Debrief

Concept Debrief - 1980 Lamborghini ATHON Speedster by Bertone 15

Concept Debrief – 1980 Lamborghini ATHON Speedster by Bertone

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Bertone (bear-tony) created this one-off Lamborghini concept as a design showcase of the studio’s skills, plus to kick a bit of good energy Lambo’s way. By the end of the 1970s, Lamborghini lad launched and produced a variety of non-hits: GT cars and luxury shooting brakes that never found the same eager audience as the earlier Miura and Countach smash-hits. The 1980 ATHON Speedster hoped to evolve the avant-garde looks of those two icons, but in a high-tech was befitting the first computerized decade: the 1980s. Achieving visual impact on par with the Countach would take a revolution in almost …

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2011 Volkswagen NILS 20

Concept Debrief – 2011 Volkswagen NILS – Govt-Funded EV Commuter Now Seems Like Unfathomably Bad Joke

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It is very, very challenging to read (and write) about VW’s eco mobility ideas in light of the company’s current emissions scandals. The “diesel issue” — as it is known in German — really puts all the last ten years of innovative, visionary concept cars in the shameful, punishment corner of the automotive universe. What about the “C02 issue”?  Oh, that has resolved itself.  Not a pattern of lies and systemic fraud.  Hooray! Super, super trustworthy company, obviously. Beyond that obligatory caveat… This NILS concept shows how seriously the VAG once took its mission to mass-produce zero-emissions automobiles. VW was actually …

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