Coventry Selected Works Show 2008

Coventry University's ‘Selected Works' show, held from Monday 23 to Sunday 29 June in the Transport Museum in Coventry, UK, showcased an array of projects created by students in the MDes Transport Design, BA Transport and Product Design, BA Automotive Design and BA Boat Design progams. Here are a selection of their projects.

MDes Transport Design

Audi kite-motor Catamaran
Kyung Min Lee
The Audi kite-motor catamaran features a kite instead of a traditional sail to decrease energy use and maximize space on board. The design, inspired by a tulip flower, is luxurious and energy efficient as the kite enables the vessel to tilt less in open water, offering a more stable and comfortable environment. The kite, which was specifically designed to change circumference to maximize wind use, features a control pod to relay information to the captain.

Exception
Andrew Marc Varnish
This concept was made to demonstrate an eco-aesthetic vehicle for generation Z. Influenced by mountain biking and extreme sports, the concept features a matte paint finish alluding to the "rough and tumble image of youth". Measuring 3.7 meters long and 1.75 meters wide, the car fits youth's active lifestyles and includes 2.7 meters of storage space (accessible from the front). It can seat three occupants. 'Tweel' wheel technology is used for the wheels and a hydrogen fuel cell supplies power.

BA Automotive Design

C-Linesse
Maxime Pille
This four-passenger vehicle, created entirely in Cinema 4, is an 'unstructural' design, which gives the feeling that individual components are not linked. The surface of the doors is made of glass and appears as one piece from outside the cabin, whereas only the top half is transparent from the inside. A matte finish piece of textile appears to hover between the doors and the main body; again giving the illusion of separatism. Inside, modern minimalism and soft, perforated textile and aluminum seats combine to create a futuristic ambience.

G.S.T. Rapture
Katherine Bishop
The G.S.T Rapture is a design for an "eco-efficient concept car for a new generation of petrolheads in a greener world," according to its maker. The lightweight, aerodynamic car, which uses a turbine instead of an engine powered by conventional fuels, was inspired by the Stealth Bomber and depicts power and strength through its angular form language. With many of the design elements also being functional - the diffuser at the rear, large airvents for the turbine - Bishop wanted to show that traditional values could be maintained in the green future, but "didn't want to ooze green".

Bionic Roadster
Jikesh Patel
Patel looked at electropolymer materials in the creation of this concept. The ability of the material to contract and relax like a muscle enables the vehicle to morph from a two-seater to a single-seat configuration. The joining of both sides of the vehicle creates a cross at the front when it becomes narrower, but also retracts when the vehicle becomes wider, shortening its 3.9-meter length and decreasing the size of its overall shape.

Shooting Brake concept
Paven Patel
This 4.22m long and 1.88m wide concept consists of two main design themes: organic and futuristic. Spawned from the desire to create a distinctly Indian brand identity, the car was inspired by Indian saris and the Taj Mahal, which was the inspiration for the teardrop shape on the side. These quintessential Indian themes are paired with the robotic and futuristic to create a flowing design with drama and tension.

Riley Brooklands Revival
Thomas Anthony Charles Hodgson
Inspired by British marques and sports cars, in particular the Riley Brooklands from 1929-1932, Hodgson decided to pay homage to the two-seat roadster when he created this modern interpretation. Built upon a wood frame, the concept features large foglamps, hidden A-pillars and wing mirrors displayed "like elegant jewelry". The interior, inspired by the Tomato and Globe chairs created by Eero Aaarnio, has two seats which hover above a floor  made of natural fiber composites.

Rolls-Royce Black Ghost
Jabran Syed
Heralded as a 'luxury lounge vehicle', the Black Ghost is a conceptual solution to long distance travel based on luxury, refinement and avant-garde design. Initially started as a sculptural experiment, the design takes inspiration from the classic form of 1930s automobiles and blends in aspects of the Rolls-Royce brand, high-end private jets and opulent yachts.

Alvis Follet-Speed
Alex Innes
Inspired by the Alvis GT of the 1930s, Innes sought to recapture the romance of driving and the opulence the brand exuded at the time. The long, flowing form and two-tone color scheme pays tribute to original Alvis cars and the flare across the rear displays rhythm and continuity. The design is 300mm longer than an Aston Martin DB9 and features mirrors mounted high on the A-pillar, leaving the sides uncluttered.

By Eric Gallina