DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME 50!!! Pages of sketches by tomorrow…that is!  That’s what it’s like when going to a special transportation design school!  It’s hard vigorous training! Thank goodness they don’t force you to sketch with BOTH hands…..and feet….though I have heard some strange cases here and there…but it’s just rumors.

We continue with getting feedback from designers who attended some of the best colleges in the world for transportation design.  Arne Dassen, a principle designer at Johnson Controls, shares his experiences on what it was like to attend Pforzheim College of Design in Germany.  Arne is a talented designer with a huge range in talent and experience in designing  automotive interiors and is a whiz at drawing cars!  How cool is that?  Pretty damn cool…maybe even dry ice cool…but not quite!  Check out what Arne had to say.

“Just like my fellow peers here, I too can attest to that hard road of becoming an Industrial/Transportation designer.  As a kid I loved to draw, especially all those things that I was excited about, boats, trains, planes, and cars-especially cars, as my dad worked for Mercedes in Germany, which lead to having a different Benz in the drive way every year.

In school orientation there was no awareness of such a thing as an Industrial Design Program.  The life changing moment that was key to my passion for cars happened when I was about 13 at the time and my family spent our summer vacation in Italy.

A kid of that age doesn’t pay a whole lot attention to anything but toys and ice cream in Italy, but on one of those hot afternoons I was walking the streets of “Lago di Lugano”, licking and balancing my ice cream to prevent it from melting off the waffle cone, when I noticed this unusual engine noise in the far distance!

I looked up the road, and within the distorted image in front of me (due to the hot pavement) I could see something very low, very wide and very red looking, virtually hovering toward me. Needless to say, I was fascinated, got distracted, lost control of my balancing act (ice cream), it was my first sight of a Ferrari 288GTO!

From here on I started to collect 1:18 scale model cars, at first only Ferraris, later on with more exposure to other supercar brands, Lamborghinis, Porsches and other Exotics, raising my passion for cars.

Needless to say, it was this experience that made me decide early on what I would love to do for a living. Being born and raised in Germany I wanted to study near by rather than going to Coventry(UK) or elsewhere in the world to study transportation design.

The most renown school for automotive design within the German speaking world is the University of Pforzheim ( Fachhochschule fuer Gestaltung), lead to world class status by Prof. James Kelly. The school system in Germany works a little different though compared to the U.S.. To be allowed to study in Germany you didn’t need to have a lot of wealth or scholarships, as education is basically government founded (besides some low expenses, such as a monthly student union fee) but you need to qualify and compete to get a spot! Pforzheim requires their candidates to not only apply with an outstanding portfolio of artwork, but also proof of a 6 month pre-internship within the field you are applying for, which needs to include certain exposures to wood and metal crafting (I did mine at Mercedes Benz Design Studio for “Praktikanten & Diplomanden”, lead at the time by Klaus Kallenbach, in Regime of Bruno Sacco. Klaus Busse ( Chrysler Interiors) also interned here a few years before me!) But this attest of your creativity and potential talent, if accepted, will only qualify you for a competitive test. Over a 2 day period you need to fulfill certain tasks such as sketching a still live placed in front of you from 3 different view angles without changing your position within an hour. Another task was to create an abstract (artful) color painting of an object within 30 minutes, and more tasks I cannot recall right now that where all to be handled under time pressure.

After this 2 day period of proving your talent and art skills, the combined results of your portfolio rating and your tests, will determine whether you get a spot to study in Pforzheim or not. This application process can only be attempted for 3 times. If you fail the 3^rd time, you won’t get another chance.

Once you are in, the first 3 Semesters will be focusing on a general Industrial Design education, regardless whether you applied for Trans, Industrial, Fashion, Jewelry or Graphic Design. After that the Transportation guys will separate from the Industrial Design guys to get a vehicle specific education, that will include automotive engineering basics and design techniques, etc.. The sixth term is dedicated to another internship of your choice (or where you qualify to get a spot). The 8^th term is supposed to be the final graduation as a Diplom Designer ( Bachelor Degree). If you want to get a masters degree after that you need to do an additional 2 terms.

