{"id":11790,"date":"2016-03-03T10:02:53","date_gmt":"2016-03-03T09:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autodesignmagazine.com\/en\/?p=11790"},"modified":"2017-02-21T09:01:17","modified_gmt":"2017-02-21T08:01:17","slug":"ds-tense-esplorazioni-parametriche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autodesignmagazine.com\/en\/2016\/03\/ds-tense-esplorazioni-parametriche\/","title":{"rendered":"DS E-TENSE, PARAMETRIC EXPLORATIONS"},"content":{"rendered":"

This could be an epochal change in direction for DS, which has been a brand in its own right, separate from Citro\u00ebn, for over a year. According to DS brand design director Thierry Metroz, the e-Tense concept presented at Geneva is \u201cnot a gratuitous styling exercise but a hypothetical vision of the future\u201d \u2013 by which he means production future. \u201cOur concepts, and I\u2019m also including the Divine presented in 2014, create and nurture a dream, contribute to building the story of the brand and sustain its values.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Metroz calls the e-Tense a \u201cstrategic car\u201d for three precise reasons: \u201cFirstly, the direct link between the concept and future production models. Second, its connection with technological evolution: it is an electric supercar, so it\u2019s a test bench for DS Performance, which will manage the systems of all of the brand\u2019s high performance models, including those with innovative drivetrains derived from Formula-E cars and from our work with some of our partners for hybrid and electric technology. Third, it shows how we\u2019re pushing harder for refinement, from the production of patina finish leathers to the parametric design of the dashboard, and with both high precision and hand-crafted elements.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

As emphasised by Olivier Desserprit, project manager for this concept: \u201cThis is not a showcar but a real automobile expressing the ambitions of DS. Our future projects will feature elements and styling cues embodied in this fascinating sports car\u201d.<\/p>\n

The DS Performance badge on the bonnet of the e-Tense also hints at its high-tech spirit. With a carbon fibre monocoque (visible, however, only in functional areas), the car is 4.75 m long, 2 m wide and 1.30 m tall. Power is from two rear-mounted Siemens electric motors producing 400 bhp and mated to a seamless-shift three-speed transmission. The car weighs 1800 Kg and has a range of 300 Km, while the 20\u201d 305×35 tyres are a clear declaration of serious performance. The design project was headed by Bertrand Dantec, who was assisted in the task by Bob Romkes (exterior), Pascal Grappey (interior) and Vincent Lobry (colour and trim).<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\u201cTogether with the Divine\u201d, explains Dantec, \u201cthis concept illustrates the keys to our styling language for the coming years. Parametric design was a great help, as it lets us create 3D printable forms that would have been impossible before, such as the completely uninterrupted grille and many details of the interior. It opens up a whole new artistic universe.\u201d \u201cWe focused particularly on movement, on the wheels and on the face with its double wing motif\u201d, adds Romkes, \u201cbut there are also familiar styling cues, such as the shark fin from the DS3 behind the front fenders.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

The car\u2019s light signature \u2013 in other terms the design of the lights \u2013 was created by Nicolas Deluy: \u201cThese are like genuine gems\u201d, he explains, \u201cthe headlights consist of two banks of four units, each one of which capable of pivoting a full 360\u00b0. \u201dThis will be one of the first innovative solutions to be applied in production DS models. You can\u2019t help wondering, though, if the e-Tense is just a test bench, or if it could spawn a production supercar at some point in the future. But at V\u00e9lizy, where Auto&Design was invited for an exclusive viewing of the design centre (and then on to the coachbuilder Estival to see the final preparations of the concept for Geneva), everyone\u2019s lips were tightly sealed. \u201cWhile this is not a teaser for a specific car\u201d, says global brand development director Eric Apode, \u201cthe powertrain prefigures certain future products very explicitly.\u201d \u201cThis is a one-off\u201d, says Desserprit, \u201cbut if everybody should really want one…\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Full article in Auto&Design no. 217<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>