Looking Out - The Podcast

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 rebrandWhy Jaguar Had To Blow Up Its Brand In Order To Save ItWhy Does The New Jaguar Type 00 Look Like A Concrete Shithouse? An Ex-Jaguar Land Rover Designer ExplainsEmergency 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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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_KeWa8cCriticism 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

In this special episode, Joe and Drew take a look - both macro and micro - at the recent IAA, also known as the Munich motor show.  The motor show itself:This is the second coming of the biennial motor show in Munich. We talked about how it's evolved and what it means for brands who are compelled to show at the Messe, or exhibition grounds, and in the centre of the city.  The Mercedes CLA and the state of Mercedes design:Although sporting enough Mercedes badges to make a Louis Vuitton trunk blush, Joe's quite complimentary of the CLA concept. And the EQXX blows his mind with its intelligence and execution.  The new BMW 5 Series:  Sadly, the same can't be said for the new, €98,000 5er. A dog's dinner outside and evidence inside of just how hard BMW has had to work to make this new, electrified platform pay, all at the cost of customer experience.  The BMW Neue Klasse: It's not all bad news at BMW as the Neue Klasse shows a brand returning to form. From its delightful glasshouse to serene interior, it shows a promising future for the 3 Series. The €45,000 Renault Scénic:What was once a compact, family MPV has turned in to another crossover for the upwardly mobile. While beautifully designed (and better finished than the BMW 5 Series) it's up against the Tesla Model Y. Old world values versus new world tech: FIGHT!  The geopolitical backdrop: The Chinese brought it home to the Germans, and the Germans don't like it. The EU is investigating China's subsidies but it better be careful: don't bit the hand that feeds you, as the saying goes. The death of European automotive design has been exaggerated: But it is struggling. Automakers desperately need to find a renewed sense of focus, a greater sense of connection to a rapidly evolving younger market and, perhaps, consider a pivot to America in order to thrive. Any other business:Joe discusses the emerging AV clustercuss in San Francisco and how Volkswagen's desultory efforts to build an American charging network have driven their competitors to adopt Tesla's charging standard.  Drew, on the other hand, is delighted by a company that's electrifying original Renault Twingos and announces our new Instagram account.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:GM's post-CarPlay Culture So GM's gone out on a limb and said they're ditching Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for their next generation of cars. To help them on their way, they've hired Mike Abbot, formerly head of Apple's (notoriously) flakey iCloud services.But we reckon that hiring a big name from another sector won't be enough to fulfil GM's connected car ambitions. The company will need to fundamentally rethink their culture, and we offer a few ideas for how they might get started.The Paris Scooter BanDespite a voter turnout of only 7%, 89% of those voters decided to ban eScooters from the streets of Paris.In one of the cities we've previously noted as on of the most progressive when it comes to adopting micromobility solutions, one which has invested heroically in reducing the dominance of the car, it was a sad day.Joe references some research that shows why Parisians might have felt so strongly about the arrival of the scooters (hint: it has to do with parking), and we talk about the long arc of change in our city environments, and how we might work with it, rather than against it.Generative AI and Auto Industry BiasesAs the world debates whether AI is going to kill us or save us, some automotive designers have taken to generative AI tools like DALL.E and MidJourney with unsurpassed glee.But as Drew reveals, the tools are currently perpetuating the worst of the automotive industry's biases when it comes to gender diversity, representation, and inclusion.It's a rapidly evolving space and a split is already emerging between designers who love the tools, and those who are against the creative theft that underlies the models on which they're based.We talk about the need for car companies to consciously and intentionally engage with these topics to make sure they're not caught up in another Volkswagen/Xinjinang situation.