Only formed earlier this year, Italy's newest design house, Torino Design, in following in a long standing Turinese tradition, and they recently presented results of their first project: Lui and Lei - two concept cars specially created for Chinese carmaker Chery. The Torino Design company was created back in March by Roberto Piatti and Giuliano Biasio, two former directors of Stile Bertone, with a brief to work in the areas of automotive and industrial design. Lui and Lei are expressions of new horizons in terms of styling for Chery, marked by strong cuts to define volumes and a clever use of complex surfaces.

Chery Lui ("He" in English) is a sporty, dynamic SUV that fully embodies the concepts of compactness, movement and strength. Its imposing, aggressive volume is lightened optically by heavily sculptured surfaces that link up the various parts of the body. The side has a robust "shoulder" stretching along the waist-line right up to the front wing and then veering upwards to become the feature providing a link to the bonnet. The clean cut of the shoulder that underscores the glass surfaces and sculpting on the wings together with the cut of the tail thrust the volume forward to create considerable dynamism when viewed from the side.

The front-end heavily emphasises the impression of size and is surrounded by a complex C-shaped element that integrates the large light units and air-intakes with a floating graphic effect. The prominent feature of the centre is the large Chery logo, which again has a floating effect, in an oval air-intake which is also the starting point for the diverging grooves on the bonnet. The mirrors are an innovative feature in terms of industrial design as they are the result of a technical study aimed at making them more functional. A device has been added to the front of this component that can project a beam of light, while there is also a small camera mounted on the back.

The second concept is called Lei ("She" in English) and is a youthful, sporty, compact coupé. The aim of the design was to express a strong idea of innovation and a break with more classical styling cues thanks to a new way of interpreting complex surfaces together with clean-cut lines that give it a unique personality. The front view has been designed around the Chery logo, which also marks the starting point for the lines that surround the lights, the folds in the bonnet and the large wings.
 

The cut of the seat for the butterfly windscreen wiper is the element that gives the bonnet a highly original upper profile. Starting from the front-end the side is marked by a surface sloping along the waist-line running up to a very graphic cut at the tail-end. The side glass surface link up to the windscreen and rear window; optically the uprights seem to join to the lower body without touching it, creating a new floating dome effect that highlights the volume giving it a new sporting dynamism.

The high, muscular rear-end underlines the concepts of strength and power right where the faceted surfaces surround the rear light units. For the very first time functional features become elements of style: the logo itself is the starting point for all lines of the design while the mirrors cut through the air.