This year’s Car Design Event in Munich featured stunning, boundary-pushing prototypes from Lamborghini and Mercedes Benz, alongside more “approachable” models from Skoda and VW. Here are the highlights from what has become one of Europe’s most prestigious car events.
Image credit: miro - stock.adobe.com
The straightforwardly-titled “Car Design Event” is a rather unique German car show aimed at automotive designers, engineers, journalists and students - and, moreover, at bringing them all together.
In terms of networking within the European car industry, and indeed the car design news industry, it doesn’t get much better than this.
The location of the show, too, is worth a mention. Munich lies in the heart of German (and thus European) car making, and is the capital of Bavaria - home to the BMW headquarters, BMW Welt, BMW factory, and Audi R&D.
Not far away is the state of Baden-Württemberg, the home state of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
Volkswagen, meanwhile, is located further north in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, about a 6-hour drive on the speed limit-free Autobahn.
What was on show this year?
This year’s Car Design Event took place in early March and featured a number of exciting new concept vehicles and finished production cars.
Image credit: miro - stock.adobe.com
Genesis X Gran Equator Concept
The X Gran Equator is a concept vehicle from Genesis, the luxury division of Hyundai. The model blends offroad sportiness with the practical draws of an urban SUV. According to the Genesis website, the model is “capable of facing extreme conditions with a natural sense of grace.”
Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic
Munich is pretty much home territory for Mercedes-Benz, so it’s little wonder the German car giant made an appearance at this year’s Car Design Event - and what an appearance! The Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic is surely one of Merc’s most exciting prototypes, merging futuristic tech and styling with more than a nod to the marque’s long and rich heritage.
Image credit: 24K-Production - stock.adobe.com
Lamborghini Manifesto
Lamborghini’s dazzling Manifesto is as Italian* as the Vision iconic is German - i.e. very. However, unlike the Merc, this model is only interested in the future. The Manifesto’s designers have boiled down the Lamborghini to its very essence, and describe the prototype, in assertive Italian fashion, as a “sculpture on four wheels”. This was the first time the car was shown outside of Lambo’s HQ in Italy, and proves the legendary brand is still at the cutting edge of designing cars.
*It should be noted however that Lamborghini is part of Audi, itself owned by VW, Germany’s biggest carmaker.
Polos and Breadvans
Other highlights included the unveiling of the ID. Polo’s interior and the Škoda Vision O (both all-electric and both from VW); and an eye-catching homage to the 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, (nicknamed at the time ‘the breadvan’) updated for the 21st century.
Motorbikes
The 2026 Car Design Event wasn’t just about four-wheeled vehicles. There were also some exciting designs from the world of two-wheelers, courtesy of Novus Bike and Norton Motorcycles.
Is Car Design Event here to stay?
It certainly seems that way. Car Design Event is very much a small, boutique event, but one that nevertheless features some of the most exciting car prototypes in the world. For those who work (or who wish to work) in the car building centres of Germany and northern Italy, attendance is a golden networking ticket.
That said, it's very much a European-focussed event, with a notable exception of Korea’s Genesis. As Car Design Event’s reputation grows, perhaps marques from further afield will attend. However, some might argue that the event's ‘local’ emphasis is what keeps it special.
But whatever happens in the future, the 2026 incarnation of Car Design Event demonstrates that Europe is still incredible at designing cars.