The great thing about the Pforzheim Transportation Design Program is the exposure & relationship the school has with its surrounding automotive brands. Porsche, Smart and Mercedes are situated less than an hour away, allowing automotive designers to drop in and teach, mostly in evening sessions.

But even the designers from BMW and VW show up to teach and mentor, as many of them are Pforzheim alumni, including guys with recognition in the design world, like Michael Mauer (Porsche), Marc Lichte (VW) and latest Daniel Simon (Tron Legacy, Cosmic Motors). None of this comes easy, and requires a lot of intense studying, working hard with an eagerness to learn, improve and compete, with long hours spent and a whole bunch of sleepless nights to get the quarter scale model built done. I have very fond memories of my time in Pforzheim and am proud to be a Pforzheim Alumnus.”

Arne Dassen

“And…Arvind’s blog, Driven Mavens is the BEST blog to help influence aspiring artists…around the world!  YEAH!”  Ok….he didn’t say that…but I know he was thinking it.  So what do you take from all this?  Simply this….move to Germany, become a resident, enroll at Pforzheim and attend for free! Everyone’s happy. (just kidding )

Great summary and if this teaches you anything, it’s that you MUST have the four D’s to succeed.  Drive, Determination, Discipline, and Draw.  Repeat it…..own it!

Below is Arne’s gallery.  Please take the time to browse his work and soak in some creativity and inspiration!  Thanks to Arne, for taking the time to contribute to our growing readership. I don’t know about you…but I’m drawing tonight!

Join DM for FREE for Video, Post and Podcast Updates!

Great blogs with great information are hard to find or at least the ones that deliver a message consistent with their passion.  We live in a saturated world of blogs and websites offering many things to many people.  It’s easy to find sites lacking in quality, content, and depth.

I wanted to do something a little different.  Instead of pointing you in the direction of a particular blog that has fabulous content and an experienced staff rich with a variety of experiences, I want to let you know why the content is good and HOW it can benefit you.

Enter AUTOBLOG.COM! The blog itself is well organized allowing you to view articles by brand, subject matter, and many other ways.   The site is clean, easy to navigate, and under its seemingly innocent exterior design, is packed full of impressive content ranging from movie, video game, and automotive design reviews.  This blog truly encompasses what its title tells you…an AUTOBLOG!  Interested in vintage race cars? Got it!  Want to know the latest on aftermarket products? It’s covered!  Automotive technology? Been there..got it!  The amount of content is truly dizzying and will keep you occupied for hours every day!

I often tell you the importance of paying attention to the world around you and being mindful of using photo references to familiarize yourself with the form language and dynamics of cars in motion.  Well…these pros have been generous enough to not only post their pictures up but allow you to download them for free.  Huge value add for you!

Regarding the writers; these are hardcore motor enthusiasts that are well connected and passionate about cars.    Most have a solid reputation in the automotive industry as journalists, writers, engineers, and even race car drivers.  So you get a wide range of different experiences all wrapped up into a pretty blog  with a lot of horsepower.

I had the privileged opportunity to ask Autoblog creator and editor in chief, John Neff, about Autoblog and how they got started.

DM: When was Autoblog first realized and at what point did you get involved with the blog?

JN: Autoblog launched in early July of 2004 as one of the flagship brands of the Weblogs, Inc. network of blogs, which was sold to AOL in late 2005. I became involved with Autoblog as a writer in early 2005. Soon after I was asked to co-edit the site with another guy, and he eventually left to go back to school, which meant I was the guy in charge. It’s been that way ever since.

DM: The content is amazing. Enthusiasts can learn a tremendous amount of information on Autoblog. It’s no surprise that you have such a loyal following and fan base. How do you keep them engaged?

