Camaro designer leaves GM to head-up Volkswagen’s US design studio

By Matt Brogan | December 29th, 2009

The designer of the iconic new Chevrolet Camaro, Mr Sangyup Lee, is leaving General Motors for a new position with Volkswagen-Audi’s California-based ‘Advanced’ design studio.

After studying transportation design in the US, Korean-born and raised Lee spent time with both Porsche and Pininfarina in Europe before returning to the States to begin his decade-long stay with General Motors. During his tenure with GM, Mr Lee worked on the 2004 GM/Bertone Buick Velite concept (below), Stingray concept and most famously, the new Camaro.

Mr Lee’s designs are certain to provide some interesting change at VW-Audi when he begins as Chief Exterior Designer mid-next year.

fasthonda

Ten years at GM…hmmmm!Doesn’t sound good to me at all.
We’ll most likely see more Americanized VW/Audis,from a styling point of view,
it may prove not be the best move from the point of view of VW/Audi afficinados.

crouchy

Ford have done it, Toyota do it, Subaru are doing it and now VW/Audi will do it … Car companies are realizing that if they target their product directly at the giant (not so giant at the moment) US market, then results will follow.
jon

Doubt it.

crouchy

Money talks…

Valet Dabess

i hope he doesn’t design anything as ugly as that buick

Patriot

With designs now coming from some unknown Korean, you wouldn’t expect anything other than ugly. Either that, or it’s just a random rip off. It’s a travesty.
Wheelnut

Yes the Buick roadster is ugly.. However; there’s a number of cars which could do with some work at VAG.

For example; he could start by trying to improve the looks of the Cayenne.. Then there’s the Skoda line-up.. not to mention get rid of those g@y [LED] eyelashes on the Audis

So I think he’s going to be fairly busy

Will

Interesting, diesel and or diesel electric Camaro…finishing a job that GM could have undertaken. Sad for GM., potentially great for Volkswagen….

Wheelnut

Sangyup Lee did the initial sketches of the Camaro; but it was the boys at Holden who made the necessary changes to it take it from concept to reality

In fact Mike Simcoe [head of GM design] has said that the guys at Holdens State of the Art Design Studio; such as Peter Hughes – who designed the VE and Richard Felazzo – who designed the Efijy Concept; will play a more major role in the design etc of a number of GMs future projects

Which shows that not only does GM still have a number of talented designers [particularly here in Australia].. but also that Holden is considered [by Detroit] to have considerable potential. Which is why Holden wasn’t sold off – as some people on here expected/had hoped.