Cars.com's KickingTires blog editors looked at the concept cars that debuted at the 2014 North American International Austomobile Show and three out of four thought the design to be a "Loser":
JW: Winner
Mini had me with the unpainted sheet metal look. It's covered with clearcoat, but it harks back to prewar Mercedes racecars that were stripped of their paint in a claimed attempt (later exposed as apocrypha) to save weight — the weight-lightening movement gone extreme. Beyond that, my hope is the new suspensions will make the JCW ride more comfortably.
AB: Loser
This is not a concept car. This is a "noncept" car, a car that's called a concept but is quite obviously a precursor to the actual production vehicle. At least Acura called its a "prototype," which I can live with. I dig the unpainted metal look, and the scoops, strakes, stripes and flares are all acceptable on a John Cooper Works model, but as concepts go, this just doesn't fit my definition.
JB: Loser
I've seen this paint job before. It's what happens to a car after a year in the Cars.com long-term fleet. The JCW's imitation brushed aluminum paint looks like it was driven through a patch of bushes at 100 mph.
MH: Loser
I appreciated the unique exterior finish but not the car's numerous cartoonish design cues. I mean, five intake vents below the grille? Really? Previous JCW models have had a hard-edged driving experience. If the new one does, too, the styling needs to be a little more menacing and less chipper.