JN: It’s amazing, but the subject of automobiles somehow generates enough content on a daily basis for us to keep writing every single day, every day of the week and every month of the year. We slow down on the weekends and holidays, but there hasn’t been a day since I’ve worked on the site that we haven’t published something on the site. So sheer volume is one way we keep people engaged; readers want to come back often to see what’s new. Other ways we keep readers engaged is with writing that’s easy to read, informative and witty, as well as photography that’s eye candy. Lastly, we try to be inclusive and publish content that all types of auto enthusiasts might find interesting, rather than focusing on just the hardcore enthusiasts or the casual ones.

DM: I was really surprised to find the contributors of AB with such a wide range of experiences. How important is it to get the perspectives of people with different backgrounds? Was this a major contributor to Autoblogs successful readership?

JN: Absolutely. While we specifically look for writers who have a good foundation in the basics and share a general experience, it helps tremendously that each has their own specialty. We have a racer, a pro photographer, a wrencher, an industry veteran, a tree hugger and the list goes on. They’re all auto enthusiasts, but their unique talents add so much to the site.

DM: Your fan base seems to be very connected with the blog. You can see the level of activity in the comments section. What are the pro’s and con’s of having engaged fans when dealing with comments and having to respond to them?

JN: The pros of having an active community of commenters is when they add value to the content about which they’re commenting. You learn quickly that there are people out there who know a lot more than you do, and it’s always a pleasant surprise when a commenter leaves a nugget of wisdom and increases the value of your article. The cons, of course, are the bad apples out there who troll the comments, attack others and take the conversation off-topic. All you can do is be clear that basic civility is the rule and be willing to delete comments and ban offenders who are damaging the experience of others.

DM: Autoblog outputs several posts a day…at least around 20 of them if not more! How do you keep up at such a fast pace?

JN: It’s about 25-30 posts per day. Producing that much content requires a large team of people doing many different jobs. We have editors scouring the Internet for news, other editors working on original features and coordinating event coverage, and of course a large team of writers working on everything from daily news posts to new vehicle reviews to original features. It’s certainly grown into a big machine with many moving parts, and my job is to make sure they all keep moving.

DM: You mentioned earlier that you originally wanted to become a car designer. What lead you to take the path of auto journalism?

JN: The simple story is that my high school art teacher happened to favor another kid in my art class, so I didn’t get much attention from him. I didn’t know I was supposed to be developing a portfolio of work until I had already begun visiting design schools, so I just gave it up and went to a liberal arts school instead. I had been reading car magazines for years by that time, and had saved every one (still have them all, too). I really appreciated automotive journalism as a type of literature, specifically how, when done well, it makes the transmission of facts entertaining. For instance, there’s nothing engaging about saying a car has 500 horsepower, but describing how it feels to accelerate away in a 500-hp car transforms that simple fact into an interesting story.

DM:  Right on…I couldn’t agree with you more.  Writing with descriptive emotion is a definite must to connect with your fanbase and it’s worked out for you in the end.  Finally…what’s one of your all-time favorite rides?

JN: Such a tough question. It’s like asking the Octomom which child is her favorite. One of my favorite cars growing up was the 1991 Ford Taurus SHO. Don’t ask me why, it just stuck and I was lucky to find a mint one a couple years that’s sitting in my garage right now. I just love cars from the ‘80s and ‘90s that are unique, usually because they’ve been asked to do something for which they weren’t necessarily designed. The GMC Syclone and Typhoon, Dodge Omni GLH, and even oddballs like the Subary Legacy Outback Sedan. The best ride I’ve experienced lately is the Audi A7. In terms of beauty, luxury and refinement, I’d choose the A7 over cars costing three times as much.

DM:  The Audi A7? Anytime you need a break from driving one of those A7′s, give me a shout!  I would gladly take it for another test drive!

John…it’s been an honor and pleasure interviewing you.  I really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions.  Wishing you and Autoblog continued success!

Let’s not forget why Autoblog has value for our DM fans.  In summary:

• Excellent source of entertainment and up to the minute exposure to the automotive world
• Top notch reference photographs to download – BIG BONUS HERE!
• Talented writing staff with varied backgrounds having a passion for automobiles
• It’s just a pretty damn cool blog!

