Volkswagen Go! Concept with Improved Interior Space

Together with VW Tex concept, VW Go! Concept was unveiled by Volkswagen at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The design of Go! Concept car variant by Volkswagen is oriented on the interior development. Among the features are large glass elements, extended wheelbase and ergonomic interior space. Italdesign develops this VW Go! variant to create compact car with maximizing interior space. The length of car is 3,990 mm and it’s combined with 2,700 mm wheelbase for creating distinctive looks on the exterior design of the car. On this VW car, the conventional mirrors have been replaced by the side camera. The interior of this vehicle give 4 identical seating units whereas the panel instrument has widescreen display to inform main informations.

Exterior Design

Designed for the city, the Go! together with the sporty Tex could increase the wide range of Volkswagen products to A0 segment even more.

With the same wheelbase as that of the Passat – 2700 mm – the Go! is a hatchback boasting a total length of 3990 mm thanks to its smaller overhangs. The battery pack is housed underneath the front and rear seating positions.

This vertical package allows for the Go! a weight distribution of 58% on the front and 42% on the rear.

“With this exercise I wanted to continue the design of a car able to offer maximum utilization of its interior,” Giorgetto Giugiaro stated.

“The project started with the 1976 New York Taxi, and continued with the 1978 Megagamma, the 1998 Structura and then came to maturity with the 2010 Emas.”

“The Go! is less than 4 metres long, but offers more passenger room than that of a large SUV and has a 400 up to 525-litre boot, ideal for city use.”

The design of the exteriors is dominated by extensive glass surfaces, in clear contrast with the trends of recent years of providing cars with increasingly smaller windows.

In addition to filling the passenger compartment with light and giving its occupants the chance to thoroughly enjoy city scenery, also thanks to its totally glass roof, this design offers the driver with maximum visibility while driving.

The A pillar is in particular considerably farther forward than its traditional position, and the bulk of the door mirrors is eliminated by using cameras.

The side windows also extend beneath the waistline – markedly high and optically taken up again by adding a longitudinal structure that crosses the side windows – drawing on a solution introduced in 1988 with the Asgard prototype.

This lets the driver benefit from maximum visibility even during manoeuvres and when taking tight curves.

Like in the Emas, only the lower part of the windows (the part beneath the longitudinal structure) can be electrically lowered.

This solution reduces the weight that the electric window mechanism has to support to a minimum, and is in any case necessary for meeting all of the essential operations such as paying tolls or refuelling.

The seat H point (corresponding to the passenger hip position) is located higher than that of mass-produced cars but lower than that of an SUV. This solution makes getting in and out of the passenger compartment extremely comfortable.

An electronically driven system pushes the door outwards and pulls it back parallel to the vehicle body for gaining access to the rear seats.

This mechanism, which draws on the one used on the VW Milano Taxi (presented in May 2010), offers the advantageous practicality of sliding doors but without sacrificing their section (room is found inside for a comfortable armrest) and makes it possible to do away with the unattractive tracks on the body typical of this solution.

Without sacrificing the family feeling typical of the Golf and the Golf Plus, the Go! offers innovative solutions both in the front and back that combine aesthetic pleasure with practical functionality.

The grille, dominated by the large VW badge in the centre, incorporates the front light clusters with Xenon/LED technology.

The air intake is placed at the height of the fog lights and horizontally splits the front spoiler, adjusting the air flow necessary for cooling the front electric motors.

The tailgate reintroduces the theme of the glass surfaces interrupted by a longitudinal insert that not only optically takes up the theme characterizing the side view, but conceals the windscreen wiper and rear cameras that turn on when the reverse gear is engaged.

To make loading luggage easier, the tailgate can be operated electronically for both opening and closing. A sensor that activates the opening mechanism by simply moving the foot is also fitted underneath the bumper.

The light clusters are positioned under the glass surface and are invisible when the panel is off. When the tailgate is opened, they are repeated by two additional taillights located in the lower part of the bumper, beside the rear air intake, which also house the rear fog lights.

Interior Design

All of the elements of the Go! Concept interior have been styled and designed focusing on ergonomics.

The driver and three passengers sit on four identical and electronically adjustable seats. Those in the rear can also be folded down using an electronic adjustment mechanism and with remote control, and they form a single surface on the rear floor panel level to increase the maximum loading volume to 525 litres.

