Car & Dsign

A NEW CONTEST 4 U

2009-01-08T06:59:00.000-08:00

Hawk Concept

2009-01-07T02:52:00.001-08:00

The Hawk Concept is a three-wheeler single-seat vehicle that combines a motorcycle-engine with the comfort and safety of a car. It was created by designer Alex Hodge.

The Hawk Concept is powered by a Honda RC51 V-twin 999cc engine with 120 hp and a theoretical top speed of 233 km/h.

The 19-inch alloy wheels are equipped with twin rear and front disc brakes.

The outer shell is designed to be made out of fiberglass and mounted on a light-alloy chassis. The interior combines of moulded plastic and leather trim.

About the Designer

Alex Hodge has a bachelor of Product and Industrial design from the Otago Institute of Design.

He currently works as a product designer for Escea gas fires, based in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Lexus Wide-View Cameras

2009-01-07T02:09:00.000-08:00

Nudge forward out of a garage, and cameras mounted on the grille and under the passenger-side mirror on the 2008 Lexus LX57 see around the corners before you do, sparing pedestrians that cross your path. A second camera provides a view of the ground beside the vehicle, so you don’t scuff those new tires on the curb. The navigation screen can display both views simultaneously. lexus.com
Ideas, thoughts, suggestions and questions about Best of What’s New 2008? Post them in the BOWN2008 forum. If you have questions, Popular Science magazine editors will answer them there!

2009-01-06T03:34:00.000-08:00

The top 10 Stories

2009-01-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

The top ten stories of the last year. The most read article was the exclusive presentation of the Ferrari Concept 2008 project designed by Italian Luca Serafini.

http://www.carbodydesign.com/

2009-01-01T06:57:00.000-08:00

UPDATED WEBPAGE

2009-01-01T06:26:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

You can find the newest contests of 2009.

Enjoy...

About Website activity

2008-12-13T03:14:00.000-08:00

This site is deactive until 2009...

Have a nice XMAS Holidays

Dave

Light Design?

2008-12-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

An official document that describes how the emerging LED lighting technology has affected the design of the recent Audi models, becoming an important styling element, and how LEDs will change the vehicle's lighting concept in the next future.
Five years ago, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Audi presented the Pikes Peak quattro concept study.
This SUV, which provided the inspiration for today’s Audi Q7, had the world’s first fog lights equipped with high-performance light-emitting diodes.
Integrated into the broad bumper as striking strips of light, the fog lights were also aesthetically pleasing and very popular with the public. Soon thereafter, the 12-cylinder Audi A8 went into series production as the world’s first vehicle with LED daytime running lights.
Today all new Audi models are recognizable at a glance thanks to LED daytime running lights, not only during the day but also at night.
Each Audi has its own personality in terms of lighting: the Audi A4 has a sweeping light strip which expresses elegance, while that of the Audi R8 radiates strength and dominance.

The LED technology
A light-emitting diode, or LED, is a semiconductor device – just a square millimeter in size – which can convert electrical energy directly into light with a very high efficiency.

The first LED headlights introduced with the Pikes Peak concept generated 18 lumens per watt.
For the sake of comparison, an ordinary household light bulb generates about 20 to 25 lumens per watt. A modern passenger vehicle’s xenon headlights, on the other hand, are very energy-efficient and create some 80 lumens per watt.

The next generation of white high-performance LEDs will hit the market next year with 100 lumens per watt, thus surpassing the efficiency of xenon lights for the first time.
Today’s xenon and LED headlights are four times more energyefficient than halogen headlights.
By 2018, LED technology should be about eight times more efficient than halogen light. In addition, LEDs excel due to their practically indefinite service life and react up to ten times more quickly than traditional incandescent bulbs.
“Light-emitting diodes are similar to computer chips. Every two years there’s an increase in output of about 30 percent,” explains Berlitz, “and we’ll soon be able to create so much light with LEDs that entirely new applications will become possible.”

