Simulator Toyota Bantu FIA Tingkatkan Keselamatan Pembalap

Toyota Motor Corp. bersama FIA Institute menggabungkan teknologi dan keahlian yang dimiliki untuk memperbaiki tingkat keselamatan pembalap pada kecelakaan di kecepatan tinggi. Demikian rilis Toyota Motor Corp., Kamis (24/4).

Toyota mengembangkan simulasi komputer yang bisa ‘menciptakan’ kembali kecelakaan di kecepatan tinggi dan akibatnya pada fisiologi manusia. Dengan menggunakan sistem yang disebut Total Human Model Safety (THUMS), FIA Institute dan Toyota bisa mempelajari jenis cidera serius yang sulit diselidiki dengan boneka tes tabrak konvensional.

FIA Institute akan menggunakan teknologi itu untuk mempelajari dampak benturan dari belakang pada kecepatan tinggi di arena FIA Formula One World Championship atau Indy Racing League (IRL). Teknologi THUMS terbuksi sangat efektif untuk menganalisa interaksi yang rumit antara tubuh pengemud dan mobil pada benturan di kecepatan tinggi.

FIA Institute dan Dr Terry Trammell menyediakan data-data mengenai jenis kecelakaan dan informasi tentang struktur kursi pembalap. Data dan informasi itu dipakai Toyota untuk mensimulasi tabrakan dengan menggunakan THUMS.

Kerjasama itu berhasil menjelaskan mekanisme terbentuknya spinal-stress, hasil dari kombinasi gaya gravitasi dan posisi duduk yang unik di mobil balap F1 dan IRL. Riset ini juga memunculkan upaya untuk menyelediki bagaimana mengurangi stress pada tulang belakang saat tabrakan dari belakang.

FIA Institute berharap upaya itu bisa memperbaiki safety di kejuaran balap mobil kursi tunggal seperti F1 dan IRL.

"Keterangan foto: THUMS adalah model computer yang dikembangkan bersama-sama oleh Toyota Motor Corp. dan Toyota Central R&D Labs, yang dibuat sangat mirip dengan tubuh manusia sesunggunya dan digunakan untuk simulasi cidera-cidera yang sulit dilakukan dengan boneka tes tabrak.

Foto diambil dari Toyota.co.jp

from : http://www.toyotaf1indonesia.com/

Indonesian Touring Car Championship Seri III

“Toyota Tercepat”

Jakarta – Toyota Vios berhasil membuktikan kehandalannya dengan menjadi yang tercepat dalam Kejuaraan Nasional “Indonesian Touring Car Championship 2006” (ITCC 2006) di Sirkuit Sentul, Minggu 13 Agustus 2006. Toyota Vios yang dikemudikan oleh pembalap Renaldo P. Koesoemo dan tergabung dalam Mezzo Toyota Team Indonesia berhasil menjuarai kelas Grand Touring (GT) Car Championship yang diikuti oleh 25 pembalap pada posisi kedua. GT Car Championship merupakan kelas baru pada ajang ITCC 2006, yang memperlombakan mobil-mobil yang masih dipasarkan oleh Agen Tunggal Pemegang Merek (ATPM), dengan modifikasi terbatas.

Selain Renaldo P. Koesoemo, Mezzo Toyota Team Indonesia juga menempatkan Haridharma Mannopo pada kelas yang sama, juga dengan Toyota Vios, dan berhasil menempati urutan ketiga. Keberhasilan mobil-mobil keluaran Toyota dalam ajang balap kali ini merupakan peningkatan prestasi dari seri sebelumnya di Sentul International Circuit, 18 Juni 2006.

“Kami telah membuktikan ketangguhan mesin dan performa produk kami sehingga mampu mengatasi persaingan yang sangat kompetitif di dunia otomotif,” ujar Johny Darmawan, Presiden Direktur, PT Toyota Astra Motor. Didukung oleh mesin 1NZ-FE dan teknologi VVT-i, performa dari Toyota Vios mampu menunjukkan keunggulan dan ketangguhannya.