A storage console/sliding armrest sits between the front seats. If completely pulled back, it aids the driver when getting out from the passenger side.

This solution is particularly useful if parking is narrow or if there are objects blocking the opening of the left door.

The control panel displays the most important information such as speed, fuel consumption and fuel level directly at the base of the windscreen, at the rear of the deep dashboard.

Giugiaro was extremely keen on this solution. “With the controls positioned in this way, the driver does not have to continuously change his focal length between the foreground of the dashboard and the long surface of the road in front of him. With this layout he can keep his eyes set on the road, distraction-free, and have all of the information necessary for driving available at all times.”

The monitors of the rear view cameras are also at the base of the windscreen, but at the two side ends. The dashboard contains a touchscreen monitor in the classic position. It groups together all of the auxiliary controls, the infotainment system, the satellite navigation system and, when the reverse gear is engaged, the images of the camera for manoeuvring.

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The Two Doors Car, Volkswagen Tex Concept

At the Geneva Motor Show 2011 Volkswagen has revealed a new sporty car version called Volkswagen Tex Concept. This new VW car version is a result of design study on a sporty yet compact car which is completed with 2 doors. The car is equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The front end detail feature wide surface and trapezoidal grille that mounts the Volkswagen logo and headlights. The eye catching elements which are found on the side detail are the sculpted surface which emerges from the air exit on the back side of front wheels and the raising waistline. The 19 inch wheels on this VW Tex variant create sporty appearance.

Press Release:

Exterior Design

Four real seats, front wheel drive and a gently aggressive line, the Tex fits into a long tradition of Volkswagen brand sports cars.

“We designed the Tex in actual fact thinking to the Volkswagen sports cars of the years to come,” commented Fabrizio Giugiaro, deputy chairman and style manager of Italdesign Giugiaro.

“We intentionally kept a family feeling that would immediately identify it as a Wolfsburg product close to production. No visionary or futuristic choice was made, but it is rather a natural evolution of today’s canons with the addition of a few technologies that will shortly become available on the market.”

Compact, very low (1355 mm in height) and 1750 mm wide, the Tex at first glance looks like a sports car with great grip on the road, stressed by the large 19? wheels at the ends and generous wheel arches.

Its set-up is that of a classic two-door coupé whose clearly sporty personality is emphasized by an aggressive front and its rear flaunting two spoilers.

The side view is marked by lines that sculpt the doors next to the air exit of the front wheels and its waistline that rises up toward the tail.

The front is distinguished by a slender grille that encloses the light clusters in an unprecedented trapezoidal shape and three air intakes in the bumper/spoiler zone, necessary for cooling the brake discs and 1.4-litre turbo engine.

The VW badge sits in the centre of the grille and is optically underscored by the V-shaped groove of the hood. Windscreen and roof are a single piece of glass that becomes dark electronically.

The large rear window dominates the rear and accommodates two spoilers, with the windscreen wiper housed in one at the bottom.

Like the Go! previously, the light clusters are under the windscreen and are invisible when the panel is off.

Access to the luggage compartment is permitted by raising just the rear window and, once it is open, the light indicators are repeated by the two supplementary tail lights located in the lower part of the bumper, at the sides of the rear air intake that also contains the rear fog lights.

Interior Design

As in the Go!, the Tex’s interiors have also been designed to offer the occupants maximum space and maximum ergonomics.

The passenger compartment is definitely geared to the driver. All of the instruments are positioned in a functional manner and wrap around the driver so as to leave the passenger an incredible sensation of space.

The large dashboard containing the controls and driving information grows smaller as it approaches the door panels so as to make getting in and out of the passenger compartment easier.

“We designed the interiors so that the first sensation would be that of entering a sports car,” continued Fabrizio Giugiaro.

“The driver has to be able to find himself, and this is why we chose finish details and elements that refer back to the classic idea of the sports car. We have adopted the large gear knob and leather interiors, with the speedometer and rev counter situated in the classic position behind the steering wheel and with ‘analogue’ graphics, precisely for that reason”.

If the outfitting is classic in style, the contents are instead full of the maximum technology available today. All of the controls and indicators are housed in LCD screens, as is the infotainment console put on a touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard, set in a transparent structure that lays bare the structure.

