2010 Camaro’s designer headed for Volkswagen

2010 Camaro’s designer headed for Volkswagen
By Mark Kleis - Posted December 28th 2009

The 2010 Chevy Camaro is one of the most polarizing and aggressively styled vehicles to hit the road in 2009, but now its designer is set to leave GM after 10 years of service. Designer Sangyup Lee is reportedly going to be taking post in VW’s California-based design studio in 2010.

Lee was born and raised in Korea, and as a result experienced virtually no American car culture – with his first experience with a Camaro being at the age of 20. Lee got his start in American car culture when he moved to the U.S. in 1995 and began his education at the Art Center in Pasadena studying transportation design.
After finishing his education, Lee moved to Europe where he spent time with both Porsche and Pininfarina, before moving back to the U.S. to begin his 10-year stay with GM. During his tenure with GM, Lee worked on the Buick Velite concept, Stingray concept and most famously, the new Chevy Camaro.
Lee is scheduled to begin as chief exterior designer for VW/Audi Advanced beginning mid-2010 under Jens Manske, executive director.
23 COMMENTS
1. A4213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Well this should spit out something interesting…
  
  Reply
2. ICEMAN213 days ago
  0 0
  
  ” spit out something interesting ”
  
  We are sure you have plenty of experience in this matter.
  
  Reply
3. wyVern213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Good news, no bland Golf anymore. That’s what VW was missing, aggressive designs.
  With exciting design and VW quality, and now unsafe Toyotas, no doubt that VW will be No1 in the next few years.
  
  Reply
4. idrinorbarsaku213 days ago
  0 0
  
  He better not bring in “fat/chunky” designs similar to the camaro!
  
  Reply
5. tastyorange213 days ago
  0 0
  
  “Designer”?
  Actually the Camaro was designed by someone else in the mid 60′s.
  This guy just updated it…. in a cartoonish sort of way.
  If he didn’t already have something to work with, would he have been able to come up with the new one?
  Stylist… yes. Designer… hhhmmmmm.
  
  Reply
6. johnnycanuck213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Yep, she’s a funny old world… the Germans are hiring a Korean because they suck at selling Americans cars made in Mexico. Someone let me know if there’s a punchline to that one because I’m stumped.
  
  Reply
7. DenverGuy217213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Perhaps there is hope for a future Audi model that doesn’t look almost exactly the same as all the other outdated Audi models?
  
  Reply
8. strongbad213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Not sure how much he had to due with the Velite, but that car is certainly nice, more designer than stylist. The Camaro – he HAD to make it retro, that is what the customer base wants. And it worked.
  
  VW/Audi needs serious help to break it out of the ‘bauhaus’ design philosophy. We shall see.
  
  Reply
9. shaver213 days ago
  0 0
  
  I was wondering what the kid in “Gran Torino” ended up doing with his life.
  
  Reply
10. howsmydriving213 days ago
  0 0
  
  He’s undeniably talented. He can’t be judged on Camaro alone, as he had to work within narrow parameters. I’ve visited Art Center in Pasadena, and it is da place.
  
  It will be interesting to see if Audi’s stupidly large grills grow any larger. They’re already threatening to swallow the entire front end….
  
  Reply
11. reedfast213 days ago
  0 0
  
  as long as it doesn’t take VW 5 stupid years to come out with one model, this will be good.
  
  Reply
12. RaineMan213 days ago
  0 0
  
  GM is certainly having a hard time holding on to designers. I’d wager that the VP of design has no freakin clue what he/she is doing and these guys aren’t happy at all.
  
  Reply
13. DSG_MASTER213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Lets hope he doesn’t F*** it up.
  
  Reply
14. Szabla213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Just what we need, Manga VW.
  
  Reply
15. Szabla213 days ago
  0 0
  
  I am referring to the ‘cartoonish’ comment way above this one.
  
  Can we get an edit button?
  
  Reply
16. sprockkets213 days ago
  0 0
  
  The Camaro
  
  Designed by an Asian
  Engineered by Australians
  Made by Canadians
  
  GM An American Revolution
  
  Reply
17. yarddog82abn213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Good thing I own a Ford…
  
  Reply
18. RaineMan213 days ago
  0 0
  
  @sprockkets: Welcome to the Global Economy.
  
  Reply
19. RaineMan213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Your computer… ordered by an American, designed by the Japanese, built in China, serviced by a call center in India.
  
  Reply
20. sprockkets213 days ago
  0 0
  
  It was engineered by Taiwaneese, partly built by Chineese, and assembled by me in America.
  
  Shuttle (the brand of my barebones computer) doesn’t claim to be “An American Revolution” though. For that matter, I wouldn’t want the computer to be engineered by Americans because history has shown them to be utter crap.
  
  Reply
21. zoomzoomer213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Based on the Camaro, any chance his New New Beetle will look even more like the original than the current one does?
  
  Reply
22. A4213 days ago
  0 0
  
  Thanks ICEMAN, I’m getting tired of this website. Half of you are rude and incompetent and rather than create some kind of community you say **** like that. Congrats, retard.
  
  Reply
23. mitzo210 days ago
  0 0
  
  VW has a California studio? Like the Japanese? To pump out NA-specific SUVs CUVs and fat sedans? Count me out.
  
  Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.