Digital light, as Berlitz calls this new light technology, can be made more or less bright electronically and precisely adapted to a driver’s needs. Audi developers are convinced that future generations of headlights will react to weather conditions, a vehicle’s speed, the distance between vehicles, and potentially dangerous objects.
Developers tightly bundle several light-emitting diodes to create modules known as LED arrays.
These arrays are extremely flat, very compact and require much less space than conventional light sources such as halogen bulbs or xenon burners.
Because of this, and thanks to reflectors as well as sophisticated electronic controls, it is possible to realize very complex lighting functions in the tightest of spaces. Cornering light, for example, has traditionally been executed via complex mechanical means in headlights.

Energy Efficiency

LEDs can also reduce a vehicle’s fuel consumption. Vehicles' conventional low-beam headlights, taillights, and license-plate illumination consume some 200 watts – which the alternator must constantly generate.
By comparison, a mere 15 watts is required to power the new Audi A4’s LED daytime running lights, that equates to a decrease of about 0.2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers and about 4 grams fewer CO2 emissions per kilometer.
This advantage will be more and more evident when daytime running lights become mandatory in the European Union in May 2011.

LED lights in design

The tiny light sources present designers with spectacular opportunities. Stefan Sielaff, Audi’s Head of Design, explains: “LEDs unlock the door to unrealized design possibilities for exterior design and interiors alike.”

For example, a number of lightemitting diodes can be combined to create various shapes, which can ultimately result in a distinctive visual appearance.

The taillights of the Audi A6 Avant are likely the best-known example of any tail end. These light-emitting diodes in a ring-shaped array have become every bit as instantly recognizable as the sweeping LED daytime running lights at the front end of the Audi A4.

Headlights naturally play a pivotal role in a vehicle’s light design. An appealing front end with one-of-a-kind lights makes a car as well as its personality and the brand recognizable at a glance.
Sielaff adds: “LED daytime running lights epitomize this fact. Every light design is different, yet there’s no mistaking that every single vehicle is an Audi.
"Our daytime running lights cemented the visible persona of Audi models on the road and hone our progressive, sporty design.”

Today different configurations of LED daytime running lights now permit distinct differences among the Audi models – even in the dark.
A strip of light can be designed to underscore a vehicle’s character, just as eyeliner emphasizes an eye. This fundamentally alters the body language of Audi models.
“The lighting configuration of yesteryear – the radiator grille along with the round lights – called to mind the face of a friendly bear,” notes André Georgi, Senior Designer of Lighting Systems.
“The LED daytime running lights for the A Series, e.g. on the A4 and A5, look determined, elegant, and dynamic.
"The lights on the Audi Q5 and Audi Q7 appear especially broad and powerful.
"And the LED daytime running lights on the R8 symbolize the horns of a bull charging full speed ahead, bursting with vigor and pride.”

The Audi R8 is the spearhead of Audi’s light strategy and is optionally available with the world’s first all-LED headlights.
In addition to the daytime running lights, the turn signals as well as low-beam and high-beam headlights are all executed by means of light-emitting diodes.
Huhn explains: “A lot of people initially viewed this development as a mere marketing gimmick. Yet everyone who has seen these lights in action is not only astonished by the excellent output, but also thrilled with the homogenous distribution of light and the agreeable, daylight-esque color of the light."

Audi’s light strategy also benefits from something quite different, namely a psychological phenomenon: “Bright light created by small, compact light sources is unpleasant for the human eye. The combination of headlights and LED daytime running lights enlarges the light source, thus eliminating a nuisance,” explains Georgi.

Ideas and visions

At Audi the design process is initiated by developing and defining a vehicle’s character. The light designers and engineers from Technical Development play a hands-on role in this process from the word go. For example, one of the engineers – fittingly nicknamed “The Bridge” by his colleagues – works right in the middle of the Design Department.
Conversely, a lot of the technically relevant headlight components are designed by Technical Development. This close rapport ensures that the departments confer with one another every day.
As a vehicle’s exterior takes shape, the proportions of the headlights and the taillights are defined. Georgi says: “It’s a truly intensive process for us to develop new headlights; every idea and every vision from Technical Development and Design come together.”

Audi’s light designers turn to industrial design and architecture when they require inspiration for new ideas.

In fact, more and more architects are integrating high-tech LEDs into their plans for new buildings, thus joining a worldwide shift toward energy-efficient lighting.
Experts forecast that LEDs, energy-efficient and maintenance-free sources of light, will also become the first choice for indoor lighting.

