Tag Archives: concept cars

BMW unveils new Zagato coupe

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The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este hosted a spectacular world premiere in 2012 with the introduction of the BMW Zagato Coupé, the result of a collaboration between BMW and Zagato, the world-famous Milanese coachbuilder and winner of the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Design Award in both 2010 and 2011.

BMW and Zagato say they designed the hand-built BMW Zagato Coupé to highlight the fascination of the automobile with a fusion of the design DNA of the two companies. The venue for its debut is very appropriate as the Concorso d’Eleganza began as a show where coachbuilders presented their latest hand-built creations.

The BMW Zagato Coupé is a fully functional and drivable car based on the BMW Z4 roadster. It is registered, meets all legal requirements worldwide and has shown its capabilities at high speeds on the BMW test track.

“Zagato has always provided its customers with ready-to-drive cars which can be sent into action on the road or race track without further ado – and the BMW Zagato Coupé fits the same template,” says Dr. Andrea Zagato, who represents the third generation of his family to sit at the helm of the 93-year-old company.

“It is relatively easy to build a design study which is not intended for use on the road. Not having to meet any stipulations governing crash safety or pedestrian protection opens up a host of new avenues in terms of design,” he adds. “The challenge lies in injecting the emotional appeal of a concept car into a road-legal machine. And we think we have succeeded in doing just that with the BMW Zagato Coupé.”

The partnership, which was proposed by Andrea Zagato, was a natural: Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice-President BMW Group Design, and Zagato are fans of each other’s work. Beyond that, van Hooydonk and Zagato chief designer Norihiko Harada have been friends for many years.

“Working with Zagato was a fantastic experience. It was extremely enriching for us to create something with people who share our understanding of good design and passion for cars,” explains Karim Habib, Head of Design BMW Automobiles. “And that is what makes the car so special – the open and constructive dialogue with Zagato, their experience, craftsmanship and incomparable sense for forms. All of these gifts are wrapped up in the BMW Zagato Coupé.”

The body of the BMW Zagato Coupé, with its classic long hood and Kamm tail, promises performance. Zagato designer Harada said, “For me, the BMW Zagato Coupé holds a very special magic. It exudes a certain spontaneity which, when combined with the type of unconventional solutions typical of Zagato, lend the car a very individual elegance.”

A very distinctive touch is the trademark BMW kidney grille, which is filled with a meshwork of chrome Zagato Zs.

The paintwork is a story all by itself. Zagato began with a black base coat, followed by a coat of metallic silver, six coats of Rosso Vivace red and topped off with two layers of clear coat to seal the finish. Depending on the lighting, the color varies from nearly black to a brilliant red.

BMW and Zagato have posted a seven-minute video about the Zagato Coupé on YouTube. Watching the Zagato craftsmen making the body is amazing.

While the BMW Zagato Coupé is strictly a one-off exercise, a close copy could be offered: perhaps as a limited-edition model. The platform is already there, it would be a matter of adapting the hand-formed contours of the show car so they can be produced in quantity, hopefully without running the price into the six figures. The fact that BMW specifically said the car met worldwide legal requirements leaves the door open for U.S. sales. Stretching things a bit on no basis whatsoever, the Zagato Coupé could even be a replacement for the current Z4, which could use a fresh injection of excitement.

’33 Alfa Romeo 6C wins at Concorso d’Eleganza

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At the Villa d’Este on Lake Como, the judging is done; the black-tie dinner and the parties have ended; the guests are departing: the 2012 Concorso d’Eleganza has come to an end.

The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is among the world’s top classic car events, ranking alongside the Pebble Beach Councours. The venue is hard to beat for the beauty of the Italian landscape around Cernobbio and the elegance of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and Villa Erba. The organizers say visitors can experience “authentic aristocracy” as opposed to the “slightly commercial atmosphere” of other shows.

The first Concorso d’Eleganza was held in September 1929. The “Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este” (“Gold Cup of Villa d’Este”) was organized by the Automobile Club of Como, the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and the Comitato di Cura di Como. The show ran until the opening of World War. Following the Allied victory, organizers staged a show in 1947 but decided the Concorso should be a biennial event. The 1949 show was the last: the decline of the custom coachbuilding industry that had been the shows backbone as manufacturers recovered from the war forced organizers to suspend, then cancel, the 1951 show and another never materialized.

The Concorso d’Eleganza was revived in 1995 by Italian author Tito Anselmi, but the show lacked the stability needed to regain its former stature. In 1999, BMW became the show’s patron and the Concorso has grown ever since.

In 2002 a new prize, the Auto and Design Trophy, was created to honor concept cars. This unique prize, which sets the Concorso d’Eleganza apart from other councours events, has its roots in the original show as designers and cars companies would frequently present their latest ideas at the show.


