Ex Mazda designer Van den Acker goes to Renault...

[Galaxy]

... where he will replace Patrick Le Qu?ment who will retire. Good news for Renault me thinnks. Qu?ment made some interesting cars like the Vel Satis and the Avantime but interesting does not mean Must-Have. Van den Acker has shown that he is talented.

[2o6]

Personally, I think they should hire new talent altogether. Yeah, shuffling designers is nice, but It's a bit annoying seeing Kia reek of Audi.

[Byteme]

... where he will replace Patrick Le Qu?ment who will retire. Good news for Renault me thinnks. Qu?ment made some interesting cars like the Vel Satis and the Avantime but interesting does not mean Must-Have. Van den Acker has shown that he is talented.

He was actually the Global Design Director.  If he is the one responsible for the front end on the new 3 I'm glad he's gone.   

[Laconian]

Patrick Le Qu?ment:
His team's products since have included Twingo, M?gane and M?gane II - which he later admitted in an interview with Automotive News Europe magazine, was too much of a bold design; Sc?nic; the Espace models of 1994 and 1998; Kangoo; Laguna models of 1994; Avantime and the Vel Satis of 2002.

This guy had a good run IMO. The Megane II and current generation Sc?nic are still fresh looking designs to my eyes.

[Onslaught]

I think the guy who did the RX-8 is now the head designer of Mazda.
If this other guy was the one who gave the green light on the new 3 then happy days are here again.

[r0tor]

I think the guy who did the RX-8 is now the head designer of Mazda.
If this other guy was the one who gave the green light on the new 3 then happy days are here again.

yup Maeda has control now... a second generation JDM Mazda designer (his father did the RX-7)... perhaps Mazda can now go back to some more simple japanese organic creations

[Laconian]

yup Maeda has control now... a second generation JDM Mazda designer (his father did the RX-7)... perhaps Mazda can now go back to some more simple japanese organic creations

Heh, "organic" is what got us into this mess! "Cars have to look like fish, or like dew drops on leaves, or like wave patterns in sandstone..."

[r0tor]

i'd like to think leaving a crazy dutch guy in charge of styling leads to fish mouthes