Grand Opening of Daimler's Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center in Beijing

With the growing importance of the Chinese auto market as it increasingly influences changing needs and trends, today in Beijing saw the grand opening of Daimler’s fifth Mercedes-Benz advanced design studio worldwide. Covering almost 1,000 square meters, this latest studio will contribute to the future design of Mercedes-Benz automobiles, the four other studios being located in Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA. The Beijing-based Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center will serve as a seismograph, recording and analyzing stylistic trends to incorporate into the creative process, adding to the four other global design studios based in Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA. A concrete project completed by Beijing’s designers was shown at last year’s Paris Auto Show: the smart escooter. Present at the opening ceremony were Mr. Ulrich Walker, Chairman and CEO of Daimler Northeast Asia Ltd., Mr. Steffen Köhl, Head of Advanced Design Global Mercedes-Benz, and Professor Olivier Boulay, Vice President of the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center of China.


Ulrich Walker said, “The opening of the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center in Beijing, underlines Daimler’s commitment to China, by recognizing the increasing importance of this market and the influence it is having on design trends and mobility solutions worldwide – as such, this studio will play an essential part of our clearly defined strategy to ensure sustainable business growth. With China predicted to be our largest market globally by 2015, through annual sales of 300,000 vehicles, design influences from this region will become more important in the cars of tomorrow.”

Steffen Köhl added: “For us at Mercedes-Benz, we see design as a trademark – design has been shaping our image since our beginnings, defining our core values of fascination, responsibility and perfection. It is not a matter of chasing fads but working on long-living, outstanding, sensual and sporty design. Mercedes-Benz Design will always enhance our brand, ensuring our ideas meet the highest standards in aesthetics, technology, performance, comfort and safety, in line with our ‘The best or nothing’ brand philosophy.”

Professor Olivier Boulay further commented, “With Beijing being a dynamic and vibrant megacity, it is progressively shaping future design trends, making the establishment of our Advanced Design Center here timely. As designers, we need to ‘live in the future’, thinking at least two or three vehicle generations ahead. For us, that means considering every aspect of future mobility, including things such as town planning and improvements in infrastructure. This new studio will provide a creative environment for us all to indulge our imaginations, free of commercial constraints.”

Design is integral to brand identity, particularly for Mercedes-Benz, which is celebrating 125 years as inventor of the automobile. All designers at the five studios, centrally managed by Germany, play an important role in envisioning future mobility solutions – not only next generation series production models, but models that will grace our roads in three or more decades – ensuring each Mercedes-Benz looks fresh, aesthetic and stylish, without losing the traditional gene pool and brand identity.

The new Beijing-based Advanced Design Center is no exception and will serve as a seismograph, recording and analyzing stylistic trends and incorporating them into the creative process. In particular, the design team will strongly draw on inspiration from their surroundings in China, taking into account cultural and environmental influences, such as road congestion and lack of parking, to truly think about all aspects of future mobility. With over 10 staff from different countries, including France, China, Malaysia, Japan and the Philippines, the multi-cultural environment allows for a complete international approach, enhancing creativity in the development of mobility solutions for the world – both for the interior and exterior design of future generation vehicles.

Although Daimler now has a dedicated design studio in Beijing for Mercedes-Benz cars, there has actually been a design office here since the beginning of 2009, working on various projects. In fact one such project, already being hailed a design icon, is the smart escooter concept shown at last year’s Paris Auto Show, which is a nod to future intelligent green mobility solutions. With a dynamic, elegant appearance, the compact dimensions of this scooter have been designed to incorporate many features, including ample storage space and safety features such as an airbag, ABS anti-lock brake system, as well as Blind Spot Assist. One of the most innovative design features is the smartphone, which serves as the scooter’s control and communications center. The celebrated design is a promising sign of what is yet to come from the Beijing design team.

As China continues to influence the auto industry, Daimler will continue to expand its business activities here and through its Mercedes-Benz brand, will carry on reinventing the car with innovative designs to realize an emission-free and accident-free world, leading the way in intelligent mobility solutions for future generations.

Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

The new Mercedes-Benz Citaro in detail: Cheerful and distinctive design

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart/Mannheim, Germany, May 20, 2011

The new Citaro face that retains the characteristic A-zero pillars in the front end is especially eye-catching. The new Citaro greets passengers with a friendly smile. The large almond-shaped headlamps and, above all, the rounded forms of the front end help to rid the Citaro of the austere appearance that is so typical of regular-service buses with their space-maximising, box-shaped bodies.


