Saturday, 15 January 2005 | senay
Design Challenge - Ultimate LA Machine
Winners: Dodge & Volkswagen Design Std.
Dodge and Volkswagen Design Studios Win Top Honors in Design Challenge at Los Angeles Auto Show
Here are the winning entries, submitted by Dodge's Pacifica Design Center, and Volkswagen/Audi Design Center California.
Design Challenge
What is the Ultimate LA Machine?
Imagine what the Ultimate LA Machine would be. Then, ask automobile designers to come up with their interpretation and you'll get a broad array of creative ideas. That's precisely what the Los Angeles Auto Show asked Los Angeles area automobile design studios to do - and the results are fascinating, entertaining and thought provoking.
The design challenge is a competition between Los Angeles area design studios' to showcase their imagination and creativity. Los Angeles is a world leader in automotive design with 14 manufacturer design studios, representing Asian, European and North American automakers.
A panel of judges will select the winner based on which concept best expresses the characteristics of Los Angeles. The criteria the judges will be using are: spirit, road presence and brag factor; originality; sex appeal; and function and features. The concepts will be presented in two-dimensional form and displayed at the show.
Dodge Superbee
Volkswagen Mobile Lounge
The judges of the Los Angeles Auto Show's Design Challenge have named the Dodge Superbee and Volkswagen Mobile Lounge as joint-winners of the first-ever automobile design studio competition.
As part of the auto show's Design Los Angeles theme and automobile designers' conference, studios were invited to create their vision of the "Ultimate LA Machine," and each rose to the challenge, presenting a dazzling variety of 2-D renderings. The Los Angeles area has the highest concentration of automobile manufacturer design studios in the world, according to Truman Pollard, chief designer at Mazda Research & Development.
The Dodge Superbee, from DaimlerChrysler's Pacifica Design Center, is intended to reflect the California lifestyle, allowing owners to commute efficiently during the week and providing the ultimate tool to explore the Pacific Coast Highway on weekends. According to Brian Nielander of the Pacifica Design Center, "It's open and lightweight -- almost a motorcycle on four wheels."
Designer Reto Brun of Volkswagen/Audi Design Center California said his studio considered two Los Angeles issues when designing the Volkswagen Mobile Lounge -- an antidote to traffic and a better option for the area's "limo-centric" entertainment culture. Whisper-quiet fuel cell technology whisks occupants towards their destination while electronically controlled tinted glass, an open living space and innumerable in-car amenities provide a supremely comfortable environment.
The highly imaginative and entertaining entries were:
California Spyder......................BMW Group DesignworksUSA
Dodge Superbee*.....................DaimlerChrysler's Pacifica Design Center
Ford Scout 7.............................California Advanced Product Creation
Honda C2C...............................Honda Research & Development
Hummer Hr..............................General Motors' 5350 Industrial Concepts
Hyundai NTT.............................Hyundai Kia America Design Center
Kia Kitsch.................................Hyundai Kia America Design Center
Lexus L500...............................Calty Design Research
Mazda Shinzui...........................Mazda Research & Design
Flugel Tue.................................Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America
Mini Canyon Carver...................BMW Group DesignworksUSA
Mitsubishi Goku shin ka..............Mitsubishi Research & Design of North America
Volkswagen Mobile Lounge*.......Volkswagen/Audi Design Center California
* Joint-winners
Judging the competition were Imre Molnar of the College for Creative Studies, Detroit; Nate Young of Art Center College of Design, Pasadena; and Tom Matano of Art Academy University, San Francisco. Their decision was based on the criteria of spirit, road presence, "brag factor," originality, "sex appeal," function and features, and LA character.
"The contest gave designers the opportunity to venture into uncharted territory and think freely and creatively without real-world constraints," explained Chuck Pelly, conference director and partner in The Design Academy, Inc."The Design Challenge was a great outlet for the studios to really show
their stuff and let their creativity fly."
www.laautoshow.com
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