MC1 Supercar

David Hilton might not be the best-known name in car design, but his Cologne-based consultancy Motorcity Europe has done key behind-the-scenes designs, working on projects that have ultimately evolved into familiar forms on the world's highways, including work for TATA, Peugeot, Ford and Hyundai. It's not all thankless backroom grafting, however. The latest concept design to come out of the workshop should give the designer a major boost in recognition.

Click here to see more images of the car

The MC1 is a fully worked-up design for a mid-engined, V10-powered supercar. Designed for an as-yet-unnamed client, Hilton claims the car could be on the road by 2011.

The MC1 is all about bold forms, an illustration of how swiftly a contemporary designer can use the computer to transfer ideas from paper to 3D model. With a low-slung carbon fibre monocoque body, scissor doors and copious gaping air inlets, the MC1 looks every part the futuristic high performance car.

We're especially taken by the simple graphic treatment at the rear, with vertical brake-lights and central exhaust, detailing that contrasts with the overlapping, fluid surfaces that make up the side and front of the car.

For the designer, time constraints are getting ever tighter, while consumers are becoming more sophisticated and demanding more and more individuality. 'I believe we are going to see more dynamic and sculptural surfaces in the future,' says Hilton, who explains that quality, prestige and brand values will increasingly be executed through the complex interplay of light on curves.

The tough but elegant MC1 might not reinvent the wheel, but it could give a lucky niche manufacturer the chance to muscle in on the top end of the market.