Table of contents for No. 184 in AUTO & DESIGN

It has fallen to Paris this year to host the great autumn car jamboree and the novelties - and surprises – expected from almost all manufacturers present are so numerous as to really justify the title of “Mondial”, a name which has always been sported with pride by the French organisers. It goes without saying that domestic brands are in the spotlight with styling proposals in both volume production cars and research ideas. The Citroën stand sees the double debut of the new mid-range saloons: the new C4 features in our cover story, along with its cute sister car, the DS4 (see the inside flap). Peugeot is banking on its three-box saloon, the 508, symbol of a new aesthetic chapter in its history. There is also a turnaround at Renault…

The attractive Delage D8S De Villars Roadster of 1933 (photo), belonging to the Patterson Collection in Louisville, Kentucky, was the Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this year. The prestigious get-together of period and concept cars which took place at its traditional venue on the Californian coast in August, this year celebrated Alfa Romeo, a brand which is celebrating its Centenary. Innumerable models were on display, among them seven cars sent directly from the Alfa Museum at Arese. Alfa was not, however, the only Italian presence. This 60th edition also celebrated Ghia and the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari 250 SWB Berlinetta, apart from paying homage to the historic brand Pierce Arrow and the 75 years of Jaguar. E’un’avvenente Delage D8S De Villars Roadster del 1933 (nella…

On 5 August, the Board of Ferrovie dello Stato awarded the contract to build new high-speed trains (total value 1.2 billion euros) to the AnsaldoBreda-Bombardier group. These trains should become operative from the end of 2012. Bertone is responsible for the styling and engineering of the Zefiro V300, 50 of which have been ordered. Our country has a long-standing tradition of innovation in high speed rail vehicles: the Elettro Treno Rapido 200 (Etr 200, Breda) was introduced in 1934 in response to the need for a train suitable for the newly inaugurated express Bologna-Florence and Rome-Naples high speed lines. The Etr 200, the originator of Italy’s high speed train family, was an innovative articulated car with distributed power, integral bodywork, sealed windows and air conditioning. Its clean, sleek lines were…

Luxury and the environment have always been two core values for Lexus which, as well as being dedicated entirely to the premium strata of the market, is also the only brand today to offer full-hybrid technology (a mixed internal combustion-electric powertrain, with the possibility of running on electric power only) across almost its entire range. Continuing this tradition is the new CT 200h, the first compact model (C-segment) from Lexus, which combines hybrid technology with premium content. The new model will be launched in 2011, joining the recently facelifted and upgraded IS, RX, GS and LS series. The CT 200h is the result of a specific project that involved the same chief designer who worked on the LS 600h flagship, to ensure that the principles of Lexus luxury and “L-Finesse”…

Volvo consolidates the new design path inaugurated with the XC60 with a model of unprecedented sportiness but with the marque’s hallmark attention to safety. This is the new Volvo S60, which replaces the premium saloon of the same name with a new mission in mind – to stir passion. The car was designed by a team headed by Peter Horbury, who created the original S60, and who came back to Volvo in 2009 after seven years with Ford. Exterior design director Orjan Sterner explained how every single line has been conceived to create a powerful impression of movement, like an organic flow reminiscent of the curves of a racetrack. The S60 immediately looks more like a coupé than a saloon – an effect largely attributable to the C-pillar, which flows…

There’s something reminiscent of the movie Avatar in the scenery serving as the backdrop for the Torock, a sinuous proposal inspired by the curving natural flow of water and wind, and a hint of Cosmic Motor in the beautiful women stepping out of the White Stalker and Bio Renovatio. James Cameron and Daniel Simon – two grand masters of the surreal – were among the sources of inspiration for the students of the three-year post-diploma course in Transportation Design – Car Design at Ied in Turin, who tackled the theme assigned for their end of course thesis with unbridled enthusiasm. The theme – “2020 McLaren: Potente e veloce anche sulla terra” (2020 McLaren: Power and speed both on and off road) – called for the students to develop a vehicle…

It is fascinating to see history inexorably repeating itself as though it were pre-programmed and inevitable. Roberto Piatti, in Auto & Design 183, has given us a very clear look at the state of the world automobile industry today, and a perception of what might happen in the near future. Its immediate effect was to make me think of what happened a hundred years ago and to project a decade or two forward. In 1910 Europe had been producing and using cars for at least two decades, and the universal assumption was that the status quo would continue, with England, France and Germany leading the way. The United States, basically an agricultural economy, made cars as well, but they were simple (like the single-cylinder, tiller-steered Oldsmobile two-seater) and rather crude…

Sleek, sinuous forms combining dynamism and elegance, with all the prestige of the Audi brand expressed in an allnew five door coupé architecture. The promises made by the Sportback Concept in Detroit in January 2009 have been kept by the new A7 Sportback, which goes on sale this autumn. Since the launch of the A8 in Florida last December during Design Miami, Audi has made it clear that it intends to associate the debut of each new model with the world of art, design and culture. As a venue for the world preview presentation of its A7 Sportback, the four-ringed brand chose the Munich Modern Art Museum, marking the first chapter in a collaborative initiative with the museums of Bavaria. The key aspects of the design of the new car…

