Auto Design » Hydrogen

Pininfarina Sintesi wins Red dot award 2008.

Giancarlo Perini — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:01:30 +0000

In Singapore, late last month, the Pininfarina Sintesi concept-car unveiled last March at the Geneva Motor Show has been selected for “Red dot Award” among a selection of 1900 design concepts from 48 Nations.

The Pininfarina Concept-car has been elected for its innovative technology and Pininfarina vision of the car of the future. The international jury quoted: “for the excellent quality of its design and the outstanding innovation of its technological content”.

Although aesthetics were not the priority of the project, nor the aim of the design, the Sintesi was carefully designed to meet its targets and to properly represent the beauty of its innovative technology. Key feature of the design is the harmony between interior and exterior in a design that dress-up the technique: a combination of fuel cells, drive train components and batteries, on one side; as well as the set requirements for space and safety. Driver and passenger are at the centre of the future automotive scenarios, and the car itself – conceived as part of a network of interconnected vehicles with an artificial intelligence of its own engineered to interact with similar cars and the surrounding environment.

Paolo Pininfarina, president of the Pininfarina group was very pleased with the award that pays homage to the wok of the late Andrea Pininfarina, commented: “The Sintesi is a genuine laboratory on wheels and the red dot award acknowledges the ability of our design team to set new quality standards for itself, start again from a clean sheet and tackle the challenge of creating something with completely new heart, muscles and brain. Something that is extraordinary and futuristic by today’s criteria but destined to become the norm in future”.

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TOYOTA 2025 LE MANS RACER

Giancarlo Perini — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:00:55 +0000

Clearly, Toyota designers have been thinking of endurance racing and not F1 for their Racing car for the year 2025 and this is very interesting, considering the Toyota also race in F1 and this years have been made some significant score.According to them, technological superiority and endurance makes for the ultimate racecar that never needs to stop. Not only is the racer powered by highly efficient hydrogen fuel cell electric motors but also each of its body panels is embedded with photovoltaic panels that supply electricity when extra energy is needed.The vehicle features two basic modes: High Speed Mode and Cornering Mode. In High Speed Mode, the body and wheels narrow, creating less drag and resistance to reach its highest speed of 350 mph. The Cornering Mode transforms the body to create a wide and stable stance with expanded wheels, establishing maximum contact and grip through tight turns.Electronics and futuristic development have been considered to support the driver in darkness or unreliable weather: the cockpit is a completely digital environment with a display enhanced by virtual reality, computer trajectory plotting, collision avoidance assistance and a robot co-pilot, which manages the on-board systems and repairs so that it can maintain full speed all the way to the finish. Sound impressive, doesn’t it?Designers:

· President:
Kevin Hunter

· Studio Design Manager:
Erwin Lui

· Senior Creative Designer:
Craig Kember

Photo Gallery:

BMW Hydrogen Powered Salt Flat Racer.

Giancarlo Perini — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:00:07 +0000

“Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations.” -Jean Paul Richter.

BMW has designed a hydrogen powered salt flat racer based on the premise of Reuse (instead of recycle). This concept utilizes existing, ordinary, and mundane materials, such as old oil barrels and barbeque lids, as main components for the body and wheel discs. Friendly, whimsical and sustainable, the concept employs goldfish as “co-pilots” or “canaries-in-a-coal mine” to ensure that the vehicle is running clean emissions (if your fish get sick, you must be running “rich”). The wheels are gel-nylon for necessary flex, allowing tires to be airless and re-vulcanized or re-treaded.

Designers:

President: Verena Kloos
Director: Chris Chapman
Creative Director: Erik Goplen
Designer: Richard Kim
Digital Modelers: Jason Rowlands and Blair Taylor

Complete Photo Gallery:

5TH LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW DESIGN CHALLENGE.

Giancarlo Perini — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:16:36 +0000

Comes November 20^th and we will know the winner of the 5^th Design Challenge.

Nine Southern California design studios of the top carmakers have presented their own concept and design of what the Race Car of the future will be in 2025.

The Design Challenge is held within the frame of the Los Angeles Auto Show that opens its gate to the public on November 21^st.

This year theme for the challenge was to «Visualize Auto Racing in the Year 2025» along the following guidelines: «Today’s race cars have ground-breaking technology to improve speed, power, performance and safety but what a difference 17 years into the future can make. Imagine race cars that go beyond the expectations and challenges of racing today, such as never needing to stop for re-fuelling or collision avoidance assistance technology for enhanced safety».

According to Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and partner in The Design Academy, Inc. «Automotive designers have always been fascinated with Motor Sports and this year’s Design Challenge has provided them with the opportunity to use their creative talent to look at these cars with new eyes, using innovative technologies and approaches”.