The dashboard is separated from the central tunnel, an unusual solution for a car, but wraps around the driver with a graphic and colour continuity.

The two rear seats are independent and can be folded down.

The name ‘Tex’

“Besides the one for cars, Walter de’ Silva, Fabrizio and I share another passion: the one for Italian comics hero, ranger Tex Willer”, said Giorgetto Giugiaro.

“We wanted to name the coupé after the legendary ranger, as a homage to the men who wrote and drew important pages on our popular culture.” “Thanks to Mr. Sergio Bonelli’s kindness and helpfulness we finally could realize this unique operation. And, in the end, our prototype, just like the real Tex, has a strong heart and a gentle soul”.

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The All New BMW Roadster Variant, 328 Hommage Model

The new BMW variant called as 328 Hommage is introduced at the Villa d’Este Concours. This new car variant is a result of design research of a speedster which takes inspiration from 328 variant. The exterior of this 328 Hommage variant is accentuated with asymmetrical widescreen element and car body made of carbon fiber. 328 Hommage is a roadster variant which is designed with two seating units with car engine attached on the front side. At the front detail there are kidney grilles, the absence of doors and round headlights. These design elements connects visually to the former model. The lightness feeling within interior car is influenced by CFRP materials.

Official press release:

Exterior Design

The strong wedge shape accelerates the vehicle even when it is at a standstill, the scoops behind the seats take up the lines coming from the bonnet, guiding them dynamically into the rear end.

Precise lines run across all of the car body’s taut surfaces. As a result, a subtle contrast between the tense surfaces and the sharp edges is created within the flat, dynamic silhouette.

The structure of the CFRP mats gives the vehicle an appearance of depth, the diagonal lines of the woven CFRP additionally underscoring the dynamic design vocabulary.

The BMW 328 Hommage has no doors. Then as now, deep recesses allow access to the inside of the car.

The extremely wide and flat front end is strongly three-dimensional, generous surfaces and concise lines give the front end a powerful appearance. Viewed from the front, the CFRP hood appears to en- compass the vehicle from above. It embraces the vehicle, framing the slightly set back front end in a very distinctive downward sweep.

Due to the almost vertical, low-reaching sidewalls, it simultaneously emphasizes the BMW 328 Hommage’s excellent stability on the road. As a result, the vehicle appears to be even flatter and more dynamic as a whole.

Under the hood, further surfaces rise to embed the top and bottom of the distinctive kidney grille, whilst folding themselves around it to shape the adjacent air intakes. Openings and large air intakes create visual lightness at the front, simultaneously demonstrating the high air requirement of the three-litre, six-cylinder engine.

Three-dimensionally designed lattices inside the front vents form a connection between the headlamps and the kidney grille, with the three-dimensional lattice structure acting as an accentuating feature.

The vertically positioned double kidney grille imitates the slim, vertical kidney design of the early BMW models. In those days, the BMW 328 was one of the first BMWs to feature it, after which it became further established with later BMW models.

On the BMW 328 Hommage, the vertically mounted kidney grille is dynamically incorporated into the flat silhouette. It slants back roughly in the middle, thus blending in with the bonnet and the dynamic silhouette when viewed from the side. On the other hand, from the front it appears to be standing upright.

The kidney grille bars are more prominently curved than the kidney grille surround itself. The vehicle displays the extremely round and appealing design of the original BMW 328 kidney grille when viewed from the side. The kidney grille surround is also distinctively three-dimensional, appearing to continue in- side the vehicle. Its front surface is finished in polished high-gloss, whilst the side surfaces have a matt finish.

This detail gives the kidney grille a very high-class and up-to-date appearance. Behind the kidney grille bars, black horizontal fins obstruct the view into the engine compartment – just like on the 328 of

The rear end takes on the design vocabulary featured on the front of the vehicle. Similar to the front end, sections of the sidewall form the framework for the design elements that appear to protrude from the rear end. Between them, located far to the outside, are two clearly and concisely designed taillights sporting the characteristic BMW L shape.

Two filigree luminous elements reflect a strongly curved interpretation of the typical BMW L shape, whilst a concisely constructed bar fitted to the outside of the lamp is directed vertically downward, separating the lamps towards the outside.

The modern functional design of the taillights underlines the technical appeal of the vehicle.

