Auto Design

Cassino (FR) Italy

Picture on the street – iPhone 4

Ferdinand Piëch on the Future of Car Design

Giancarlo Perini ©

The other day I was searching a story through my collection of Car Styling and I also noticed an interview with Ferninand Piëch, shortly after the introduction of the new Audi 100, the Car of the Year of the time. I found interesting to read again his words and check his visions with the development of Audi (and the entire Volkswagen group) some 27 years later.

Perhaps you too may like to read them and share your comments with other readers.

Status and Trends of Automotive Design Development.

Q: How would you describe the present status of automotive engineering in general?

A: Automotive engineering is currently in a state of tension between numerous influencing factors, some of them mutually contradictory. Increased awareness of environmental problems is taking effect in the form of statutory limits on exhaust emissions and noise, but is obliging us to design engines with unfavorable fuel-consumption characteristics and to increase body weight unnecessarily. However, rapidly rising fuel prices and the drop in our potential customers’ available incomes on almost all volume markets oblige us to devote top priority in our development work to reducing fuel consumption. All in all, therefore, automotive engineering is striving to achieve the optimum compromise between economical running and long-term durability, with increased safety and environmental acceptability thrown in at the same time. Considerable progress in the field of electronics and in the materials sector has resulted in technical features appearing on production vehicles which would have been considered impossible to achieve only a short time ago. Read the rest of this entry »

Audi is ready to launch next generation of its A8 and promises fascinating sportiness, innovative technology and superior comfort.

The new generation of the company flagship aim at consolidating its charisma through its light aluminum body, powerful and highly efficient engines, new driver assistance systems, the full LED headlights, an elegant interior with a craftsman’s level of workmanship and the further improved MMI operating system. More than ever its focus in on superlative dynamics, workmanship touches, pioneering efficiency and perfection in design, but this time it is adding a more dynamic and sensual look to its style.

“The new Audi A8 is the sportiest sedan in its segment,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “It combines numerous functions in a new and intelligent way. And it’s unmatched in the stylistic elements and impression of the interior.”

The interior is spectacular and captivating, with its new and spacious design and uncompromisingly high-quality workmanship full of attention to the smallest detail.

The comfort on board is first class, according to Audi claims. From new, emotionally charged ambient lighting to the luxurious, power adjustable seats in the rear.

The new A8 starts off with either of two engines, a 4.2 FSI with 273 kW (372 hp) and a 4.2 TDI, packing 258 kW (350 hp). They will be followed by a 3.0 TDI with 184 kW (250 hp). All engines afford increased power and torque – but their fuel consumption has dropped by 13 to 22 percent, thanks to intelligent and efficient technologies like the recuperation system and innovative thermal management.

A second variant of the 3.0 TDI, with front-wheel drive, will follow at a later time,

Is credited with emissions limited to 159 grams of CO2 per kilometre (255.89 g/mile) or 6.0 litres of fuel per 100 km (39.20 US mpg), thus achieving the lowest consumption rate in the luxury segment, so far.

The technology contents of the new A8 reaches new heights with the addition of a touchpad to the MMI man-machine interface that enables the driver to control many functions intuitively; for example, the navigation destination can be entered by tracing the letters on the pad.

MMI navigation plus is networked in a novel fashion with the advanced driver assistance and safety systems. It follows the route in advance during driving and provides the data to the control units for the automatic transmission, the headlights and for the ACC stop & go function.

The new technologies include a night vision assistance and the speed limit display.

With the new A8, Audi consolidates its leadership in the lighting technology. The headlights are full LED and use light emitting diodes for all light functions. They give the luxury sedan an unmistakable appearance day and night. The revolutionary optics used in these headlights mean a departure from the tubular light modules commonly used today.

The new Audi A8 will go on sale “early 2010”.

The new Audi A8 At a glance ( from Audi press-release)

Body

- Lightweight and yet ultra-strong aluminum body with ASF design

- Flowing design, full LED headlights on request

Interior and controls

- Luxurious interior with newly developed, spacious styling

- Craftsman-level workmanship, emotionally charged interior lighting

- Advanced MMI operating system, MMI touch navigation system with pioneering operating concept

- Seats with optional ventilation and massage functions, luxurious individual rear seats optional

Safety

- New Audi pre sense safety system for avoiding accidents and for minimizing their consequences

Infotainment and driver assistance systems

- Navigation system of the next generation closely networked with the assistance systems; high-end audio systems and online services

- Night vision assistant with pedestrian marking, adaptive cruise control with stop & go feature and advanced driver assistance systems

Drivetrain

- Two TDI engines and one gasoline engine, all with direct fuel injection, with power ranging from 184 kW (250 hp) to 273 kW (372 hp)

- Another 3.0 TDI with 150 kW (204 hp), best-in-class CO2 of 159 g/km (255.89 g/mile)

- Consumption improved by up to 22 percent with enhanced performance

- All engines with recuperation system, 3.0 TDI also with start-stop system

- New 8-speed tiptronic as standard, shift-by-wire control

- Standard quattro all-wheel drive, optional sport differential (standard with A8 4.2 TDI)

Chassis

- Lightweight wheel suspension, balanced axle load distribution

- Audi drive select driving dynamic system including standard adaptive air suspension and daptive damping, optional dynamic steering

Ever wondered what is all about a major exhibition area at an international motor show?

