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[Luc Donckerwolke named Director of Design for Bentley]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/14/luc-donckerwolke-named-director-of-design-for-bentley/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/14/luc-donckerwolke-named-director-of-design-for-bentley/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/14/luc-donckerwolke-named-director-of-design-for-bentley/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Luc Donckerwolke - Bentley Director of Design - headshotBentley has announced Luc Donckerwolke will take over as the automaker's Director of Design. Donckerwolke started with Volkswagen in 1992 as a designer for Audi. Since then, he's worked with Škoda, Lamborghini and Seat in various design roles. His resume includes helping sketch out both the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo among other notable models.

The designer steps into the vacancy left by Dirk van Braeckel, who has moved on to work with Volkswagen Group design under Walter de Silva.

As you may recall, van Braeckel is responsible for a number of Bentley's most successful models, including both the Continental GT and the Mulsanne. He joined the ultra luxury automaker in 1999. You can take a look at the official announcement below for more information.

Continue reading Luc Donckerwolke named Director of Design for Bentley

Luc Donckerwolke named Director of Design for Bentley originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bentleybentley director of designdirector of designdirk van braeckelluc donckerwolkevolkswagen groupFri, 14 Sep 2012 17:45:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20323063/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/09/14/luc-donckerwolke-named-director-of-design-for-bentley/20323063/article-detail.xml 20323063 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/lucdonckerwolke-250_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/lucdonckerwolke-250.jpg <![CDATA[Luc Donckerwolke named Head of Advanced Design for VW Group]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/25/vw-group-gets-new-head-of-advanced-design-luc-donckerwolke/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/25/vw-group-gets-new-head-of-advanced-design-luc-donckerwolke/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/25/vw-group-gets-new-head-of-advanced-design-luc-donckerwolke/#commentsFiled under: ,

Luc DonckerwolkeLuc Donckerwolke, the man who brought us the Lamborghini Gallardo, Murcielago and Diablo VT 6.0 (hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah) has been promoted to head of advanced design at the Volkswagen Group.

He leaves his position as director of design at Spain's SEAT and will answer directly to VW Group Design Chief, Walter de Silva.

Donckerwolke's most recent concept car was the SEAT IBE electric hatchback, which was introduced at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Follow the jump for the press release detailing the org-chart shuffle at VW Group.

Continue reading Luc Donckerwolke named Head of Advanced Design for VW Group

Luc Donckerwolke named Head of Advanced Design for VW Group originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Luc Donckerwolkevolkswagen advanced design groupMon, 25 Jul 2011 07:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19998677/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/07/25/vw-group-gets-new-head-of-advanced-design-luc-donckerwolke/19998677/article-detail.xml 19998677 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/07/donckerwolkepromovw_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/07/donckerwolkepromovw.jpg <![CDATA[Geneva 2011: SEAT IBX Concept looks... appliance white]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/02/geneva-2011-seat-ibx-concept-looks-appliance-white/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/02/geneva-2011-seat-ibx-concept-looks-appliance-white/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/02/geneva-2011-seat-ibx-concept-looks-appliance-white/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Seat IBX Concept
SEAT IBX Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Geneva Motor Show is in high gear, and Volkswagen subsidiary SEAT has no intentions of sitting on the sidelines during the massive European show, as the IBX crossover clearly illustrates.

The IBX was penned to show the Spanish brand's future design direction, as well as the company's commitment to environmentally friendly technology. Power for the front-wheel-drive concept comes from a Chevrolet Volt-like mixture of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery pack. SEAT hasn't provided many details about the powertrain, only mentioning that the vehicle could travel 45 kilometers (28 miles) on an electricity alone, with the range-extending gas or diesel engine kicking in once electro-juice is exhausted. SEAT says that the engine could come courtesy of one of the gas or diesel offerings already available in its lineup.

On the design front, this little ute's two-door design carries some coupe-inspired lines while still
aiming for the roominess of a crossover. The overall form is clean and attractive, if a bit nondescript (an impression no doubt enhanced by its relentlessly white paint). Chief designer Luc Donckerwolke says in the company's press release that the IBX represents the footprint of future SEAT design, adding that "this design DNA will have a profound impact on every one of our models." Hit the jump to read over the official press release, and peruse the high-res images of the IBX concept by clicking on the galleries below.