2012 CONCEPT CARS & PROTOTYPES
Car Year Type Entered By
Pininfarina Cambiano 2012 Electric Luxury Sedan
Alfa Romeo 4C 2011 Sport Coupé Marco Tencone
Stile Bertone Jaguar B99 2011 4-Door Sedan Marco Filippa
Rinspeed Dock+Go 2012 2-seat Electric City Car Hans Roth
Ford EVOS Concept 2011 4-Door Sedan Martin Smith
Italdesign Giugiaro Brivido 2012 Hybrid Gran Turismo Fabrizio Giugiaro
Lexus LF-LC 2012 2+2 Hybrid Sport Coupé Kevin Hunter
Rimac Automobili Concept One 2011 Electric Coupé Mate Rimac
Aston Martin Lagonda Project AM 310 2012 GT Sports Ulrich Bez


This year, BMW presented its newest concept, the Zagato Coupe, as well as its first concept, the Paul Bracq-designed BMW Turbo of 1972 which later became the template for the BMW M1.

In addition to the public awards, an expert jury selects the winners of several more competitions. This year’s jury was led by Lorenzo Ramaciotti, head of design for Fiat and Chrysler. Jury members included: Charles Lord March, host of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival events; Patrick le Quément, former head of design at Renault; Harm Lagaay. former head of design at Ford, BMW and Porsche; Winston Goodfellow, journalist and automotive historian; Hideo Kodama, designer and illustrator; Stefano Pasini, eye specialist, freelance journalist and author of several automotive books; Nick Mason, founding member and drummer of Pink Floyd and passionate racing driver and Ian Cameron, Design Director for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Martin Roth, Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, served as an Honorary Judge.


2012 Concorso d’Eleganza Awards
Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este – Best of Show by Public Vote
1933 Alfa Romeo, 6C 1750 GS, 6th Series Coupé with Figoni body – David Cohen (Canada)
JURY AWARDS
FIVA Trophy – Best Preserved Pre-War Car
1935 Avions Voisin, C 25, Berline Aerodyne -
 René Rey (Switzerland)
ASI Trophy – Best Preserved Post-War Car
1969 Porsche, 917/K, Coupé – Mark Finburgh (UK)
BMW Group Classic Trophy – Most Sensitive Restoration
1968 Ford, GT 40 Mk3, Coupé – Gary W. Bartlett (USA)
Rolls-Royce Trophy – Most Elegant Rolls-Royce
1922 Rolls-Royce, Silver Ghost, Picadilly Roadster with Rolls-Royce Custom Coach Work body – Caesar Peier (Switzerland)
Vranken Pommery Trophy – Best Iconic Car
1956 Mercedes-Benz, 300 SL, Gullwing Coupé – Lionel Scotto le Massese (France)
Foglizzo Trophy – Best Interior Design
1954 Ferrari, 250 Europa, Coupé with Vignale body – Heinrich Kämpfer (Switzerland)
Auto & Design Trophy – Most Exciting Design
1975 Lamborghini, LP 400 Countach Coupé with Bertone body – Paul van Doorne (Netherlands)
Automobile Club of Como Trophy – Car driven from farthest away
1939 Tatra 87, Aerodynamic Sedan, Ringhoffe – Karol Pavlu (Slovakia)

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GM revisits EN-V 2.0 mobility concept at 2012 Auto China

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At the 2010 Shanghai Auto Show, General Motors presented a very interesting vision of the future of personal urban transportation called the EN-V (Electric Networked Vehicle). An upright car with a very small footprint, the EN-V was intended to be capable both of autonomous operation and as part of a networked group of vehicles. The EN-V was designed for an environment in which an electric vehicle, with its limited range, could excel. The two-seat electric vehicles were developed to show the possibilities for solving problems of urban traffic congestion, parking and air quality.

While one of the three designs presented in 2010 was a bit odd, looking like an old-fashioned, deep-sea-divers helmet mounted on a Segway, the other two were suitably futuristic. Nonetheless, the original EN-Vs were among of GM’s most talked-about concepts ever.

Normally, when an automaker displays an “advanced concept” it’s to create some buzz and bring in the crowds that hopefully will look at the other iron on the floor after they’ve seen the “Car of Tomorrow.” The vehicle makes the rounds of the auto shows and maybe even goes on the road for a promotional tour, but sooner or later, it’s off to storage or recycling and oblivion. No one expects the car company to actually build the thing as a production model.

Apparently, somebody forgot to tell that to the folks at GM China Group.

At this year’s 2012 Auto China show in Beijing, Kevin Wale, president of the General’s Chinese operation, was not only revisiting the EN-V concept, he was showing a rendering of a newer version and talking about making the EN-V the centerpiece of a feasibility project.