Another source of inspiration for light designers is nature.
“Nature often shows us the way, allowing us to learn just how simply and effectively processes can be executed," explains the light designer Georgi.
The most recent example of this is the taillights we developed for the Audi A1 Sportback Concept, which was inspired by the lattice structure of a dragonfly’s wing.
The design of the taillights impressively demonstrates the relative simplicity required to construct a very large, stable and light surface.
Georgi says: “With our bionic design, we transferred this constructional conception to the Audi A1 concept’s taillights, which needed to be lightweight because they are integrated in the tailgate.”

The headlights of the Audi A1 Sportback Concept are an additional illustration of nature permeating Audi design. Reminiscent of an open pine cone, reflector shells arranged successively in concentric circles harness the light of each individual diode to create lighting which is powerful and consistent.
The headlights in the middle, on the other hand, are shaped like blossoms.
The future

Audi developers think that the future generations of headlights will provide "the right light for every driving situation".
Huhn explains: “We’re striving to create intelligent headlights and taillights which think and anticipate in the interest of enhancing a driver’s safety and comfort.”
For example, there are already high-beam headlights in pre-series development which will allow drivers to navigate roads at night without temporarily blinding oncoming drivers.
This is made possible by a variable distribution of light: An electronic system continuously calculates the distance to any approaching vehicles to ensure that the road ahead is ideally illuminated at all times – without irritating oncoming drivers.
Interior lighting
LEDs also present new opportunities for interior lighting. Similar to interior architecture, lighting scenarios are imaginable which would make it safer to operate the vehicle at night, render the interior considerably roomier, or impart a certain atmosphere.
The optional interior lighting package with ambient lighting in the Audi A8 is an example. It gives the possibilities for customizing the interior lights: the driver can dim the light and configure various lighting profiles via the MMI.

These profiles respond as appropriate to certain driving situations – when a vehicle’s interior is illuminated by lighting within cities, for example, or becomes dark on unlit rural routes.
When it comes to the lighting in vehicle interiors, developers are confronted with few limits. Safety and comfort are top priorities.
Berlitz explains: “Think of a mountain hut at night. As you’re passing through an alpine meadow, you spot the warm light glowing through the hut’s windows. The light triggers that same cozy sensation you feel when you arrive home.”
“Just imagine: You press a single button on your remote control and the entire vehicle springs to life. The ‘headlight eyes’ awaken and an inviting light fills the vehicle’s interior as if to say: Welcome home!”

Mazda 3 Sedan: the design

2008-12-01T02:03:00.000-08:00

A set of design sketches and the official information on the Mazda 3 Sedan, the 2010 global model unveiled at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

From the official Press Release:
Describing what it takes to develop a true 'world car', Mazda 3 Programme Manager Yoshiyuki Maeda says: "The development process began with careful study and identification of what features and performance qualities would be needed. That initial phase ended with my conclusion that every driving characteristic was eligible for improvement to reach our Zoom-Zoom goals.
"Mazda engineering and R&D departments in Japan, Europe, and the US all contributed to the Mazda 3's renewal effort and the development of the company's new world car."

Exterior Design
Chief designer Kunihiko Kurisu's mission was to remain faithful to the Mazda 3's existing visual identity while evolving its appearance with richer, bolder design strokes. Infusing each subsequent new model with more emotional aesthetics is a longstanding Mazda tradition.

The key Mazda 3 exterior design highlights are:
A move toward a more unified Mazda global 'family face'
A reinforced frontal identity which integrates the lower air intake with a more emphatic and instantly recognizable five-point grille
Major design elements focus on, or flow toward, the vehicle's central axis, to stress power and dynamism. At the front, fascia lines converge on the centrepoint at the bottom of the grille. At the rear, the boot lid's surface has a distinctive centre crease
A compact cabin, high deck surfaces, and flowing C-pillar features, which were inspired by the classic coupe profile, as seen on the 2009 Mazda 6
Hood and side surfaces which are shaped to reflect light and physical surroundings
A subtle wedge-shape and curving side character lines which are shared with other Mazda models, giving the Mazda 3 Sedan a strong sense of impending motion - like a predator poised to strike
A new Adaptive Front Lighting System with self-levelling bi-xenon headlamps - added as standard on Grand Touring models.

