Report: ArtCenter fall/winter show 2023

It is a big year for the ArtCenter Transportation Design program, with 2024 the first full year under new chair, Marek Djordjevic, along with a new design centre for the transportation design programme.

But ArtCenter had one more event in 2023, and Car Design News was in attendance at the grad show, which closed out the year. Here is a brief summary of the work of the graduates.

Davaadorj (Davaa) Battugs – Jeep Typhoon

Battugs’ project imagines a revival of long-ago Jeep model, all but forgotten now, the Jeep Forward Control, a bruiser of a cab-over truck that featured modular boxes for truck beds, enclosed cargo boxes, even a school bus module.

Battugs re-imagines the Forward Control as the Typhoon, a sporty cab-over all-terrain electric fun vehicle with amazing maneuverability in rough terrain, and under-carriage bladders for amphibious travel.

(Max) Shuangyi Fu – Audi Mystique

Fu’s thesis project imagines a Level 5 autonomous sport/luxury coupe for the year 2040.

Although the car can be driven, the focus is on luxurious long-distance travel – emulating the experience of private jet travel with lie-flat seats and plenty of cockpit creature comforts. A expressive exterior with fan-shape privacy doors announces the cars presence while maintaining an exclusive interior.

Arya Kani – Mercedes x Belmond Vision Pullman Express

Kani’s Master’s thesis envisions a premium travel experience with Mercedes teaming with Belmond, the premium hotelier to create a unique mobile luxury experience.

Kani imagines a vehicle that is a part luxury coupe, part limousine, part monospace, and part pullman car, all channeling Belmond’s Oriental Express train experience. This autonomous vehicle cruises its passengers in great luxury across a pre-determined route that allows its passengers to have a mobile hotel experience while enjoying the sights of special places in the world.

Tiffany Nam – Citroën Mobie

Nam is interested in automotive interiors and UX/UI design. Her thesis imagines a Citroën city car where the driving experience is centered on your mobile device rather than on-board displays. The mobile device plugs into the car and is enhanced by an augmented reality head-up display (HUD). Voice instructions can operate many of the controls – heating, cooling, infotainment – and route guidance appears on the HUD, with blind spot notifications all within easy viewing on the windscreen.

Soohyun (Aiden) Park – Nissan 2-Seater Shooting Break CMF

Park is interested in interiors and CMF, and so his thesis project imagines the interior of a future Nissan shooting break sports car. Park imagines three directions for the car that embrace performance, sustainability and premium quality. Each has its own colour and material palette.

The base trim model is the Sporty, with a minimalist CMF theme with a focus on the performance of the car. Standard Luxury, the medium trim, focuses on a net-zero position with premium eco-materials, while hte luxury grade, Premium, focuses on an ultra-luxe occupant experience. Extensive diagrams about material application and placement accompanied his presentation.

Vladi Petrov – Subaru BRX

Petrov’s project imagines a two-seat off-road sports utility vehicle, with the emphasis on ‘sporty’. The BRX is conceived as a spiritual successor to the small off-road vehicles produced by Subaru and Suzuki during the 1980s and 1990s, with a sporty flair found in the Subaru BRZ sports car.

Electric powered, with quad motors, the BRX features a low centre of gravity while providing an elevated stance. Its compact dimensions are smaller than a Jeep Wrangler, an acknowledgment of its target demographic: young urban adventurers who deal with traffic and parking issues on a daily basis, but desire an escape into the wilderness.

Alan Shen – Didi X

Shen’s project is an electric SUV for Chinese rideshare company Didi, with a focus on the forthcoming generation Alpha. A simple design with a broad shoulder at the rear wheel arches, the ‘X’ is distinguished by a strong light signature front and rear that dispenses with traditional notions of grille and fascia and instead relies on a broad pixelated light field to project brand identity, head and taillight combinations, and other information to other road users and pedestrians.

Hengyi Tang – Buick Business Space

Tang’s thesis project is a luxury business MPV with an unusual semicircle seating layout for five people. The driver’s and front passenger’s seats can swivel to join the conversation, or face forward.

Tang says the vehicle can act both as a traditional driven car or an autonomous one. In autonomous mode, the steering wheel and information screen retract. Passengers sit in comfortable bucket chairs with folding tray tables à la airline seats. The right rear seat is the “boss seat” which reclines and has an extendable footrest. Clearly designed as an alternative to the traditional limousine, it has a boardroom atmosphere and can operate as a mobile office.

Yeajee Yoon – BMW x Tiffany & Co. ‘Sheer’

Yoon’s thesis is also a luxury MPV. This one is more expressive of traditional “Tiffany-stylee” luxury, which she envisions as a corporate partner for BMW in the design of this concept. Conceived as a “red carpet car”, the Sheer is meant to present itself at events where a walkway is rolled out to greet superstar guests. Accordingly, it is designed to open like a jewelry box – the car being part of the announcement of the superstar’s arrival. Diamond motifs dominate the interior which has an angled couch, also part of the arrival presentation. It is a unique presentation of luxury from two storied brands.

Bochen (Bryan) Zhou – Honda Neo S Roadster

Zhou’s thesis projects a future compact roadster for Honda. The target demographic is a young couple who enjoys driving and wants the fun of a roadster and the thrill of electric power and speed. With no engine, the “frunk” space has opening hatches to allow for seating at the front, a mini-deck for enjoying the scenery when parked.

A rear cargo area opens in a similar fashion, and a small area between and at the rear of the seats allows for the family dog or extra luggage. A convertible in every sense of the word, Zhou has designed a very adaptable car, not just a roadster.