Page 65 - Motor Trend (January 2020)
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Lewis Hamilton
Formula 1 Driver,
Mercedes-AMG Petronas
Motorsport
2019 Rank: Unranked
The five-time (well on his way to
six at press time) world cham-
pion might be the best driver of
his—or any—generation. Since his
43 remarkable rookie season in
2007, he has dominated the
most elite level of racing. The
Michael Mauer
British driver’s personal
Director of Style, Porsche branding is unconven-
2019 Rank: 27 tional, but his record
Mauer took the almost speaks for itself, and his
perfect 911 and crafted a new iteration fans are legion.
that retains its iconic grace and
elegance. The designer also created Tobias Moers
the Taycan, Porsche’s first electric Board of Management, Mercedes-AMG, Daimler
car—which had to be recognizable as a 2019 Rank: 31 The man behind the performance brand is
Porsche while establishing a signature helping AMG transition to a new future with hybrids,
look for an electric future. such as the One (with its Formula 1 hybrid
engine) and a new EQ Performance line,
starting with an AMG GT 4-Door by the
end of 2020, while populating the lineup
with snarling 43, 53, and 63 models.
42 41
Thomas Ingenlath Michael Simcoe
CEO and Chief Designer, Vice President of Global Design,
Polestar General Motors
2019 Rank: 10 2019 Rank: Unranked
After a hybrid model introduced Simcoe took over the big chair in 2016,
the electric performance brand, so his leadership and design influence
Polestar becomes a dedicated is slowly rolling out. Long-term projects
EV brand to compete with Tesla. like the mid-engine Corvette were
Ingenlath oversees the design largely locked in, but the road
and business end of this electric appeal of the Chevrolet
performance vehicle division, which Blazer and the
must look different from the lines of the 38
Volvos Polestar shares Cadillac CT5
40 technology with. 39 have his touch. Peter Faricy
CEO of Global Direct to
Consumer, Discovery
Alejandro Agag Andy Palmer 2019 Rank: Unranked
Chairman, Formula E President and Group CEO, Faricy (above) shepherds
Discovery’s U.S. digital
2019 Rank: 46 Aston Martin Lagonda
projects as part of a larger
Millions watch each race, as 2019 Rank: 4
Formula E has become one of the Aston Martin had a rough plan to offer low-cost
world’s fastest-growing sports, first year on the stock market, streaming of automotive
silencing skeptics and raising but Palmer continues to work content. He is positioning
questions about whether Formula on a lineup of beautiful cars MotorTrend as Netflix
1 should consider switching to and developing a future with for cars with Top Gear
electric race cars. More brands, hybrids, a new V-6 engine, and a America, along with new
garage, adventure, and
companies, and cities continue Lagonda EV lineup—while
to join as the electric car still offering V-12 cars lifestyle shows—bringing
automotive
racing championship in a world that
enters its sixth demands entertainment to
season with compliance the masses.
37 14 races with stricter 36
scheduled.
emissions
regulations.
Marek Reichman Britta Seeger
Chief Creative Officer, Supervisory Board Member for
Aston Martin Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing
2019 Rank: Unranked and Sales, Daimler
Reichman has injected bold
differentiation into new Astons, 2019 Rank: Unranked
creating such diverse vehicles as the Seeger is working to build the EQ
exotic Valkyrie hypercar, classically electric brand, finally pulling the
beautiful DB11 grand tourer, sporty plug on the profit-draining Smart
Vantage two-seater, Vanquish brand in the U.S., and ensuring all the
mid-engine car, muscular DBS Mercedes-Benz products in between
Superleggera, a first SUV with the BDX, are resonating with consumers. Sales
and Lagonda electric concepts. have grown under her watch.
35 34 JANUARY 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 65