Design elements produce an unmistakable silhouette

As the driver’s workstation in the new Citaro has been raised by 60 mm, the windscreen and destination display have been moved upwards too. The vehicle body height has remained unchanged though, so the A-zero pillars on the new Citaro now merge elegantly into a three-dimensional lateral design element on the roof. This conceals both the raised ridge of the destination display and any further superstructures fitted on the roof, while also giving the new Citaro an unmistakable silhouette. The front end’s higher front fascia now includes a notch for the windscreen wiper linkage. At the bottom, the front section ends in a new, more rounded bumper.

Slight increase in wheelbase and front overhang

As a result of the extended front overhang (+ 100 mm) and longer wheelbase (+ 55 mm), the rigid version of the Citaro has increased in length from 11,950 to 12,105 mm compared to its predecessor. The Citaro’s modular design concept means that the extra length is transferred to the articulated Citaro G model too. The increase in wheelbase size is a result of the larger installation space required for the drive units of future Euro VI versions. The new wheelbase furthermore makes all seating variants possible, just as the current model does. The increase in the length of the front overhang was prompted by design requirements and by the inclusion of a new crash element to give the driver added protection in a collision.

Harmonious and practical styling of the front section

At the same time, the enlarged overhang presents an excellent opportunity to move away from the angular basic shape of conventional urban regular-service buses. Apart from adding to the bus’s overall length, the extension of the front section also provides the basis for the harmonious and rounded design of the new Citaro’s front. With a view to preserving the still unsurpassed manoeuvrability of the Citaro, however, the distance from the A-zero pillars and the corner bumpers to the front axle remains unchanged despite the front end’s extra length. This means that in practice, the front end does not swing out any further in bends and when manoeuvring.

The bumper is split into three sections for greater ease of repair. There are now new shoe-shaped scuffing protectors on the left and right in front of the hem sections to prevent the overhang of the Citaro from being damaged should it come into contact with the ground, e.g. when performing tight manoeuvres close to the kerb. The scuffing protectors can be simply replaced.

The Citaro Ü features an elegant windscreen similar to a touring coach

Mercedes-Benz continues to employ a design that differentiates the urban and rural regular-service versions of the new Citaro from the front. Whereas the destination display on the urban regular-service bus still juts forward between the two A-zero pillars from above the windscreen to make it easier to read, the Citaro Ü for rural regular-service routes is fitted with a high windscreen which covers the destination display too. The extended front end means that the glass has a more pronounced three-dimensional convex form, whose elegant curvature is highly reminiscent of the windscreens on luxury touring coaches.

New lighting technology with daytime running lamps and low beam, plus bi-xenon

The new H7 headlamps generate an impressively high light output from their large reflectors. The new optional LED daytime running lamps are integrated into the headlamp assemblies along with the LED indicators. Not only do these increase safety, they help to make the new Citaro unmistakable out on the road too. The list of options also includes bi-xenon headlamps, which are just as distinctive, as well as front fog lamps with an integrated cornering light function.

Side windows set 120 mm deeper than before

The expansive glazing along the flanks of the new Citaro is particularly striking. The side window line is set 120 mm deeper than before, which gives the regular-service bus a transparent appearance. The three-dimensional styling of the glass-fibre-reinforced-plastic wheel arches at the front and rear, combined with the way they extend upwards as far as the window line, gives the body of the new Citaro a dynamic and exciting look. The wheel arches are elastic in nature, which prevents damage being caused by minor knocks, while also reducing weight.

The waist line on the left-hand side rises up gracefully at the rear, before terminating in the corner pillar above the wraparound tail lights. For ease of repair, the sidewall continues to be divided into different segments. The lightweight aluminium side panelling now wraps around the hem section at the bottom, increasing corrosion protection and producing an enclosed design without any breaks.

A new rear end for the Citaro

The designers have also given the rear of the Citaro an overhaul, with new features including the engine compartment flap and the corner pillars with their rounded corner bumpers. While an indentation on the engine compartment flap echoes the front’s smiling expression, the rounded corner bumpers blend perfectly into the design concept of the new Citaro, and are highly reminiscent of a touring coach in appearance. Thanks to the highly elastic structure of the corner bumpers, they can absorb light knocks without becoming misshapen.




























Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

AUTO BILD Design Award 2011: The new SLK is Germany's most beautiful car

The new Mercedes-Benz SLK is celebrating a brilliant victory in the great AUTO BILD magazine design competition. After the E-Class in 2009 and the SLS AMG in 2010, Mercedes-Benz has now won the AUTO BILD Design Award for the third time in a row. The new Roadster from Mercedes-Benz was voted as the overall winner of the automotive beauty contest by around 90,000 readers of the popular specialist magazine. As a result, the SLK can now proudly carry the title of "Germany's most beautiful car".


The new roadster uncompromisingly takes driving pleasure and open-air enjoyment to a new level. It blends light-footed sportiness with stylish comfort, a striking sports-car design with total suitability for everyday use, top performance with exemplary ecology. What’s more, the SLK is proud to present the world premiere of the panoramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL, which switches to light or dark at the touch of a button. Exemplary efficiency and sporty flair come courtesy of powerful new 4- and 6-cylinder engines featuring the standard-specification ECO start/stop function. With their superb levels of performance they are up to 25 percent more economical than their predecessors. And a unique set of safety equipment bestows role-model status on the SLK in this segment. With its wealth of technical innovations the SLK is once again the benchmark in its class.

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Veilo : The Green Bin by James Chu

Veilo is a concept trashcan that has been designed in a futuristic and simple way to provide a sense of decorative sophistication. The side fabric covers of this green bin are customizable as per the taste of individual users. The bin features a smart way to reuse the plastic grocery bags as trash bags and unlike traditional trashcans, the open loop and open body of this bin allow the user to remove trash bags easily without wrestling against gravity and friction. In the backside, the bin has a bag compartment where extra grocery bags can be stored and its spring-loaded system pushes the bags upward, allowing easy refill and retrieval just like a conventional tissue box.

Fiat Rounds Out the Year of Art Cars at Exhibitalia

The Fiat became the canvas as renowned Italian artists used the new 500 as both inspiration and the canvas itself.
December 03, 2010

Exhibitalia is a 15,000-square-feet exhibit featuring a selection of Italian art, design, fashion and culture. Curated by renowed art critic and director of Italy's Lu C.C.A. Center of Contemporary Arts Maurizio Vanni, the pavilion showcases more than 200 artworks, 40 artists and 150 yards of mobile walls, a platform for video art and a bar lounge.

The exhibit is made possible due to the support from FIAT North America, Ducati Miami and SEA Milano Airports.

The Fiat 500 is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in early 2011.




Press Release

The Fiat 500 Inspires Artists at Exhibitalia in Miami

December 3, 2010 , Miami - The new Fiat 500 serves as inspiration for artists participating in Exhibitalia, a four day live exhibition that features a selection of Italian art, design, fashion and culture and that takes place at the Art Basel in Miami. Renowned artists, as well as two student art teams from the University of Miami, use the new Fiat 500 as both inspiration and canvas. Christian Balzano takes his design inspiration to the entire body of the Fiat 500.

Cadillac Aera Concept wins LA Auto Show Design Challenge

The Cadillac Aera concept vehicle won the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge, tying with Smart and besting entries from seven other automakers including Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Maybach. GM Advanced Design has now won the honor more times than any other design team; this is its third victory since 2005.

Like other concepts of this year’s challenge, the Aera focus on weight. The concept is a an efficient four-passenger vehicle that maintained comfort, safety, driving performance and style while not exceeding the “1,000 lb. car” weight limit.

Aera's body utilizes a 3D lattice, mono-formed frame that was designed to be similar to configurations found consistently in nature. The structure is formed from unique, alloy-utilizing, semi-solid freeform manufacturing, creating a naturally strong, extremely lightweight frame. All major body parts, including interior components, are essentially "grown" into a single part lattice structure.

The interior is crafted with an ultra-light recyclable polymer that allows for HVAC channels, fully adjustable seating, storage and comfort features all in one mono-form structure. Generous storage space accommodates luggage for two people.

The concept was conceived in GM's North Hollywood Advanced Design Studio by Frank Saucedo, director; Phil Tanioka, vehicle designer; Brent Wickham, concept strategist; Shawn Moghadam, layout designer, and Timonen, the project manager. Earlier this week, GM commemorated 10 years of advanced design at the L.A. area studio.




Press Release

LOS ANGELES : November 20, 2010 – The Cadillac Aera concept vehicle won the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge, tying with Smart and besting entries from seven other automakers including Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Maybach. GM Advanced Design has now won the honor more times than any other design team; this is its third victory since 2005.