Aproject intended to respond more closely to the expectations of consumers in the segment while maintaining Citroën’s typical originality, to create a car that is visually pleasing and elegant, whose exterior design expresses its practicality and functionality, and, lastly, to package the generous interior space in sleek lines. “We had to bring everything together successfully in spite of a number of contrasting constraints”, explains chief designer Marc Pinson as he describes the inception of the new Citroën C4 unveiled at Paris, a car that is decidedly more premium and mature than its predecessor. “The first generation stood out for a style that was very avantgarde at the time of its launch. For this car, we wanted to develop some of those aesthetic values while drawing inspiration from more upmarket segments for…

The fundamental thing, says Michael Mauer, was “that there wasn’t a sudden change in identity – and that, rather, the new car was even more a Porsche than the previous model”. The head of design of the Stuttgart-based brand is talking about the new Cayenne. This is no mere facelift like the one seen two years ago, but a completely new car, as clearly demonstrated (in addition to the styling) by the 40 mm increase in wheelbase, 48 mm increase in length and the remarkable 180 Kg reduction in weight, made possible by a more compact all-wheel drive system and the use of aluminium for the bonnet and doors. Contributing in no small measure to the impression that this really is a totally new model is the range of engines, with…

If there’s something very familiar about the rows of waves visually lightening the flank of the Mazda5, it’s because they are taken almost directly from the Nagare concept from late 2006. Other design elements in the latest people carrier presented by the Japanese carmaker echo the distinctive traits of the successful visual language defined by Mazda over a two year period under the guidance of Laurens van den Acker (who has recently moved on to lead Renault design, with Ikuo Maeda taking his place), and which offered a fresh new approach to surface treatment. And this is a legacy that Koji Tabata, who headed the design project for the Mazda5, has wholeheartedly taken on board. This project, however, presented its own unique difficulties: while the moving sculpture of the Nagare…

Comfort, wellbeing and luxury have been the guiding concepts for the design of aircraft cabins over the past few years. For the Armonia project, however, Giugiaro Design has taken a different approach based on new concepts for space, the choice of materials used and ergonomics. The cabin of the 600 series regional turboprop is the product of a three year collaboration between ATR and Giugiaro Design, and is the latter’s first experience in the commercial aircraft segment. The result of the project will be presented during the Farnborough International Air-show and will host its first passengers in 2011. Armonia is the most spacious regional airliner cabin existing today. This result has been achieved by focusing particularly on the definition of the wall panels, luggage compartments and ceiling, and by an…

“Making everyday cars extraordinary.” Keeping true to Abarth’s motto are the latest models from Fiat to wear the Scorpion badge, the 500C and Punto Evo. While the traits of the original cars on which they are based are instantly identifiable, these two models have such distinct characters that they are practically new variants in their own right. The transformation took place in the Fiat Automobiles Group Centro Stile. The goal for each project was to visually express the technical enhancements adopted to give the two cars class-beating performance. “We opted for a more distinct, more decisive design than the first series”, noted Fiat Group design director Lorenzo Ramaciotti. “The elements involved were the classic areas modified in a project such as this: bumpers, arch extensions and sideskirts. In this case,…

Affordable cars can be attractive as well as intelligent. Proof of this is the new Dacia Duster, a C-segment compact SUV priced from 11,900 to 17,900 Euros in three different spec levels (Duster, Ambiance and Laureate), with a choice of a 1.6 petrol or a 1.5 dCi turbodiesel (both of which Euro5, 110 bhp) and eithe 4x2 or 4x4 transmissions, in a package with real offroad capability, ample space and comfort and – to cap it all off – convincing styling and impressive build quality. The Duster was styled by the Renault design centre in one of the last projects headed by director Parick Le Quément before his retirement. Measuring 4.31 metres long, 1.82 m wide and 1.65 m tall, the Duster has a distinct character, with the general softness…

For its third birthday present, the 500 gets the ground-breaking new TwinAir engine – a 900 cc twin cylinder powerplant that makes the baby Fiat the world’s cleanest petrol car. When mated to the semi-automatic gearbox, this engine produces just 92 grams of CO2 per kilometre (and 95 with the manual gearbox). Compared with the 1.2, fuel consumption is down by 15% but power is up by approximately 25% (with 85 bhp on tap against the 69 horses of the 1.2), whereas compared with the 100 bhp 1.4 litre engine, the new TwinAir uses an incredible 30% less fuel. This innovative and effective exercise in downsizing uses the MultiAir technology developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies, an electrohydraulic system that manages the intake valves of each cylinder independently, reducing consumption while…