Exterior design elements which contribute to the car's function by minimizing aerodynamic drag and lift while providing the powertrain, chassis, and interior with adequate air flow for cooling and climate control.
To supplement the four-door sedan introduced at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, a five-door hatchback Mazda 3 will arrive later.

Interior Design
Inside, the new Mazda 3 Sedan offers a sporty yet highly refined cabin - the dash sweeping dramatically from its centre to the sides of the cabin. The large gauge instrument cluster and centre stack are positioned to tightly link the driver's limbs and senses to the car's instruments and controls.

Studies into the range of motion helped position all controls at an ideal reach, while the slant of the instrument panel optimises operating efficiency and provides an attractive focal point. Key knobs and switches are positioned at the same level as the steering wheel and the gear level as part of an interior design which is based on Mazda's Human Machine Interface concept.

All the information a driver needs is readily available in one concentrated area - thereby minimising distractions from the road ahead.
A Multi-Information Display is positioned high on the centre portion of the instrument panel to further reduce distraction.
The front seat cushions have been extended by nearly an inch (compared to the outgoing car), in order to provide improved thigh support. Backrests are 1.4-inches taller and re-contoured for improved driving posture.
For the higher grade models, the upper side bolsters have been canted inward for heightened torso support during aggressive cornering. A three-position memory function has been added to cars equipped with power seats - another first for the segment, and not offered at any price on any competitor's compact car. Upon approach to the car, the driver's seat automatically adjusts to the settings chosen by up to three different drivers by recognising the code of the key fob.
To provide a top-quality interior appearance, the number of parting lines is minimized and soft-touch surfaces show an elegant grained texture. An interactive lighting system enhances the cabin's ambience and sense of tranquillity. Upon entry, illumination rises in intensity in a programmed manner. Occupants are welcomed by foot-well and door-handle lamps. Next, instrument cluster, centre stack, audio and climate controls brighten. When a driver or front seat occupant touches an audio or AC switch, a change in illumination acknowledges that the command has been received.

Other special features that distinguish this car include: a BOSE 10-speaker premium surround sound system, connectivity for cell phones and portable media players, a dock for iPods, and Sirius satellite radio. An advanced keyless entry system includes push-button engine starting. Other options include rain-sensing wipers, heated door mirrors, leather upholstery, and heated seats.Other special features that distinguish this car include: a BOSE 10-speaker premium surround sound system, connectivity for cell phones and portable media players, a dock for iPods, and Sirius satellite radio. An advanced keyless entry system includes push-button engine starting. Other options include rain-sensing wipers, heated door mirrors, leather upholstery, and heated seats.

Mazda Kaan wins LA Design Challenge

2008-11-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

The Mazda Kaan has won the Design Challenge at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.The 2025 futuristi race car was designed at Mazda North American Operations by a team led by Jacques Flynn and Carlos Salaff.

The Los Angeles Auto Show has awarded the Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) design team top honors for the Mazda KAAN - the company's rendition of a 2025 race car.
With eight other Southern California automotive design studios, including Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen in the running, KAAN took first place for how well it integrated a high level of innovation and technology into the design, as well as its truly unique styling.

Taking into consideration key racing principles like speed, power, performance and safety, the MNAO design team lead by Jacques Flynn and Carlos Salaff created an electric race car designed to compete in the 2025 season of E1 races, a time when California freeways have been resurfaced with a sub-level electro-conductive polymer that powers the electric cars of the modern world.
Mazda's patented electronic tire system uses this technology to power the KAAN to reach 250 mph with no harmful emissions.
The vehicles are piloted by individual drivers but teams are made up of thirty cars, all on the track together. Using strategies similar to those in cycling peletons, the tighter the group sticks together, the more aerodynamic and powerful it becomes.
Inspiration for the KAAN comes from electric fields and textures seen in nature, particularly those in a lightning bolt. The car is uniquely designed around its powerful electric wheels while the cockpit acts as a capsule to safely house the driver, allowing for tighter peloton formations and a team victory.
The team included Jacques Flynn, Carlos Salaff, Minyong Lee, Greg Lee, Tim Brown and Jordan Meadows.
(Source: Mazda)

NEW DSIGN Contest for Interior Designers

2008-11-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

http://wsca.world.co.jp/

A GREAT DESIGN COMPETITION FOR STUDENTS WANT TO CONTINUE MASTER'S

2008-11-19T05:46:00.000-08:00

Domus Academy and Audi Group have launched the second edition of the Desire Design Competition, which asks participants to create a dream car and offers sholarhips for the 2009-2010 Master in Car Design. The deadline is 15 January 2009.

