1. Gary Card’s Abandoned Amusement Park Renowned set designer Gary Card has created larger-than-life, fantastical works for everyone from Lady Gaga and the New York Times’ T Magazine, to the London concept store LN-CC. In his first solo exhibition, “Abandoned Amusement Park Attraction,”…
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News: German sports car manufacturer Porsche has turned to its 5 million fans on Facebook to crowd source designs for a unique 911 car.
To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911 – and to celebrate the company reaching 5 million fans on their Facebook page – Porsche launched the 5 Million Car campaign. The project offered its social media community the opportunity to vote on design options for a one-off crowd-sourced car.
Fans were given the options to vote on specifications such as colour, wheels and spoilers. Porsche said that 54,000 fans cast votes via the Facebook page, selecting features such as a blue metallic paint, white 20-inch wheels and Porsche’s “Aerokit Cup” package, consisting of a front apron with additional front spoiler lip.
Porsche unveiled the crowd-sourced car earlier this week and is now running another competition via Facebook, offering its fans the chance to drive it at Silverstone racing track in the UK. Nine runners-up will receive a 1:43 scale model of the car.
Previously when Porsche reached 2 million Facebook fans it celebrated by producing a one-off Cayman S car that featured a portrait of their social media fans on the bodywork.
More than 820,000 Porsche 911s have been built, since it debuted at the IAA International Automotive Show in September 1963. The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany is celebrating “50 years of the Porsche 911” through to the 29th September 2013, with a special exhibition featuring the history and development of the car.
Last month, installation artist Gerry Judah spoke to Dezeen about his installation for this years Goodwood Festival of Speed that features three Porsche 911s soaring up into the sky like rockets.
See all our coverage of Porsche »
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Here’s the press release from Porsche:
Porsche builds a unique model based on the votes from its Internet community
Five million Porsche fans on Facebook
Stuttgart. “5 million reasons to celebrate!” – It was this slogan that got sportscar enthusiasts on the Internet involved in designing a unique Porsche 911 Carrera 4S model. The sportscar manufacturer based in Zuffenhausen, Germany, launched the campaign to show its appreciation for the five million “Likes” it has received from fans.
Porsche is now running a competition on its Facebook page (facebook.com/porsche) until August 18 for the chance to win a drive in the one-of-a-kind 911 model at the Porsche Experience Center at Silverstone in the United Kingdom. Nine scale models of the vehicle are also available for the runners-up.
As part of the “50 years of the Porsche 911” anniversary celebrations, 54,000 social media users voted on their ideal design for the Porsche 911. Working with “Porsche Exclusive”, the vehicle was painted in the unique colour Aquablaumetallic and kitted out with a range of equipment, including 20-inch Carrera S wheels with a special paint finish in white.
The unique model also features the “Aerokit Cup” package, consisting of a front apron with additional front spoiler lip and a new rear lid with fixed spoiler. A film set developed especially for this 911 model with the wording “5M Porsche Fans” along with custom-made door entry guards with the wording “Personally built by 5 Million Porsche Fans” make this vehicle a genuine original. It will soon be possible for all Porsche enthusiasts to experience the vehicle on the driving courses at Silverstone.
The runners-up in second place through to tenth place in the competition will receive a 1:43 scale model of the 911 Carrera 4S “5M Porsche Fans” vehicle. The competition is open to anyone with a Facebook account and a valid driver’s licence.
The post Porsche unveils crowd-sourced 911 car
designed by Facebook fans appeared first on Dezeen.
At 1,200 horsepower, a top speed of 252 mph that produces 1.4g of lateral acceleration potential and a $2.2 million price tag, there was no chance we were going to turn down the opportunity to cruise around Greenwich, CT in …
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Mercedes-Benz’s extensive and successful overhaul of the world’s best-selling luxury sedan, the S-Class, aligns perfectly with their unwavering aspiration to be the best car in the world. With competition from all sides, demands from an ever-growing Chinese market who prefer to be driven…
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German car brand BMW has launched its first fully electric production car called the BMW i3 (+ slideshow).
The first car launched under the company’s BMW i sub-brand, the BMW i3 is the production model of a concept car originally presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011.
See our story about the BMW i3 and i8 concept cars »
The four-seater, five-door city car has retained much of the styling of the original concept car, including a black band running from the bonnet, across the roof and down the back of the car and blue highlights around the distinctive BMW front grille.
It features a 170bhp all-electric motor powered by a lithium-ion rechargeable battery and can travel 130 to 160 kilometres on a single charge.
Top speed is 150 kilometres per hour and the car can accelerate from 0-100 kilometres per hour in 7.2 seconds.
The battery can be charged from a domestic plug socket in around 8 to 10 hours, or in 3-4 hours from a public charging station.
BMW also offers a home charging station called BMW i Wallbox Pure, which can match the charging rate of public charging stations.
The car’s onboard navigation system, which features a mobile data connection as standard, displays available charging stations within the car’s current range in real-time.
A second version of the car features a tiny additional 650cc petrol engine, which powers a generator to recharge the battery while the car is on the move.
