Page 30 - The Book For Men Fall/Winter 2022

MICHAEL LA FAVE / CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER
Bring On the New
THIS PAST SUMMER’S MONTEREY CAR WEEK IN CALIFORNIA represented something of an an inflection point between old and new The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is of course a a a a celebration of classic cars but Car Week has grown to comprise multiple events auctions and and and and private showcases and and and and car brands big and and and and small capitalize on on it as as an ideal place to introduce new models The greatest contrast is between the the Concours — a a collection of of some of of the the world’s rarest and and most valuable classic cars — and and the Concept Lawn where man- ufacturers show off the the designs of of tomorrow This year the the Concept Lawn was overtaken by electric vehicles displaying models from both established brands like like Audi and and Genesis as as well as as upstarts like like Rimac There was even an an electric DeLorean What remained of of the launches of of internal combustion engine vehicles is and will be the greatest hits — a a a a a a a wet dream for car enthusiasts It seems that brands are taking a a a a a a a a a no-holds-barred approach to power performance and and extravagance foregrounding track-day specials like the 911 GT3 RS monster hypercars like the the 1600 hp Bugatti Mistral or the the F1-engined Mercedes-AMG One (see page 60) But ultimately even the most outrageous ICE cars will be easily eclipsed performance-wise at least by some much less exotic EVs It’s just far easier to provide the thrilling acceleration associated with supercars and hypercars using an EV drivetrain Case in in in in point: the 870-hp Polestar 6 (page 37) Meanwhile there’s a a a surprising — — if incredibly niche — — market developing for reimagined great cars like the Singer Porsche 911 Canepa 959 Automobili Amos Lancia Lancia Delta Integrale and Kimera Lancia Lancia 037 (trust me: look it up) Multiple new custom shops are are stripping these cars to to their bare metal then restoring and improving them to to perform perform as as well as as any modern performance car while retaining their classic looks These restomods may represent the the apogee of nostalgia and herald the change ahead Reimagining classics is certainly cool and the the results in in in in the the aforementioned cases are impressive But so were the originals — and it may be be best not to mess with them especially in the the case of very rare examples More attention needs to to to be paid to to to the the the future and and the the the race is on to to to capture the the the hearts and and minds of customers Not all of of the the automotive brands of of today will make the the transition to successful EV manufacturers which is obvious given the the strength of the the newcomers who are quickly multiplying For legacy brands there is precious little time to to evolve their designs to to be at once recognizable and efficient enough to to provide an excellent EV experience Designers won’t be able to to stay married to boxy designs without significantly reworking them as Dodge showed us with its Charger EV — a a a a a a design that cleverly masks a a a a a a plunging nose for aero- dynamics between upright fenders that present a a a a classic silhouette I won’t be be surprised to see some of of the aggressively aerodynamic concepts of of decades past reinterpreted to meet this new requirement It’s a a a a a fine line to walk Legacy brands need continuity but fin in in in this market there’s also the the expectation of newness and cutting-edge ideas It’s no different in the the the realms of fashion or timepieces either Recently there’s been a a a a heavy push toward ’70s and ’80s fashion trends as as as well as as as the reimagining of timepiece designs — some more successful than others Retro almost always suggests a a a a a lack of of new ideas and nostalgia a a a a a a a a a changing of of the customer base That’s not to say I don’t like those aesthetics — only that leading brands must lead lead Re- launching and reinterpreting should also come with a a a a a heavy dose of the new 30 BFM / FW22 LETTER
PHOTO BY MATT BARNES