The brief: design the most desirable car ever

"Among the mass production objects, cars are the most diffused, the most expensive, the most technologically advanced and above all still the most desired.

"What makes a car desirable? What makes a vehicle the actual platform of our dreams? What makes car design a promise for a forthcoming future? Desire Design is a competition project that aims at rediscovering the fundamentals of car design."
Participants are requested to submit a design project of a car with a strong emotional impact. Any dimension or typology of cars are accepted as long as they represent a vehicle that people could dream about.
The aim is to find out what makes a car a living object with a soul out of a mechanic components assemblage.
The project should express a good balance of proportions, graphics, materials and technology, ideally creating an object which is able to move passions and desires.
About the Competition
The prizes are:
One scholarship covering 70% of the total tuition fee of Euro 17,000 + VAT 20% for Domus Academy Master in Car Design.
One scholarship covering 50% of the total tuition fee of Euro 17,000 + VAT 20% for Domus Academy Master in Car Design.
One scholarship covering 30% of the total tuition fee of Euro 17,000 + VAT 20% for Domus Academy Master in Car Design.
The scholarships are intended only for the Academic Year 2009/2010 (April - March).
All the participants will receive an award consisting of 10% discount on the tuition fee to attend the Master in Car Design.
The winning projects will be selected by Marco Bonetto (Domus Academy, Master in Car Design Director), Walter De Silva (Volkswagen Group, Director of Design), Wolfgang Josef Egger, (Audi Group, Head of Design), Fabrizio Giugiaro (Italdesign Giugiaro, Style Director).
The deadline for submission is January 15, 2009. Candidates will be informed on the results of the competition via e-mail by January 31, 2009.
For additional information visit http://www.domusacademy.it/. or download the official announcement in pdf format.
About the Domus Academy Master in Car Design
The Master in Car Design (April 2009 to March 2010, in Milan - Italy) aims at strengthening participants’ design competencies together with the development of their professional profile.
At the end of the program, they will be ready to work as car designers within the framework of a company or design studio, and they will be able to effectively interact with the marketing, production and finance functions.
The Master follows the approach of “learning by designing”, where participants learn by a direct, active involvement in several design experiences. The program is articulated into 4 sections: Induction (lectures, testimonials and field visits), Workshops, Focus and Final Master thesis.
During workshops, from May to December, students work on different areas of project in collaboration with well known car designers and the partner automotive company. Every workshop includes lectures, meeting with automotive sector experts and a design project developed with the supervision of experienced designers.
In the last 3 months of the course, the students will be asked to choose a design theme to be developed in a final thesis.
(Source: Domus Academy)

A NEW DESIGN COMPETITION

2008-11-19T05:24:00.000-08:00

Do you wanna participate in a creativity design contest?
Check the advertising...

A NEW DESIGN CONTEST FOR DESIGNERS

2008-11-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

Furniture Design Award 2009 (Open Categories), Furniture Design

http://www.singaporefurniture.com/design/fda_2009.html

The Parajet Skycar: From London to Timbuktu on Biofuel

2008-11-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

A 3,700-mile intercontinental journey in a high-tech swamp boat?

