CDf was recently invited to attend this cool event… We highly suggest all those in the area to do the same.

As avid users of Alias software, we often take the time out of our busy schedules (designing cars, trucks, and toasters) to attend these and brush up on our skills as well as discover new tools that aid us in product development.

This event will focus on AliasStudio and Showcase, two of the tools we use most often in the design world. Guest speakers have been announced, and a cocktail hour will follow.

Follow the jump to find out more info.

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SEMA should be one of the highlights of the year. This show gives designers/OEM’s the chance to bring out all the hotness they say they have and a get a second chance of fixing the production/feasibility diluting that occurred throughout the process. This brings up two questions…

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Ah, Mother Nature. Inventor of such great things as trees, platypi, and Raisin Bran.

Enter GM and it’s love of Mistress Nature, so much so that it has named its Robocar after one of its tiny soldiers: the Ant. And according to GM ants are well known for their size, strength, teamwork, and ability to hide a 1963 Stingray. (Their words, not ours.)

So what makes the GM OnStar Ant so special? Well first of all, the idea that OnStar will actually be around in 50 years is enough to raise some eyebrows. Second of all, we couldn’t legitimately tell you what this thing actually does besides covering cars with a hard-plated tarp. Something to do with “Nanorbs”.

Read on, and save your pennies.

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The cars in the stable are getting some miles on them, so it is time to start looking around at what is out there. Or just an excuse to do some test driving. The vehicles in my garage are not super high performance but do offer the best in their class for horsepower/torque. Meaning, they are fun to drive. Not the run of the mill, vanilla appliance that most consumers look for.

Anyway the Lexus IS caught my interest to find out more about it. It looks like it would be a fun performer with attractive styling. Some of those assumptions stayed true and others were disappointing.

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Are you annoyed with driving to the grocery store, getting out of your car, getting a shopping cart, pushing it for miles, unloading the bags into your car, getting back into your car, and driving home?

Well then you need one of these. Move over minivan….. Read more

Fancy a holographic car that can change its appearance? Audi thinks you will… in 2057.

As part of the Robocar 2057 Design Challenge, Audi’s Virtuea concept delivers what Audi thinks will be the ability to change a vehicle’s appearance on a whim thanks to holographic technology draped over an Autonomy-like body.

While the form language is nothing new, the idea is somewhat interesting. I can imagine downloading a new body-style from Audi enthusiast sites becoming a trend. Although not typical “Audi” ideology, we can see this in iRobot 2 sometime in the near future.

Check out the images and read the release after the break.

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Entering it’s fourth year, the Design Los Angeles portion of the LA Auto Show (similar to Detroit’s own Design Forum) brings together speakers, designers, and companies under the banner of sharing automotive design knowledge.

This year’s show includes the Robocar 2057 Design Challenge. Those crazy cats in LA asked the question: What will consumers be driving in 2057? The answers came back from eight participating companies: Audi, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota and VW.

Over the next day or so, we’ll showcase these vehicle concepts for you, in effort to help you make that impending decision on what to save your pennies for 50yrs from now.

Stay tuned to the same Bat-channel.

Good morning fetishers, on the way into work this morning I was following a Mazda CX-9 and thought, boy this is a nice looking vehicle. I have also benchmarked this SUV at work and it truly is a well designed high quality people mover. So it comes as no surprise to read this morning that Motor Trend is announcing that it is this years SUV of the year. The Associated Press quotes the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Angus MacKenzie, as saying the CX-9 is “arguably the most enjoyable sport utility to drive, and a great reminder that SUVs can be as exciting as any car.” Read more

I can’t wait until this one comes out. Being a big fan of the mini and going off road makes this exciting news.

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