2010 LA Design Challenge ends with a Tie: Cadillac and Smart Declared Winners

This year's Los Angeles Design Challenge ended with a tie, as judges, after much deliberation, declared two winners: the Cadillac Aera and smart 454 WWT. The challenge was to envision a four passenger car tipping the scales under 1,000 lbs (454 kg).

"Deciding this year's Design Challenge winner was a tremendously difficult decision as the quality of entries has increased throughout the years", agreed the Design Los Angeles judges. "This year's winners - the Cadillac Aera and the smart 454 WWT - offer two very different visions of the 1,000 lb. Car, yet are equally as amazing. They are both very expressive of their brand; GM is art and science and smart is playful and fun".

As with the Mercedes BIOME design study, the "science" behind the two winning concepts is equally off the charts.

According to GM's designers:

Cadillac Aera

"The Cadillac Aera (Aero + Era) launches Cadillac's philosophy of "Art and Science" into new territory by taking an innovative and stylistic approach to ultra-light weight vehicle design. Aera is a 1000 lb, 2+2 touring coupe, with a range of 1000 miles before refueling; attributes achieved without compromising size, capacity and safety.

Optimum efficiency, minimum parts

Aera's highly advanced body structure utilizes a 3D lattice, mono-formed frame. This polyhedral structure is similar to configurations found consistently in nature, e.g., inside the grouping of bubbles. 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.

Renowned Cadillac smoothness and quietness are accomplished using the harnessed power of compressed air via a highly efficient Pneumatic Drive System (PDS). Its 10,000 psi composite air storage tank has ample capacity for a 1000 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.

Additional technologies include an All-In-One (AIO) wheel system, combining rotary actuator propulsion, steering and suspension functions. A drive by wireless system decreases the mass of electrical components. Vehicle to vehicle communication (V2V) promotes active safety.

The Cadillac Aera embodies a stylistic, lightweight, minimalist approach to long distance luxury touring."

The concept behind the smart 454 WWT is "out there", too. Here's how Smart describes the concept:

Smart 454 WWT

"The Smart 454 by Weight Watch Technologies from Germany.
(454kg is about 1000lb)

West coast fun and innovation meets German technology, design and grannies' hand knit socks.

Manufactured by incredibly high-tech robots that look as friendly and cuddly as our grandmothers, the Tridion-frame (chassis) is knit by our "Smart Granny Robots" (otherwise know as SGRs) out of carbon fibre. The knitting can create complex shapes and forms, enabling the geometry to be optimized in strength and weight.

We use different materials for each individual part to give every piece of the car its own specific properties and look. Each part is manufactured with the exact material necessary for an optimal balance between weight and function. Windows, fenders and bumpers are all made of recyclable plastics with ingrained colors. The roof is a thin, but highly durable recycled textile that comes with different prints and weavings.

Construction of the WWT carbon fibre wheels with integrated suspension are very lightweight and make it also impossible to run a flat tire. Our unique SGR technology allows for truly unique looking rims and the best lightweight technology in a rim.

The modular "clip-on" construction principal allows easy and endless customizing: a typical WWT of Sindelfingen and smart signature. The doors, roof, engine and drive-train are also very easy to remove or exchange, allowing for perfect functionality, looks, fun and the best tuning for any occasion.

Lightweight, fun and clever: Smart, the WWT from Germany.

Hand knit socks and grannies have never been so much fun…"

Besides the weight limit, all participating cars had to fulfill a number of criteria, such as beauty, comfort, uniqueness of design, sustainability and performance. You can see the rest of the pipe-dream contestants in our two part story here and here.

By Csaba Daradics

___________________________CADILLAC AERA___________________________

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_____________________________SMART 454_____________________________

LA Show 2010: Cadillac's Urban Luxury Concept is an Aston Martin Cygnet Killer

If you want more proof that Cadillac is once and for all abandoning its "bigger is better" mentality adapting to the times, here it is: the Urban Luxury Concept, a design study for a supermini-sized city car (think Aston Martin Cygnet) that will have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show tomorrow.