Called the BMW i3 Range Extender, this version of the car can travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge, almost twice as far as the all-electric car.
BMW also offers an additional annual subscription service called BMW Access, which allows BMW i3 owners to hire petrol-engined BMWs for one-off long-distance trips.
See all our stories about BMW »
Here’s some more information from BMW:
The BMW i3
The world, and with it the sphere of personal mobility, is in a state of ecological, economic and social upheaval. Global developments such as climate change, dwindling resources and increasing urbanisation call for fresh solutions. BMW i is finding those solutions. The brand stands for visionary vehicle concepts, inspiring design and a new understanding of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability.
In the BMW i3 – the first series-produced model by BMW i – zero-emission mobility in a premium car package proves to be a recipe for pure driving pleasure. The first BMW Group model running on electric power alone offers customers totally new and groundbreaking ways to experience driving pleasure, sustainability and connectivity on city roads.
The visionary design of the BMW i3 showcases both BMW’s customary sporting capability and the efficiency of a four-seater with authentic clarity. Its innovative vehicle concept, including a passenger compartment made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), combines lightness, stability and safety with extraordinary spaciousness.
Meanwhile, the driver assistance systems and mobility services from BMW Connected Drive and the 360° ELECTRIC services – all developed specially for BMW i – turn zero-emission urban mobility into a compelling everyday driving experience.
The electric motor powering the BMW i3 generates a maximum output of 125 kW/170 hp and peak torque of 250 Newton metres (184 lb-ft). Its instantaneous power flows to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission. The motor sources its energy from lithium-ion storage cells integrated into the car’s underfloor section.
The significantly lower centre of gravity of the i3 – the result of the low, central placement of the battery units – and even weight distribution make an additional contribution to the car’s agile handling.
The battery gives the car a range in everyday conditions of 130 – 160 kilometres (81 – 99 miles) when fully charged from a conventional domestic power socket, BMW i Wallbox or public charging station.
The post i3 electric car
by BMW appeared first on Dezeen.
Followers of luxury Japanese carmaker Infiniti will recognize a new name for their favorite cars. The company announced a rebranding of their model names in 2012, and the upcoming …
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Car brand MINI has previewed design ideas ahead of the launch of its new model later this year, including Union Jack door pockets and a disco floor (+ movie).
Presented at the brand’s headquarters in Munich last week, MINI‘s Vision concept design incorporates a Driving Experience Control switch would allow the driver to change the lighting, colours and atmosphere inside the car from calm to energetic with the touch of a button.
Coloured lights in the footwells could be activated to flash in a series of patterns to create a “MINI Disco”.
Criss-crossing stretchy straps in the shape of the British flag would form pockets inside the doors.
Smartphone holders, a storage box, cup holder or small safe could be clicked onto the floating centre console and removed when required.
Dark blue fabric would cover the lounge seats and the same colour is used throughout the interior, accented with orange.
References to the classic Mini that would be visible externally include the rounded forms of the chassis and a hexagonal grille, which integrates the bumper and auxiliary lights.
The bodywork would be built from a lightweight composite material made from pressed fibres and finished in a new gold-tinted orange paint.
Elements of this concept design will be incorporated in the new MINI to be unveiled towards the end of the year.
MINI head of design Anders Warming spoke to Dezeen about the future of car design and the possibility of driverless vehicles at the launch of the brand’s Paceman model last year.
We’re currently on a year-long expedition with MINI, visiting the best international design events as part of our Dezeen and MINI World Tour – see all our coverage so far from Design Indaba, Milan design week, New York design week and DMY Berlin. Next stop: London!
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See more design by MINI »
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Read on for more information from MINI:
MINI Vision. An exclusive look at MINI design of tomorrow.
At today’s MINI Design@Home event Anders Warming, Head of MINI Design, previews a sampling of visionary design and innovative ideas. The MINI Vision, for example, showcases various elements of future MINI design. Here, MINI has developed a vehicle design laced with new creative impulses that advance the cause of premium quality in the compact class.
In customary MINI fashion, the MINI Vision seizes the limelight with creativity, individuality and a generous helping of versatility. Interactive gadgets such as the Driving Experience Control switch offer a glimpse of the future. This particular feature allows the whole of the car’s interior to be transformed into a variety of different colour and experience worlds in the blink of an eye.
The presentation of the MINI Vision is based around a virtual 3D hologram. This form of expression provides a window into how the MINI designers go about their business. Complementing their familiar toolset of sketches and 1:1 clay models, virtual reality allows them to test and fine-tune creative ideas quickly and under realistic conditions.
The exterior: a perfect balance between old and new.
The design of the MINI Vision reaches pointedly into the brand’s past and combines the underlying features and values of MINI with future-focused aesthetic and technical innovations. The hexagonal radiator grille is inspired by the classic Mini, for example, and the MINI Vision integrates both the bumper and auxiliary lights into the grille.
The traditional and unmistakable rounded MINI forms are reflected in the exterior through elements such as the elliptical full-LED headlights. Their outer ring emits a consistent light and fulfils a daytime driving light function.