The Parajet Skycar: From London to Timbuktu on Biofuel: The Skycar Expedition Team plans to cover the distance of 3700 miles from London to Timbuktu in a vehicle resembling a high-tech Everglades swamp boat. Its builders say the two-seat Parajet prototype will drive on land or reach 100 mph at 2,000-3,000 feet in the air. Skycar Expedition

If you were wondering, Timbuktu isn't some mythical city with a skyline of emerald buildings housing a race of unicorn-men. It's a real place, situated in the west African country of Mali, a city historians cite as an intellectual and spiritual center of the 15th and 16th centuries. It's also some 3,700 miles from London. Keep that in mind when you consider a scheme to cover those miles in a car that looks like an Everglades airboat designed by Luigi Colani.
The plan's proponents call themselves the Skycar Expedition Team, a name that could have figured in a Gerry Anderson TV show. But they're serious about the trip. Skycar designers include aviation engineer Gilo Cardozo, who says the Skycar will be able to toggle between "road mode" and "fly mode" in three minutes. Cardozo is best known for flying to Mount Everest in his Wankel rotary-powered Parajet, a personal aircraft he designed.
What makes the Skycar different from other flying cars is its unorthodox method of staying aloft. Still in the prototype stages, the vehicle uses a similar method of flight as Cardozo's Parajet -- a parawing that's force-fed with air by a large fan. In the case of the Skycar, that fan is driven by a 140-horsepower Yamaha sportbike engine set up to burn ethanol. The team says an air speed of 100 mph is possible at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 feet.
Skycar is also expected to generate sports-car performance on terra firma, with a zero-to-60 time of around 4.5 seconds and similar off-road capability as a motorcycle or dune buggy. That kind of thing should come in handy in the Sahara.
The Skycar Expedition Team says it expects to get underway sometime in January 2009.
[via AutoblogGreen]

Ferrari Zobin a nice Design from an Iranian Engineer

2008-11-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

The Zobin Concept is a design study of a single-seater aerodynamic sportscar inspired by Ferrari Formula 1 cars. The author is Iranian engineer Siamak Ruhi Dehkordi.

The Zobin design study by Iranian engineer Siamak Ruhi Dehkordi is an aerodynamic single seater with compact dimensions (4,114mm long and 1,855 mm wide).
The exterior design is characterized by the original front structure made of a metal band, which supports the headlights and integrates the front spoiler and the front fenders, and gives the car an "open-wheels" look.
Focused on efficiency, the car is powered by a compact unit mounted in mid-rear position.
About the Designer
Siamak Ruhi Dehkordi (33 years old), from Iran, graduated in mechanical engineering 10 years ago.

He is currently working in the Iranian car industry (Saipa-Zamyad) and looking for master course or a job in transportation design.

Muscle car meets computer mouse

2008-11-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

November 7, 2008 If hot-rod screen-savers just aren't enough to satisfy your automotive-obsession while perched in front of the computer, it might be time to branch out into peripherals. The new Road Mice series from Four Door Media is range of a wireless car-shaped computer mice (complete with working headlightshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headlamp ) officially licensed by some well-known auto manufacturers, including Corvettehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette , Chevrolethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet and Ford.
The RF wireless optical mouse has 800-dpi resolution and officially licensed models include the Chevrolet Camaro Concept, a Corvette Z06Inexpensive-High-End-Sports-Cars Nov-07 , the Dodge Charger SRT8 and SRT8 Super Bee (think “Dukes of Hazzard”), a Dodge Viperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Viper SRT10 and a Ford Mustanghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang GT. The Chevy Camaro and Dodge Charger are also available in either authentic Highway Patrol or City Police designs. All makes and models are available in multiple colors, except for Highway Patrol.
Additional features include individual (VIN) serial number, built-in automatic timer shut off, on/off switch for LED headlights, and personalized registration and title.
Road Mice retail for US$44.95. Four Door Media plans to add more models to the range on a regular basis.

http://www.gizmag.com/

We Are Sorry and We have a new Competition for you

2008-11-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

Now, A new design competition is here:

iF - lebens(t)räume 2009, Product Design

http://www.ifdesign.de/projects_lebenstraeume_index_en

Compressed-Air Cars Planned for Airport Test, US Launch

2008-11-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

If Luxembourg's Motor Development International gets its wish, the next wave of alternative-energy vehicles will be a real bunch of windbags

