Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Magna Touchskin technology takes a swipe at switchgear in cars [w/video]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/17/magna-touchskin-technology-takes-a-swipe-at-switchgear-in-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/17/magna-touchskin-technology-takes-a-swipe-at-switchgear-in-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/17/magna-touchskin-technology-takes-a-swipe-at-switchgear-in-cars/#commentsFiled under: ,

Magna Touchskin

The Touchskin interface has beeen on display since last October; now it's at a stage where Magna is shopping it to automakers. Although Magna is the marquee name, the various components that comprise Touchskin are produced by nine companies: Plastic Electronics, Engel Mould Technologies, Schöfer, Magna Exteriors and Interiors, Hueck, Niebling, Votteler, Hennecke Polyurethane and formquadrat.

It is exactly what it sounds like: instead of buttons and knobs populating the center tunnel space around the gearshift, there is a a perfectly smooth Clearmelt panel whose glossy surface heals itself of scratches and nicks. On either side of the shifter in the concept is the IDMP area, where your mobile phone rests. Without needing to be docked, the phone can connect with the car through Qi transmitters (common to phones as of this year) and be charged. The IDMP area and near-field Qi system is one of Magna's contributions and the company says it can't be hacked like Bluetooth or Internet protocols.

To the rear of the concept panel is the haptic interface, a protuberance that responds to numerous fingertip gestures to provide control of the car's various systems. It is made possible by the Touchskin film, produced in reel-to-reel fashion at a rate of 80 meters per minute, that can be molded to any shape and is wedded to the Clearmelt with copper foil.

There's a video just below to take you through the production process and how Touchskin works. It's unlikely the entire panel would make it into a new car, but we can certainly see it creeping, piece by glossy piece, into our Minority Report futures.

Continue reading Magna Touchskin technology takes a swipe at switchgear in cars [w/video]

Magna Touchskin technology takes a swipe at switchgear in cars [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hapticinterfaceinterface designinteriorinterior designmagnatechnologytouchskinThu, 17 May 2012 08:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20238004/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/05/17/magna-touchskin-technology-takes-a-swipe-at-switchgear-in-cars/20238004/article-detail.xml 20238004 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/magnatouchskinvid_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/magnatouchskinvid.jpg <![CDATA[Why your next car may not come with a CD player]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/15/why-your-next-car-may-not-come-with-a-cd-player/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/15/why-your-next-car-may-not-come-with-a-cd-player/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/15/why-your-next-car-may-not-come-with-a-cd-player/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Michael Arbaugh, chief designer of Ford interiors, describes center console space as "oceanfront property" - already fully populated, with more tenants trying to move in every year. Speaking to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, Arbaugh said one tenant he'd like to evict is the CD player because it's dead weight for audio Luddites.

Ok, so he didn't say that exactly. But Arbaugh believes they're out of fashion with people under 30, and that growing lack of interest means they occupy space that could be better employed. CD players also add weight that has to be countered somewhere else in the march to meet CAFE regulations, an endeavor with nearly aerospace tolerances anymore.

The CD-less car is just talk at the moment, but there's no doubt it's coming. More and more computers are being sold without optical drives, and as it goes in the tech world so it shall go in the car-tech world. If we could just get carmakers to properly integrate connections for other PMPs that can play lossless codecs and don't mutilate the music, we wouldn't mind at all.

Why your next car may not come with a CD player originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cd playerfordinteriorinterior designtechnologyTue, 15 May 2012 08:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20236131/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/05/15/why-your-next-car-may-not-come-with-a-cd-player/20236131/article-detail.xml 20236131 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/nocdplayer_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/05/nocdplayer.jpg <![CDATA[Video: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max shows off its magic middle seat]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/09/video-2012-ford-grand-c-max-shows-off-its-magic-middle-seat/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/09/video-2012-ford-grand-c-max-shows-off-its-magic-middle-seat/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/09/video-2012-ford-grand-c-max-shows-off-its-magic-middle-seat/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

2012 Ford Grand C-Max; Disappearing middle seat
2012 Ford Grand C-Max: Disappearing middle seat - Click above to watch video after the jump

We recently spent some time with the 2012 Ford Grand C-Max and came away with mixed feelings about it. It's an excellent compact minivan, but that's a low-volume segment and we're unsure of how well the Grand C-Max will sell here. One particular feature we do know people will be impressed by is the disappearing middle seat found in the second row.

Ford engineers designed the Grand C-Max so that the second-row middle seat folds out of sight into a compartment under the adjacent seat cushion. Doing so opens up a clear passageway to the third row seating. Also, both rear seating rows fold flat to accommodate sizable cargo loads. To see it all in action, check out the video after the jump.


Gallery: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max: First Drive


Photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL

[Source: Ford via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max shows off its magic middle seat

Video: 2012 Ford Grand C-Max shows off its magic middle seat originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012 ford grand c-maxc-maxcompact minivanfolding seatsFord Grand C-Maxgrand c-maxInteriorinterior designminivansecond rowthird rowSat, 09 Oct 2010 19:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19667651/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/10/09/video-2012-ford-grand-c-max-shows-off-its-magic-middle-seat/19667651/article-detail.xml 19667651 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/10/c-max-sg-1286646339_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/10/c-max-sg-1286646339.jpg <![CDATA[Ward's Auto selects 40 finalists for Interior of the Year award]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/30/wards-auto-selects-40-finalists-for-interior-of-the-year-award/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/30/wards-auto-selects-40-finalists-for-interior-of-the-year-award/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/30/wards-auto-selects-40-finalists-for-interior-of-the-year-award/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Most everyone is familiar with the Ward's Auto 10 Best Engines award where BMW, Audi and Ford took several honors for 2010, but a less prominent, though perhaps more eye-catching, award given by the magazine is the Ward's Interior of the Year awards.

