We’re super excited by this new book from designers Matt Morocco and Adam Hubers, recent CCS graduates and full-time product and automotive designers. Youth energy is awesome, and these dudes are harnessing it to the fullest, taking a pet project and placing it on Kickstarter. And you know what? They’ve already blown past their initial monetary goal, but that shouldn’t stop you from picking it up and supporting the duo.

The book is the kind that every designer has been waiting for, professional or student. It teaches the absolute necessary basics for car design. Literally, it WILL make you a better car designer — nothing beats the basics, after all. From perspective and looseness to tight sketches, the book gets it all jammed in there.

Stop what you’re doing, support these guys, and get the book here on Kickstarter.

What would a possible next-generation Pontiac Solstice look like?  Well, had the company stuck around, Macedonian designer Dejan Hristov’s aggressive version might be ready for show rooms.  Hristov created a sexy convertible that would look great not only as a concept car, but maybe even in the latest Transformers flick.

Hristov melded sculptural form language with Pontiac heritage, updating the now famous “nostrils” of the brand but maintaining the proportions that it is known for.  If the last Solstice was a little too soft or curvacious for your tastes, then this update might be manly enough for you.

You can follow Hristov at his DeviantArt page at: http://dejanhristov.deviantart.com

Thanks, Dejan!

Buy it at the CDf store now!!

Slavche Tanevski, a Macedonian student studying at the Munich University of Applied Sciences, has created this unique and stunning Lamborghini Ankonian concept for the theme “Raw Materials”.  The term “Ankonian” comes from the name of a type of bull with black hair; quite fitting for this ferocious beast of a concept.  Carrying over the Reventon’s angular styling theme, Tanevski updated it by adding smooth surfaces to the mix, as if the soft body of the beast was shielded by armor.

Focusing on the emotional aspect (using the terms “underground” and “hard core” as a basis) the vehicle does away with the recent trend of making everything green: this is a pure sports supercar designed to own the road, using a gripping proportion that emphasizes the silhouette and extremities of the vehicle.

For more information and visuals of the project’s development, including sketches, research, and clay model mock-ups, visit Tanevski’s Deviant Art page, as well as the great write-up by our friends over at CarDesign.ru.

Thanks to Slavche for the images & info!

Designer James Trim, a recent graduate from Coventry University, sent along images of his latest creation to us: the Aston Martin Volare concept.  The vehicle, a two-seater electric, retains Aston’s traditional engine sound and iconic silhouette in efforts to maintain the legacy of the vehicle’s family lineage of sexy supercars.

Styling-wise, Trim has brought to the Volare an updated look for Aston: crips lines, solid front grille, and unique “flexible” fenders that reveal daytime running lights when their shape is altered.  Aston is, in most respects, a highly conservative car company.  What Trim has done is leveraged that while at the same time adding in updates that bring the brand into modern times without damaging the heritage with gawdy futurism.

Follow the link below for more sketches, images of the final model, and the full description of the vehicle.

[ Thanks, James!]

Name: James Trim
Education: 2009 graduate from Coventry University
Degree: Automotive Design
Website: www.jamestrim.co.uk
Concept: The Aston Martin Volare

The principle concern being confronted by Aston Martin is the harmful impact their cars are having on the environment. With this in mind, the Aston Martin Volare retains the fantastic sound and outright performance customary with that of a petrol equivalent, but would provide drivers the world over with equal amounts of guilt free motoring.

The two-seater Volare adopts a high-power fuel cell stack, located between the front seats, a rear mounted battery pack, and a co-axial electric motor at the front. To aid the Volare’s weight distribution, the two hydrogen storage tanks have been positioned directly above the car’s rear axle.

“Aesthetically the vehicle sharpens up the familiar Aston Martin proportions, with much crisper shoulders and a noticeable ‘floating’ rear deck. The solid front grille was inspired by the older V8 Vantage, while the flexible front fenders can alter their shape to reveal daytime running lights or full headlamps.”

The underlying aim when designing the Volare was to combine present day technologies with the profile of a car that would be instantaneously recognisable as that of an Aston Martin.

Industrial Design student Dragos Prodan has created an A-BAT for Fiat.  The concept, dubbed the Sentiero, is a part of Prodan’s final work as a graduate of George Enescu University in Romania.

Citing the possibility for Fiat to expand its line-up into utilitarian vehicles, Prodan looked at the company’s design & styling legacy to create the vehicle.  The compact European pick-up offers storage and utility options galore, cuddled by the strong styling aspects that Prodan wishes would help give the vehicle its own identity.

While the styling does have that Italian flavor there are a few instances of German-infused cues, such as the giant Audi-like grill and headlamps.  The strong undercut line on the side of the body creates a bit of an awkward intersection over the rear fender but does give it something fresh as a styling graphic.  There is a deliberate mix of hard chamfers and soft curves, which give it the appearance of wind passing over the utilitarian truck’s body.

More images can be found on Diseno-art.com

3D modeler/designer Mihai Aron has been creating industrial designs that mimic folded paper, translating the look into vehicles and products.  His latest is a Lamborghini concept, dubbed the Alcaldes (“a mayor or chief magistrate of a Spanish town”, thank you TheFreeDictionary), is a sexy beast in the style of many modern Lambos: edgy, threatening, and glossy black.

The amount of jaggies around specific areas (like the wheel arches) can be a little overboard, but the vehicle definitely has that Lambo stance.

Take a look at the full spread of images of the concept in his portfolio.

That there is a half-car/half-helicopter hybrid concept developed by ZEEP Design.  Have flying cars finally arrived?  Well, no.  However ZEEP has created a concept that is very much a Transformers 3-worthy addition, converting from a car to a helicopter and back.  The rear proppeller utilizes magic to descend and become the rear tire as the front “hub” spins forward.  The design is extremely basic and geometric, consisting of little more than some extruded shapes and fancy kinematics.

Impractical? Yes.  Cool?  Possibly.

We’ll reserve judgement until flying cars become a reality… in the year two thousannnnnnnd!

[Images courtesy zeepdesign.com]

Never the company to ignore students, Autodesk’s ALIAS division has created and ran a web community for students.  The site contains downloads, demos, career opportunities and preparation, students blogs and community message boards.

Whew.

If you’re a student looking to better your ALIAS skills, or just to connect with other designers, take a look.

Find it here: Autodesk Student Community

Here is round 2 from the CIA Spring Show.  Enjoy!!