If you are tired of sketching and need a break? Check out Autoblog! There is plenty to keep you interested and inspired.

Join DM for FREE for Video, Post and Podcast Updates!

As a special bonus, we will be running some special  interviews with design professionals and alumni’s from some of the top schools in the U.S. and EU.   First up is College for Creative Studies alumni, Ken Clark.  A talented individual who currently works in the automotive industry as a principal designer.  Ken’s experience spans from product design, to boating interiors, and now automotive interiors and seating.  Below is a paragraph of Ken’s experiences at CCS.  A BIG welcome to Ken and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with future designers!

KEN CLARK

The road to becoming an industrial designer was not easy. There was not much exposure to industrial design as a kid growing up. I never even heard of Industrial Design until college. I started out in the ID program at Kent State University lead by Mike Maczuzac who now is president of Smart Shape Design in Cleveland. After a couple years I realized that to be the best, I needed to look at one of the ‘Big Three’ schools (CCS, Art Center, or CIA). Having a passion for exotic sports cars and motorsports, I thought that the ‘Motor City’ was the place for me. I underestimated the amount of work and competitive nature of a top notch design school. At the public college students ideated together, helped each other out with models, supplies etc. Not so at the private schools. It was cut-throat, everyman for himself. There were even instances of students sabotaging other classmates work. The competitiveness was more apparent in transportation design program than the product design program. Regardless, the work was intense. As a design professional I have to say it was definitely worth the hard work.

The main difference between my days at school at what students are doing today is the medium they use. When I was in school everything was done manually. Pen and paper, canson paper and chalk, markers and vellum used separately or in any combination. Today, other than thumbnails, most work is done digitally. Kids have extensive graphic  posters printed out in full color. No cutting, masking, and spray gluing images. A mistake in my day meant starting over in the middle of the night. No ‘undo’ button was available back then. The other amazing thing with todays students is the ability to get into 3D without touching a clay tool or carving blue foam. CAD development has become the norm. It’s a great way to quickly bring the sketch to reality and critique the proportions and form. The tools students have at their disposal today will prepare them for the workforce at much higher level. I think the exposure to design from internet and social media outlets is also helping raise the level of design and overall influence of design for students. Getting more aware of global design trends and ideas helps student expand the creativity through different global influences.  Hopefully through digital media and industry professionals working through elementary school programs young kids will have more exposure to Industrial Design and help fuel their passion to be the next great Industrial Designer.

Take the time to check out Ken’s gallery below.  Be sure to also click the FS Button on in the lower right hand side of the gallery to enable a full screen mode experience. His gallery is also accessible in the gallery section.

Join DM for FREE for Video, Post and Podcast Updates!

NOTE: All images are owned by Christian Palladino and under copyright

Though many of you have enjoyed a lot of the digital techniques that are shared on this site, it is important to remember that proper application of digital techniques do not have the depth and substance without mastering the art of analog mediums.  In todays world, it seems that digital is the mainstream.  It is the quickest way to deliver concepts to clients via email without having to go through the process of spray fixing your work, taking pictures, and mounting them. Everything is now done with a click of a mouse button, swipe of a digital pen, and off it goes!

However, not all analog techniques are lost and gone.  I had the privileged opportunity to speak with designer Christian Palladino, from Argentina to discuss with him his style and approach to transportation design.  What I really appreciate about Christian is his love for the craft.  Christian has been passionate about automotive design at a young age and has had that drive and ambition to pursue his goals and dreams despite obstacles that he faced in life.

DM: Analog design is a bit of a rarity in today’s design world due to the proliferation of digital media tools. Often times I like to tell students that learning to draw by hand is key to making a successful digital switch. It’s great to see designers such as yourself maintain the analog edge. Is analog your preference now or do you occasionally render using digital tools?

