Sun. Wind. Action. Three words describe Arash Shahbaz’s roadster concept design for MG. The car comes at a perfect time, along with the brand’s renewal after being one of the most promising carmakers of the yesteryears. With a rather playful design meant for easy riding, paired with a carefree lifestyle, The New MG concept by Arash is cute, but not too cute. It looks like it could take a challenge, and comes with an aesthetic that even die-hard gearheads would fall in love with.
At just 4 meters, the new MG isn’t particularly long, but the designer makes great use horizontal lines to make the car feel long, rather than compact. The circular headlights are fitted within the car’s outer frame, doing a hat-tip to retro circular headlamps, but being modern nevertheless. The taillights scream unique and modern too. The most interesting detail, however, is the usage of leather straps to fasten the bonnet and the boot. Rather than relying on clip-based push-button systems, the new MG makes an executive decision to keep things old-school, with the leather strap that weaves through the outer body of the car, holding the bonnet and boot closed. Opening them would mean manually undoing the leather strap. The designer believes it’s interactions like these that make one feel more involved, and form an emotional bond with the car… something that’s lacking in today’s ultra-flashy touchscreen control panel dashboards.
The New MG aims at echoing the brand’s journey. It wants to stick to its heritage while reviving itself with a fresh set of rules and features. I’d say it does exactly that!
Designer: Arash Shahbaz
