Starting Aug. 1st, Scott Digital will be taking assignment in Germany.

I will strive to bring you a fresh perspective from the other side of the pond. From the Frankfurt Auto show, to the Nürburgring, it will be an exciting year. I am addicted to cars/bikes, so I can guarantee most if not all of my activities will include cars and or bikes. There are some great design opportunities going on in Europe right now. Mercedes has had to change its old stodgy image to compete in BMW’s hyper design world. Audi has risen in terms of interior refinement, to levels never before seen. BMW well is BMW, and they are turning out hotness quicker then some can capture. Seat, Peugeot, Leone, Ford Europe, Opel……. need I say more. Ok just a few I will be planning a trip to Modena to visit Ferrari. Then a quick trip to Bologna to visit Ducati, the Hyper Motard that Ducati just released is Bella………

So keep checking back, there will be some interesting content coming your way…….

If there are any designers or design enthusiests out there around Koln and Frankfurt, please contact me, I would love to meet some of you. CarDesignFetish@gmail.com

Peace.

Here is another car discovered on my recent road trip. The Mangusta from Italy. Kind of an odd duck, definiteley not the greatest looking car but unique to see on our roads. I had never seen one of these before so I had to look it up. This car certainly doesn’t take the heritage of the Italian beauties Ferrari or Lamborghini. Let us know some your thoughts about this design. Is there anything you like?

Mangusta website

Name that car….. Fridays are just a great day to get spy shots.
Again driving down that infamous I75, I spied a car in heavy camo. I really could not even tell what it was, but after SF’s comments on the blog, it is all becomming clearer.

“This is the upcoming Mazda 6. Notice the front fenders: pronounced like the RX-8, CX-7. There are similarities to the Mazda 2: in the side crease sweeping upward from the back of the front arch towards the taillights, the styling of the door handles as well as their positioning (front on crease, rear just below). Finally, the alloy-wheel design is a variation on the current MPS6. I believe earlier, you spotted a white Mazda 6, which I thought to be a development mule for this vehicle.” Thanks SF, this really clarifies things a bit.

Hunting for prototypes is fun, if you have anything you have shot that you want to share please contact us.

Here are the photos, you decide

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 spied: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (73)

I took this picture of the R8 a couple weeks ago and haven’t had a chance to post it. But since a fellow fetisher blogged about the new Falcon comparing it to an Audi, I thought this was an appropriate time to show the similarity; hence the front graphic. The difference here being that Audi isn’t faking any sort of air intake and they execute it beautifully. This is on hot Audi. It is definitely a super car but not overdone with testosterone. Read more

…in Australia, that is.

Thanks to the Herald Sun, we’ve got a leak on what the latest FPV Ford Falcon will look like. Where did the leak come from? The garbage, of course! Discovered in the trash was a nice image of the Falcon. And now, everything is up for grabs on showing the visuals.

As an “Amurikan” I’m not as familiar with our OZ designs and vehicles as I should be, but I’ll give it a shot anyways.
Design crit time? You got it!
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Well, Podcast #5 is up.

Yeah, it’s been a while, but we had a ton to talk about. Plus, this heralds a time of more regular podcasts.

This week’s episode focuses on hybrids, plus more.

 

 CarDesignFetish Podcast Episode 5 [29:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (131)

Last week I was on vacation and took a road trip to a little town in Northeastern Pennsylvania where I grew up. The economy there is more blue collar trade jobs so people are a little simpler in their style and way of life. Living in Detroit all you see are brand new lease vehicles from the big 3. You can become pretty jaded as to what the rest of the country drives. So going this far east I was excited to see some interesting vehicles and down home customizing. Read more

I am all for 4 point belts in a sports car, but do you really want all that restriction in your minivan, or SUV??

Four-point seat belts have been used in racecars for years, offering significant protection to drivers, especially in side-impact crashes. Some experts now say four-point belts would bring dramatic safety improvements to conventional cars, too.
“We knew double shoulder belts were probably better, but the racecar data say they really are better,” asserts John Melvin, an expert on impact injury.
According to Melvin, keeping occupants positioned well in a crash with four-point belts will become more important as the driving population becomes older. Four-point belts feature straps over each shoulder and each hip.
“With the elderly – and three-point belts – you get rib injuries before the body makes contact with the airbag,” he said.
In 2005, more than 9,000 people perished in side-impact crashes on U.S. roads.
The experience of racecar drivers in three NASCAR-sanctioned racing series between 2002 and 2005 reflects the value of advanced seat belts. During this period, NASCAR recorded many racetrack accidents, including 2,154 side-impact crashes on racetracks, 560 rear crashes and 211 frontal crashes. In these crashes, drivers suffered one serious head injury, one serious neck injury, some bouts of unconsciousness, and some limb injuries.
NASCAR drivers wear five-point or even six-point seat belts. And seats designed for racing hold the driver’s body securely in place much more effectively than seats in conventional cars do.

(McClatchey Newspapers)

Originally posted:
Friday, February 23, 2007
Chicago Auto Show… Was it worth it this year?
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 CarDesignFetish Podcast Episode 4 [27:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (100)

Originally posted:
Monday, January 29, 2007
From Ford to Honda: How branding affects a company and the Designers.
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 CarDesignFetish Podcast Episode 3 [22:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (248)