CP: I prefer analog tools because it´s the way I learn! The best digital programs are those that closely resembles the way the human hand work. Keep in mind that designers “thinks” with hand strokes, so the basic ability for free-hand drawing is the same with some digital tools.
But there are some effects that you can´t do in digital, like spraying marker inks or a wash of watercolors. This techniques has random results impossible to achieve with the computer (by now, at least). In this days any illustration made in in digital way still has a hard and “plastic” feel.
I did n´t do full renders with digital tools, only little retouches (computer is waaaay more practical to do this!), adjustment of brightness, contrast and things like that. But in the short or long term, I think we’re all going to end up using digital tools, at least for design work, and the analog render maybe will have a place where more artistic values are demanded.

DM: Having passion for your craft is crucial for one to excel and succeed in their discipline. Tell me about your background and how did you get started in the field of design? At what age did you realize that trans design was the right path for you?

CP: My father is an ad illustrator and graphic designer (one of the first in Argentina to use airbrush in the ´70s). I never had the ability or patience to airbrushing, but I learned  line drawing and the design side of the business from him.
Here in Argentina there wasn’t a Car Design career as such at the end of the ’80s,  so when I finish school the only career similar was Industrial Design, so I attended this course. I was more passionate toward cars than products, but at least I was doing something similar regarding techniques and development process!

DM: Everyone seems to have some key event or individual that served as a catalyst to excite and energize a young mind to pursue their dream. Your sketches and hand rendering show so much love for the craft. What was your catalyst to get you started on drawing? Who were some of your key influences growing up that led to your decision?

CP: There were various factors, mimicking my fathers work since childhood was key to learn free-hand drawing, but the virus for cars were transmitted by an uncle of mine (a “car guy”) and by the fact that Carlos Reutemann was racing in F-1 in the ´70s.   He drove for various big teams (Brabham, Ferrari, Lotus, Williams) and fought several world titles.  Those were crazy times, everybody was aware of a lonely argentine racing in Europe, even housewives chatted about “ground effects” when doing the groceries! All very bizarre, here soccer is the most popular sport but F-1 fanaticism eclipsed all until 1982 when finally Reutemann retired .  So that was the “car germ”. Working alongside my father (since I was 12-13 years old) taught me the skills to illustrate and others like cutting masks, mounting in hardboard, technical drawing (analog, NOT Autocad), etc. and the way a designer thinks, albeit a graphic designer´s way! And then, in my free time and at school (…same thing?!) I always sketched cars.

DM: You have faced many challenges growing up. What were those challenges and how did you tackle them? Add to the fact that Argentina does not have the job opportunities that support a field in transportation design. How did you keep that drive and motivation up to pursue a career in trans design?

CP: Biggest challenge was the lack of a professional field here in Argentina. In the mid-60s Ford and GM established design divisions that adapted existing cars to local needs and tastes, but GM left this country in 1978 (to return in the mid-´90s, but did n´t re-open the design department) and Ford closed it´s own division in 1985.   There were a few things to design like buses or farm machinery but I simply didn’t have the connections to know when and where a project went under development.

In 1994 I was doing scoops of race cars for a local enthusiast mag, when one editor told me about an engineer friend of his who has running a project to build a micro car (backed with government money) to sell for u$ 5000 (a sort of Tata Nano, it has even a rear engine!) and was needing “a guy to do some presentation sketches…”   I got the job on a free-lance basis first, then full time from 1996 to 1999.   Although this project was never finalized for “political reasons,”  it gave me the chance to do a lot of sketches and explore styling trends.  From there I was able to make scale technical drawings for the 1:5 models and even work in the confection of the 1:1 mock-up.
When the project was stopped in 1999 the styling work was almost completely done, and to this day is the most important and complete project (a full car) that I took part.

DM: What led you to teach and how long have you been teaching?

