Coventry University Automotive and Transport Design show 2026 highlights

Coventry University’s annual degree show demonstrated why the institution remains a key pipeline for design talent, with the BA students presenting a confident mix of innovative thinking, strong storytelling and industry-conscious design solutions.

Spanning everything from CMF-focused projects to influencer-ready autonomous shuttles, the show conveyed a message that these students are unafraid to tackle complex design challenges while still bringing their own perspectives to the table.

In fact, across the show, students demonstrated a clear understanding of ever-changing industry expectations – with user experience and emotional connection recurring themes.

Car Design News attended the opening night of the degree show, where the energy of the graduating students was palpable throughout the exhibition. Here are some projects that caught our attention…

Chamseddine Hmamly – Aequor

Hmamly presented a CMF-led project that reimagines long-distance rail travel as an immersive journey. Aequor is inspired by Hmamly's aim to design around an experience – not the other way around. Hmamly explained that the train experience is lacking, as passengers normally don’t get up from their seats until they reach their destination. To combat this, different zones are integrated into the train – a bar with seats, a faith room, fresh food zones and more.

The particular journey that Hmamly focused on is between Spain and Morocco – aiming to keep the tradition of a multi-generational diaspora journey to Morocco, occurring every summer, alive.

The interior design introduces a dynamic environment that is shaped by light, material and spatial variation. Passengers can transition through zones of rest, reflection and social interaction, with adaptive lighting that changes from city to city. For example, when passengers pull into Seville, yellow interior lighting glows to reflect the weather and culture. Each zone also features a different CMF palette – with light and dark blue tones combined with stainless steel or aluminium

Hmamly aims to create a travel experience that’s both emotionally engaging and refined.

Charlie Jefferson – Flux

Flux is a stylish GT aimed at the trendsetting explorer of 2035 who wants a vehicle that's as stylish as they are. The project addresses a growing desire to disconnect from digital overload and reconnect with nature. This vehicle merges an athletic aesthetic with multi-terrain capability into one, and this two in one package is set to appeal to those who may only have space for one vehicle but want both worlds.

Gull-wing doors add a suitable dose of drama, with LED screens at the front and sides. The vehicle is powered by front wheel hub electric motors and a high-revving Ducati engine in the rear. The rear open-air viewing perch also transforms into modular rear storage when needed.

What made this concept stand out to CDN is the sharp sculpted side body and almost modular approach in a GT setting. Also, the use of black in the glasshouse visually compresses the height of the vehicle and creates a dynamic silhouette. The orange accent line that sweeps upward toward the rear wheel is another nice touch, creating movement.

Daniel Collett – Surrealist Sprint

Collett’s project is an impressive showcase of what happens when vehicle design meets art. He designed this concept for a surrealist-art-loving individual and it’s a fully autonomous, single-seat electric sports car.

His research began with a focus on Salvador Dali’s organic shapes and forms and focussed first on the exterior form, taking a blocky shape to craft the structure from before adding underglow-effect lights and layers.

The aim was to create an experience, with the interior more of a living being with things like veins incorporated into the design. The vehicle will move via a gyro ball and can move in all directions (yes, no more parallel parking).

Edward Hopkins – Avant Apex-R

The Avant Apex-R, sponsored by Avant, is designed to take novice track day enthusiasts into experienced race car drivers through an interior that becomes a racing simulator, helped by a custom augmented reality helmet.

In simulator mode, the car provides an interactive environment for skill development, while on track it delivers a fully immersive driving experience.

Hopkins came up with this idea after noticing the development of race training – which is now done through data, simulation and augmented reality. Track driving also can be unsafe and intimidating for newbies.

The Avant Apex-R works via a custom augmented reality helmet that provides visual guidance directly onto the driver’s field of view, paired with the same human interface controls and touchpoints within the Apex-R cockpit, offering real-time coaching and track navigation assistance all while the vehicle is stationary.

Finn Lortan – Mawayah

Cars weren’t the only vehicles on show at Coventry, and it would be amiss of us to not include those other modes of transport. Lortan presented a catamaran design that offers the option of either a sailing or motor hybrid configuration.

The design is inspired by a Polynesian wellness and craft experience and aims to give back geographic freedom for digital nomads, while offering explorers an opportunity to engage with one of the birthplaces of the wellness tradition.

Lortan identified his two primary target audiences as digital nomads for the sailing model, and health and wellness explorers for the motor hybrid.