The idea of using compressed air to propel a passenger car has been kicking around tech circles for years. Now, Luxembourg's Motor Development International SA (MDI) may have the first viable angle to launching a first wave of air cars: airport transportation. Behold the AirPod, a four-wheel, multipassenger minicar set to be built in Nice, France. It's one of the brainchildren of Guy Nègre, a former aeronautics and Formula One engineer who's been messing around with compressed-air technology in passenger cars for nearly two decades.
Nègre and company assert the AirPod can hit 43 mph, by way of MDI's 5.45 hp compressed-air motor with traditional pistons like an internal combustion engine. At 15-20 miles per hour, they say, the AirPod has a range of 130+ miles per tankful. Sporting a body of plastic composite, the AirPod is just 82 inches long, 63 inches wide and 79 inches high, and expected to come in passenger and cargo versions, each weighing under 500 pounds.
Not quite built for the interstates, the AirPod will be the focus of of a joint program with AirFrance/KLM airlines starting next Spring, in which a number of the vehicles will haul passengers between arrival and departure gates in Paris and Amsterdam airports.
The AirPod is just one of several compressed-air vehicle (CAV) prototypes MDI has in development. And the firm is serious about making such air cars a viable alternative energy, er, alternative. Reports earlier this year confirmed the company has sold the rights to build the cars to firms including US-based Zero Pollution Motors and India's Tata Motors.
Zero Pollution Motors' ambitious plan calls for production of up to 8,000 compressed-air vehicles a year beginning in 2011, with plants spread out among nearly every US state. That car, larger, more powerful and with a longer range than the AirPod, will cost in range of $20,000. As the largest potential market, California could have as many as 17 air car manufacturing plants, with 12 planned for Florida, eight for New York, four for Georgia, and two for the Connecticut/Rhode Island areas. Indian carmaker Tata has bought the rights to make air cars for the giant Indian market.
One thing air cars' proponents insist the vehicles are not: vaporware.

Design Studios Around the World

2008-11-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

Motorcity Europe

Motorcity Europe is a UK Company with experience in Design-Styling, Engineering and Fabrication. It can develop any automotive project from initial sketch concepts to clay modeling to engineered CAD sufarces.

Link: http://www.motorcityeurope.com/

Design Studios Around the World

2008-11-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

WITHOUT EXPLANATION JUST SEE

Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio - Como, Italy

Exclusive: Interior Motives Design Awards 2008

2008-11-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

An extensive report on the Interior Motives Design Awards 2008 competition, whose final ceremony was held during the Paris Motor Show. All the details about the winning entries and a selection from the finalist projects.

The 6th edition of the Interior Motives Design Awards ceremony was held at the Club Med World Paris, during the second press day of the Paris Motor Show.

The Jury, which included high-ranking design professionals such as VW's Flavio Manzoni and Faurecia's Andreas Wlasak, selected winners in 11 different categories.
The theme of this year edition of the contest was "Design for Life".
Participant students were asked to explore designs that would improve the travelling experience by making it easier and more sustainable, while encompassing the ever expanding technology used everyday.

The Winners

The Overall Winner of the contest was Pierre Sabas (Royal College of Art - UK) with his Free Form Concept.
The award includes a $5,000 prize and an intership at VW Group and VW's Future Design trendlab in Wolfsuburg.
Sabas was selected for his intelligent approach to design and also received the first place in the Best Safety Interior category.
Euan Sey, chair of the judjing panel and Interior Motives magazine editor, commented: "Pierre is an inspirational designer, whose creation demonstrated innovation by taking credible technologies a step further. [...]
"With its simplistic interior, free from gadgets and clutter, this conception really does push the boundaries of desBelow we report the complete list of the winning entries in the different categories:

Best Conceptual Interior: Opel Siderium Concept by Vinicius Barbosa Crepaldi and Tiago Aiello Tomé De Souza (UNESP - Brazil)
Best Conceptual Exterior: Volkswagen Nepenthes Concept by Joon Hyung Park (Hong-Ik University)
Best Innovation: VW Slimo Concept by Young-Roh Yoon and Sung Uk Kim ( Seoul National University of Technology)
Best Eco Design Concept: Leaf Touch by Xiaosong Qian (Beijing Institute of Technology)
Best Lifestyle Interior: T6 Concept by Alexander Zhukovski (Ural State Academy of Architecture and Arts)
Best Production Interior: My Lounge by Ilaria Sacco (Royal College of Art - UK)
Best Personalisation: Wigloo by Ralph Tayler-Webb, Kyu-Han Choi and Carl Saunders (Royal College of Art - UK)
Best Safety Interior: Free Form Concept by Pierre Sabas (Royal College of Art - UK)
Best Use of Ambient Lighting: Soul Concept by Dalim Seo (Pforzheim University - Germany)
Best Use of Technology: Helios Concept by Kim Gu-Han (Universität Duisburg-Essen - Germany)
Best Xperience: i-Shoes Concept by Yang Liu (Northumbria University, UK)

