Car Design Fetish

The cool thing about yacht design is that it focuses on two things: speed forms and excessive luxury.  They are, by most means, a no holds barred approach to design.  Want stuff that looks wild and futuristic?  Bond’s rides have nothing on modern yacht design.  Some even have lasers… LASERS!

Schöpfer Yachts, founded in 2008, has created their second yacht concept: the Infinitas.  Although based on the concept of a closed infinity loop, the yacht looks like a pterodactyl skull emerging from the ocean.  The cavities in the sides allow an openness not normally found ina  closed environment on the water.

The interior reminds us of a swanky nightclub in Soho, with striking reds and designerly chairs.  The yacht is only in CAD data for now, but the flashy renderings are sure to pique the interest of a few uber-rich.

More images below.

[Via Gizmodo]

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designboom, in collaboration with Nissan, have launched the “Think Outside the Parking Box” design competition.  The comp, created to develop ingenious looks at urban parking and storage of a vehicle, runs through to 27th September 2009.  Nissan is co-sponsoring the competition as a means by which to promote the new Qashqai, with several high-level personnel sitting on the jury of the competition.

We often run across car design competitions, mostly traditional in nature: design a car that meets these needs, create some hot sketches or a presentation, etc.  In this case, there is a great understanding that a vehicle fits within an overall infrastructure of its environment.  This competition is just itching for some incredibly creative entrants.

So, what are you waiting for?  Full press release after the break.

Click here to go to the competition page: http://www.designboom.com/nissan.html

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Did you forget about the poor ol Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Yes, they still make it, and yes, it has faded to the background of almost every other SUV out there.  But if you missed the New York Auto Show (like most of us Detroiters) then you were treated to the 2011 model at the Eve of the Eyes show last month.

At first glance the overall impression is wow! and when can I get one?  The designers did a great job evolving the current design and bringing back some of the successful details from prior generations.  The biggest detail being the termination of the round bug eye lights that were stuffed in there like a kid trying to put his head through the arm hole.

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The latest video from GM’s new Volt-specific website details the design of the car.  Speaking to the latest test-mule, Design Manager Bob Boniface describes some of the finer details of the vehicle, what the prototype means for design, and how the biggest hurdle left is executing the best fit & finish possible.

Yes, that’s an automotive-inspired billiards table.  Why?  We don’t know, but Hurricane Billiards seems to think that their “Unique Autosports” table is something people might actually buy.  I have to hand it to them: although extremely cliche, the table does look well-crafted and sturdy enough for 80’s hairband video girls.

And if anything, they’ve been able to get us to post about it because we’re car guys.  Dammit.  More images after the jump.

[via Gizmodo]

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…and it is awesome! This video, taken during the San Diego Comic Con, showcases the next generation of the lightcycle in the upcoming Tron movie. Shown are some thumbnail sketches, hot renders, and screaming fans.

I’ll start waiting in line for tickets…. now.

Episode 15 in which we welcome Michael Banovsky to school us about Twitter, automotive journalism, and the effects on society of putting 4 car nuts in Skype chat that spirals downward quicker than a 370Z on the Nurburgring.

Hosts:
Dali Dimovski
Dustin Shedlarski
Arvind Ramkrishna

Special Guest:
Michael Banovsky

For more information:
Twitter.com/MichaelBanovsky
VLane.com
Banovsky.com
CarDesignFetish.com

Also, do us a favor and review us on iTunes!

 

 Car Design Fetish Episode 15: A Ten-Part Series [59:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (2011)

Here is a great article writen by Brian from Problem Child Customs (PCK) talking about the lack of excitement in photochops and 3d models that we see all too often in car design.  What about the emotional sketch?  This is where “Gonzo” comes in.  Read on to find out about Gonzo Design.  This is something we all need to get back to…..

Gonzo Hot Rod Design

19 JUN 09- Some years ago, I was introduced to the work of a journalist named Hunter S. Thompson. Bear in mind that this “introduction” came at a pivotal point in my creative career, and I was completely drawn to his style of not only writing, but his almost renegade technique of forming a story. Here was a journalist who not only covered the news at hand, but worked in a personal angle, often thrusting himself so deeply into the event he was covering so as to alter its outcome! “Absolute brilliance”, I thought! Not mere “coverage” or “reporting”, but LIVING it! This was just too much… This guy GOT it! To a student of Fine art, this was the epitome of “creating” anything: the EXPERIENCE… being a PART of what you’re creating!

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The crew at CDF had a chance to attend the Eve of the Eyes event back in June at the Chrysler Museum. We met with several designers and scoped out some unbelievable cars. The video above showcases some of what we saw, including the Sketch-Off competition by RTT.

We took some time at the recent Eve of the Eyes event to interview Matt Korich, deisgner for Classic Design Concepts, about their latest Challenger creation.