“When I started as Renault style director in 1987, the activities of the centre were jokingly divided into exterior design and inferior design. Many things have changed since then”. This anecdote came from Patrick Le Quément speaking at the Corus Automotive Industry Forum held on 30 November last at the Coventry Transportation Museum, in coincidence with ICONS – The Coventry University Automotive MA Design Show, an exhibition of projects by the transportation design students of the British university.
Confirming his statement, the winning project for the Best Vehicle Design Award, a prize given to three projects by the students considered to be most interesting by a panel of specialists, went to Aptor Sapor by Dev O’Nion, a study for a future cabin design. Jon King, director of Corus Automotive – sponsor of the competition – and member of the jury together with Patrick Le Quément, Silvia Baruffaldi of Auto & Design and Michael Tovey, dean of the School of Art & Design, Coventry University, explains: “It is a project that literally stretches the imagination. It is well researched, and explores a new form of design language and expression. This model really demonstrates the potential for his concept, which was well communicated – Far out, but not out of reach. A new field with no limits.”
Second prize went to Kazunori Inomata, author of F&D, a three wheeled concept for relaxed urban driving in a compact yet safe vehicle. The panel was impressed by the outstanding executive level of the project, all done using digital simulation techniques.
Third prize went to a design for a two-wheeled vehicle, the E-go by Jan Derek, a single-seater dedicated primarily to mobility in those urban areas in which cars are not permitted.
The article continues in Auto & Design no. 162