"While small in size, this concept is an exploration of what Cadillac could be in the future, as the brand continues to focus on redefining industry standards for advanced vehicle design and integrated technology," said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing.

Conceived and designed in the Los Angeles area, the car's styling is typical of Cadillac's current design language with plenty of hard edges and vertical head lamps and tail lamps. To make it look more conceptual, the designers threw in a pair of scissor-type doors that extend outward and rotate forward when opened.

The Urban Luxury Concept has an overall length of just 151 inches (3,835 mm), but rides on a 97.1 inch-long (2,467 mm) wheelbase with the 19-inch wheels pushed to the corners. Cadillac says the interior room is bolstered by a wide, 68.1-inch (1,730 mm) stance and 56.9-inch (1,446 mm) height. Despite the small footprint, the company claims that the three-door hatchback features a "roomy" interior.

For the Urban Luxury Concept's motivation, GM's engineers developed a prototype hybrid propulsion system that includes a turbocharged 1.0L three-cylinder engine employing electric assist technology, engine start-stop function, brake energy regeneration and a dry dual-clutch transmission. The company claims that theoretically, the combination of these technologies in a vehicle like of this size could offer projected fuel economy of 56 mpg in the city and 65 mpg on the highway.

"It may not look like Cadillacs on the road today, but it shares the comfortable and high-tech elements that owners have come to associate with larger, traditional luxury sedans," said Frank Saucedo, the car's lead designer. "As more customers demand premium features even in smaller vehicles, a vehicle like the Urban Luxury Concept could be a solution."

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

LA Auto Show Design Contest Part 1: Cadillac, Honda, Maybach and Mazda Concepts

For the past seven years, the most important automotive design studios in Southern California compete in a Design Challenge organized by the Los Angeles Auto Show. For this year's edition of the show, which runs November 19-29, the event planners decided to add an international flavor to the contest by inviting studios from Germany and Japan to join the competition for the very first time.

The theme for the 2010 Design Challenge is the creation of a super-efficient and lightweight four-passenger car: "The objective is to envision an efficient, light-weight, four passenger vehicle (not to exceed 1,000 lbs.), that is both comfortable and safe, while delivering satisfactory driving performance without sacrificing the styling consumers demand. "

Follow the break for the first group of concept models by Cadillac, Honda, Maybach and Mazda, and stay tuned for the second part.

___________________________CADILLAC AERA___________________________

1000lbs/1000mi

The Cadillac Aera (Aero + Era) launches Cadillac's philosophy of "Art and Science" into new territory by taking an innovative and stylistic approach to ultra-light weight vehicle design. Aera is a 1000 lb, 2+2 touring coupe, with a range of 1000 miles before refueling; attributes achieved without compromising size, capacity and safety.

Optimum efficiency, minimum parts

Aera's highly advanced body structure utilizes a 3D lattice, mono-formed frame. This polyhedral structure is similar to configurations found consistently in nature, e.g., inside the grouping of bubbles. 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.

Renowned Cadillac smoothness and quietness are accomplished using the harnessed power of compressed air via a highly efficient Pneumatic Drive System (PDS). Its 10,000 psi composite air storage tank has ample capacity for a 1000 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.

Additional technologies include an All-In-One (AIO) wheel system, combining rotary actuator propulsion, steering and suspension functions. A drive by wireless system decreases the mass of electrical components. Vehicle to vehicle communication (V2V) promotes active safety.

The Cadillac Aera embodies a stylistic, lightweight, minimalist approach to long distance luxury touring.

________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________HONDA AIR_____________________________

The Honda Air concept is a vision of the future of lightweight and alternative fuel performance vehicles; a coastal cruiser for the aggressive lifestyle. Inspired by the modern roller coaster as well as skydiving wing-suits, the Air is powered by a compressed air and pneumatic regulator system. It utilizes turbo vacuums and external air-flow to regenerate tank pressure for extended range and increased boost for an estimated 100 miles. The chassis doubles as the master tank and all components, including seating, are mounted to the central chassis/tank to eliminate redundant structure and reduce overall weight.