If you have, here is all you may want to know about AUDI’s 6,000 square metres display designed to present 34 Audi of all sorts and to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the company.

The Audi stand at the IAA will be “Bright White and with a Big Heart” says the company which is announcing five world premieres, including what it describes as insights into electric mobility of tomorrow.

Audi S5 Sportback debuts in Frankfurt

To build it they will use 230 metric tons of steel, 560 square meters of glass, 67 kilometers of electric cable. Some 300 fitters will work 25 days to assemble the “installation” (a work of art) downloaded from 90 trucks

The result of their work will be a gleaming white stand – 6,000 square meters in size (4,000 at ground level and 2,000 one storey up) – with a dazzling design to showcase 34 perfectly situated Audi vehicles. The Audi stand spans 86 meters in length and 46 meters in width. At the center of the stand there is a huge heart show-casing key Audi innovations such as TDI technology, lightweight design/construction, and Audi history. A chrome-polished R8 will get visitors’ hearts pumping even faster.

Through the press and public day it will be the work place for 55 Audi employees as well as 85 event hostesses/hosts trained and prepared to provide details to all interested visitors.

This puts each and every one of the 34 exhibition vehicles in the best possible light. Audi’s trade-show specialists begin planning the configuration of spotlights months in advance and down to the millimeter so that no unwelcome reflections arise and that every perfectly positioned Audi’s colors and contours are perfectly accentuated.

The same applies to the stand’s steel structures, which weigh many tons and are precisely positioned by surveyors who use laser measurements. Everything must be 100 percent perfect. This is due to reasons of not only time but also safety: some 750,000 people are expected to visit the 2009 IAA! Stands must therefore be indisputably sound in design and execution.

Audi says it had managed to execute a trade-show strategy which costs far less than that of its strategic competitors. A considerable amount of the materials Audi uses at a trade show, for example, will not simply be discarded, but rather re-used at future automotive exhibitions. It could be said that Audi relies on a modular trade-show framework – an assembly concept of sorts.

Audi’s IAA Stand: Specs and Facts

6,000 square meters of overall floor space

4,000 m² on ground floor; 900 m² of elevated surfaces/ceilings

2,000 m² upper floor

34 exhibition vehicles (5 of them world premieres)

2 vehicle lounges (quattro Lounge: 162 m², A5 Sportback Lounge: 85 m²)

3 catered lounges (309 m² altogether) with 150 seats

12 months of planning; 55,000 hours of planning

90 truck loads

300 people on set-up team

24/7 set-up

25 days of setting-up

560 m² glass façade

230 metric tons of steel

67 km of cables

39 metric tons suspended from the Hall’s ceiling

8.45 meters: height of the lighting truss’s lower edge

3 km of truss crossbeams

1,400 spotlights

2,000 KW power output

Highlight LED: 14 meters wide and up to 4.70 m high

Highlight LED with 2,101,248 Surface-Mount Devices (pixels)

Heart of Audi: 40 meters long and up to 10 m wide

Heart of Audi with approx. 1,500 LED panels (á 16×16 LED points)

19 different exhibits, incl. 2 cutaway engines

Various floor coverings: laminate, genuine wood veneer, aluminum, anodized-aluminum panels, concrete scrap, glass, carpet

95 meters of leather-covered seating in Heart of Audi; 7 staircases

25 offices and conference rooms

16 climate-control units

85 event hostesses/hosts

55 Audi employees.

An Embarassing Comparison?

When I received the first set of official pictures of the Audi A5 Sportback, the first thought that came to my mind was how far (or, indeed, how close) the new “5 door coupé” from Audi  is from the new Porsche Panamera. The two cars are very different in many ways, starting from their selling prices to their fuel consumption and performance via their overall dimensions. You cannot compare them when the time comes to buy one.

Yet, they have a lot in common. They are both luxury cars, they both fit in the new trend of  “dynamic, coupé-like, four seater, authoban-cruisers” with that fastback design and rear hatch. Read the rest of this entry »

Audi introduces the R25, the latest prototype in its legendary race- car line-up.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

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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.

The competition is getting stronger and stronger

and BMW is wasting no time to respond with fresher, better and more advanced products. After their new 7 Series they are now anticipating the launch of the mid-life redesign of their most important range: the 3 series. Comes September and a new generation of 3 series Saloon and Touring will go on sale with improved performance and fuel economy, even more sophisticated equipment and a clearly different look. Most those who have bought a new 3 Series recently will be annoyed, if not completely disappointed, to see their new car turned into an “old car” by the very dynamic and sexy newcomer.

It is hard to blame BMW for that anyway. The contest is changing dramatically and they cannot delay or mitigate their reaction. Audi is very aggressive with cars that used to be competent and beautiful like an icy mountain perfectly sculptured by wind and nature and now are also becoming emotional and involving. The price of petrol is rising out of control. The need to reduce consumption matched with the increasing pressure by the EU authorities to cut on CO2 emission. New opportunities offered by fast evolving technology. All these factors push BMW to accelerate the renewal of its products, and here come the 2009 BMW 3 Series sedans and Touring, with a remarkable new design.
Read the rest of this entry »