All articles by Guy Bird – Page 10
-
Article
Design Development: Changan Chana E301 concept
Given the complexity of the project in terms of movable functions and parts, close engineering support was necessary throughout, including the engineers at Turin-based Vercarmodel that built the prototype. The E301's project leader was Fabio Miniati. Cosimo Amadei was the exterior designer and their Chinese colleagues Zheng Haihao (design) and ...
-
Article
Design Development: Changan Chana E301 concept
If you're looking for evidence of increasing confidence and content in concept cars from Chinese carmakers, you'll find it in the Chana E301. One of the surprise hits of the 2009 Shanghai auto show, the boldly asymmetric concept was commissioned by Changan Automobile, a manufacturer that recently gained Chinese Central ...
-
Article
First Sight: Ford Transit Connect
Among all the cars unveiled by Ford prior to the Paris Motorshow at last week's ‘Go Further' product extravaganza in Amsterdam you may have missed its all-new global van range, most of which will launch inside the next 18 months, and which includes a new version of many a designer's ...
-
Article
Design Development: Jeep Grand Cherokee
The interior is arguably the bigger story on the Jeep Grand Cherokee. When the project started back in June 2007 Klaus Busse was head of truck interiors. He is now director of Interior design and strategy. His co-project interior leader was James Mantua, and Chris Welch led the interior design.
-
Article
Design Development: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Over the last eight months Car Design News' sister publication Interior Motives has been allowed behind the curtains at Chrysler design to follow the development of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. As the wraps come off this crucial next-generation SUV in New York in just a few hours' time, we'll also ...
-
Article
Interview: Michael Mauer, Head of Style, Porsche
Is it a poison chalice to be a designer in an engineering-led firm?"It was to me very obvious from the beginning that if you have cars that can go well over 300km/h you definitely have different requirements to many other brands. It's a completely different world above 250-280km/h so you ...
-
Article
Interview: Michael Mauer, Head of Style, Porsche
After seven years as Head of Style Porsche, Michael Mauer is now firmly established at the brand, having been responsible for ‘most of' the controversial Panamera, the gentrification of the second-generation Cayenne plus the new 911 and 918 Spyder. And with bold range expansion plans afoot he arguably now has ...
-
Article
MG Design Centre opens in UK
The opening of MG's new design center this week at the historic production site of Longbridge, Birmingham, England was both an incredible and credible occasion.
-
Article
Design Review: Honda EV-N concept
The car is only 2860mm long, that's shorter than the already tiny 2985mm Toyota iQ, but the EV-N's also quite a bit narrower at 1475mm (the iQ is wide for its class at 1680mm) and slightly taller (1515mm vs. 1500mm). These proportions give the interior of the EV-N - designed ...
-
Article
Design Review: Honda EV-N concept
Honda's designers may have directly referenced an old 1960s car with the design of their 2009 EV-N concept, but to dismiss it merely as an unthinking piece of retro car design would be a mistake. Indeed this review will argue that the EV-N was one of the stars of the ...
-
Article
First Sight: Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupe
The third installment of Mercedes-Benz's ‘small' car family will receive its global preview with a close-to-production concept set to debut at the Beijing motor show next week, but Car Design News has gained an early peek of the official images and details.
-
Article
Design Development: Saab Phoenix concept
The plan view shows the influence of previous Saabs very well including the clamshell hood (900), bulbous nose cone (Ursaab) and rear Kamm tail (Sonett). Castriota placed significant emphasis on aerodynamics and says his flying buttress details outboard of the cant rail help towards a 0.25 Cd (the same as ...
-
Article
Design Development: Saab Phoenix concept
The dust may have settled since the launch of the Phoenix, Saab's controversial 2011 Geneva concept car, but the story of how it came to be has not been fully told. Completed in super quick time, Car Design News traces its design development in an exclusive chat with design director ...
-
Article
Design Review: Audi E-Tron Detroit concept
The inward-angled front LED headlamps are less graphically 'loud' than the Frankfurt E-Tron's, but nonetheless join up in a similar way to the vertical front vents on each side to form a dynamic lower-case 'r' shape on the left and a corresponding mirror image 'r' on the right.
-
Article
Design Review: Audi E-Tron Detroit concept
To ensure its ongoing dream of becoming the biggest prestige carmaker in the world Audi has realized it must have a credible electric powertrain strategy. But unlike other marques Audi also believes it needs to establish a clear sub-brand and identity for its electric vehicles. This explains the recent flurry ...
-
Article
Interview: Tony Williams-Kenny, Design Director, SAIC Motor UK
What's the biggest challenge for you now?"Quite honestly, it's the number of programs. We've got a lot of cars to do with not a massive team."
-
Article
Interview: Tony Williams-Kenny, Design Director, SAIC Motor UK
Becoming a design director at an automaker is not an easy feat. Years must be dedicated to creating visions for future products and managing a team that is capable of winning programs. That Tony Williams-Kenny achieved that level in his career when he was a scant 32 years of age ...
-
Article
Design Development: Volvo S60 concept
Officially, the wraps aren't taken off the S60 concept until January in Detroit, but in the run-up to the release of press details and images today Car Design News was invited to Sweden to get a good look at the crucial new executive sedan and talk to the team behind ...
-
Article
Show Report: New York Auto Show 2013
The clue should have been in its full name, but in recent years the New York International Auto Show has arguably failed to fully deliver on its worldwide remit. A tailing off in its ability to attract global unveils and one particularly fateful head-on clash with the 2011 Shanghai motorshow ...