Among the stand-out signature features of the MINI brand are the clear separation of the roof, glasshouse and body. The chrome strip wrapped around the top of the body, the distinctive side indicator element and the black band framing the lower edge of the car are all hallmark MINI styling elements.
The MINI Vision presents these three defining design elements as a flowing, interconnected unit – conjured from innovative and lightweight “organo metal”.
This extremely mouldable but also very strong material is produced by pressing various fibres into a composite. Organo sheets have a unique texture comparable to that of fabrics.
Alongside lightweight construction techniques, aerodynamics also play a frontline role in the conceptual ideas behind the MINI Vision. The car’s body includes an aerodynamic air intake and outlet around each front wheel arch, airflow-optimised wheel rims and exterior mirrors, and an integral, air-channelling roof spoiler.
At the rear, muscular shoulders lend the MINI Vision extremely sporty and compact proportions. The finely drawn and clearly defined edging in the car’s bodywork is central to the exterior design language of the MINI Vision and underlines the concept’s precision and sporting intent.
The interior: originality and creativity packed into a very small space.
The interior of the MINI Vision stands out with its individual style, variability, functionality and aesthetic appeal. The fundamental idea behind the MINI brand – of providing maximum comfort within minimal exterior dimensions – filters through every detail of the interior.
A transparent and open cockpit, sweeping doors and a “floating” centre console allow the driver and passengers to experience the sensation of a wide open space coupled with the benefits of a space-saving small car. Lounge seats featuring dynamic piping add the finishing touch to the unique interior ambience.
The creative design solutions have been brought together with established pillars of MINI design. For example, the elastic fabric straps on the insides of the doors – arranged like the stripes of the Union Jack flag – are a nod to the brand’s British heritage. However, the stretchable straps have a functional as well as stylistic role: these flexible retaining devices are designed to hold a magazine, mobile phone or drinks bottle within easy reach.
The fresh layer of variability added by the MINI click system offers additional scope for customising the interior. Smartphone holders, a storage box, cup holder or small safe can be attached and removed in a single movement as and when required.
The interior of the MINI Vision as a whole can also be adapted to a variety of interaction requirements with similar flexibility and immediacy. The Driving Experience Control switch allows the driver to choose between a pure and focused or fully-interconnected mode. The two modes are expressed in different colours using calm, clear light and dynamic, energy-charged shades. Another highlight of the fully-interconnected mode is the “MINI Disco” floor. Here, an expressive interplay of colours, light and forms transforms the footwells as the MINI Vision appears to come vibrantly to life. As well as turning the ambient colour scheme of the interior on its head, the Driving Experience Control switch also changes the face of the familiar MINI circular central display. Depending on their selection, drivers will be met by either a classic, analogue-style view or an impressive 3D look, which gives the full suite of display elements an unaccustomed depth.
Colours and materials: structures form characters.
The Glamorous Gold paint finish – a shimmering gold-tinged orange tone – has never been seen before in the history of MINI design. And the use of organo metal creates an intriguing contrast to this gleaming metallic shade. The organo metal adds highlights not only to the outside of the car, but also to the interior, its unique structure lending the MINI Vision a cutting-edge character.
A tough, dark-blue fabric recalling the properties of a high-quality suit is employed for the seats and sections of interior trim. The seamless transitions of the various materials between the interior and exterior bring consistency to the MINI Vision despite the use of different materials and textures.
Its unbeatable scope for personalisation and an extremely sporty and precise design make the MINI Vision the perfect partner for the road, tailored to the needs and preferences of the individual driver. This design vision demonstrates that MINI will continue to use intelligent variability, imagination-capturing technology and a compact sporting presence to deliver unrivalled driving fun over the years to come.
The post Vision by
MINI appeared first on Dezeen.
American luxury car-maker Lincoln, a division of the Ford Motor Company, is transforming. Long known for their plush sedans, the Lincoln Motor Company is making a push from their…
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1. 15 years of Gonz and Adidas It may come as a surprise that the most celebrated character in skateboarding has spent the last 15 years skating for Adidas. To celebrate the mutual commitment between Mark…
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This streamlined sculpture by designer Gerry Judah features three Porsche 911s soaring up into the sky like rockets.
Gerry Judah created the sculptural installation for car brand Porsche at Goodwood Festival of Speed, which took place last weekend.
The structure features three iconic generations of Porsche 911, secured onto the end of 35 metre-long hollow steel plates that have been welded together.
It weighs just over 22 tonnes and each leg slims down at the base, becoming narrow enough for a person to wrap their hands around.
“I had to create a sculpture which personifies the energy and excitement of the car and the Festival of Speed,” Judah told Dezeen. “The 911 is a fantastic shape, so I had to think ‘You can’t deconstruct or embellish it’; so in this context the sculpture had to provide the right platform for the car to soar up and shine in the sky”.
Judah creates an enormous car sculpture for the festival every year. Past projects include a white knotted race track for Lotus and a bright red looping structure for Alfa Romeo. See more sculptures by Judah »
Photography is by David Barbour.
The post Porsche Sculpture
by Gerry Judah appeared first on Dezeen.
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