ArtCenter 2019/20 Degree Show

We attended the final graduate show of ArtCenter College of Design for 2019 just before the holiday break. The Fall graduating class is usually the second largest of the three, but this time it was a small class – still with some very interesting projects.

While touring the exhibits, we saw and spoke with Geoff Wardle, who is the head of the Graduate Transportation program at ArtCenter. He told us he is envious of the students entering the automotive design world in the next few years.

“For the last century the concept of automobile has been fixed on a format established by the Ford Model T,” Wardle remarked, looking over the projects displayed around us, “but with the advent of new powertrains and new technologies the whole definition of what the car is will change in the next few decades. It will be an exciting time to work in the profession.”

With that in mind, here is the work of the Fall 2019 class of Graduates from the Undergraduate program at ArtCenter.

Thao May Nguyen – Audi AI:Road
Ms. Nguyen’s thesis project is an Audi sports coupé that slots in between the TT and the R8, for a premium sports car feel with just a touch of family transportation sprinkled in the mix. Instead of the possible 2+2 seating, the AI:Road has a full third seat angled transversely behind the driver and passenger, which could hold a car seat or child seat and be with easy reach of the front passenger. But the AI:Road is meant as a weekend getaway car for road trips with a strong opportunity for canyon carving or cruising through the mountains. Autonomy and driver-assist technologies are onboard to enhance the driving experience without eliminating the fun of driving.

Brian Kannappan – BMW CSE
Kannappan hails from a BMW-driving family and wants to bring a new aesthetic and new spirit to the era of electrification that awaits the storied brand in the next decade. His CSE coupé is meant to return to the era of “the Ultimate Driving Machine” with its simple coupé shape, electric drive and a strong street-racing stance, with spoilers and splitters for strong aerodynamics. Fans of the Bangle years will recognise some familiar design cues here, although explorations of the 2002 and other classic BMW shapes were explored as part of the design process.

John Seung Jun Kim – Volkswagen Style N
Kim presented the Volkswagen Style N, a proposal for the year 2050.

The Style N is focused on enhancing well-being while travelling, with an interior that transforms according to the number of passengers. Travellers are cocooned in a shell or pod-like form that sits on enclosed spherical wheels. The Model N can also connect to a mag-lev system for rapid travel.

Volkswagen Style N from John Seung Jun Kim on Vimeo.

With no traditional design cues, the Style N represents a reconsideration of what a car represents to us; a lounge of renewal and healing.

Vahan Atanyan – BMW i5 Terrain
Atanyan presented an all-terrain electric BMW estate with both the design sophistication of a BMW 5-series combined and the ruggedness an off-road SUV. Four occupants can ride in 5-series comfort (actually, more room than a 5-series), with plenty of storage for gear. Atanyan targets a high-earning demographic with young families who enjoy outdoor adventures, but still need an estate that can clean up for a night on the town.

Tim Song – McLaren Rehua
Song presented a McLaren four-seat supercar, Rehua, with advanced downforce aerodynamics. An interesting evolution of the supercar, four occupants sit in a diamond configuration, although still in ultra-low supercar style – like the F1 or Speedtail, but with a fourth person instead of an engine. The interior is accessed through scissor doors like current McLarens, although larger to allow rear seat occupants to access the interior.

Raymund Shin – Maybach Limousine
Shin’s Maybach project looks at the future of the marque with the Vision AUL, a limousine-sized car for all aspects of the luxury life – and even, death. The Vision AUL is a cab-rearward executive sedan with electric power, autonomous control (the control unit projects through the hood), and room for three in luxurious comfort. It also has a ‘frunk’ as large as a standard pickup truck. It can be configured as a town car for urban luxury living, or a shooting brake with provisions for firearms storage in the ‘frunk’. Also, in a first for ArtCenter projects we’ve seen, the massive trunk can be configured to carry a coffin, so the Vision AUL can become a hearse with an onboard “Mourning Lounge”. Talk about going out in style.