Smart and Scion Fighter Inspired by Japanese Harajuku Gangs

LONDON — To the three Coventry University Automotive Design graduates, customizing a car with such cliched items as flame decals or candy-apple exterior paint isn't going to entice young buyers in the future. Instead, the three studied Japanese Harajuku gangs, made up of teens who create their own fashion and "deliberately try to stand out from their peers."

With that in mind, the London grads are shopping a 3D model to automakers around the world that they think will punch the right buttons in international car markets in 2020. "More likely, people will want a 'music-studio option' or a 'gaming experience option,' which represents what's important in their life," said Mujammil Khan-Muztar, one of the Coventry designers.

The team studied Scion and Smart to "explore the long-term lifestyle implications of using" cars. The team said that, in the future, vehicles will be surrogate homes and offices and that "livability" will be a key attribute. Thus far, the designers have only issued a sketch, which shows a somewhat boxy silhouette of a vehicle with a narrow greenhouse and large wheels and tires. But they are on the right track in noting that customizing encourages "a stronger bond between the owner and their car."