Photo: The Verge
Chris Bangle, the famous and controversial former designer of BMW, has always considered himself an artist. Just because some people use canvases for their oeuvres while others make plastic and metal sculptures doesn't make the former any more entitled to call themselves "artists" than the latter.
Of course, if you ask a bona fide artist about this, they'll disagree. Nobody questions the talent and skill that goes into designing a car, but you can't make art and a commercial object at the same time. Art needs to be created for the sake of it, not for financial profit. Plus, real art is unique, and cars usually tend to be produced in more than just one unit.
But what does Chris Bangle have to do with anything? Well, despite its asymmetry and funky angles, the vehicle you're looking at didn't come out of Picasso's hand, but Bangle's. And if you look at its windshield you can even see a trace of the famous "Bangle Butt" that made some people fall out of love with BMW in the early 2000s.
It's called "REDS" and let's just get this out of the way: it looks like a clown's car. If somebody wearing a red wig, a big nose, patched overalls, and oversized shoes climbed out of it, you wouldn't flinch one bit. If somebody wearing a smart suit did, on the other hand, you would.
In reality, the REDS client is neither of the two. Instead, it is aimed at the young Chinese customer who is in search of a space of his own. Bangle revealed in an interview with "The Verge" that Chinese youngsters don't get the same access to a private space as most westerners do, so he thought about giving a positive spin to the time spent standing still while caught in gridlock.
That meant turning the interior of the REDS EV into that "fourth space" or "personal space" that the owners can enjoy or even share with others when they feel like it. The REDS has roughly the same footprint as a smart fortwo city car, but its interior is much roomier. It seats four on the move or five when standing still, and the seats can fold or swivel, while the steering wheel can be tucked away when not in use.
The central display only sticks up one-third of its size while moving, but when stationary it reveals itself whole, enabling those inside to watch movies or play games. And just in case you were wondering, no, the REDS is not an autonomous vehicle. Well, not yet, at least.
The car is developed by a new Chinese company called REDSPACE, with Bangle's new Turin-based studio only signing the design. It should be produced for the Chinese market, but it's hard to tell how much of what you see here will make it into the final product. Will it ever come out China, though? We think the Japanese might take a liking, but that's about it.
But what does Chris Bangle have to do with anything? Well, despite its asymmetry and funky angles, the vehicle you're looking at didn't come out of Picasso's hand, but Bangle's. And if you look at its windshield you can even see a trace of the famous "Bangle Butt" that made some people fall out of love with BMW in the early 2000s.
It's called "REDS" and let's just get this out of the way: it looks like a clown's car. If somebody wearing a red wig, a big nose, patched overalls, and oversized shoes climbed out of it, you wouldn't flinch one bit. If somebody wearing a smart suit did, on the other hand, you would.
In reality, the REDS client is neither of the two. Instead, it is aimed at the young Chinese customer who is in search of a space of his own. Bangle revealed in an interview with "The Verge" that Chinese youngsters don't get the same access to a private space as most westerners do, so he thought about giving a positive spin to the time spent standing still while caught in gridlock.
That meant turning the interior of the REDS EV into that "fourth space" or "personal space" that the owners can enjoy or even share with others when they feel like it. The REDS has roughly the same footprint as a smart fortwo city car, but its interior is much roomier. It seats four on the move or five when standing still, and the seats can fold or swivel, while the steering wheel can be tucked away when not in use.
The central display only sticks up one-third of its size while moving, but when stationary it reveals itself whole, enabling those inside to watch movies or play games. And just in case you were wondering, no, the REDS is not an autonomous vehicle. Well, not yet, at least.
The car is developed by a new Chinese company called REDSPACE, with Bangle's new Turin-based studio only signing the design. It should be produced for the Chinese market, but it's hard to tell how much of what you see here will make it into the final product. Will it ever come out China, though? We think the Japanese might take a liking, but that's about it.
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