|
|
The document has moved here.
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
| Volkswagen R Concept The roadster prototype concept R
The roadster prototype concept R is designed to suggest what Volkswagen has in store for the future; it also points towards possible involvement in the world of real and genuine sports cars, the Elise market. The design team, led by Murat G¸nak (Volkswagen Brand Group) and Peter Schreyer (Volkswagen Brand), shows with the roadster concept R how a sports car packed with aesthetics and emotion could look in the foreseeable future with the internationally successful "VW" label. The 4.16 metre long, 1.78 metre wide and just 1.25 metre high two-seater has a convincingly powerful body and an interior that conquers virgin territory in terms of style in every detail. The exterior incorporates a clear linear structure, which distinguishes all of today's Volkswagens. But these lines are set sharper than ever and, with a new appearance, frame extremely exciting and well formed surfaces. This new three dimensionality in the important body elements forms, with the virtuosity of a concept bearing the slogan "anything is possible", a path to tomorrow's foreseeable world. A particularly avante garde element of the concept R is seen in the front end with its newly designed Volkswagen radiator grille and large V-shaped air cooling inlet below. The chrome badge, integrating the VW logo in the centre, is where air is drawn in for the V6 engine to "breath" and the new look of the eye-like headlights creates a face that can immediately be associated with the Volkswagen tradition, even though a complete reinterpretation of the design has been possible. The designers were conscious in their efforts to instil in the front end of this sports car the agility and vigilance of an animal about to jump. The bonnet of the front luggage compartment continues the V of the radiator grille extension and contours it upwards to the A pillars. This V is stressed by two flowing protrusions that separate the wings and bonnet contour on the left and right. The wings are designed more as independent and powerful structures and on both sides feature a further inlet for cooling of the front brakes. Headlights integrated in the wings with outer, round main element and an inner part narrowing to a point towards the centre of the vehicle. Inline with the Phaeton, Touareg and new Golf, the wing area is extended prominently to the front above the headlights like an eyebrow and underlines in this way the athletic character of the concept vehicle. True to this image is a technical novelty in the form of headlights with ultramodern LED technology: As soon as they are switched on, a lens begins to open on each side. Before the aperture widens, all that can be seen is a narrow beam of light and then the full lighting power becomes available for dipped or main beam. The optical effect of this focussing of the "vehicle eyes" makes the "concept R" appear to come alive, inline with the whole characteristic design. The flank of the concept R is distinguished by: a very flat waistline, rising to the centre of the rear wheelarches; naturally round, heavily contoured wheelarches; and a very short rear overhang. The new design is also continued here with its own fascination in form and function. There are just three prominent lines that form the silhouette of the concept R: Two semi-circles each for the high rise of the wheelarches and one straight line closing to a semi-circle at the rear of the waistline. The tail lights correspond in their form with the headlights. When activated, the light is built up in three stages as three LED blocks light up in succession. The tail lights have a round, lens-like outer main element to mark the style. In addition, the second, trapeze shaped part of the tail lights is integrated in the rounded wing edges, reminiscent of the rear of a muscle-packed animal. Between the tail lights there is a very thin strip of diodes for the third brake light. The designers worked the VW logo into the space above this in the centre. Not until the roadster is seen up close is it possible to see the chrome concept-R lettering on the engine/soft top cover (mid-engine, fully retracting cover) as part of an outlet on the V6 engine. The chrome twin tail pipe of the exhaust system, finished again in the shape of a V, is a stylistic feature of the "exhaling" six cylinder. At each side of this there are two additional large air outlets that are designed like a diffuser. A completely new feature was introduced by the engineers in the way of ergonomics: The two bucket seats of the concept R are no longer adjustable. In fact, there is no way of adjusting them at all. Instead of the seat, the driver moves the polished aluminium operating and information block of the instrument panel, including steering wheel and pedal cluster, back or forth. The adjusting mechanism is activated electrically. |
|
|||||||||||||
Moved PermanentlyThe document has moved here. Apache/2.2.15 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.15 OpenSSL/0.9.7a mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 Server at www.conceptcar.co.uk Port 80 |