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 very special episode, Joe and Drew revisit Drew's interview with the father of micromobility, Horace Dediu.This isn't the first time this interview's gone to air. You may have heard it first time around on Drew's other podcast, The Next Billion Seconds, or on Horace's own Micromobility podcast. It is, however, the first time we've sat down to discuss the many implications of what Horace shares for automotive design and strategy.If you want to cut to our analysis, fast forward to these points:what does it mean for the industry to make a worse car, and where might we start? (starting at 24m 57s)how does looking down versus looking out change how we think about designing for automobility? (starting at 50m)and just how screwed are the economics of automobiles in a heavily urbanised future? (starting at 1h 14m 57s)But of course, we'd love you to listen to the whole thing!Show Links:Citroen Ami One - a worse but better carThe Entrant's Guide to Automotive Industry - Horace's perspective on how the auto industry works and the update.Confessions of a Capital Junkie - Sergio Marchione's pivotal white paper on the automotive industryLooking Out:Subscribe to: Looking Out - The NewsletterSubscribe to:  Looking Out - The PodcastJoe Simpson & Drew SmithJoe on LinkedInDrew on LinkedInDrew on TwitterStudioPhro.comShow produced by: Chris FrithThat'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 of Looking Out - The Podcast, Joe and Drew discuss:BMW's i Vision Dee, why some folk find her scary, and what she says about BMW's futureJoe's surprisingly normal Christmas run in an EV from Gothenburg to LeedsWhy CES left us longing for a more systemic approach from the auto industry to the challenges we faceJoe also gives a preview of an upcoming piece for Looking Out - The Newsletter about the Tesla Semi, and Drew wonders what Apple's struggles in China might mean for the automotive industry.Show Links:Drew's article about robots and BMW's i Vision DeeEd Niedermeyer on CESHow Apple tied its fortunes to China ($)What would it take for Apple to disentangle itself from China ($)Looking Out:Subscribe to: Looking Out - The NewsletterSubscribe to:  Looking Out - The PodcastJoe Simpson & Drew SmithJoe on LinkedInDrew on LinkedInDrew on TwitterStudioPhro.comShow produced by: Chris FrithThat'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 dive deep on the most popular topics from our recent newsletter.In this show, they explore:why Hyundai is giving us reasons to be happy,what it means when design no longer matters to Apple, and the future of Europe's small cars.They also mourn the death of Twitter and explore how you might assess in-car subscription services.Show Links:Measure of Success - Christopher Butt on Hyundai Apple's Industrial Design Chief Hankey to Leave Three Years After IveVolkswagen Polo faces axe as Euro 7 rules drive price upMercedes Makes Better Performance a $1,200 Subscription in Its EVsMastodonLooking Out:Subscribe to: Looking Out - The NewsletterSubscribe to:  Looking Out - The PodcastJoe Simpson & Drew SmithJoe on LinkedInDrew on LinkedInDrew on TwitterStudioPhro.comShow produced by: Chris FrithThat'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 dive deep on the most popular topics from our recent newsletter.In this show, they explore:the EV charging clustercuss, why a car costs more than your house, and cars in the cloud.They also share some thoughts on the end of the age of abundance, and the emergence of AI art.Show Links:The Bentley BaturThe end of the age of abundanceJeep's new EVsLooking Out:Subscribe to: Looking Out - The NewsletterSubscribe to:  Looking Out - The PodcastJoe Simpson & Drew SmithJoe on LinkedInDrew on LinkedInDrew on TwitterStudioPhro.comShow produced by: Chris FrithThat'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 dive deep on the most popular topics from our recent newsletter.In this show, they:cast a critical eye on Apple's expanded CarPlay offer, explore some of the challenges facing shared micromobility in Europe, delight in the importance of getting a car name just right, exploring the legacy of the man who's created some of the most iconic names in the industry.Show Links:Nimbus One Micromobility VehicleLooking Out:Subscribe to: Looking Out - The NewsletterSubscribe to:  Looking Out - The PodcastJoe Simpson & Drew SmithJoe on LinkedInDrew on LinkedInDrew on TwitterStudioPhro.comShow produced by: Chris FrithThat'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