[Beetle]

Originally Posted by bella

off topic and i've slapped myself for it, but you don't like the new one? the more i see that car the more it's growing on me, it looks as business-like as the superleague car did. and THAT was a single seater and a half.

i think making the car look ubermodern and futuristic is part of selling the story to people. electric cars are *meant* to be the future for us road users, and by selling it as part of a stylish, aspirational package then they're creating an image that people can aim for, if not buy into for a few years. by putting it into something that looks too current they'd just be pegging it back, though i suppose there's an arguement that it would be saying "look, it's the same as what you have now and it's just as quick and good fun to watch". i suppose they're more keen on selling to a new market like the passive f1 fans rather than convert the purists. and they, of course, will be far harder to sell to.

edit: thinking about it a bit, they're not just selling it to the public. they're selling it to the media too. well, by having spanky city venues they're doing that very nicely. they're selling it to the industry, which i think by making it completely different to yer average circuit single seater series they're doing. and that generates interest at manufacturer level, and positive, enthusiastic pr on social and traditional media. all part of generating enthusiasm and positive noises about a concept, which itself is trying to sell this ~vision of the future to us.

and sell us more renaults too

It's all about the image, IMO. Having a futuristic-looking open wheel series with high-caliber drivers racing through glimmering super-cities certainly gives a good impression. There's always a bit of marketing cynic behind anything.