Auto News 5

Two quite different concept cars caught my interest at the New York auto show in April. I thought both of them were surpassingly unattractive, but for completely opposing reasons. One of the concept cars was the Mercedes-Benz A-class, the other the Lexus LF-Gh seen here. The over-the-top Mercedes is bejeweled and glittery enough to embarrass a rap star whose Cadillac Escalade sports LED-lit "spinners," while the Lexus is subdued and restrained but inelegant. The contrast between them lies in execution. For all its ueber-bling and wildly excessive chrome detailing on the front end, the Mercedes enjoys absolutely flawless surface development. The Lexus does not.