This is the seventh year for the contest, and this year designers were asked to envision the “1,000 lb. car” and tasked to imagine an efficient four-passenger vehicle that maintained comfort, safety, driving performance and style while not exceeding the weight requirement.

"The Cadillac Aera concept was designed to continue the forward-thinking imagination of Cadillac’s ‘art and science’ philosophy,” explains Jussi Timonen, lead designer for the project. “It's designed as a small city urban vehicle, but we approached this 2+2 touring coupe very much from the brand's luxury perspective. Every detail of the Aera was conceived to minimize the vehicle’s environmental impact without sacrificing the style, comfort and attention to detail that are hallmarks of the Cadillac brand.”

The Aera is powered by compressed air via a highly efficient Pneumatic Drive System that has a 10,000-psi composite air storage tank with capacity for a 1,000-mile range. Flexible, pressurized air cells in the exterior skin, similar to material developed for the NASA Mars Rover airbags, enhance passive safety and interior comfort. The flexible polymer skin optimizes aerodynamics and functions as an ultra-lightweight alternative to conventional body panels and glass.

Aera’s body utilizes a 3D lattice, mono-formed frame that was designed to be similar to configurations found consistently in nature. The structure is formed from unique, alloy-utilizing, semi-solid freeform manufacturing, creating a naturally strong, extremely lightweight frame. All major body parts, including interior components, are essentially “grown” into a single part lattice structure.

The interior is crafted with an ultra-light recyclable polymer that allows for HVAC channels, fully adjustable seating, storage and comfort features all in one mono-form structure. Generous storage space accommodates luggage for two people.

Additional technologies include an all-in-one wheel system that combines rotary actuator propulsion, steering and suspension functions. A drive-by-wire system decreases the mass of electrical components, while vehicle-to-vehicle communication promotes active safety.

The concept was conceived in GM’s North Hollywood Advanced Design Studio by Frank Saucedo, director; Phil Tanioka, vehicle designer; Brent Wickham, concept strategist; Shawn Moghadam, layout designer and Timonen, the project manager. Earlier this week, GM commemorated 10 years of advanced design at the L.A. area studio.

“This year’s design challenge was extremely difficult to judge because of the quality of all of the entries, but I believe that the executions that won exemplified everything that we were trying to achieve with this competition,” said Stewart Reed, chair, Transportation Design, Art Center College of Design. “The concepts that won were really spot on for their brands, which was one of many reasons for the victory.”

The Design Challenge is part of the Design Los Angeles automobile designers’ conference and has evolved into an integral element of the Los Angeles Auto Show. Design Los Angeles connects those working in the design industry with well-known automotive design industry leaders. Los Angeles is home to the world’s largest concentration of manufacturer design studios, representing automakers from North America, Europe and Asia. It is also the home of Art Center College of Design, one of the world’s foremost transportation design institutions where many of today’s leading automotive designers began their careers.

2011 Bentley Continental GTC Speed 80-11 Edition

Bentley unveiled at the 60th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance its new limited-edition Continental GTC and GTC Speed 80-11 models, designed exclusively for the North American market.

These are basically trim packages, adding things like 20-inch, 14-spoke polished wheels, and red calipers on the Speed, but they at least look tasteful. While the 80-11 Editions will be available in any Bentley color, they've introduced a new color – Midnight – that will be exclusive to these models.

For the interior, Bentley’s styling team has created two unique interiors for these exclusive convertibles. The main leather hide choice for both vehicles is Beluga, and the contrast stitching, piping and Bentley emblems are white on the GTC and Pillar Box Red on the GTC Speed. Sporty drilled alloy foot pedals are standard on both vehicles and to further differentiate the special editions, the vehicles’ treadplates and a badge on the console are branded with the “80-11 Edition” signature.

And for those who still don’t know, the vehicles will carry the same a twin-turbo 6-liter W12 engine delivering 552hp and 479 lb-ft of torque in the GTC model and 600hp and 553 lb-ft of torque in the GTC Speed model. The GTC can hit 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds and has a top speed of 195mph (190mph with the top down) while the GTC Speed model sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds while the top speed is limited to 200mph (195mph with top down). The 80-11 Edition GTCs and the 80-11 Edition GTC Speeds arrive at Bentley dealers in fall of 2010 as model-year 2011 vehicles.