Gallery: Seat IBX Concept: Geneva 2011


Gallery: Seat IBX Concept

Seat IBX Concept

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: SEAT]

Continue reading Geneva 2011: SEAT IBX Concept looks... appliance white

Geneva 2011: SEAT IBX Concept looks... appliance white originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>genevageneva 2011geneva motor showibxluc donckerwolkeseatseat ibxseat ibx conceptWed, 02 Mar 2011 16:20:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19862503/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/03/02/geneva-2011-seat-ibx-concept-looks-appliance-white/19862503/article-detail.xml 19862503 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/seat-ibx-concept-geneva_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/03/seat-ibx-concept-geneva.jpg <![CDATA[Frankfurt 2007: SEAT Tribu Concept debuts new styling direction]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/frankfurt-2007-seat-tribu-concept-debuts-new-styling-direction/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/frankfurt-2007-seat-tribu-concept-debuts-new-styling-direction/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/frankfurt-2007-seat-tribu-concept-debuts-new-styling-direction/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click image for photo gallery

VW's SEAT brand is getting a makeover, and the Tribu concept unveiled in Frankfurt shows us where the marque's headed, stylistically. Penned by new SEAT design chief and Lamborghini expat Luc Donckerwolke, the Tribu jettisons the more organic, flowing shapes of current SEATs and replaces them with taught lines and a face that is very Audi-looking. We have to believe that it also foreshadows a SEAT-branded crossover that'll have this same general shape, if not all the details, obviously.

Some of the concept's highlights include a fancy, rail-mounted rear hatch that opens in two stages. The first one opens it partially to allow for quick stowage of small items. When opened fully, it slides up over the roof. No engine specs on this design study are given, which leads us to assume it's not a runner. Still, the concept is said to incorporate three selectable drive modes -- Urban, Sport, and Freerun -- which respectively alter engine and suspension settings to favor economy/cleanliness, performance, and off-road ability. There's no traditional shifter, just wheel-mounted paddles for a sequential gearbox, and the rest of the interior is an exercise in typical concept fantasy fare wherer shapes and materials are concerned. In the Tribu's case, what you see outside is most important, and you can expect to see more of it in future concepts and production cars from the Spanish brand.

Follow the jump for a full press release, and check out the attached gallery below. For even more shots of the car's live reveal, head over to Autoblog Spanish.

[Source: SEAT via Autoblog Spanish]

Gallery: SEAT Tribu Concept

Frankfurt 2007: SEAT Tribu Concept debuts new styling direction originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>frankfurtluc donckerwolkeLucDonckerwolkeseatseat designseat tribuseat tribu conceptSeatDesignSeatTribuSeatTribuConcepttribu conceptTribuConceptTue, 11 Sep 2007 15:02:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/986803/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/09/11/frankfurt-2007-seat-tribu-concept-debuts-new-styling-direction/986803/article-detail.xml 986803 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/09/tribu_live_lo_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/09/tribu_live_lo.jpg <![CDATA[Tango Concept could see production says SEAT]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/13/tango-concept-could-see-production-says-seat/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/13/tango-concept-could-see-production-says-seat/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/13/tango-concept-could-see-production-says-seat/#commentsFiled under: , ,



First shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2002, the charmingly sleek SEAT Tango passed many of its styling cues on to other SEAT siblings in production, although the little roadster never made it to the streets itself. Such a pity too, as this little car has so much going for it. Blending elements of the Porsche Carrera GT, Spyker, and BMW Z4 on a much smaller scale, it has been one of our favorite concepts since we first saw pics of it all those years ago. But there is renewed hope. Autocar has found sources inside SEAT that say the Tango could still be produced. With their new focus on styling as a signature feature, SEAT could really use something fun like this to compete against Ford's StreetKa cabrio and similar superminis. The only snag is that the Tango would have to be supported by other models. One possibility is that the roadster could share the next-generation, front-wheel-drive, Ibiza platform. Autocar is predicting a production Tango would most likely sell for around £15,000.

Before the Tango is greenlighted, SEAT needs to release its all-new Ibiza, the new Alhambra MPV, and reassess their Toledo, possibly replacing it with a pseudo-4x4 similar to the new Nissan Qashqai. So the Tango would still be quite a ways away. Chief SEAT designer Luc Donckerwolke, who was responsible for the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo, has said that he wants SEAT to become a "design-driven brand". A production version of the Tango would certainly help towards that goal. And it would add another item to our list of fun cars we can only drive if we rent them while vacationing in Europe.

More pics after the jump

[Source: Autocar]

Continue reading Tango Concept could see production says SEAT

Tango Concept could see production says SEAT originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Oct 2006 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Alhambra MPVAlhambraMpvBMW Z4BmwZ4Luc DonckerwolkeLucDonckerwolkePorsche Carrera GTPorscheCarreraGtSeatSpykerStreetKaTango ConceptTangoConceptFri, 13 Oct 2006 16:54:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/684323/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/10/13/tango-concept-could-see-production-says-seat/684323/article-detail.xml 684323 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/10/tango09_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/10/tango09.jpg -1 2