The powerful sculpturing of the rear end also visually conveys the BMW 328 Hommage’s lightness. Large vents and openings characterize the rear end, giving it a light appearance. The distinctively horizontal section below the taillights forms a counterpoint to the intense sculpturing, emphasizing the width of the vehicle. Below that, the rear of the car is strongly arched, a concise line partitions the surface, thereby providing an air of lightness.

This large sculptural element adopts the form language of the front-end design surrounding the kidney grille. The wing-shaped element tapers both upward and downward, thus revealing two large latticed air outlets. The circular tailpipes are located inside these two openings.

They protrude prominently out of the lattice and, combined with the distinctively designed wing shape of the lower air intake edges, underscore the power of the straight six-cylinder engine.

The large, prominently designed individual round headlights of the BMW 328 Hommage are reminiscent of the headlamps featured on the BMW 328, which were integrated into the wings for the first time.

The three- dimensional interpretation of these round headlights is divided into four trans- parent, cylindrical elements, these being back-lit by LEDs. Between them, set- back black concave surfaces symbolize the typical tape cross used on headlights in motor racing. Around the four reflectors an illuminated ring emphasizes the circular design of each individual headlamp.

The two-part light alloy wheels are a modern interpretation of the characteristic hole pattern of the original rims. The extremely concave high-gloss black aluminum rim boasts a contrasting silver- grey cover made of glass fibre. The insides of the angular milled holes have a high-gloss finish and are distinctively accentuated by a matt overlay. A black chrome butterfly nut bearing the BMW emblem completes the contemporary version of the wheel.

Interior Design

The interior design of the BMW 328 Hommage comprises a number of details that are reminiscent of the successful motor racing history of the BMW 328.

For example, the slightly asymmetrically designed windscreen has a recess in the middle, similar to the windscreen design of earlier racing cars.

Simultaneously, it marks the areas in which the driver and co-driver sit.

Moreover, four wide leather straps run across the bonnet, which appear to dive under the side shoulder surfaces to be continued on the side. This detail, which used to be considered an extremely sporty attribute, is also featured on the BMW 328 Hommage.

Combined with the high-gloss aluminium safety buckles, the leather straps provide a touch of class in contrast to the very technical-looking carbon fibre.

The modern quick-release fasteners for securing the bonnet bring racing of the past into the present. On the driver’s scoop a large silver “75” as well as a small logo below it signify the reason for the BMW 328 Hommage.

Next to it, the integrated tank filler neck protruding from the right-hand side is a striking detail. Whilst it pr trudes prominently from the body of the BMW 328, the BMW 328 Hommage features a version that is integrated slightly more into the bodywork.

Through the use of CFRP inside the BMW 328, the “layering” design principle, with which shapes take on clear functions, adopts a completely new form of expression.

Due to its exceptional characteristics, CFRP is in itself robust and can be shaped into self-supporting structures. Hence, only two large surface areas – so-called layers – define the interior of the BMW 328 Hommage.

Both of them start at the hood and protrude into the interior. One of the layers extends to- wards the driver, reveals the entire driver’s workplace comprising steering wheel, control elements and scoop, thereby separating the driver and co-driver areas from each other.

This spatial separation is indicated by a further material: the elegant, brown leather interior extends from the entrance across the driver’s area, over the seats to the scoop, thus becoming an integral part of the design vocabulary of the first layer.

At the same time, the surrounding graphics comprising material and geometry create a link with the co-driver. On the driver’s scoop, a silver-colored logo bearing the number 75 also gives indication inside the car of the festive occasion in honor of the BMW 328 Hommage.

The second layer begins next to the scoop, making a sweep towards the co- driver, then to float freely in front of him. This gesture creates a sporty but light sense of spaciousness, opening out a functional area in front of the co-driver.

Between the driver and co-driver a multitude of recesses in the instrument panel and centre console create an airy and harmonious spatial experience, bringing the driver and the co-driver slightly closer to each other again in a sweeping gesture. The lines of the woven carbon fibers complement the interior design vocabulary perfectly.

Viewed from above, a slightly asymmetrical design of the bonnet and windscreen underscores the driver-orientated construction. The windscreen is larger within the driver’s area, so the lines of the powerdome are of different length. Behind the windscreen they continue in the inside of the car, so that at this point both the interior and the exterior appear to be intertwined.

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