Coventry University Automotive Design BA degree show 2025

Coventry in Spring this year delivered on two things: unseasonably warm weather and a fresh crop of future car designers showcasing what the next big thing might look like – if brands are bold enough to hire them.

But the heat wasn’t just in the air, it was radiating off the wild, wonderful concepts that turned Coventry University into a greenhouse of imagination. A sentient vehicle that lets users relive personal nostalgia? Tick. A reimagined hearse? Why not.

But this is more than a student show – it’s a temperature check on where car design might be headed. Whether it’s AI-assisted workflows, retro-futurist surfacing or good old-fashioned form-for-form’s-sake sculpture, the class of 2025 have plenty to say.

And say it they do, with models, concept videos and an infectious energy that reminds even the most seasoned professionals why they got into this industry in the first place.

Our coverage is split into two parts – BA and MA graduates. This is CDN’s BA student coverage. Students listed are in alphabetical order and this article highlights only a handful of work.

Aman Naikwar – Cherish

Aiming to restore the emotional bond between people and vehicles, Cherish is a sentient vehicle concept that projects memories into real life through a multi-sensory experience.

Holographic projections allow users to touch and smell the environment while ultrasonic speakers create solid objects in a 3D space that can be manipulated.

Fluid dynamics influenced this concept’s design, in particular Fluid Cymatics, where shapes change based on sound frequencies while maintaining recognisable car features. Naikwar avoided “dystopian elements like screens and VR headsets”, instead aiming for an “emotive environment.”

Edward Woodward – Auxis

As with any automotive design show, it’s not limited to simply on-land vehicles. Woodward’s Auxis concept is a rethought racing vehicle for water and air.

Inspired by naturalistic elements and animal life, Auxis reflects the agility and speed of a swallow and the unique movement of a flying squid.

Woodward aims to pursue a career in clay modelling, proudly showing off his clay model that he worked on “24/7 in my shed at home.” At the degree show, he won the ’Manual Development Award’.

Hanil Kim – Fleur De Lis

This interior design project stood out for being just as such – purely focused on the beauty of the inside. Fleur De Lis aims to be a luxury design, with the seats resembling folded petals, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the interior.

Inspiration was drawn from the French opera and challenges were conquered when it came to the integration of the dashboard and steering wheel. The overall goal was to make users feel “beautiful” inside and out.

Haoran Liao – Autonomous hotel vehicle

Inspired by Japanese minimalism and the “Wabi Sabi” design philosophy, Liao’s concept is for people travelling from airport to hotel in Japan. This design adopts warm lighting and textures for an immersive experience to introduce the passenger to Japanese culture, filling a normally idle time gap.

As an autonomous vehicle, like most concepts we’ve seen, the challenge came when integrating sufficient headroom while avoiding an MPV look – with a notable lack of interior screen.

Haoran will start working in the Changan team once graduated.

Harry Edgington Cole – Si-New

As a resurrection of the Mille Miglia in 2057, 100 years after the historic race officially ended, Cole’s final project took inspiration from parametric architecture. This is evident through the exoskeleton on the exterior that surrounds a pod which holds the two users.

“Essentially, this car is aimed towards those who want a race car but adapted for the road,” Cole explained.

It’s clear that Cole believes the devil’s in the details, with thoughtful features such as tyres that open to allow for better water dissipation and a grip that protrudes through the hexagons for added hold.

Kyungmin Bae – Karma

Created for the year 2035, Karma is an SUV concept set as a symbol of empowerment for Middle Eastern women.

Inspired by high shoulder fashion, the design is sleek and elegant – aiming to “capture the confidence of a new generation of empowered women.”

Lena Eblenkamp – Eblen-Kamper

This luxury adventure camper/eVTOL aims to motivate people to travel more. “It’s a luxury camping experience for people who don’t want to go hiking and trekking through the mountains – which is also suitable for people with mobility issues,” Eblenkamp added.

Eblenkamp feel passionately about automotive interiors and wants to pursue this in the future, having had experience during her internship with Lear, sewing seats together and working with different materials.

Moon Sung Min – Novissima

Min presented a reimagined hearse design that accommodates both the departed and their family in a single EV with autonomous driving features.

The design theme evolved from “eternal” to “evanescent” symbolising departure with a structured front and more forgiving rear, enhancing the emotional experience.

He aims to continue this project beyond the university setting, with plans for more renders and further development of the design.

Min achieved third place in the Contechs Design Award.

Sehun Park – Metamotive

In the age of being connected, the Metamotive concept features smart glass and voice AI – making the vehicle a place you can use all the time, not just for driving.

This family SUV possesses an expandable space with a touchscreen floor that helps family members interact while sharing VR experiences.

The exterior features plenty of triangular design motifs – from the wheels to the lighting signatures.

Theo Tucker – Roameo

This project empowers people with disabilities to explore urban areas of cultural importance without relying upon ramps or other accessible adjustments that might damage the built environment.

The Roameo concept has a rotating cabin and reconfigurable wheel tracks that keep passengers upright and level on all terrains – including stairs, cobbles and steep slopes.

“The size has to be kept so unbelievably small to work safely in industrial areas. You’re thinking about something that has to be able to navigate around people, delicate surroundings and also has enough space inside for batteries, storage, people and potentially guide dogs,” Tucker reflected.

Tucker won the ‘Inclusive Design Award’ at the degree show.

Will Howells – Geode

Resembling natural rock formations such as smooth gemstones and agate crystals, this concept is inspired by the “stealth wealth” trend, which is designed to conceal yourself from the stresses of the outside world through adaptable interior lighting and features.

The transparency of the vehicle can change by the layers of the crystal with the interior resembling a slick lounge.