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Hanwoo Yoo’s decision to use the Saturn brand as the focus of his project seems like a logical choice for this project, considering that companies extensive use of plastics for all it’s vehicles exterior body panels.
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His project is a highly sculptural crossover type, with elements of both a pickup and a sporty coupe present. The front of Hanwoo’s design utilizes separates the fender and hood form remeniscent of cars from the 50s, along with a simple headlight and horizontal lower intake motiff. As on most Saturns, there is no grille. There is a hard crease line that begins at the back of the headlight, flows over the fender and extends down and back, and then disappears near the rear wheel opening which is mimicked in the roofline and lends a gracefulness to the overall theme. The rear fender has similar form language but the crease wraps much more tightly around the wheelwell. This, combined with the short pickup back, and wide B-pillar gives it a pronounced forward thrust. The rear utilizes a contrasting dark gray plastic bumper/tailgate wich works more like a trunk lid and gives superb access to the rear bed area. Another interesting aspect is the removable/retractable hatch cover that allows extended loads to be carried in the bed. A final Saturn feature is the use of small access doors although these have no windows, which is quite unlike anything on the market to date and helps give this vehicle a very sturdy feel.
Gary Ruiz combined elements and inspiration from both pre-1920 automobiles and modern off-road and rally cars into a futuristic multifuntion off-roader. The prewar proportions are evident in the vehicles large wheel, high ground clearance stance. You can also see it in the architectural greenhouse shape and the reinterpretation of the separate, motorcycle-style fenders and the exposed spare tire. The execution of the overall body forms and glass are very contemporary is is the overall product design feel obtained by the designs color scheme and use of mold-in-color plastics for high wear areas.
Steve McCabe's Audi GT is partly based on the original Audi Quattro of the 80s, a car that was for it's time a benchmark in styling, yet tough enough to be crowned a three-time WRC champion. The styling direction was also influenced by Ford coupes from the 30s. Besides dent and corrosion resistant plastic body panels, the vehicle uses polycarbonate panels to replace traditional glass windows. These are also carried below the vehicle in the rocker and floor boards, giving the vehicle a unique feel in the fact that you can see the road pass below your feet. Using comparitively light polycarbonate allows larger doors, opening gullwing style, and rocker and floor boards also swing open with the doors for easier entry/egress.
The College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan is one of the top schools in the world for turning out automotive design talent. It has been in operation under various names since 1906 and offers eight major degree programs with a variety of concentrations possible.
The course benefits from close ties with manufacturers and their major suppliers. The faculty is drawn from both academe and industry to provide students with a balance of theory and practical application. Many of the Transportation Design teachers are practising automotive designers from the Detroit-based car makers.
The College for Creative Studies - College of Art and Design is a private, fully accredited, four-year college, offering Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in animation and digital media, crafts, fine arts, communication design, industrial design, interior design and photography. CCS is located in downtown Detroit’s Cultural Center.
College for Creative Studies web site: www.ccscad.edu
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