Tag: design study

Continental AMBIENC3 concept VW T2 microvan

Continental AMBIENC3 concept vehicle shows interior of the future

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As the actual job of driving a car gets taken over by a computer in future, the interior space will become more than just a place to sit while travelling, it will be a space where the occupants, besides driving when necessary, can relax or work. These three activities are set to merge in the […]

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Porsche Mission R concept sportscar cockpit can also be a standalone simulator

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Even before e-sports or digital motorsports, as the FIA has termed the activity, started to increase to the popular levels of today, carmakers were already using simulators for drivers to train in as well as being a tool for engineers. Time spent in the simulator helps a driver prepare virtually for the next race and […]

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2021 Audi grandsphere concept

Audi grandsphere concept show Audi’s future electric flagship and technology

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Audi calls it ‘the private jet for the road’, offering the sort of suite you would find in First Class in an Airbus A380. Called the grandsphere, it’s the second of three ‘sphere’ concept cars from the brand, following the skysphere concept unveiled last month in California. The shared root word ‘sphere’ in their names […]

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2021 MINI STRIP by Paul Smith

MINI STRIP – showing a sustainable approach to automotive design and manufacturing

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It’s all about sustainability today, using materials and processes that do not deplete and to preserve the environment for future generations. In the auto industry, sustainability is pursued seriously in all areas and with the MINI STRIP, the British brand showcases inspirational ideas for a more sustainable method of automotive design. A custom-made, one-off model […]

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2021 Audi Skysphere concept

Audi unveils the Skysphere roadster concept

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Going fully electric is like starting all over again in designing cars. Many of the constraints developed over the years by the conventional combustion engine and drivetrain no longer need to influence the design, and new approaches can be taken. There are also new technologies and materials to use, providing greater efficiency, safety and comfort. […]

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Three new concept cars show design of Audi’s future luxury models

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Audi has created three new concept cars to show how the brand will design its future luxury cars. The concept cars have a lot of focus on interior design which has been planned for Level 4 autonomous driving which will have much reduced driver involvement. The three concept cars are called Skysphere, Grandsphere and Urbansphere. The […]

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What began as a young designer’s vision of the car of the future has been transformed into a real model called the eVOITURETTE. The vision was created as part of Skoda Storyboard’s Icons Get a Makeover series and is the work of Yuhan Zhang, a member of the interior design team at Skoda. Zhang was inspired by the Czech brand’s first-ever production car, the Voiturette A produced by Laurin & Klement (Skoda Auto’s original name) in 1905. It was her aim to create a modern take on one of the legends in the carmaker’s history, fusing traditional design in a futuristic carriage. The idea to convert the VOITURETTE A into such an unusual vehicle came to Zhang fairly quickly - around 20 hours of work to convert the idea into a sketch. “I started with a pencil on tracing paper – the first thing I worked on was the exterior. I scanned the sketch into the computer and carried on from there,” she explained, adding that the initial outline makes up around 20% of the development of this kind of sketch, and is the most important part. After the exterior, she used the same process on the car’s interior, consulting design chief Oliver Stefani. As this was a vision of a car of the future without a strict brief, his comments were minor. “He told me to get rid of some details that resemble solutions we were still working on for our mass-produced cars,” Zhang recalled. It was this freedom she had when creating her vision of a futuristic car that was a nice change for her. “A lot of our work is secret and has a very clear brief. Our day-to-day work doesn’t leave much time for projects that show off our vision and talent. But this time, there was a surprising amount of freedom,” said Zhang, who is originally from China and joined the company in 2015. It took 400 difficult hours of work to produce a full-sized model of the eVOITURETTE. “Due to the model’s delicacy but intended long-term use as an exhibit in a museum, emphasis was placed on high-quality workmanship,” says Vlastimil Pazout, the model’s construction coordinator. “The designer worked closely with us from the beginning. She prepared the basic data in a 3D sketch, which we then converted into production data before actually making it,” said his colleague Lukas Hrncir. The need for quality and durability persuaded the modellers to use a combination of traditional and modern techniques. The main body of the model – a relatively bulky part – is milled from ‘artificial wood’, while many parts come from a 3D printer. “For example, we printed the logo and some of the finer parts, such as the holder of the interactive display that forms the dashboard,” said Zhang. One special feature of the model is the LED backlighting of certain parts. In her sketches, the artist included the LEDs as a kind of communication tool between the vehicle and its surroundings, so the modellers incorporated them into the real-life model. In addition to the designer, modellers and constructors, other members of the Skoda Design team, such as those from the Colour & Trim department, were involved in the creation of the model, as well as members of the Skoda Museum team. Measuring 688 x 355 x 327 mm, it weighs almost 10 kgs. “After consulting with experts from the museum, we changed the model’s colour scheme. Unlike the original design with its shades of blue, we opted for a more distinctive red and white colour combination that reinforces the link between past and future,” explained Zhang. But in all other regards, the model is faithful to the sketch, including all details and proportions, which remained unchanged. During the construction process, however, some specific parts were modified to make the model look as good as possible. “Probably the most important change was to the surface of the seat. It was originally supposed to be painted but, in the end, we covered the seat with fabric in cooperation with the Colour & Trim department,” said Pazout. The seat has additional stitching buttons so it looks very realistic indeed. “Due to the thickness of the fabric, this made it necessary to remake the 3D printed parts of the seat,” says Hrncir. “It was a short and intense project, which brought my dream to life. It was fun to let my imagination run wild and not have to stick within today’s technical limitations,” said Zhang. The eVOITURETTE is on permanent display at the Ferdinand Porsche Birth House. The museum is so named because that is where Porsche was born in 1875. The building, which has been owned by Skoda since 2011, shows visitors Czech industrial traditions, engineering and enthusiasm for technology. Ferdinand Porsche was born there.

Yuhan Zhang’s eVOITURETTE vision becomes a full-size model displayed at Skoda Museum

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What began as a young designer’s vision of the car of the future has been transformed into a real model called the eVOITURETTE. The vision was created as part of Skoda Storyboard’s Icons Get a Makeover series and is the work of Yuhan Zhang, a member of the interior design team at Skoda. Zhang was […]

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Suzuki Misano Concept – merging adrenaline rush of 2 wheels with driving experience of 4

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Although Suzuki is well known for motorcycles, its first motorised vehicles were actually cars and that was way back in the late 1930s. It only began making motorised bicycles in the 1950s and went back to making cars in the 1960s and accumulated experience in 2-wheelers and 4-wheelers. So it’s not surprising that the Misano […]

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2021 Mercedes-Benz Concept EQT – Vorbote einer neuen Hochwertigkeit im Small-Van-SegmentPremiere of the Concept EQT

Concept EQT introduces the new Mercedes-Benz T-Class which will include an electric variant

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The Mercedes-Benz EQ brand continues to grow each year with the addition of new all-electric models every year. In time, besides the sedans and SUVs we have already seen, there will be other model types just like the range for models with combustion engines. Next to come will be a small van and its appearance […]

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