VW numbers more car brands than anyone else in the world so it is only natural that the people who run its design department should be numerous too. Proof of which can be seen in this group photo shot on August 27 at Italdesign Giugiaro, which was taken under the VW wing in May this year. A picture that Walter de’ Silva (in the centre, beside Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro) calls “historic”: it is rare indeed to find all the managers of all the brands in the same room at the same time. E’il gruppo che conta più marchi automobilistici al mondo, quindi ben numerosi sono anche gli uomini che ne gestiscono il design. Lo testimonia questa foto di gruppo scattata il 27 agosto scorso all’Italdesign Giugiaro, entrata nell’orbita VW…

This time around, it seems that reason has prevailed over emotion, and that even Citroën’s celebrated “creative technologie” has had to give in to the logic of a market in which the buying public prefers a mid-sized hatchback that is more sensible than imaginative. So the latest generation of the C4 is much more normal than its predecessor, from which it inherits the same platform, architecture and engine range. This engine range, however, has now been updated with the addition of an e-HDi version, which will be available from launch and produces 109 g/Km CO2 (and an even cleaner version, producing just 99 g/Km, will soon be available too). The results of this ‘normalisation’ are already apparent in the volume treatment and in the overall shape of the body, which…

At the 12th Biennial Venice Architecture Expo, Audi used an exhibition to present the results of an international competition on the theme of urban mobility. The competition was coordinated by the architecture web magazine Stylepark, which selected six of the most interesting architecture studios on the international scene. Leading up to the exhibition itself were a two day workshop in London in May and a conference, during which the concepts in the running for the competition were presented. The conference was attended by the designers themselves, the international press and a few members of the panel of judges, such as Audi AG President Rupert Stadler and Audi Group and Audi brand design directors Wolfgang Egger and Stefan Sielaff. The conference was an interesting opportunity illustrating how crucial the convergence between…

The design is unmistakably that of the A8 presented at Miami last December, but the length – and, as a result, the rear occupant space – has grown by a substantial 13 cm (all of which between the wheels), bringing the total length of the long wheelbase A8 to 5.27 metres. The increased length has made life on board for rear occupants, who now even get electrically adjustable footrests, even more luxurious. An incredible 22 different adjustments are available for the rear seats (all of which possible, however, with two simple controls), including settings for the side bolsters, while for even greater comfort there is a ten cushion massage system with four different programmes. The rear of the cabin has been turned into a genuine lounge, with luxurious trim and…

In American football, a ‘juke’ is a rapid jerk to one side by the player holding the ball. For Nissan, on the other hand, it is the name of the new crossover that joins the Murano, Qashqai and Qashqai+2, with an emphasis on style and high tech content. Designed in London by Nissan Design Europe, and finessed at the Nissan Design Centre in Japan, the Juke reiterates the same themes as the Qazana prototype presented at Geneva in 2009. Measuring 4135 mm in length, 1765 in width and 1570 in height, the car fuses bold SUV traits with distinctly sports car-like solutions. From the former, the Juke inherits the muscular architecture of the bottom half of the body, which accommodates the mechanicals, whereas elements drawn from the latter include the…

A car that is not only attractive and offers exciting performance, safety and protection, but is also anti-allergic. This is the Ford designed according to what Franz Laermann, Executive Director Engineering & Product Development for Ford Europe, defines as “a holistic approach, which begins with the concept of recycling to offer the best products possible in a socially acceptable manner”. In this view, the wellbeing of those who spend time in a car’s cabin is not only dependent on the quality of the finish and the level of equipment on board, but also on the efforts made to ensure that the materials used and the air breathed do not trigger allergic reactions. Allergies are a growing phenomenon (in Germany and in other industrialised nations, it is estimated that approximately 20%…

Plastics in the automotive industry have been indispensable for decades. But despite our daily encounters with these materials, little is known about their background, development and future role. They save weight but do this in competition with other weight-saving applications such as aluminium or exotic yet expensive composites. And when applied, plastics usually serve not so sexy functions compared to wood, carbon fibre, leather or even steel and aluminium since they are often hidden under bonnets, dashboards or seats. For most – insiders as well as the general public - plastic is the common material nameplate covering many different applications. For German BASF, automotive plastics contributions to the group’s overall plastics revenues of 7.128 billion euros, are about 18%. But plastics applications to the automotive sector are forecast to grow…

At the world class Umea Institute, which is now headed by a young and highly experienced new female rector, the three design areas Interaction design, Advanced product design and Transportation design came together in the emblematically titled event “Change” held at the beginning of June. The event inaugurated a new direction for the Swedish institute, focused on the importance of dialogue and discussion in every field of design, and conceived and implemented by the new rector Anna Valtonen – the former head of “Design Research & Foresight” at Nokia. As part of this change, the traditional exposition of end of course theses now becomes a more complex, dynamic and educational event, with two days of initiatives, discussion and workshops that also offer an opportunity for learning. The students now take…