CP: I quit Industrial Design college a little after I started working in the micro car project due to a lack of motivation to design “toasters, washing machines” and such. But when the car project was stopped I realized the huge mistake that I had made.
Then by 2000 a guy who has studied car design in Turin (in the Instituto Europeo di Design) returned to Argentina and opened an extracurricular course.   I attended this course because I want to re-enter the world of design under the guidance of someone with a more insightful experience.  Attending his classes I found a new motivation, I not only paid attention to what was taught, but also at HOW.
A couple of years later a friend of the chief-engineer of the microcar project opened a regular and complete curriculum on car design.   In one meeting they had in the office of my former boss, this guy, Andres Calviño.  He  saw the rendererings I made for the microcar and offered me a job to teach his course.   Although I had no previous experience, I accepted on the spot, somehow I wanted to put into practice what I learned in the car design courses I had attended. So since mid-2002 I became car design teacher and continue to this day!

DM: Which classes do you currently teach? What have been some of the challenges you faced when teaching a hungry crowd of students eager to learn from their master?

CP: Currently  I am a professor of Car Design Exteriors and Interiors and Rendering Techniques in the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN) and the Instituto Tecnológico de Motores (ITM) as part of grade careers, and also teach in a extracurricular course in my former Industrial Design college, the FADU (Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo de Buenos Aires). This is a short course more focused in developing free-hand drawing skills, and with that excuse I teach car drawing and rendering!
And the biggest challenge I face when teaching a hungry crowd is the lack of….. hunger! Maybe because I learned the process of design before entering college I expect  that every newbie to make full progress from the very beginning, but then I remember my classmates (most didn’t have a professional design background) from the ID college and they were people way more focused. Not sure, maybe I’m just getting old…!

DM: Hungry students eager to learn is also a problem in the States to some degree. What are some of the most common mistakes that students make?

CP: Ellipse orientation and aperture! ( sometimes I still miss an ellipse or two after all these years!). Other frequent mistake is the lack of symmetry. When drawing a car in perspective, is relatively easy to do correctly the facing corner, the hard part is to draw the opposite corner (eg: in a front right perspective the difficult part is to draw the left corner, and you can be sure that, following this mistake, the left pillar of windshield will be miss located too!).
But the most stupid mistake is when a student tries to convince me that he has the work accomplished with a couple of half-done sketches and a meaningless chatter… Fortunately some of them end up making me laugh! But in can be a little frustrating sometimes.

DM:  What are some of the different mediums you work with?

CP: For line work I use pen or color pencils (black, prussian blue or indian red). Frequently I mixed both (pen and pencils) in the same sketch. To illustrate, I use markers and powder chalk applied with cotton or a makeup remover disc (very, very traditional!). When I want more depth in the color I use the chalk bar directly on the paper and then rub it with my fingers. Sometimes I made the entire render with marker (a cleaner way of work, but you need a wider palette of marker colors). In both cases I finish the illustration by defining lines with pencils, pen and applying white gouache or correction pen for highlights (this depending on precision needed or deadlines).
One technique I particularly like is to make the background with ample strokes using a large piece of cotton embedded in benzine or ethyl alcohol and some drops or marker ink or with powder chalk (results are similar). It works like an oversized marker and gives a very dynamic and “loose” feel. Also I made some of the shadows and the floor this way and then define the body, wheels, etc. with markers and chalks (I use intensely the white chalk bar to illuminate facing up surfaces and to add some kinetic lines).
I always use photocopy paper because in Argentina nobody sells special marker paper (when exchange rates permitted in the 90s I bought three blocks of Letraset paper, but in 2001 the government devalued the national currency and suppliers simply stopped importing it because of the higher costs). You have to be more careful because the marker ink tends to wrinkle it a little and bleeds through, but mostly it’s OK.

DM: Wow…the results of using just photocopy paper are remarkable!  Lastly,  If you knew then, what you know now, what would be the one major thing you would change about your life or the decisions you made in the past?

CP: Not quitting college for sure! Finishing it would have widened my working options (and there is the legal matters too…). And maybe I should have tried harder to go and study or work in other countries at an earlier age. But fortunately I´m still on time to learn some digital rendering techniques!
I would like to thank Arvind Ramkrishna for this interview and for the time and effort he took to produce it!

DM:  Thanks for your time Christian…the pleasure was mine!

Join DM for FREE for Video, Post and Podcast Updates!

