Published by Drew Smith & Joe Simpson
Connecting the dots across mobility, design, and culture. The partner show to Looking Out - The Newsletter.
Listen on Apple PodcastsWe promised that we'd follow up with a discussion about the exterior of the Ferrari Luce. And we have. Sort of. The challenge is that, beyond slinging epithets its way, there's really not a lot to say that hasn't already been said. Or is there? In this episode, we explore the uni-context, a philosophical concept — developed by Agnes Callard — that might explain why everything is starting to look the same, including Ferrari's first EV. We also explore the movements in our garages (farewell, good ship Margot!), Drew's experience of designing a pilgrimage in Japan, and the rather underwhelming introduction of the Audi Nuvolari. Sources: Derek Thompson: A Philosopher's One-Word Theory to Explain Why the World Feels So Weird That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
Jony Ive and Marc Newson have made their mark with the interior of the new Ferrari Luce. The response has been predictably immediate and intense. Some see a revolutionary rethinking of how electric cars should feel. Others see a perfectly resolved collection of beautiful objects that nonetheless miss what a Ferrari should be all about What does this interior say about how we design cars, and the relationship between industrial and automotive designers and car culture? And what's the difference between "good" design and character? Drew and Joe unpack the debates that the Luce has sparked—and discover that, whether you like it or not, there's far more to talk about than meets the eye. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
There's been a lot said about how the Jaguar's rebrand and the Type 00 look. But what do they mean? And what do they say about the culture of the company that created them? Joe and Drew dive in to the most talked about launch in a long time. Links: Rory Sutherland on the rebrand Why Jaguar Had To Blow Up Its Brand In Order To Save It Why Does The New Jaguar Type 00 Look Like A Concrete Shithouse? An Ex-Jaguar Land Rover Designer Explains Emergency Pod: Jaguar’s Rebrand - Fearless or Foolish? Emergency Pod: New Jaguar revealed - Worthy or Wasted? That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
Joe and Drew aren't short of opinions. While the boys might be sometimes (often?) wrong, at the very least, an opinion gives us something to discuss, something to weigh the merits of. In this episode of Looking Out, they sincerely wish the automotive industry would have some stronger opinions of its own. Topics covered include the relaunch of Scout by Volkswagen, the Paris Motorshow, Renault's emerging range of retro EVs, the 5, the 4, and the upcoming Twingo, and the Zeekr Mix. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
What the hell happened at Tesla's We, Robot event!? Joe and Drew dive in to the design disappointments of that fateful day and reflect on an industry in short supply of inspiration. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
Hoo boy, it's been a beat! But: Joe and Drew are back with a dissection of everything that's wrong with the Bugatti Tourbillon's windshield wiper, and the massively missed opportunity that is Apple's second-generation CarPlay. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
This episode gets personal! Join Joe and Drew as they explore the sensory and emotional components of car design through the lens of their beloveds: the Mercedes W140 S-Class and the Porsche 911. In this episode, they delve into their stories with these cars and how they came to be so meaningful to them. They also discuss the importance of strong convictions around what character means to a brand, and how cars are paragons of multi-sensory orchestration. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
In this episode, we dive in to software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and what they mean for the customer experience. We cover why car makers are developing them, including their need to diversify revenue streams in saturated markets, and the ability to deliver over-the-air updates. We also talk about some of the pitfalls, like accelerated obsolescence and good ol' enshitification. And we talk about the character we loose when everything becomes software-defined. 📨 Subscribe to Looking Out - The Newsletter, the partner to the podcast. https://automobility.substack.com 🤝 Connect with us on LinkedIn Drew - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewpasmith/ Joe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-s-92863a2/ 🔗 Links Sam Saha's superb deep-dive on the software defined vehicle: https://sambuddha.com/share/vehiclesoftware/Saha_DefiningVehicleSoftware_002_SDV.pdf 📸 Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lookingoutpodcast/ ⏰ Time stamps 00:00 Pre-roll 03:42 The impending obsolescence of the software-defined vehicle 05:31 Background for the show 11:54 The car as part of a much larger ecosystem 17:18 The questionable wisdom of trying to do it all 19:33 Data as the new oil and the enshitification of the car 23:00 The pros of Ford Pro 46:11 Post-roll 🎧 Listen and subscribe to the podcast Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/looking-out-the-podcast/id1636199763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0YschSrj672jQOGt3R5eE5?si=59bde6c819844fc8 Other platforms and streaming - https://podcast.lookingout.io That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
