Blog on 2040Parts

Opel Trixx concept for the Geneva Motor Show

Opel/Vauxhall has released first details of the Trixx small car concept to be shown at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Martin Smith, Opel/Vauxhall executive director of design, says: "Trixx shows our vision of an innovative, ultra-compact car in the three-metre-class, with an expressive, exciting design, and meets a variety of mobility requirements with its clever, highly versatile interior concept." Trixx has an inflatable rear seat, sliding electric doors, and a push-button roof hatch that allows it to carry extra-long objects upright. The versatile car can carry up to three adults and a child, and as a one-seater it turns into a substantial load carrier.

Detroit Auto Show 2004 Trends and Overview

Where last year's Detroit Auto Show was all about horsepower and luxury, this year's show was more muted, with few truly outstanding cars making shockwaves. The main contender, the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve, didn't create anything like the reaction of the Cadillac Sixteen last year and seemed a bit late to the party, with its massive power and excessive styling. And after all the hype, shouldn't it have been a Dodge, the power brand of DaimlerChrysler, rather than just a Chrysler?For the past couple of years the show has been dominated by truck and SUV launches, so it was good to see the focus shifting back towards cars once again.

Who's Where: BMW Group reorganizes Design operations

BMW Group has announced changes to its design organization, in keeping with the company's stronger focus on its brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. Under the overall direction of Chris Bangle, Director of BMW Group Design, brand specific design studios have been set up for BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, as well as for the areas BMW Motorrad and BMW M. These new brand studios will accompany the entire development process for new models from the first sketches to the start of production.

L'argus European Design Competition 2004 winners announced

With its 3rd design competition, French automotive magazine L'argus de l'automobile challenged design students in the European Union to express their creativity on the theme 'Imagine the convertible commercial vehicle'. With a total of 350 designs submitted, the competition was a resounding success, confirming the interest design schools and their students are taking in this forward-looking competition. Starting out from a light commercial vehicle, the candidates had to propose changes adapted to the specific needs of their user: their basic vehicle could for example be transformed into a helicopter for delivery services, into a work platform for engineers, into a workshop for joiners.

Design Review: Bertone Birusa concept

The new Birusa concept unveiled today shows Bertone returning to what they do best - a flamboyant showcar giving us a vision of how the high performance GT car (front engine, rear drive, two seats) could evolve stylistically in the near future. Based on a BMW Z8 aluminium chassis lengthened by 300mm, it's a refreshing piece of exuberance by the Italian company and a celebration of what they achieved in the 1960s and 70s. The wedge-shaped profile is characterised by a classic Bertone device - a dihedral-shaped side window with an undercut lower glass section, as featured on showcars such as the Boomerang and Carrabo.

Design Review: Audi Nuvolari quattro concept

Hot on the heels of the Pikes Peak study at Detroit in January, Audi today unveiled the Nuvolari quattro four-wheel drive concept vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show. In contrast to the Pikes Peak crossover SUV concept, with the Nuvolari, Audi's designers have created a classic, high-powered 2+2 GT coupe.   It's certainly powerful: a 5.0-litre V10 biturbo with FSI direct fuel injection with 600ps and a 0-100km/h time of 4.1 seconds means it's the most powerful roadgoing Audi engine ever developed.