(image courtesy of CDF)

Driven Mavens and Cardesignfetish tag team it again with CDF’s latest Podcast interviewing entertainment design maven, Scott Robertson!  We asked Scott several questions ranging from his thoughts on the current styling trends in the auto industry to his experiences in the entertainment industry.  We found Scott to be a laid back, driven, and ambitious  individual with a wide range of top notch skills and experiences.  Scott discusses the importance of understanding the fundamental basics and the processes involved in mastering certain skill sets to compete in the entertainment industry.

Scott is the owner of the Design Studio Press, a publishing company that has over 25 books in print ranging from car, entertainment, and creature design.  A successful entrepreneur, Scott has over 20 years of experience having owned a design consultancy with fellow design maven and his close friend, Neville Page, another accomplished designer.

Robertson recently gave a lecture at CCS here in Detroit.  You can catch the video here! So sit back and enjoy the podcast  between Dali, Dustin, and myself. Podcast courtesy of my buds at www.cardesignfetish.com!

http://www.cardesignfetish.com/2010/05/15/the-cdf-podcast-episode-20-scott-robertson-interview

Join DM for FREE for Video, Post and Podcast Updates!

What a royal treat!! Tag teaming it with www.cardesignfetish.com’s, Dustin Shedlarski, DM had the pristine opportunity to interview Jag’s design director, Ian Callum, about the new Jaguar XJ!  We had an unprecedented amount of time to discuss the design in full detail for almost 40 mins!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ian was a complete  gentleman, answering numerous questions about the new XJ!  Frankly, I cannot remember any design director giving us that much time to discuss their new design.  A true night to remember.  Don’t miss watching this rare opportunity!

Some of the key points from the interview:

• Jaguar’s new design direction for the XJ – Yesshh….Shaken….not stirred!
• Lessons learned from previous model years
• Widening the demographic
• Compromising with engineers
• Staying true to the Jaguar brand

Here are a few pics from the Jaguar XJ interview.  I must admit that I wish I had better lighting to capture and read the shape of the vehicle.  Callum had mentioned the best color for this car was white.  Silver would have done it justice as well.  Check out the full cardesignfetish’s review of the XJ.  http://www.cardesignfetish.com/2009/11/10/cdf-podcast-17-ian-callum-and-the-xj.

Jaguar XJ Rear

Jaguar XJ Front

Jaguar XJ interior

A beautiful, rich interior, stacked to the max with high end technology and premium grade materials aimed to retain their customer base with deep pockets and high tastes.  The navigation screen at the center of the console is operated by textured chrome dial for optimal grip and feel.  Interestingly enough, Jaguar chose to go with “virtual” instrument cluster display which can be customized to the drivers personal needs depending on the information they deem a priority.  In addition to this, the display sports a reddish hue when enabling sport mode!  I was not sure what to think when I first saw the virtual display as I believe that classic automobiles of this character, should stick to a more tangible approach of real clusters outfitted with chrome accents.  However, it is all about building an overall “experience” and making the owner feel that they have something special and out of the ordinary.

Jaguar XJ Vents

The vents were large exuding a powerful character with a turbine look.  Size of the vents were mainly due to the required airflow for the larger interior volume of the vehicle.  An analog clock grounds the vehicle with a touch of nostalgia.  Soft upper padding beautifully crafted around the vents and clusters were well executed.

Jaguar XJ video headrest

Outfitted with monitors at the back of the head restraints, Jaguar chose to go with Bowers and Wilkins speakers to maximize anyone’s miniature home theater experience, classical concerts, and keeping those snobby brats in the back pre-occupied!  If anyone knows anything about B&W speakers, these are quite simply one of the baddest set of speakers to the durable ear!  Jaguar spared no expense to incorporate one of the best!

In conclusion, Jaguar brings elegance, power, drama, boldness, dynamics, and a sort of youthfulness back into the brand of Jaguar!  Guaranteed to impress and turn heads, Ian brings pride back into the somewhat forgotten brand we loved so much in the passed.  Well done!

Join DM for FREE for Video, Post and Podcast Updates!