Vegetable based polymer panels and fairings protect occupants, maintaining the solid Honda method; safety for everyone. The Air's cockpit and package maintain the aggressive human packaging of a modern roller coaster aimed at maximizing the open air experience. In order to reduce weight and increase dynamic performance, a hub-less wheel and drive system eliminates the use of heavy drive train components. Glass reinforced seating panels, urethane tire composition and skeletal sub-frame components combine for drastic weight savings. Using a Honda generator / air compressor at home or tire filler at your local filling station, the main tanks and reserves can be filled quickly and safely.

At just under 800 lbs., the powerful anthem of pneumatic propulsion and a character unlike any zero-emission vehicle exemplifies Honda's concept of fun to drive. The pow[air] of dreams.

________________________________________________________________________

___________________________MAYBACH DRS____________________________

MAYBACH DRS - "Den-Riki-Sha" (electric powered rickshaw)

Gracing the Roads of Tomorrow

A radically new car culture will arise in the near future, which is aligned with modern architecture, infrastructure and nature. An astonishing variety of future automotive designs will grow, commensurate, with newly available energy sources, drive systems and alternative production methods. Light, transparent designs with sculptured elegance and an extensive range of comfort and safety options are finding their way into a new eco-conscious world.

The MAYBACH DRS "Den-Riki-Sha" (electric powered rickshaw) embodies these attributes and leverages the traditional values of the classic "Jin-Riki-Sha" (human powered rickshaw), which originated in Tokyo circa 1870.

Breathtaking beauty, ingenious luxury and technical brilliance characterize the sophisticated development of the "DRS." This MAYBACH is the first worldwide NMV (Naturally Manufactured Vehicle). Its production process is unique: Per a highly perfected and complex metamorphosis, a readily developed car is born out of a coded DNA-cocoon. Organic intelligence, aligned with advanced bio-mechanical engineering skills, created this special process being designed for a limited number of exclusive vehicles. A futuristic composition of ultra-light construction with a unique luxurious Exterior & Interior expression.

Powered by a self balancing electric drive unit and controlled by an onboard computer that is plugged into a mega city's transport infrastructure, the MAYBACH DRS delivers a smooth, luxurious journey cross town. To extend its range, this human-electric hybrid allows pedaling power to be supplemented by the driver. Meanwhile, the passengers enjoy the journey in their glamorous surroundings.

MAYBACH traditionally pointed the way to a modern era of luxurious mobility – the "Den-Riki-Sha" continues this heritage, gracing the roads of tomorrow.

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____________________________MAZDA MX-0_____________________________

ze·ro

-adjective: having no measurable quantity or magnitude

-noun: the lowest point or degree

Zero weight:

Mazda's long-time commitment to low weight is driven by the belief that effortless cornering and acceleration should be at the heart of every car we design. Our featherweight icon -- the MX-5 Miata, tipped the scales at a little over 2,300 pounds in its first generation. Starting with the MX-5 as a benchmark, the design team has carried out a systematic process of reduction and consolidation. In this process, we have redesigned each component in the MX-0 to carry out the functions of several MX-5 components, effectively replacing a multitude of MX-5 parts with fewer, simplified ones. Innovative lightweight materials have been used extensively to obsessively lower weight.

Zero carbon:

Aimed at the global market of 2020, and with projected volume of 500,000 units annually, the MX-0 would have positive effects on the world's environment and economy by way of less energy consumption and minimized use of raw materials. High-volume, automated manufacturing of sustainable, inexpensive composites coupled with clean-running drive trains are the key to both low weight and high-volume production.

Zero mass = maximum speed:

At the heart of the MX-0 is its purpose as a driving beast. Its ultra-light mass is pushed by high-torque electric motors. High power-to-weight is where a Mazda comes alive. Impossible acceleration and instant cornering is the result. It's more like flying than driving. Zero hindrance. Driving bliss.