Press Release

BENTLEY MOTORS ANNOUNCES DEBUT OF TWO LIMITED-EDITION DROPHEADS AT PEBBLE BEACH

Continental GTC and GTC Speed 80-11 Editions Unveiled

(Pebble Beach, CA) Bentley Motors is displaying the company's new limited-edition Continental GTC and GTC Speed 80-11 models, designed exclusively for the North American market, on the Concept Lawn at the 60th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Both of these new cars combine the legendary performance, luxury and craftsmanship for which the 91-year old Bentley marque is renowned, as well as the added exclusivity of being commissioned for a single market. The 80-11 designation underlines just how limited these luxury British convertibles will be with Bentley building only 80 examples of each drophead in 2011.

Unique and Distinctive Exterior Styling

The GTC and GTC Speed 80-11 models deliver the same outstanding performance as their 'standard' Bentley counterparts but with their own strong and original styling stories.

The luxurious GTC 80-11 features new 20-inch, 14-spoke alloy diamond wheels, polished with unique black center caps featuring Bentley's distinctive 'B' emblem. The more performance-oriented GTC Speed 80-11offers the muscular Supersports' 20-inch wheels, now finished with an eye-catching dark tint, and displaying sporty red brake calipers underneath.

Both cars give a nod to Bentley's British heritage and incomparable craftsmanship, with Union Jack brightware badges featured on the front fenders.

Bentley's extensive choice of colors is available for both GTC 80-11 models but for those seeking even more exclusivity, a new and unique color - Midnight - has been commissioned for these high-performance convertibles. The 80-11 GTC and GTC convertibles offer the Dark Grey Metallic soft top and the Mulliner fuel-filler cap as standard.

A Unique Interpretation of Bentley Craftsmanship and Refinement

Bentley's styling team has created two unique interiors for these exclusive convertibles. The main leather hide choice for both vehicles is Beluga, and the contrast stitching, piping and Bentley emblems are white on the GTC and Pillar Box Red on the GTC Speed. The result is a strong, dark main hide color, accented by the contrasting hand-stitching and piping.

To complement the Piano Black veneers on both 80-11 Editions, the engine-turned aluminum dash has a bright finish in the GTC and a sportier dark finish for the GTC Speed. Race-inspired drilled alloy sport foot pedals are standard on both vehicles and to further differentiate the special editions, the vehicles' treadplates and a badge on the console are branded with the "80-11 Edition" signature.

The 80-11 Edition GTCs and the 80-11 Edition GTC Speeds arrive at Bentley dealers in fall of 2010 as model-year 2011 vehicles.

Exhilarating Bentley Performance and FlexFuel Technology

Since its launch in 2006 the Continental GTC has enjoyed sales success in over 50 countries around the world and drawing younger buyers to the Bentley marque. Customers are attracted to its combination of sleek design, interior craftsmanship, dramatic performance and refined but agile handling. The GTC boasts a twin-turbo 6-liter W12 engine, producing 552hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. The GTC's top speed is 195mph (190mph with the top down) and its 0-60mph sprint time is just 4.8 seconds.

Responding to customer demand for an even more potent and driver-focused convertible, the GTC Speed debuted in summer of 2009. The Speed also uses the twin-turbo 6-liter W12 powertain but Bentley's engineers have further optimized its performance to create 600hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. With a top speed of 200mph (195mph with top down) the Speed was the world's fastest four-seat production convertible, before the recent arrival of its Bentley stablemate the Supersports Convertible, with a 0-60mph time of only 4.5 seconds.

For model-year 2011, the GTC and GTC Speed, along with all Bentley Continentals, features FlexFuel technology, which enables the vehicle to run on gasoline, E85 biofuel or any mix of the two without any compromise in performance. As part of its environmental strategy, Bentley has pledged to reduce CO2 by 15% by offering FlexFuel powertrains across its entire vehicle lineup by the end of 2012, and it has pledged to introduce a new powertrain that reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 40%.

About Bentley Motors, Inc

Bentley Motors, Inc. is the Sales, Marketing, distribution and Aftersales channel for the Bentley brand in The Americas. Nearly one in every three Bentley products sold worldwide is delivered to a customer in the Americas, making the region the single largest for the company. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Bentley Motors, Inc. has approximately 35 employees and 48 retail locations throughout the region. The wide majority of the region's sales and retailers are located in the United States, with the southern California, New York and southern Florida metro markets being the three largest.