- Genesis X Gran Equator Concept and Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic make European
debut at CDE 2026 - Lamborghini Manifesto, Pagani Huayra R, Alpine Alpenglow HY6, Norton Manx
motorbikes, NOVUS Bike and Škoda Vision O headline stellar line-up - Design leaders from brands including Kia, Hyundai, Slate, UE Studios, Gentex,
Volkswagen and Niels van Roij Design meet media and students in an intimate setting - Next-generation designers from leading European schools present their own concepts
alongside global OEM design chiefs
The Car Design Event 2026 (CDE 2026) brought the global design community back to Munich for its fourth edition, combining high-profile world and European premieres with rare, close-up access to the people shaping the future of mobility. Taking over the prestigious Drivers & Business Club, the boutique motor-show-style gathering once again united leading design departments, suppliers, design schools, media and content creators in an intimate, invitation-only setting.
At the heart of this year’s event were the European premieres of the Genesis X Gran Equator
Concept and the Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic, two statements of intent on the future of luxury mobility and advanced design language. They were joined by the first public appearance of the Lamborghini Manifesto outside the company’s headquarters, the dramatic Pagani Huayra R, Alpine’s Alpenglow HY6 hydrogen concept and Škoda’s Vision O, underlining CDE’s growing role as a stage for major debuts.
The list of exhibiting and presenting partners read like a who’s who of contemporary design,
including Alpine, Ducati, EDAG, Feadship, Genesis, Gentex, Hyundai, Kia, Lamborghini,
Mercedes-Benz, Niels van Roij Design, Norton Motorcycles, Novus Bikes, Pagani, Škoda, Slate, UE Studios and Volkswagen. Highlights ranged from the Volkswagen ID.Polo interior and UE Studios’ SUE Concept, to the Niels van Roij Design Breadvan Hommage. Norton Motorcycles also used CDE 2026 to showcase its latest lineup, with the new Manx and Manx R underlining the brand’s performance-led resurgence and offering a breadth of creativity at the event from four wheels to two.
CDE 2026 also provided unusually direct access to some of the most influential designers working today. Among those guiding media and students through their latest projects were Mitja Borkert, Director of Design at Automobili Lamborghini, presenting the Fenomeno and the Manifesto concept; Oliver Stefani, Škoda Chief Designer, discussing the Vision O; Antony Villain, Alpine Chief Designer, and Marc Poulain, Chief Advance Design, with the Alpenglow HY6; and John Krsteski, Senior Chief Designer at Genesis North America, walking guests around the Genesis X Gran Equator Concept. They were joined by figures such as Niels van Roij, Founder and Chief Designer at Niels van Roij Design, Simon Skinner from Norton Motorbikes, Hyundai’s Raphael Bretecher, Head of interior Design at Hyundai Design Center Europe; and key Volkswagen interior and CMF leads on the ID.Polo project.
The guest list also included design luminaries such as Fabrizio Giugiaro, Klaus Busse, Walter de Silva and Massimo Frascella, underlining CDE’s status as a must-attend date in the global design calendar.
Beyond the concepts and show cars, CDE’s hallmark remains its role as a bridge between the industry and the next generation of talent. In partnership with Hochschule München, Hochschule Pforzheim and Hof University of Applied Sciences, the 2026 edition once again gave students the chance to present their own work on the same stage as global OEMs – from Hochschule München’s projects to the Canyon Fast Cut road bike concept by Hochschule Hof student Andreas Irrgang. Throughout the event, tutors and students were able to discuss their ideas directly with visiting design chiefs, turning the event into a live, rolling masterclass in contemporary transportation design.
Alongside the presentations and “design walks” around the concepts, CDE 2026 hosted discussions on the future of mobility, new vehicle and concept typologies, design storytelling and the impact of AI on transportation design and UI/UX. With a tightly curated group of international media, influencers and students in attendance, conversations moved fluidly between formal sessions and informal exchanges on the show floor, reinforcing the event’s reputation as a working forum rather than a traditional trade fair. This year also saw the launch of the new CDE Podcast, offering in-depth conversations with the designers and creative leaders taking part in the event. The series provides long-form insights into the ideas, processes and personal stories behind the design and concepts
shown at CDE and can be found on the CDE website.
Greater in scope than ever before, the CDE 2026 hosted around 250 participants, including more than 80 journalists from Europe, Asia and North America.
CDE 2026 forms part of a broader calendar of enthusiast and industry events, which this year also includes GTEST in Alsfeld (29 June–2 July) and CDE Loh Collection (21–23 September). Together, they underline how the CDE platform has, in just four years, become a landmark fixture for those interested in where automotive and mobility design is heading next.
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