The Chrysler 300C, A Celebrity Car!

I remember when the Chrysler 300C came out. I was a sophomore in community college, and would transfer out in a year. I can’t remember where I saw it though, I can’t recollect if it was in a newspaper advertisement, in some automotive magazine, or on the internet. But what I do remember was that it was hot! It was stunning! And lastly, I couldn’t believe it was American. But then I was like wow! This is American? This is an American car? I was hella proud though, caz I'm like, “Wow! America is finally making some really cool cars. (All I ever was a fan of before were Japanese cars - primarily Toyota). I kept every article and every picture of the Chrysler 300C, anywhere and everywhere that I could find it. I came became a Chrysler 300C addict. The Chrysler 300C looked just looked so cool, so hip, and just so just right. I just couldn’t take my eyes off it wherever I saw it.

Now a little history on the Chrysler 300C. The 300 is not a brand new car in the Chrysler portfolio. Rather this Chryser 300C is of "the 10^th generation", coming from a line of on and off production models beginning in 1953. That first Chrysler 300 was birthed when Robert Mac Gregor Rodger, the chief engineer of the Chrysler division, was convinced that a standard 331-cubic-inch (5.4 liter) Hemi running one of Cunningham’s cams with solid lifters, dual four-barrel carbs and an 8.5-to-1 compression ratio could produce 300 reliable and civilized horsepower. The problem was that Chrysler didn’t really have a production car that seemed like an appropriate showcase for such performance. Therefore, Rodger decided to build a 2-door hardtop for the Hemi. That in a snapshot, is how the first Chrysler 300 was born.

Now jumping back into the fray of things, the new generation Chrysler 300C is a classic, and will go down in automotive history as such. Infact, according to one source, Chrysler still boasts that the Chrysler 300C is the “most award-winning car in history". It has won all sorts of awards from Motor Trend Car of the Year to a slew more. The styling of the Chrysler 300C is the main reason for its tremendous success. The styling is bold, in your face, and aggressive – call it a lil bit bulldog-ish.

The first recognition of the Chrysler 300C is when you see its front fascia. Here, is that heavy, powerful, vigorous fighter-stance styling. It’s like it’s saying, “Now what?” You got problems? Just look at me, uh huh, keep it moving!” Now lets get to the other area of impressive styling on the Chrysler 300C. This is the side view. Over here is a boxy-chunky muscular styling. This in essence, is a lead up to the front. Like how a mean, ferocious face of a bulldog is backed up by powerful, muscular stocky legs! The windows are short, and lends a cozy, want-to-look-in further, and gangster type demeanor. To precisely describe it, its almost like a gangster in his 1930’s long coat,with  the hat pulled tilted over the eyes. In this dress, he has a sort of closed-up look. And coming up on that person, you will look more at the person, because you want to see who this person his - "just a lil bit". Could I say out of fear? Hahaha. But this is the aura given off on the side view of the Chrysler 300C. Now coming around to the rear of the vehicle, the body of  is on a mild slope. this concludes the whole styling perfectly. Because, now the car is a still motion expression, one of a subtle, leaping expression. Can I call it ready-to-fight? Hahaha.

Now, the innovative styling aside, here is how the Chrysler 300C really leaped into popularity and became sort of a celebrity car. It is said that legendary rapper Snoop Dogg, left a message for the chairman of Chrysler asking, “What I gotta do to get that brand-new C outta you?” This is when the Chrysler really took off! Anything featured in a hip-hop video is gold for any auto maker as hip-hop and the hip-hop culture has gone multi-racial and is the biggest trend in America right now. In addition to that, Chrysler had been capitalizing on just that in its shrewd marketing strategy - courting the popular hip-hop market. It featured the 300C prominently in several hip-hop videos, and the gleaming, bold, brash, (hip-hop) look was recognized by car lovers. Furthermore, with the "pristine look and  Chrysler 300C custom grills", the Chrysler 300C was a natural for the hip hop world. To finish it off the Chrysler is a baby Bentley (by design intention), with its grille design and headlamp arrangement. It has the look of “expensive” but is inexpensive. This is what put the extra drop in the bucket for Chrysler. Chrysler now had a hot single! The Chrysler 300C became a celebrity car! And took off on the charts. I say, "Way to go Chrysler". I love you Chrysler! LOL

P.S I’m looking forward to blog about the new 2011 Chrysler 300C soon. I do hope that it keeps the most important winning aspects of the previous Chrysler 300C, and doesn’t do anything stupid (bending down on my knees and praying LOL).

　This is Ralph Giles! The designer of the Chrysler 300C! (takes off my hat and bows head) :)

- Gebre Mesquitta

The Dodge Magnum

This may be an opinion, but I declare it a fact. The Dodge Magnum is the most beautiful station wagon ever designed. Ever! Compared to the big ol’ clunky awkward-looking pieces of metal from the early 70’s into the mid 80s, the Dodge Magnum is amazing in its styling. The first recognition of this amazing-ness is its side profile. Here, the design is bold, smooth and different, as the roofline, instead of being horizontal from the c-pillar to the trunk, is instead, a slight, but increasing slope all the way to the end of the roof.