The award recipients are chosen through a process that examines all new vehicles for the given model year. For 2010, Ward's had 40 vehicles, considered finalists meeting the requirements. Vehicles are placed in several different classes and judged based upon interior ergonomics, quality and feel of materials, comfort, fit and finish and overall value.

The winners in each class will be announced in mid-April, but you can continue after the jump to view the list of competitors in each class. It could be argued that many of the vehicles are deserving, but only one per class will be selected. The Buick Regal interior pictured above caught our eye, but tell us your own in the comments below.

[Source: Ward's Auto - Sub. Req.]

Continue reading Ward's Auto selects 40 finalists for Interior of the Year award

Ward's Auto selects 40 finalists for Interior of the Year award originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardawardsawards interiorAwardsInteriorbest interiorbest interior designBestInteriorcar interiorCarInteriorInteriorinterior designInteriorDesignvehicle interiorVehicleInteriorwards autoWards Automotivewards interiorwards ten best enginesWardsAutoWardsAutomotiveWardsInteriorWardsTenBestEnginesTue, 30 Mar 2010 07:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19416869/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/03/30/wards-auto-selects-40-finalists-for-interior-of-the-year-award/19416869/article-detail.xml 19416869 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/buick-regal-gs-press-630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/buick-regal-gs-press-630.jpg <![CDATA[BMW names Marc Girard head of interior design]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/02/bmw-names-marc-girard-head-of-interior-design/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/02/bmw-names-marc-girard-head-of-interior-design/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/02/bmw-names-marc-girard-head-of-interior-design/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The field of car design has been about as stable as an active volcano lately, with several major automakers replacing their design chiefs in quick succession. Over the past couple of weeks, Volvo's styling guru Steve Mattin quit, and he was replaced by Ford designer Peter Horbury, whose post in turn was taken up by Moray Callum. Before that, Volkswagen designer Derek Jenkins defected to Mazda, while Mazda's chief designer Laurens van der Acker was replaced by Ikuo Maeda. But in advance of all that, Chris Bangle sent shockwaves through the industry (in typical Bangle style) by leaving BMW. Adrian van Hooydonk was promoted to take his place, but after Munich's interior designer Michael Ninic died suddenly last year, Hooydonk was stretched a little thin.

The latest appointment, however, should help alleviate some of the pressure, as Marc Girard has been named head of BMW's interior design department. The French designer, educated at the Art Center College of Design, has been with the BMW Group for some 15 years now, and has been responsible for the cabins on several Bimmer and MINI models of late. It's a logical move for the Bavarian automaker, and a well-deserved step up for the talented cabinsmith.

[Source: Car Design News]

BMW names Marc Girard head of interior design originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click above to watch video after the jump

General Motors' goal for the exterior of the 2011 Chevy Volt is to create as much pizazz as possible with superior aerodynamics to ensure the least amount of parasitic loss for the electric drivetrain. The interior, however, is all about how the driver interacts with the vehicle. And with the Volt, GM designers attempted to pull off a Buck Rodgers meets Apple iPod theme.

A quick glance at the futuristic Volt interior shows a very unique approach to integrating design and technology. The first thing we noticed was that GM decided to use two seven-inch LCD screens, with one working as the main driver instrument panel (no gauge cluster here) and the other for everything from navigation to tracking battery charges. Both screens are user configurable, and two different configurations can be saved for two different drivers.

Follow the jump for more including a video demonstration of the Chevy Volt's interior by one of its designers.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt - Interior


Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt - Live Reveal

Continue reading VIDEO: Walkthrough of 2011 Chevy Volt interior

VIDEO: Walkthrough of 2011 Chevy Volt interior originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 chevy volt2011ChevyVoltchevy voltchevy volt interiorChevyVoltChevyVoltInteriorelectric vehicleElectricVehicleevGMinterior designInteriorDesignvolt interiorVoltInteriorTue, 16 Sep 2008 13:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1315732/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/09/16/video-walkthrough-of-2011-chevy-volt-interior/1315732/article-detail.xml 1315732 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/volt-interior01_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/volt-interior01_opt.jpg <![CDATA[Ford Bold Moves: Episode 2 - Commitment to Design]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/09/ford-bold-moves-campaign-highlights-design/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/09/ford-bold-moves-campaign-highlights-design/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/09/ford-bold-moves-campaign-highlights-design/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Half Real World, half late-night SPEED channel documentary, Ford's Bold Moves campaign is onto its second episode, Commitment to Design. Ford design gurus J Mays, Peter Horbury and Hau Thai-Tang chime in to accept responsibility for bringing Ford back from the abyss via design. The episode hones in on vehicles such as the Ford Iosis, Superchief truck and Shelby GR-1 to show how Ford is going after bold flavors of design and not vanilla to get its "design mojo back," as Mark Fields says in the episode.

As a bonus, check out an article on the site by our very own John Neff, "The Inside Story: Why A Car's Interior Design Matters More Than Ever" -- you can even vote for our fearless leader's contribution by logging into the Bold Moves site.

[Source: FordBoldMoves.com]

Ford Bold Moves: Episode 2 - Commitment to Design originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Jul 2006 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisingautomotive designAutomotiveDesignbold movesBoldMovesdesignford bold movesFordBoldMovesinterior designInteriorDesignSun, 09 Jul 2006 16:04:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/640910/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/07/09/ford-bold-moves-campaign-highlights-design/640910/article-detail.xml 640910 http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/07/gr1concept05_thumbnail.jpg http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/07/gr1concept05.jpg -1 2