Joe and Drew take a look at the most significant exhibits and announcements coming out of Milan Design Week, and the Beijing Auto Show. And they touch on Tesla. How couldn't they? 📨 Subscribe to Looking Out - The Newsletter, the partner newsletter to this podcast. https://automobility.substack.com 🤝 Connect with us on LinkedIn Drew - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewpasmith/ Joe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-s-92863a2/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lookingoutpodcast/ That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
Five months ago, we recorded our most incendiary episode yet. In The EV Inferno, we wondered whether EV sales were about to fall off a cliff, or whether we’d just hit a bump in the road. With the benefit of time, the picture’s becoming a little clearer, if no cleaner. In this episode, we look at how the EV market might be fracturing between the EU, the US, and China, and what that means for legacy OEMs and startups, particularly when it comes to plug-in hybrids. Of course, we can’t escape the travails at Tesla, and we look at the strengths that old-school car makers are bringing to the EV market as companies like Fisker stumble and fall. 📨 Subscribe to Looking Out - The Newsletter, the partner newsletter to this podcast. https://automobility.substack.com 🤝 Connect with us on LinkedIn Drew - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewpasmith/ Joe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-simpson-92863a2/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lookingoutpodcast/ ⏰ Time stamps 00:00 Pre-roll 00:55 Intro 04:11 The U.S. Market View 08:10 Tesla cancels the $25k czar 19:03 The return of the hybridc 24:17 OEMs are failing to effectively educate consumers 32:14 Is China running a different race? 33:30 The risk to consumers of EV startups failing 39:49 We were wrong about BMW's EV strategy 52:01 Outro 52:13 Post-roll 🎧 Listen and subscribe to the podcast Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/looking-out-the-podcast/id1636199763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0YschSrj672jQOGt3R5eE5?si=a65818eba9de47c1 Other platforms and streaming - https://podcast.lookingout.io That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
Sibilio. Bravo. Stratos. Magnum. And Shamal. Joe and Drew celebrate Gandini’s life and his greatest hits. We also cover the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X, Euro NCAP’s physical button mandate, and a conversation about great gas station meals leads to us pondering the future of the road stop. 📨 Subscribe to Looking Out - The Newsletter, the partner to the podcast. https://automobility.substack.com 🤝 Connect with us on LinkedIn Drew - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewpasmith/ Joe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-s-92863a2/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lookingoutpodcast/ ⏰ Time stamps 00:00 Pre-roll 00:30 Intro 01:39 Joe's apology 02:59 The death of Marcello Gandini, and Gandini's Top Trumps 19:53 BMW's Neue Klasse X 29:28 Euro NCAP's knob incentive 41:59 Our favourite gas station meals (and the future of the gas station)_ 52:08 Outro 🎧 Listen and subscribe to the podcast Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/looking-out-the-podcast/id1636199763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0YschSrj672jQOGt3R5eE5?si=b1fb76f852244649 Other platforms and streaming - https://podcast.lookingout.io That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
The death of the desirable hatchback has been exaggerated. In the space of two weeks, we've been gifted the new Renault R5 and the Rivian R3 and R3X. We discuss their design, and what they mean for their respective manufacturers. Meanwhile, the death of the Apple Car is now (almost definitely) certain and we explore why Apple finally caved. And we also discuss what's happening to design in the C-Suite, and whether maybe our time at the big table is up, and whether that's actually a bad thing. 