Toyota Yaris yang dikemudikan oleh Renaldo P. Koesoemo juga sukses menaiki podium pertama untuk kelas Indonesian Super Production, dan Toyota Yaris yang dikemudikan Haridharma Mannopo berhasil menjuarai kelas ITCC Super 1.500 cc. “Setelah mengevaluasi seri-seri sebelumnya Kami mencoba memakai strategi baru pada seri kali ini. Kami bersyukur karena strategi baru yang kami gunakan sesuai dengan harapan, yaitu membawa kami pada kemenangan,” Ujar Memet Djumhana, Manajer Mezzo Toyota Team Indonesia dengan bangga.

Sementara itu, Direktur Team Mezzo Toyota Team Indonesia, Achmad Rizal mengungkapkan bahwa keberhasilan tim yang dipimpinnya merupakan hasil kerja keras dan kerja sama seluruh anggota tim. “Keberhasilan ini akan menjadi kebanggaan semua pihak, tidak hanya Toyota Astra Motor dan Mezzo Toyota Team Indonesia, tapi juga seluruh publik yang selama ini mendukung dunia otomotif Toyota,” ungkap Rizal.

Toyota Vios yang juga dikemudikan oleh beberapa tim lain pada seri ini berhasil mendominasi podium pertama hingga keenam. Keenam Toyota Vios yang sukses berkompetisi pada GT Car Championship kali ini dikemudikan oleh: Indra Saksono (DEA Racing Team) pada urutan pertama, (MTTI) Renaldo P. Koesoemo pada urutan kedua, Haridharma Manoppo (MTTI) pada urutan ketiga, Eko Lurianto (DEA Racing Team) pada urutan keempat, Imin Brata (Sigma Speed) pada urutan kelima dan Fitra Eri (Garda Oto) pada urutan keenam.

Hasil seri III dari rencana enam seri yang akan digelar dalam Indonesian Touring Car Championship 2006 ini diharapkan dapat mengukuhkan posisi Toyota dalam urutan klasemen. Dengan mengandalkan Toyota Vios dan Toyota Yaris, Mezzo Toyota Team Indonesia kali ini terjun di tiga nomor, yaitu Indonesian Super Production Championship, Indonesian Touring Car Championship dan Grand Touring Car Championship.

Mezzo Toyota Team Indonesia dengan Toyota Yaris dan Toyota Vios akan kembali menunjukkan ketangguhannya pada seri IV Indonesian Touring Car Campionship yang akan digelar pada tanggal 10 September 2006 mendatang di Sirkuit Sentul. (***).

Mercedes-Benz CLC

by Eric Gallina 01 Feb 2008

Click for larger images

Photos: Eric Gallina

The Mercedes brand tends to evoke images of wealth and prestige. It is also a company with quite a bit of heritage under its belt, with founder Karl Benz having built the first motorized vehicle back in 1886. So the image of prestige is well deserved, especially when you consider the illustrious designs the car maker put on the road in the last half century: the 1952 300Sc, the iconic 300SL 'Gullwing' from the 1950s and the 230SL 'Pagode' from 1964. All of these Mercedes-Benz cars have one thing in common: they were coupés; highly emotional and expressive designs which drew attention to the driver sitting in the well-appointed and luxurious cockpit.

1952 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc

Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Mercedes 230SL 'Pagode' from 1964

Mercedes-Benz 108/109 series coupé, drafted by Friedrich Geiger

CLS, CL-Class and new CLC (left to right)

CLC predecessor: C-Class Sport Coupé

As the new entry-level coupé in the range, the new CLC sheds its C-Class nomenclature and becomes a new stand-alone model series; one that Mercedes hopes will attract a younger generation of buyers who value individualism, elegance and dynamism. But while the Stuttgart-based firm has sought to reinvigorate a model that sold 320,000 cars worldwide since its introduction in 2001, taking styling cues from the CL-Class, CLS and C-Class sedan in the process, the new CLC is not a significant departure from its predecessor.

Based on the same architecture as the C-Class Sport Coupé, the new car has nearly the same exterior dimensions, having grown 65mm longer in front and 44mm longer at the rear. Its wheelbase remains identical, at 2715mm, while the hood has been raised 20mm to accommodate new engines and to meet crash safety regulations. Other than the more prominent C-Class derived face - with darkened headlamps on Sport models - and a sharper beltline rising gradually toward the rear, we were hard pressed to see the differences. CDN spoke to Juergen Bollmann, Senior Manager and Program Manager for the new CLC (he was also responsible for the design of the A-Class, B-Class and C-Class sedan) who walked us around the car and pointed out the various design changes.