Isaac Webster – Electric performance vehicle

This concept aims to enhance the appeal of electric sports cars through the integration of an active ground effect downforce system.

Inspired by vehicles such as the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, Webster presented a large clay model that showcases a sculpted, aerodynamic body with pronounced front and rear wheel arches. A distinctive shoulder line runs high along the side of the vehicle, gently curving in accordance with the wheels at either end.

The simplicity of the wheel design adds to the futuristic feel of this concept, which is nicely finished through a tapered rear-end that features sharp right-angled taillamps.

Joshua Roberts – Off//Grid

Off/Grid is mobile studio and wellbeing hub for the modern content creator. Roberts found the inspiration for this idea when observing how many Gen Z-ers leave the career of influencing when they realise how much work it takes behind the scenes. To alleviate stress and anxiety, Roberts built a space they can use for work and wellbeing.

At the front of the vehicle is a workspace, with multi-configuration seats – perfect for meeting with clients or simply working solo. In the back is a soundproofed area with a sofa that can elevate, rise up and turn into a hammock-like design for resting.

Along the top level of the interior is a frame-like structure that hosts the cameras – which slide along this frame. There are also screens within the vehicle so the influencers can see what they are broadcasting.

Jimin Yu – Father & child

This track-focused vehicle sits between a racing car and go-kart and is designed in a two-seat tandem layout. Yu was inspired by her childhood and positive memories with her father and designed a vehicle that could replicate these experiences for others. 

In this configuration, the driver (Father) sits in the rear and can oversee the passenger (child) seated in front. This allows for safety and engagement. Inside, Yu adopts a two-tone approach using black and red leather with herringbone texture alongside chrome detailing.

Yu’s stand featured an impressive model that she had made in China, showing off the vehicle’s sleek surfaces and hourglass form.

Julia Klimaszewska – SHIFT

SHIFT is a third space CMF-focused autonomous interior concept for Gen Z China in 2040. An interesting component is that the interior CMF is transformed into figurines. Stay with us. 

Each figurine is the carrier of a different CMF theme. Dock one on the portal and E-Ink embedded in the surfaces activates – colours shift and patterns project. Klimaszewska’s figurines are based on China's Gen-Z sub-cultures and can also be made fully bespoke – so built around seasons or trends.

The idea is for the customer to collect more of these figurines in order to unlock more interior looks. Klimaszewska displayed an array of these figures on her stand, with each one 3D printed and hand-painted by her. 

Kar Wai Wong – VESS.L

Wong presented an amphibious vehicle which focuses more on the car than a boat — as would be typical for such a vehicle. He imagines VESS.L functioning as a car throughout the week and occasionally taking it to the water on the weekend for a diving or fishing trip.

When the vehicle enters the water, the spokes of the wheels emerge to help the vehicle propel itself. These spokes are powered through the hub motors of the vehicle. The interior also adapts, with the seats folding down so passengers can lounge on the backrest. There’s also a locker integrated into the back of the vehicle to keep items dry. Steps up the back of the vehicle allow passengers to climb back out of the water, and the rear wheel arches double as a diving platform.

Robyn Ham – A La Car(te)

Another CMF-focused project is Ham’s A La Car(te). This concept is an autonomous bus, but as the sides fold outwards and the furniture is moved from the inside to the outside, it becomes a pop-up restaurant. This idea allows chefs from different parts of the UK to have a space to showcase their food to the community.

Ham found inspiration in the Danish philosophy of hygge – the idea of creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere and savouring the simple pleasures of life. Therefore, the CMF choices are nature driven, following the principles of biophilic design.

Ham cleverly presented a complementary CMF palette underneath a cloche made up of leather made from olives, recycled copper and velvet made out of recycled plastic bottles.

Tim Britton – Scorpion

This firefighting unit stood out not only due to its purpose – to help those working in dangerous wildfire environments – but also due to its function first design approach.

Britton has a personal background in the fire service, so worked alongside active firemen to create this unit. The unit consists of three elements – the main fire & recue vehicle, a drone and a small autonomous robot. The autonomy of the drone and robot means that the firefighters are not putting their lives at risk going directly into a wildfire.

All three units are coloured in the classic fire engine red, with the main vehicle adopting an almost monolithic form, with a wraparound glazed front section creating strong visibility. A continuous illuminated light signature wraps around the upper perimeter of the body which enhances visibility in smoke-filled conditions – while also making the vehicle instantly recognisable.