📨 Subscribe to Looking Out - The Newsletter, the partner to the podcast. https://automobility.substack.com 🤝 Connect with us on LinkedIn Drew - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewpasmith/ Joe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-s-92863a2/ 🔗 Links @apolaine interviews Peter Merholz about the state of the design nation: https://www.youtube.com/live/XLQ3hnbdKcM?si=G-SsdVC4fv7XqAPk Robert Fabricant - The big design freak-out: A generation of design leaders grapple with their future: https://www.fastcompany.com/91027996/the-big-design-freak-out-a-generation-of-design-leaders-grapple-with-their-future 📸 Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lookingoutpodcast/ ⏰ Time stamps 00:00 Pre-roll 01:58 How do we stay positive? 09:20 The Death of Project Titan 27:53 Rivian's new products! 40:13 The Reanult R5 49:48 The big design freak-out 01:01:52 The need for a new Baccara 01:04:45 Outro 🎧 Listen and subscribe to the podcast Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/looking-out-the-podcast/id1636199763 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0YschSrj672jQOGt3R5eE5 Other platforms and streaming - https://podcast.lookingout.io That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
Tesla Autopilot. Hyundai Highway Driving Assist 2. GM SuperCruise. Oh, and a Waymo robotaxi. This episode has it all. Joe and Drew talk about their experiences of each and ask the crucial question: what's it all for? 📨 Subscribe to Looking Out - The Newsletter, the partner newsletter to this podcast. https://automobility.substack.com ⬇️ Download Drew's free trend report from CES 2024: https://www.studiophro.com/ces-2024-report-download-form 🤝 Connect with us on LinkedIn Drew - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewpasmith/ Joe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-simpson-92863a2/ 🔗 Links Dude, where's my self-driving car - the latest from The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/24065447/self-driving-car-autonomous-tesla-gm-baidu A crowd destroyed a driverless Waymo car in San Francisco: https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/11/24069251/waymo-driverless-taxi-fire-vandalized-video-san-francisco-china-town 📸 Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lookingoutpodcast/ That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
For over a decade now, the Consumer Electronics Show has also been one of the most significant automotive shows in the world. In January 2024, after the year in which generative AI changed everything, Drew’s hopes were high for a few radical new takes on what the car might become when fused with artificial intelligence. What he found was lipstick on a pig. Join Joe and Drew as they take a look at the lowlights from the world’s largest trade show, and, yes, find some cause for joy. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
Back in 2019, Drew and Joe disagreed on what the Tesla Cybertruck represented. Has anything changed in the past four years? In this episode, Drew and Joe take a look at what the most polarising car in living memory means as a piece of technology, as a piece of design, and as a cultural artefact. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
For two decades, China has been the goose that laid the golden egg for Western automakers. Now, it might just be the market that screws the pooch. Joe heads to Shanghai after a few years away to see just how far the Chinese manufacturers have come. We explore how automotive culture is developing, and paint a picture of the challenges ahead for both Chinese and Western automotive manufacturers in this critical market. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
The Tokyo Motor Show, now known as the Japan Mobility Show, has always been one of the most surprising on the circuit. Historically the launchpad for some of the wilder concepts the industry has seen, Tokyo has also represented something of a forbidden garden, full of of pocket-sized delights that preview new Kei car models that are soon to hit the streets. Once upon a time, we’d look at those cars and think “Cute…” and move on. Yet in a world in which automobility desperately needs new answers to the challenges of increasing urbanisation and increasingly limited resources, Japan’s tiny car and sub-car concepts look more and more relevant. In this show, Joe and Drew survey the Japan Mobility show, covering the hits (Toyota’s IMV 0, Mazda’s Iconic SP, Honda’s CI-MEV and Motocompacto) and the misses (Handa’s new Prelude and every Nissan at the show). They also look at the opportunity that micromobility represents for Japanese automakers, and why it might just slip through their fingers. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
There’s been a flood of news these past weeks about the slowdown in EV sales. Challenging market conditions and the high cost of funding the transition to EVs is giving manufacturers cause for pause. Tesla is halting work on further factories, and GM and Honda scrapping a partnership to produce affordable EVs, for example/ Meanwhile, Mercedes EQ models are sat unloved and unsold on dealer lots, and the Chinese are struggling with overcapacity. So what the heck is going on? Is this just the expected chasm between the early adopters and the early majority of consumers in the EV adoption curve? Or are there more fundamental issues with the product, sales, and service being offered by OEMs that will make that chasm so much harder to cross? That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
