IN THIS ISSUE
Vehicle type: concept/2-door roadster
Project leader: Thomas Ingenlath
Interior design manager: Romulus Rost
Project started: March 2008
Project completed: December 2008
Launch: NAIAS Detroit/Jan 2009
Prototype built by: Italdesign
“The interior has a sophisticated sports style, a techno-chic look consistent with the design of the body. Its essence lies in the architectural purity of the components, fronted by a simple and intuitive interface with touch-screen, and attention to details inspired by product designs of the ´70s” – Flavio Manzoni, VW Group Creative Director. Contrast between orange circular elements and black-and-aluminium colour scheme gives cockpit an unusually playful appearance for a VW.
Left to right: Interior designer Peer Witt, Potsdam Studio Chief Thomas Ingenlath, Flavio Manzoni, interior designer Julian Jaede. Design was led by Potsdam studio, with Romulus Rost supervising the interior design.
The sketch by Manzoni accurately reflects the final design of the exterior, developing themes originally explored by exterior designer Christian Felske.
Vehicle type: concept/5-door hatchbackDesign manager: Freeman Thomas
Lead interior designer: Andrei Markevich
Launch: NAIAS Detroit 2009
Supplier: Component:
Bunkspeed Digital press image software
Spinneydeck Leather seats
Behr Recycled wood door panel
Microsoft HMI
IDEO Collaboration on HMI
Alcantara Roof lining
Inspiration for the Lincoln C’s two three-seater bench seats comes from slim modern furniture such as the B&B Italia Metropolitan Bed and Lazy Chair, and honeycomb storage solutions of UK-based ‘Unto This Last’. The interior, designed by Andrei Markevich, is intended to be a new take on classic American bench seating combined with modern American and European furniture. The seats are designed around an “ideal comfort curve”, their slimness allowing for storage solutions below their fl oating bases. It’s all about maximizing interior room – the C uses the next-generation Ford Focus platform but has the interior dimensions of a ‘61 Lincoln Continental.
Vehicle type: prototype/2-door coupeDesign manager: Murat Günak
Lead interior designer: David Wilkie
Project started: July 2007
Prototype built by: Heuliez
Launch: TBC
Interior theme revolves around the car’s bench-style front seats. “We wanted people to be able to sit together, to be close to each other if they want – to hold hands or just relax as if they were on a sofa at home,” reveals CEO and chief designer, Murat Günak, who left his job as head of VW Design to launch the Mindset project in 2007.
“The white surfaces convey lightness, technolology and of course the iPod look,” says interior designer David Wilkie, “while the ‘50s Ferrari-style aniline leather also echoes the exterior by mixing together modern and classic.” Horizontal aluminium door pulls also feel suitably retro, and the full-width leather door pockets are lined in Indian silk and feature vertical straps that remind you of a satchel. Unusually, points out Wilkie, there are no armrests.
Image - Left to right: Murat Günak; interior engineer Oliver Simmonds; structural engineer Jens Rufl i. All three worked together on the electric Twike in the ‘90s.
“The white surfaces convey lightness, technolology and of course the iPod look,” says interior designer David Wilkie, “while the ‘50s Ferrari-style aniline leather also echoes the exterior by mixing together modern and classic.” Horizontal aluminium door pulls also feel suitably retro, and the full-width leather door pockets are lined in Indian silk and feature vertical straps that remind you of a satchel. Unusually, points out Wilkie, there are no armrests.
Image - Left to right: Murat Günak; interior engineer Oliver Simmonds; structural engineer Jens Rufl i. All three worked together on the electric Twike in the ‘90s.
Vehicle type: production/4-door coupe & concept/2-door convertibleDesign Director: Henrik Fisker
Interior Design Director: Alexander Klatt
Colour & trim design: Fairuz Jane Schlecht
Project started: January 2008
Project completed: December 2008
Launch: NAIAS Detroit/Jan 2009
Supplier: Bunkspeed
Component: Digital press image software
“When you see these iconic designs from the product world – which is very strongly influenced by the German Bauhaus design and architecture movement – you can see that the classic rules of design composition are what give them their timeless beauty, their sustainability,” says Alexander Klatt, Director of Interior Design at Fisker Automotive. “We thought, ‘how can we create a car that customers will want to take care of and hand down from generation to generation?’. Through this our brand can be truly sustainable on an aesthetic as well a functional, emissions level."
Magazine