In addition, the Dodge Magnum has large tires. These give a gallant big statement-making appearance. It essentially “carries” the vehicle, and makes it look SUV- cool. Still on the topic of the side view, you also have the issue of the windows. The windows are shorter or higher up on the door and it gives the wagon a sort of closed-up gangster-look. Coming around to the front of the vehicle you have a “heavy” SUV- like fascia (with a big grille and large headlamps). It’s almost as if an SUV front end was shrunken down to fit a cars dimension. It’s a great look, and it aids in the bold, brash, brazen-faced look of the Dodge Magnum. The grille itself is also beautifully designed – its shape looking neither like the caravan or the Dodge Charger (though the grille here is hot as well) - is just right.

Now to the rear of the vehicle, here there is also a similarity to an SUV rear end. And it has a wide-track ready to eat-up- the road look. It ties up the entire design perfectly.

Now why this vehicle was dropped from Chrysler’s line up I don’t know, but I think it was very stupid of them to do so. One design professor quipped, “That’s Dodge” LOL! They had a winner with this wagon. It was cool, hip, and “up to date” - a perfect evolution of the American station wagon. It also made the wagon sexy, which was never a possible descriptive term on the American wagons of yesteryear.

- Gebre Mesquitta

The Cadillac Escalade

Man oh man! The Cadillac Escalade! When it comes to this SUV, I’m at a lost for words! This is one of the most beautiful SUVs in the world! Infact I think it's the most beautiful! Hands down! First I’m going to start with the side view. There’s something about that side view. I repeat, there is something about the side view of the Cadillac Escalade. Now because I love this view, I decide to ask myself, "why Ido I like this view"? First, I think it’s the design of the wheel well arcs. The wheel well arcs have a precisely “timed” arc/semi-rectangular shape. And then the distance of the height of the wheel arc from the height of the wheel also plays a definitive part. That height gives an airy or loftiness to the height of the vehicle. The silhouette of the side is also perfect in timing, in regards to where the different surface directions begin and end. And now here the windows’ shapes and positioning also affect this.

Ok, now on to the front of the vehicle. Lets look at the front of this sexy beast of an SUV! Here you have the headlamps and the grille. The grille is victorious over the headlamps as the dominant eye catcher on the front fascia. It resembles the soft, infectious smile of a beautiful female. In addition, the headlamps are tall and accent the gorgeous grille-smile. Its height brings out the grille-smile like two beautiful eyes. The grille also dips mildly at the bottom. And then there's the thick bumper which converges to a slight middle point (sympathetic to the dip at the bottom of the grille) and beautifully finishes off the front fascia. The bumper resembles a pair of full luscious lips!

All in all, the Cadillac Escalade has a speaking, emotive style about it. It’s like its always wearing a big grin of eminesscence. And according to reports, it is the most acclaimed luxury SUV ever. The other thing about the Cadillac Escalade is that it is a non-import vehicle that can fit in with any import vehicle. It looks better than any of BMW’s SUV’s save the futuristic, smashin' styling of the X6, but it is up there with the Range Rover and Porsche Cayenne. It can be called an American import.

- Gebre Mesquitta

The Hummer SUV



Hummer evolution and design critique

The Hummer! “This is why I’m hot / This is why I’m hot / I’m hot caz I’m fly / You aint caz you not!” If the Hummer could talk, this is exactly what it would say. The look of the hummer is defined by a couple of features, its boxy shape, its stance, and the front fascia. The “look” also reaches up onto the hood, where there lies a big vent, and stylishly integrated airlift hooks. I love the airlift hooks, it is a beautiful leftover of military applications (derived from the military Hummvee).


Now onto the front of the vehicle, the front fascia is the most slammin’ feature of the hummer. With its slotted grille and round headlamps, it gives the Hummer a fierce, prowling, growling, big cat appearance; and makes the it look like a vehicular lion. Further aiding in this description, the Hummer is an absolute master of any terrain.With its advanced state-of-the-art 4-wheel drive. It can go anywhere and everywhere  It is the absolute king of 4-wheel drive.

To put it simply, the hummer is just bad-ass. It’s spilling with mad sex appeal and is just sooo cool to look at! When you pass it on the street, it sort of gives off a “middle-finger” attitude. It "talks" to you! It says, “I am the sh*t! I’m soo f^%k$#g cool! Just look at me! Just get outta ma way man! MOVE! 'Cause I’m hot and everybody loves me! You know it! F%$k if you don’t like me, you can kiss my ass, I m the sh&t!”
The Hummer is sex-ily boyish and hyper-masculine. It brims with testosterone. It’s Americana at its best - big bad Americana. The Hummer is full of himself. He glares rudely at you like a feisty cat. His styling talks to you, screws at you and laughs deridingly at you. You gotta love the Hummer. Long live the Hummerrrrr. Hummer now, Hummer forever!

The legendary Chris Bangle, " The Rebel Designer"

Watch as Chris Bangle shares a piece of his mind. One of the most influential, and heavily criticized designers in the world.

-Jamal Mcclean

Welcome to all

On behalf of SeraniTafari Design Group, I Jamal McClean would personally like to welcome you to our blog page. Here the gloves come off! We talk, critique, and provide our input on cars, with an emphasis more on design and structure. First, we just would like to give praise and respect to all cars and their designers for the work that it took to create these designs. Daily blogs will be posted and you can bet that we will keep you informed on the latest trends, and design features. Remember, design is the essence of life, it is the motivating factor that drives us as humans to push the envelope, it is a culture, it is a religion.......WELCOME!

"You can't create life under the atmosphere of NO!" - Chris Bangle

- Jamal Mcclean