Works by Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen are pitted against each other to showcase their talents and further explore new ideas in automotive design.

Entries will be judged by Tom Matano of San Francisco’s Academy of Art University, Imre Molner of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies and Stewart Reed of Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design. Daniel Simon, an established car designer and founder of Cosmic Motors, is the special guest judge this year. Simon began his design career at Volkswagen and recently published his first book: Cosmic Motors-Spaceships, Cars and Pilots of Another Galaxy. His book seems to have suggested the theme of this year challenge and the flavour of some of the works presented, whereas other works have inspired themselves to the superlative illustration technique of Syd Mead.

Starting today I am sharing with you their works. One per day. And in alphabetic order. Go to AUDI R25.

EVERYTHING (ALMOST) YOU WANT TO SEE ON THE CITROEN GT.

Giancarlo Perini — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:59:25 +0000

Brought to you, non-stop from the company design centre and press office.

Pictures always say a lot more than thousands of words. However, here some news you might light to read.

The GT by Citroen is a real dream car built from a virtual first designed for Polyphony’s simulation game Gran Turismo to be plaid on the Playstation 3. As such is the first ever prototype that million of “players” can drive in their virtual world. Somehow, the GT by Citroen seen at the Paris Motor Show is a replica of a car that has never been built. As such, it can be anything. In our case, the engineers of both the virtual and the real car companies have opted for an electric sports car powered by fuel cell and delivery no emission. A real dream car. At least for the time being.

According to the designers, «the virtual car is geared to the world of motor racing, with its dynamic styling, sculpted lines and sharp graphics. The rear end is oversized, made exaggeratedly long in order to create an effect of retinal persistence. The idea is to make the concept car even faster visually. The white-to-grey gradation on the body side further underlines this impression of continuous movement.

The on-board ambience allies premium, extensively worked materials with a more high-tech effect for the driving position. The layout of the low driving position was dictated by driving pleasure. The aim is for the driver to be able to concentrate on the road, assisted by a head-up display clearly displaying driving information. »

It is going to be very interesting to see what the real car will offer when it reaches the real world of a racing track. On this issue Kazanori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc and creator of Gran Turismo, commented: «GT by Citroen shows how the worlds of virtual and real-life motoring can join together to create a truly innovative partnership. To see the car take shape in game and then for real has been a truly unique experience as our work normally stays in the digital world. I just hope I can get behind the wheel of the car and drive it on a real race track!”

Well, we also would like to see how close the virtual world of Gran Turismo 5 can come to reality (and vice-versa) and will certainly take a close look to the real car as soon as we have the opportunity.

Click on the image for the photo gallery.

DREAM CARS ON DISPLAY IN TORINO.

Giancarlo Perini — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:05:41 +0000

Not to be missed.

Never before I have seen so many dream and concept cars in the same place ad the same time. This unique opportunity is offered by Torino 2008 World Design Capital and you must visit it before it closes on November 23.

For all details and a comprehensive introduction, go to http://www.torinoworlddesigncapital.it/portale/en/content_1.php?sezioneID=291&testoCompleto=1

Beware and please do not shoot the messenger: strangely enough, the exhibition closes at 6.20 p.m.

You also should not miss to get a copy of the Exhibition Catalogue currently on sale only in Italian but soon to be available also in English.

In fact, one of the many oddities of this exhibition is that the Catalogue does not exactly reflect the exhibition but also has a little bit more here and a little bit less there.

Take your time and take your camera with you. There is a lot to see, to study and to register. Through the day, the lighting of the wonderful hall designed and engineered by the famous Italian architect Luigi Nervi, which used to host the Turin Motor Show, is excellent. There is a lot of space, air and light so that one can fully enjoy seeing more than 50 prototypes created by the Turin carmakers, coachbuilders and enthusiasts.

Unfortunately the exhibition is not complete, with some works remarkable for their past and current trends, such as the Spada Coda Tronca or the first “fuoriserie” of the latest decade not present and often not even mentioned. We are3 talking here oif the “dreams for the road” presented by Stola and Studiotorino, which have anticipated the new vague of “fuoriserie”. Typical dream cars actually designed and built for the road, such as the Pininfarina Ferrari P4/5 and Hyperion. Not to mention many Zagatos of yesterday and today.

In this respect, the exhibition reflects the traditional culture of the Turinese coachbuilders.

As of today, we offer you a glance at the exhibits. Later on, we shall come back with additional information, naming of cars on show and update,

Click on this image for our exclusive photo gallery.