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NEXT GENERATION OF VEHICLES REVEALED AT STUDENT DESIGN SHOW
The winning design was selected from a line-up of twenty-one international students by a distinguished industry panel including Dirk van Braeckel, director of design at Bentley Motors and Julian Thomson, chief designer of advanced design at Jaguar Cars. Matthew Blaylock’s ‘Advanced Vehicle for 2030’ anticipates a radical shift in manufacturing leading to highly customised vehicles which can be designed to individual consumers’ specifications. Jon King, director of Corus Automotive and chair of the judging panel, said “We were looking for a professionally executed project with sound aesthetics and functionality which dared to break new ground. Matthew articulated a very inspirational process from initial research right through to the detailing of the final form. A truly visionary concept.” Initial paper sculptures created dramatic sweeping lines, refined through an intensive sketch programme returning to a striking structural vehicle form. An aluminium and super-strength composites body has wrap-around screens to create a virtual driving environment. The vehicle is powered by a fuel cell supplemented by carbon flywheel and ultra capacitors with multi-layer solar cells. The second and third places went to students sponsored by Ford Motor Company. David Hart’s sophisticated styling proposal renders the creativity of modern sculpture and artefact into a new aesthetic for vehicle design. The result is a subtle, intelligent working of surface into a sumptuous, indulgent form. The judges commended the concept for setting “an extremely challenging brief from which emerged some excellent new form language.” Andrew Wolton’s Automotive ‘Sanctuary’ was commended for its distinctive embodiment of the Corvette brand. The judges praised the precise and professionally executed styling which “couldn’t be anything but a Corvette.” Dirk van Braeckel gave the keynote address of the evening - an inspiring account of his career with the Volkswagen group detailing his eminence in ‘Building Brands through Design’. He told of his good fortune at Audi as a young, talented yet inexperienced designer being able to make a real contribution to creating the brand. Something that he truly believes in and is replicating himself at Bentley by allowing young designers, who happen to be Coventry graduates, to take a lead role in the crafting of new models. With the recent launch of the Skoda Superb at Frankfurt, joining the Octavia and Fabia, the set that redefined the Skoda brand is complete and held up by Dirk as absolute proof of the power of design. The show brought together many leading designers from all major vehicle manufacturers including Honda, Land Rover, Toyota, Audi, Volvo, Skoda, MG Rover, General Motors and Jaguar. The mood of the evening was celebratory and forward-looking. Fresh approaches to engineering and styling challenges showcased by the graduating students promoted a stimulating exchange of ideas between emerging and established automotive talents. Brian Clough, head of Coventry’s MA Automotive Design course commended this the ninth graduating masters class. “The calibre of concepts unveiled at this year’s show demonstrates that Coventry continues in its task of moulding the next generation of designers who will be responsible for the vehicles of tomorrow.” Sponsorship of the Coventry University Automotive MA Design Show, now in its third consecutive year, forms part of Corus’ work in bridging the gap between advanced metal engineering and leading edge product design. Corus is committed to supporting new talent in automotive design and engineering through an educational programme of specialist lectures and site visits. These create a platform for Corus to understand the needs and wants of young designers whilst demonstrating the material solutions being developed within Corus. For the first time Corus extended its activity at the design show to host an industry forum titled ‘A Passion for Design and Technical Excellence’. Industry figures and Corus delegates debated an issue at the heart of today’s automotive industry - increasing diversification from base model platforms and the challenges posed for design and engineering. The expert panel included Simon Cox, executive director of advanced design at GM Concept Group, Professor Garel Rhys, director of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff Business School and Friedrich Goes, former Volkswagen research and development engineer who together with Giorgetto Giugiaro created the Volkswagen Golf.
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