iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Yes, very much so! Right now the future feels like a very scary place to many. And for some car companies, the future represents an existential threat!

The exception to this rule? The jaguar type 01. I’m neither an apologist or a design fan, particularly, of some parts of it. But you cant argue with the fact that it avoids looking back!

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.. engineering teams being timid. This is management (and indirectly market) fear. Fear of risk. Fear of being too different. Of course, in a crisis and times of fear, nostalgia is a safe bet. But the irony is everyone of these nostalgia cars ref back to an original that innovated and took a risk.

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To qualify a bit of what im saying about the Porsche mission s, Tesla roadster (and the stellantis / Renault concept fest of Paris). In car design right now I’m seeing a lack of new ideas, of any attempt to be radical, smart or explore the new. I severely doubt this is to do with design and 1/2

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For me the mission s interior is very solid. The exterior feels trapped trying to reinterpret the idea of a 959 for 2026 and feels like it’s trying to birth a 911 as a result. I’m not sure it stands up to the lineage of the carerra gt and 918 but will surely sell everyone they are willing to make

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Yes, 100% and I found most of the retro stellantis and Renault stuff very likeable. Not a fan of 2cv or 8 Giordini particularly (will explain more fully in a future podcast), but I’m glad stellantis especially remembered it needs distinction and emotion. yet ultimately retro is a design dead end.

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as I pressed send I did think it probably sounds a bit harsh on the Porsche

Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

The tesla roadster and porsche mission S provide a rather depressing representation of where the Auto industry and car design is at. Feel a bit numb

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Guess where I am this Saturday morning

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Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

This. I was talking about it with a colleague today. grey is dead, sadly. And so is nuance. Said by someone with a lot of grey hair and a career largely built on nuance

Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Thanks - you’re too kind. And yes… we are back with a new podcast, finally! More coming soon…

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Reposted by Joe Simpson

Drew Smith @drewpasmith.com · 26/05/2026

Notwithstanding the sensory qualities of this interior, squint and it’s easy to think: huh, that new Hyundai’s kinda rocking. Which for Hyundai is amazing. For Ferrari? Not so much. @joesimpson.bsky.social & I talked about this in Looking Out - The Podcast podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/l...

Two images showing the interior of the Ferrari Luce with tan leather seats and trim, featuring a digital dashboard, Ferrari-branded steering wheel, center console controls, and rear seating accessed through wide-opening rear doors.

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Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Yes can you share or point in the direction of these. Keen to see constructive debate. Personally it’s one I struggle to be constructive on. Car design instagram’s verdict is it’s an abomination and I don’t think they’re wrong.

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Reposted by Joe Simpson

Alan Bradley @ajpbradley.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

For the first time since leaving university I’m now, thanks to redundancy, a jobless bum. It feels weirdly anticlimactic. Anyway, if anyone’s looking for a car-obsessed enterprise architect who’s an expert with MEGA HOPEX and accompanying methodologies, let me know.

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Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

This please flawed me. Thank you for putting your feelings - and I think those of so many - into words

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Reposted by Joe Simpson

victoria scott @victoriascott.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

hey I wrote a story about trying to remain functional as the country collapses, bad luxury SUVs, the contradictions of wealth, and quitting my job. if you wanna read it, it’s available here for free: www.patreon.com/posts/125140...

patreon.com

The Emperor’s Luxury SUV Isn’t Good, But He’d Still Kill Us All To Keep It | Victoria Scott

Get more from Victoria Scott on Patreon

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Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

I remember meeting Jean Jennings at the Automobile office back in 2009 together with Mark Charmer, in what was, I think, one of the most amusing afternoons Ive ever had. She was completely brilliant, hilarious and massively knowledgeable. RIP

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Reposted by Joe Simpson

michael @banovsky.com · 06/12/2024

This is the only post where you can see video of the car’s tiny trembles 🤭

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Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Ditto. I am not sharing mine with anyone, it’s frankly embarrassing

Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Agree! And it’s funny you should say that given that in the late 90s/early 00s one Gerry McGovern headed Lincoln design and ultimately reported to j mays. The type 00 proportionally refs the Lincoln concepts of that time (mk9), and the Cadillacs (sixteen concept) they were riffing against.

Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

The original “car in a pink landscape” launch, from back in 2021. All credit to Petter B for pushing this through. Yes I’m biased, but we saw how it had a lot of influence on how OEMs have started to present their cars over the past years. Copy nothing, as someone once said.

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Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Thread of the day from you three. Genuinely made me laugh

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Drew Smith @drewpasmith.com · 20/11/2024

By the way. If you’re after a wider, hotter take on why stuff like the jag rebrand is like it is, and the wider industry malaise, check out my podcast co-hosts other pod. Great (and very personal) listen.

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Reposted by Joe Simpson

The JaGUar situation might be bad but it’s just part of a wider problem with the industry, which @drewdraws2.bsky.social and I term Neo Malaise. Here’s me explaining what it all means (please share widely!): Apple: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1USm...

podcasts.apple.com

Neo Malaise with Drew Smith

Podcast Episode · The Next Billion Seconds with Mark Pesce · 18/11/2024 · 12m

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Great take and insight on the type by the way. Thank you, really appreciate it - miss these kind of conversations with you!

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No i totally agree. Feels like a big (last) dice role. I wish them well. But fear the worst

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Agree, the sante fe is a stronger piece of design for me. As you say, for uk will make more sense. Shame as E-GMP platform, broadly, is a winner.

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The latter. Concept xc was a half model. Concept coupe became ES, and there was a hard model redone of it for the glass box.

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Wonder if it’s just me: Ioniq 9 seems easily the weakest of the Ioniq line up so far, design-wise. Yes technically it will be brilliant but has odd proportion (not in a futuristic way) and somehow old-fashioned looking details, which surprise me (and I’d buy an Ioniq 5 or 6 in a heartbeat).

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Meantime that was meant to say. … though “Mean joke” is maybe a Freudian slip in the context of a the new jag branding…

Fun fact about the concept ES. It’s actually the original concept coupe, with a new roof/rear on it. When Thomas ingenlath arrived at Volvo, he was given enough money to do 1-2 concept cars. But wanted to do 3 to show the band with of the brand. This was the creative solution to that challenge.

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Haha. Podcast coming next week. Watch this space… mean joke I want your take on the typography please!

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Podcast coming next week! Watch this space

Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 06/11/2024

Ah thanks. I Don’t take any of the credit but yeah the team (some of whom I still work with every day) knocked it out of the park with that one

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Me? I spent the day listening to customers view and give insight on a future car. Which is one of my favourite things to listen to. And a nice reminder, on a day which can make you doubt people, that they can also be kind, insightful, smart and funny.

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Joe Simpson @joesimpson.bsky.social · 06/11/2024

If you’re seeking escape from the day’s news, can I recommend my podcast co-host’s blog, as he walks across the mountains of Japan? It’s the escape you need. buttondown.com/drewpasmith/...

buttondown.com

Ise Does It - Day 2

06.11.24 19.3Km One of the reasons I’d set my self the rule around no social media, no news and no email was so that I might avoid hearing of the outcome of...

This does feel very much like the good old days, it’s awesome

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And hey, no snark perceived or offence taken at all - this kind of debate and perspective is important!

And relative to himself, Drew was using it to highlight more that online debate has become weird, and the industry has become weird - as podcasters but also who work in / in Drew’s case trying to work in the industry to move it forward… you can easily be shut out for delivering unpopular views

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But whatever you think, I believe the point @drewpasmith.com was making sat around the amount of hate he’d received, including (I think) death threats in the context of not wanting to say too much. No one deserves that, whatever you think of the journalism or person

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