“Our designers and engineers are exploring a range of options for turning the EN-V concept into a reality. The EN-V 2.0 concept would use technologies such as the mobility Internet, electrification and telematics to help change the automotive landscape and ensure a sustainable future for our industry,” Wale told his audience. “The EN-V 2.0 design rendering we are showing today is our vision for the next step.”

“We’re very excited about EN-V 2.0 concept, which embodies the essence of its predecessor but was evolved into a more practical design for real-life use,” Wale continued. “The combination of sensing technology, wireless communication and GPS-based navigation establishes a technology foundation, pieces of which could potentially lead the way to the creation of future advanced vehicle systems.”

EN-V 2.0 concept does away with the front-opening doors of the original designs and adds features such as in-vehicle climate control and storage space. It also sports a new Chevrolet bow tie. In addition, the design brief calls for the car to be capable of driving in all weather and city road conditions.

“We are designing the Chevrolet EN-V 2.0 to have a modular architecture so our engineers would have the flexibility to create a simple vehicle with manual operation or a more complex, fully autonomous and networked vehicle,” said Wale.

For better or worse, the concept’s wireless communication enables a “social network” that can be used by drivers and occupants to communicate with friends or business associates while on the go.

While Wale and his folks are looking at how the EN-V could work in Shanghai, Beijing and other Chinese cities, one can’t help but think of the possibilities available in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and other crowded cities where short trips are the norm and space is at a premium.

It will be interesting to see how this project progresses. IF GM can make it work and make it affordable, they could have a real game-changer on their hands.

Lamborghini shows new SUV concept

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Lamborghini officially introduced the Urus SUV concept at the 2012 Auto China Show in Beijing today. As with all Lamborghini vehicles, the Urus is named for a bull. “Urus” is another name for the Aurochs, a now-extinct ancestor to modern domestic cattle that lasted until 1627. Urus bulls could measure almost six feet tall at the shoulder. The Spanish fighting bull is close to the Urus in its appearance.

Unlike the LM-002 “Rambo Lambo” of the 1980s and 1990s, the Urus concept is a forecast of a modern, sleekly styled vehicle aimed at precisely at increasing Lamborghini sales and bottom-line profits. While just 328 LM-002s were built between 1986 and 1992, Lamborghini’s bosses in Germany want a production Urus to hit 3,000 units annually, nearly twice Lamborghini’s total vehicle sales in 2011.

“The Urus is a very concrete idea for the future of Lamborghini – as a third model line and as the perfect complement to our super sports cars,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “SUVs stand for freedom and emotion. SUVs make up one of the most successful market segments worldwide. The Urus is the most extreme interpretation of the SUV idea; it is the Lamborghini of the SUVs.”

Lamborghini has been looking to expand its lineup with some type of vehicle that would be any everyday driver, not only to keep current Lambo owners in the fold, but to attract new buyers to the marque. The power-that-be in Sant’ Agata Bolognese, Ingolstadt and Wolfsburg considered a sedan, the Lamborghini Estoque Concept, first shown in Paris in 2008, to compete withe cars like the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte, and an SUV. Ultimately, the SUV got the nod as offering more sales potential.

The goal is a vehicle with a 600-horsepower engine and the lowest CO2 emissions in its class, superior driving dynamics and an interior suited to the world’s one percent. Features like variable ground clearance, permanent all-wheel drive, adjustable aerodynamics and extensive use of carbon fiber materials to reduce weight are all part of the mix.

The concept’s interior is built around a leather-upholstered carbon fiber tunnel. There are four molded seats made of Lamborghini’s Forged Composite and fitted with single cushions to provide a lower and flatter seating position. The steering column is also noteworthy: other than the paddles for the dual-clutch transmission, there are no levers or stalks. Turn signals, lights and windshield wipers are all controlled from the steering wheel or center console. Driver information comes via a programmable TFT screen that replaces the typical instrument cluster. A separate touchscreen mounted in the center console handles navigation, entertainment and climate control and there’s a third touchscreen for rear seat passengers.

As Lamborghini is a subsidiary of Audi, which is in turn owned by Volkswagen, the engineers and designers in Sant’ Agata Bolognese have an incredible parts bin on which they can draw. While the engine will be pure Lamborghini, a production version of the Urus will most likely share a platform with the next generation of the Audi Q7 and have more than a couple of Porsche pieces in the mix. This is not only all to the good, but is likely going to be very necessary in order to be competitive in a segment that is limited in size but not in attraction for super-premium brands. Maserati will be entering the segment with a vehicle based on the Kubang; Bentley is seriously considering a SUV and Porsche and Land Rover are already playing in the six-figure SUV market.