As the lines and surfaces are the two elements that determine contemporary Mercedes design, taut distinctive lines and edges combine with large smooth surfaces along the flanks to provide the structure. In the front section, wide louvers of the radiator grille join headlamps that extend the width of the car. The outside edges of radiator grille and bumpers are curved slightly rearwards to create a distinctive peak called the 'V-shape'. This is meant to emphasize the vehicle's agility and dynamism. At the outer edge of the front bumper are two non-functional brake cooling scoops, which further accentuate the coupé's width.

Bollmann explained how the lines in the lower section of the radiator rise upwards and over the hood to enhance the forward facing prominence. The line continues through a carved section around the side mirrors to improve aerodynamic efficiency and reduce wind noise. It then emerges again at the rear, where the width of the body is emphasized through the long narrow LED third brake light. A chrome strip below breaks up the height, now more obvious as there is no short window opening beneath the rear decklid. A diffuser nestled beneath the rear bumper, which was inspired by Formula 1, also shortens the height.

Click for larger images

Photos: Eric Gallina

From the interior, the changes are even less apparent. The IP, center stack and every core A-surface remain identical to its forebear. Only the steering wheel, gearknob and gauge cluster (with needles that sweep over the speedometer and tachometer when they're first turned on) are new.

But with interior design and appointments increasingly important to buyers, particular attention was paid to color and trim in the new car. In speaking with Martin Bremer, Senior Manager for Color & Trim, CDN learned that the new 'cognac brown' leather interior (available exclusively in the Sport model) - adorned with black trim to add to the stylish ambience - was a hard sell at first. The color is meant to evoke the elegance of Italian design, but executives were less receptive and needed convincing.

Fabric seat covers are also available in black, grey and black with interwoven red yarn, alluding to the sporty nature of the car. Leather interior colors include black and alpaca grey. A chrome finish IP appliqué and bird's eye maple wood, newly available in the Sport Coupe, contributes to the elegance factor, while details such as the chrome strip around the hazard light switch, neatly separating it from the aluminum trim, are also a nice touch.

So the CLC does its best to diversify the coupé range and attract new customers to the brand. It remains a car with ‘high conquest potential', as younger buyers - 70 percent according to company figures - had never owned a Mercedes before purchasing the CLC's predecessor. And it is an important car for the firm as the loyalty index for the old car was quite high, with 65 percent of buyers opting for another Mercedes model when it came time to buy a new car.

But while the CLC is based on 'tried and trusted technology for comfort, safety and reliability', the first generation C-Class Sports Coupé was a direct response to BMW's 3 Series Compact, itself spurred by Audi's A3; a truncated model which was replaced by the new 1 Series. Now that the 1 has an all-new coupé version of its own, it seems to tick all the right boxes for the image-conscious affluent buyer.

Given the current contenders in the entry-level premium coupé segment, the competition vying for young style-conscious buyers is strong and the CLC doesn't move the game on enough. All the imagery of wealth and prestige may not reflect in the younger generation's eyes, and the heritage of the brand, no matter how great, will not be imparted through this model.

BMW X6

by Sam Livingstone
07 Jul 2008

Photos: Eric Gallina

Why do people like some cars and dislike others? There are all sorts of reasons for sure, but there aren't so many cars that one both likes and also dislikes. The BMW X6 takes this a stage further in being a design that is likable and unlikable for the same reason.

Ssangyong Actyon

Discounting the Ssangyong Actyon, the X6 is the world's first SUV-coupe crossover (the Munich-based manufacturer calls it a Sports Activity Coupe). And in marrying of these two leisure lifestyle-signifying car types we have the crux of the X6 identity, and the reason we both loved and hated it.

Jump in, just like an X5 - the broad and chunky yet svelte driving environment is a familiar sight - albeit with your head slightly closer to the header and the roof lining. Clock the head up display and the elephantine door mirrors, engage the digital gear selector that doesn't move into different positions for different gear selections - it works more like a joystick, with an illuminated display on the handle - and power off with surprising élan. The model we tested was the European market only X6 xDrive35d diesel with 286bhp and a prodigious 580Nm of torque. Dynamically it impresses, and with its sharper than SUV responses yet SUV stature, the X6 makes for an even more confidence inspiring on-board feel than any SUV.