This episode is *really* visual. To see our line-by-line review of the Toyota Century SUV in real time, watch along at https://youtu.be/BtDJNCnuVlY?si=WAzJXEJ55_KeWa8c Criticism and the automotive industry make for uncomfortable bed fellows. We put so much heart and soul in to creating a car that when someone points out its flaws, it can be like being told that someone doesn't like our child. Except the cars we design are not our children. They're manufactured products that have an enormous impact on the world around us. They influence the way we think and behave. They shape our understanding of public space and how we share it. And they consume vast quantities of natural resources in their manufacture and use. So, as car designers and design strategists, alongside the engineers, product planners, and leadership we work with, we reckon we have a responsibility to question intently the impact that our work has, and to think deeply about what we have to do better. That the Toyota Century SUV is the object of our critique in this episode is almost neither here nor there. There are any number of new cars that fail to meet the needs of the moment in which we find ourselves. But as way to understand how design and product planning decisions can have such a remarkable impact on the perception of a brand, the big SUV, and the way it toys with the ethos and mythos of Century, is hard to miss. We’re not here to denigrate or mindlessly criticise. We are here to get people to look up from their day-to-day, look out for the shifts and signals that are going to impact their work, and connect the dots that lead to a more sustainable, more equitable future. With this episode, we’re making our first, messy, and very public attempt to create a template for having critical conversations about the future of the automotive industry, and the role of design within it. We're not going to get it right first time, but we'll keep trying. So whether you yelp in agreement with us, or shake your fist with rage that we dared question the status quo, take this as an invitation to speak up and share your views, not just with us, but with the Looking Out community. Over the coming months, we’ll be developing a series of Looking Out interviews. Our aim is to present a diverse set of perspectives on where we should be headed. And if you’re reading this newsletter, or listening to or watching the podcast, chances are you’re someone we’d love to hear from, or you know someone we should speak to. So drop us a line at theautomobilitygroup gmail.com and let’s start a conversation. That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com
📺 Watch this episode on YouTube! Take a peak at the design secrets behind the new Tesla Model 3, also known as Highland, and how they give Tesla an incredible pricing advantage against legacy OEMs. Joe and Drew also discuss a small French company called Lormauto, which is reinventing the origianl Renault Twingo as a EV designed for life. And they take a looks at the interiors of the new Mercedes EQS SUV and E-Class, and the new Mini, to see what they say about the future of German car makers. ⏰ Time stamps 00:00 Pre-roll 00:40 Intro 01:49 The Tesla Model 3 "Highland" 02:49 The challenges of simple-looking design 05:07 Joe's real-world impressions of the new Model 3 - and design as mathematics 08:50 The new new hallmarks of premium 09:34 The Highland redesign gives Tesla even more pricing flexibility 11:16 Drew's impressions of the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV interior 15:17 Joe's impressions of the new Mercedes E-Class interior 16:38 The New Mini: the saving grace of Europe 18:41 Lormauto and circular design 19:42 EV retrofits as a fringe idea 22:09 Lormauto and the reimagined Renault Twingo 24:17 Renault's own initiatives in the circular design space 25:44 Circular design: a radical change for an old industry 27:40 Giving loved cars a new lease of life 29:38 Changing the incentives to enourage sustainability 31:12 Can circular design make the EV transition more affordable? 33:29 Shifting from units sold to vehicle miles travelled 35:09 Shifting from product to service to system design 36:53 Wrapping up 🔗 Links Lormauto Renault Refactory 📨 Subscribe to Looking Out - The Newsletter 📸 Follow us on Instagram 🤝 Connect with us Joe Simpson Drew Smith That's it for this episode! Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, please leave a review for us on your favourite podcasting platform. It helps other folk like you find us! And you can sign up for Looking Out - The Newsletter, the sidekick to our podcast, here: automobility.substack.com