Design Competitions part has UPDATED

2008-11-02T09:18:00.000-08:00

Check the Design Competitions part at the end of the page (YELLOW BOX)

Technology Introduction (City Safety by Volvo)

2008-11-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

These are a selection of the press release issued by Volvo during 2007. They contain a wealth of information, both of a general and technical nature.
City Safety. Volvo Cars presents a unique system for avoiding collisions at low speeds

Volvo Cars unveils a unique system that can help the car driver avoid the sort of low-speed collisions that are so common in urban traffic and in slow-moving traffic queues. If the driver is about to drive into the vehicle in front and does not react in time, the car brakes itself. The system is called City Safety and Volvo Cars’ aim is to use it to help avoid half of all rear-end collisions.
The new system is part of the XC60 Concept and Volvo Cars plans to introduce City Safety on the market within the coming two years. "The system offers benefits to all involved. For the occupants of the car in front, the risk of whiplash injuries is avoided or reduced. What is more, the system can help reduce or sometimes even eliminate the cost of repairs to both vehicles," says Ingrid Skogsmo, director of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. If the vehicle in front suddenly brakes and the City Safety senses that a collision is likely to take place it will pre-charge the brakes to help the driver avoid an accident by braking or let the driver steer away from a potential collision. However, when the system senses that a collision is imminent, the car will brake automatically through hydraulic pump activation. Statistics reveal that 75 percent of all reported collisions occur at speeds of up to 30 km/h. In addition, the consequences of small impacts are often so limited that not all are reported to the insurance companies. However, even the smallest collisions cost time and money to repair. City Safety is active at up to 30 km/h. If the relative speed difference between the two vehicles is below 15 km/h, the system can help the driver avoid the collision entirely. Between 15 and 30 km/h, the focus is instead on reducing speed as much as possible before the impact.

Optical radar monitors traffic in front of the car

The system keeps a watchful eye on traffic in front of the car with the help of an optical radar system integrated into the upper part of the windscreen at the height of the interior rear-view mirror. It can monitor vehicles that are up to 6 metres in front of the car. City Safety operates at speeds of up to 30 km/h and the system is programmed to respond if the vehicle in front is either at a standstill or is moving in the same direction as the car itself. Based on the distance to the object in front and the car’s own speed, the system runs a calculation 50 times per second to determine what braking speed is needed to avoid a collision. If the calculated braking force exceeds a given level without the driver responding, the danger of a collision is considered imminent. In such a case, City Safety helps avoid or reduce the consequences of a collision by automatically activating the car’s brakes or by auto-braking and switching off the throttle.

Certain limitations

City Safety has the same limitations as all conventional radar systems, that is to say the sensor’s capability can be limited by fog, mist, snow or heavy rain. It is therefore essential to keep the windscreen free from dirt, ice and snow. If the sensor is blocked, the driver is alerted via the car’s information display to clean the windscreen. The system works equally well by day or night. "It is important to emphasise that the system does not absolve the driver from driving with adequate safety margins in order to avoid collisions. The automatic braking function is only activated when the system assesses that a collision is imminent. The system then steps in to limit the consequences of – or in some cases totally avoid – the imminent collision," explains Ingrid Skogsmo.

Preventive system in focus

Volvo Cars has previously presented active safety systems that help the driver avoid and reduce damage and injuries from collisions. Collision Warning and Brake Support alerts the driver via audible and visual signals if the gap to the car in front is being reduced so quickly that an impact is likely. At the same time, the braking system is pre-charged so that braking is as effective as possible in this emergency situation. The system was introduced in the new Volvo S80 in early 2006.

(From: http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/)

(You can read about High-Tech and I.T based car systems from now on this site)