For example, at Turin’s Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile, you’ll find timelines of societal shifts and their influence on automotive evolution, as well as exhibits that illuminate the effects of trends, tastes, and human exploration on the automotive scene. The museum is especially noteworthy for its abundant illustrations and artwork.

Daniele Mazzon, head of Transportation and Yacht Design at the workshops of leading carrozzeria Pininfarina, gave his slant on Italy’s unique styling talent.

“What sets Italian automotive design apart is its deep roots in the art world. If the beauty of German craftsmanship is in its functional aesthetic, I believe the beauty of Italian design is in its passionate expression of the designer’s individuality.”

This is what lies at the root of Italian design—the pursuit of innovation while embracing tradition and technological heritage, as well as each artisan’s desire to forge the epitome of beauty.

But automotive and transportation design is just one of a broad range of specialisms offered by the IED, which also teaches interior design, fashion, jewelry, animation, video games, art, and more. The school is a melting pot for ideas, with constant cross-pollination among disciplines. So, in fact, far from being detached from society and people’s lives, mobility design has become an integral part of the broader spectrum of lifestyle design.

“There is a tendency for leading-edge automotive design and technology to trickle down into other industries,” says Daniele Mazzon, head of Transportation and Yacht Design at Pininfarina, who is also a graduate of the IED.

Another area in which Italy has led the way in aerodynamics is bicycles. A notable example is Colnago, who has deftly achieved improved frame aerodynamics and rider comfort through a joint research and development project with an engineering school. With road races being tests of endurance spanning weeks, reducing the rider’s physical burden is every bit as essential as good handling and durability.

And that is precisely why minutiae in every area, from aerodynamics up, can make the difference between winning and losing. Likewise, with BEVs—technologically or chemically, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of battery energy density, drive motor efficiency, control logic, and loss suppression, there is very little difference in performance between the EV models produced by different manufacturers. So it’s really no exaggeration to say that the key to improving EV efficiency in the future will be “conquering the wind.”

As it competes at the highest levels of motorsport, from the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other WEC events to races all around the world, Lexus is unifying its research and development of road cars and electric vehicles rather than treating them as two separate categories. Electrification by its very nature demands improved aerodynamics, and Lexus’s race machines based on existing road car models are the foundations on which to build that technology. A single streamlined process for everything from race car to road car—it’s a tantalizing vision, and it’s coming into view.

Lexus is also planning a high-end yacht—the Lexus LY680, which will put mastery of the wind and aerodynamics into practice as never before.