
Karl Smith
Karl is the Car Design News correspondent in the United States. He lives near Los Angeles. He has written for Car Design News since 2013, as well as our sister publications, Interior Motives, and Automotive IT International. He has also been a contributor to our bespoke publications for Volvo and Nissan, as well as our annual Car Design Yearbook.
Karl has written for design journals for over 30 years and has been published in books and magazines in the US, Europe and Japan. Karl is also a practicing architect in California, with projects across the United States and in Europe.
Karl.smith@cardesignnews.com
Contact info
- Email:
- Karl.Smith@cardesignnews.com
- Website:
- www.KarlSmithStudio.com
- Article
The expanding universe of the pick-up truck
Times, and powertrains, are changing – Karl Smith investigates how the pickup truck is finding itself in the middle of an ever-expanding universe of products
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Book Review: Roots and Wings – Peter Schreyer: Designer, Artist and Visionary
Peter Schreyer, the man who steered Audi and Volkswgen through the 80s and 90s, and completely transformed Kia, Hyundai and Genesis, is now the subject of a stellar monograph examining his work
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Do these GM concepts signal the return of the personal luxury car?
Two futuristic concepts, the Buick Smart Pod and the Cadillac Innerspace Concept recently introduced by General Motors, point to a revival of a classic format
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The three-box sedan: requiem or revival?
Stateside, the three-box sedan seems to be in retreat with VW withdrawing the Passat and Lincoln phasing out the Continental. Is it all over for this time-honoured format, or does its future simply lie elsewhere in the world?
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Karma SC1 Vision & SC2 - interior design development
Karma Automotive, now owned by the Wangxiang Group, made a bold statement at the Shanghai auto show with its SC1 Vision Concept, a dramatic roadster previewing the evolution in design language for the brand. Its design drew inspiration from Karma’s California home: its climate, its culture, the glamour of Hollywood, the dynamics of surf and hot rod culture, and the state’s heritage of innovation in both the aerospace and automotive sectors all found a place in the styling of the SC1.
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General Motors and Bollinger introduce new EV platforms
EV startup’s new platform now faces growing competition from large OEMs
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Interior Motives: Nissan IMk
A deep dive into the design of Nissan’s IMk concept, exploring concepts like ‘Timeless Japanese Futurism’ and minimalism
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Concept Car of the Month: Lamborghini 400 GT Flying Star II (1965)
Revisiting the shooting brake that proved the swansong of an Italian coachbuilder’s heyday
- News
Hyundai launches the 2021 Elantra
Hyundai has launched its seventh-generation Elantra compact sedan for the US market, in Los Angeles
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Buick reveals production version of GL8 Avenir luxury MPV
Buick has revealed the production version of its China-only GL8 Avenir luxury MPV, and, to no one’s no surprise, it looks much like the concept introduced at the Shanghai Auto Show last year.
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Hyundai teases 2021 Elantra
Hyundai has released teaser images and a video previewing its new Elantra sedan for 2021
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Czinger completes motor show stand, plans London reveal
American supercar startup Czinger have set up their stand from the cancelled Geneva Motor Show, now in London
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Micro Mobility’s Microlino and Microletta
Micro Mobility had prepared a production-spec Microlino EV and a new Microletta electric scooter for Geneva
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Bentley Mulliner Bacalar
Undaunted by the cancellation of the Geneva show, Bentley introduced its ultra-exclusive limited edition Bacalar at its headquarters at Crewe Tuesday. The open-top car, based on the Continental GT convertible chassis, is limited to a production of twelve, and, naturally, they are all already spoken for
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Aiways shows production-ready U5 and U6 Ion concept
Chinese automaker Aiways launches the production version of its U5 SUV and unveils its U6 Ion concept. The latter could be shown at Beijing auto show later in 2020
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Czinger previews 21C hybrid hypercar
California based Czinger Vehicles was set to debut its 21C 3D printed hybrid supercar at the Geneva Motor Show. Alas…
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Concept Car of the Month: Opel Experimental GT (1965)
In the guiding hands of a young of Erhard Schnell, this month’s concept car, the Experimental GT, marked a turning point for Opel Design
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Cadillac debuts new 2021 Escalade
Cadillac has revealed the interior and exterior of the 2021 Escalade luxury SUV
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ArtCenter 2019/20 Degree Show
Quality over quantity at the leading California automotive design school ArtCenter
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Jukeboxes: the unlikely automotive influence
A look at the connection between mid-century American cars and jukeboxes