait has joined Aston Martin as alias modeller.