In a previous post, I previewed the original Venturi Eclectic. The design was unique in a toaster meets golf cart meets cute toy robot sort of way. Billed as an “Energy Autonomous Vehicle”, the design is now referred to as the Eclectic Concept. The new and production Eclectic debuted at the Paris Motor Show recently and is shown here. The 3 seater vehicle is now smaller with a narrower track. The cabin now features a very prominent door oriented and molded design. 
(For a more extreme example of door oriented design – see the new Nasa Lunar Rover). The front end graphics and details are less cartoonish. the side view graphics, dominated by the door and side glass, are very dramatic and really show how form can follow function and create a pleasing aesthetic. At the rear, a detachable storage pod or module acts like a backpack, defining itself as an accessory that is separate but fits the overall shape of the vehicle. The look is that of a space age micro cargo van. Overall, the design is much more mature but retains a futuristic, hygienic, pod-like, and modular Space 1999 feel. Best of all, it’s a far more interesting design than just about every other hybrid or battery electric vehicle. To learn more about this interesting vehicle, click here.
Monthly Archives: October 2008
Tommy Hilfiger’s Bonneville Belly Tank Lakester Top Speed Racers
I saw a magazine ad a few months where the cars used as background props really caught my attention. But the moment passed and soon I forgot about the ad and the cars — but not for long. The sleek vintage look of the racing cars in the ad just kept coming back to me so I started googling. The photography looked like it was shot at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The cars were low and aerodynamic but also looked quite aged and raw. The cars were Bonneville Belly Tank Lakesters. A curious genre of top speed record runners, these cars are fashioned out of surplus aircraft fuel tanks. The salt flat racers are built bare bones for pure speed. The look is minimalist, authentic and the patina is practically peeling off their hulls. To see more about these cars - check out Bobby Green’s Blog, he built cars in the above video. You can also read about the Hilfiger connection at this New York Times story. To see the more about the ad campaign and more Bonneville/Belly Tank racing history, visit the Tommy Hilfiger site which has a great collection of still images and information from the shoot.
Daimler’s New car2go Car Sharing Business
Yesterday, Daimler’s internal innovation group launched a new car-sharing service called car2go. It’s very similar to Zipcar but with some added flexibility in drop off location. It will first be tested in Ulm, Germany by Daimler employees. Once this trial phase is complete, car2go is expected to expand across major European cities.
It’s one thing for a start up company like Zipcar to offer this service but what would cause a traditional car company to invest in such a revolutionary business model? There are 2 converging trends driving Daimler to sell transportation vs. cars: (1) global urbanization and (2) urban car restrictions due to parking, emissions, and usage regulations. So if you’ve made your money manufacturing and selling cars to individual drivers, the above 2 trends foretell a future where private car ownership for city dwellers not only becomes impractical – but also undesirable. Combine that with emerging bike-share programs in Europe and car-share businesses operating in America (such as Zipcar), and you’ve got some pretty strong indicators that the growing urban market is changing. The car2go service allows you to reserve your Smart car (owned by Daimler) using a mobile phone or through a website. You can pick up and drop off the car anywhere within the city limits and the service takes care of cleaning, insurance, fueling, and maintenance. You just pay by the minute for the use of the car – all inclusive. The Smart cars will come with a variety of diesel, hybrid and electric power-trains. It will be interesting if Daimler can really establish themselves as a transportation service provider vs. a vehicle manufacturer. For more about car2go, click here for a video demo. So what do you think? Is this something a car company can do? Have you tried such a service or would you in the future? And what if Daimler’s car2go service offered a selection of AMG Mercedes or even an SLR..
My Favorite Cars – Porsche Cayman
Porsche has always been a top tier product when it comes to sports cars. The legendary 911, the racing heritage, the singular focus on sports cars (until they started producing SUVs and now sedans) has established Porsche as a thoroughbred sporting marque.
The designs have evolved with many superb cars such as the front engine 944 and 928 – not to mention the most evolved sports car of all – the 911. But when the Boxster arrived on the scene, something about it just wasn’t right. The mid-engine proportion seemed positively dull and uninspired. Yes, it looked like a Porsche but when you saw one on the street, did you feel that this was a truly legendary model that would last through for generations? The reviews were glowing and the sales were spectacular but gradually the new model shine wore off and the Boxster line looks a little tired despite several updates. Enter the Cayman.
By adding a roof, the presence of the car has been completely transformed. From a good roadster sprang a great coupe. The porportion of the car causes you consider each view of the design as you walk around it. From the front, the hood and headlamps and fenders look lean, purposeful and totally Porsche. From the side, the car looks light, athletic, and agile. From the rear, the bulging fenders telegraph power, purity, and potential. The body has exquisite curves, surfaces, and lines. And I haven’t even tried to describe the chassis dynamics which many reviewers rate as better than the 911.
So whereas the 911 is the defining sports car Porsche (and the baby boom generation), the Cayman is a more modern and contemporary interpretation of the same spirit.
If It Isn’t Broken, FIX It!
After more than 20 years working and studying in environments from traditional to radical, I’ve seen how ‘tried and true’ methods can succeed and then fail. The problem with regular, consistent, and routine processes is that they typically can’t handle a major external shock. These shocks can include game-changing global competition, revolutionary technology, economic disaster, etc. So how can you build an organization that’s robust and resilient to change? The answer lies in forcing change within an organization once the culture begins to ‘harden’. The degree of change should be sufficient – enough to allow personnel to learn about the whole business, grow a wider skill base, and improve teamwork across functions – but not enough to weaken skill, leadership, and technological development and stability. This balance is critical as movement of employees should prevent the onset of organizational lock and the enable better co-operation and decision making.
Organizations that never change – can become stale, dull, boring, and mechanical. This might be good for some businesses for some of the time. For example, if you are running a manufacturing organization, variation reduction and repeatable processes are critical. But if you want creativity and innovation in product development or manufacturing too, if you want robustness and resiliency, then forcing internal organizational changes, is a good idea. Often times, change for the sake of change is seen as wasteful and worthless. Employees may dismiss the idea as the ‘flavor of the month’ or the latest management initiative. But sometimes, a manager needs to recognize when organizational thinking has become too constrained, and procedures too rigid. When decision making has grown too bureaucratic and organizations too political, think about a disruptive change to shake up the status quo and set a new course. The change, if done correctly, will expand the creative thinking and co-operation of your top managers and leaders.
Organizations are like trees. They grow deep roots and long branches. They keep on growing blocking out the light that new, young trees need to grow. So think about a good pruning to remove the ‘dead wood’.
For more posts on Creativity and Innovation processes – click here.