In the back, the two rear seats are set slightly inboard of the front ones as the body tapers rearwards, providing nearly as much space as in a 3 series; very comfortable for a six-footer - just. Being a strict four-seater means the rear seats are separated by a cheap looking and hard feeling plastic tray, and they sit facing cheap looking pockets on the back of the front seats.

Strutting around in an X6 is to make clear that you value highly the spacious front seat accommodation and commanding driving position of an SUV over, say, the 6 Series coupe. It says that you enjoy SUV qualities but don't need the space or want the practical image - that you don't want the ‘utility' in ‘sports utility'. It also says that you have the money to exercise these subtle preferences of yours and spend roughly $20k more than a 3 Series that does the same job (presuming you drive on the road, not off it). But we loved the X6's subtle combination of SUV and coupe genes, it gelled somehow, and clearly it will appeal to the well heeled empty nesters out there. Yet we also hated it, just as we imagine a growing majority of people will. BMW makes much of their environmental credentials with their efficient smaller engine cars, their development of hydrogen powered cars for the future and of their high level of recyclability. But with the X6 they are combining the profligate qualities of a fast coupe - powerful engine and reduced scope to carry stuff - with the profligate qualities of an SUV - high drag body and heavy mechanicals. And the result is a car that shouts very loudly about how profligate it is, about just how un-Prius it is.For sure the X6 will be a success, at least short term, and particularly in the US. It has a strong and unique conceptual appeal, it's a svelte and attractive design, and it sits in the heart of the BMW brand. But there is also something ugly about what this handsome new design says.Dimensions: height 4877mm; width 2195mm (including door mirrors); height 1690mm; wheelbase 2933mmRelated Articles:

Car Design of the Year Awards
Designer Interview: Chris Bangle, BMW Group Design Director
Designer Interview: Adrian van Hooydonk, Director Design, BMW Cars
Review: BMW M1 Homage
Design Development: BMW 3 Series

British Motor Show 2008 - Highlights

by CDN Team 23 Jul 2008

Vauxhall Insignia

The Insignia was the most significant launch at the London Motor Show, showcasing the first production application of the Opel (Vauxhall in the UK) new design philosophy.

The Insignia is the first car designed under the direction of GM Europe Vice President of Design Mark Adams, and has the form language and 'blade' feature line first seen on the GTC concept at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. This works with strong shoulder line, steeply raked roofline and great wheel to body proportions to give a premium sedan quality to the exterior. Shallow profile tires on up to 20-inch wheels further enhance the dynamic stance of the car. "I kept telling the guys to design around 17-inch wheel and make the design work around that," Chief Exterior Designer Malcolm Ward told CDN.

Though we had already seen the Insignia sedan at GM's European Design Center in Russelsheim, this was our first look at the hatchback version of the new car which has an extra 20mm at the rear of the roof and a rear spoiler tacked on to achieve the same slippery .26Cd as the sedan. The higher roofline of the hatch also seems to accentuate the design's forward motion.

Designers we spoke to at the show, and the designer's night afterwards, were mostly impressed with what GM Europe have achieved in the execution of the Insignia design and thus its general quality perception. But with distinctive designs such as the Citroen C5, Ford Mondeo and premium D-sector European market designs, most felt that the Insignia could have had a stronger theme and that once its new car sheen has worn off, it will soon fade into the automotive landscape of the outside lane.

Alfa MiTo

Making its UK debut here, the new Alfa Romeo MiTo is the smallest Alfa Romeo model since the Alfasud in the 1970s. Smaller than the 147, it's a B-segment model based on the platform of the Fiat Grande Punto and aims to compete with the Mini, Ford Fiesta and Audi A1 (due next year) as a compact, fashion-orientated model.

Clearly, the styling theme is derived from the flagship 8C and carries several cues from that car, including the front face, kicked-up DLO and circular LED taillamps. But the translation from sketches to production 4-meter hatchback isn't entirely a happy one, particularly the front end. Seen from a few paces away, the Alfa shield grille tends to give a bird-like face due to the narrower width of the car, accentuated by the teardrop shape of the headlamps and a lower grille with turned-down ends, which increases the odd expression of the car. Some designers CDN spoke to felt it looked either surprised or slightly cross-eyed, mainly due to the graphics of the lamps, with the two arched-shaped eyebrows over the main ellipsoid bulbs.

The interior is more successful however - one of Alfa's best designs so far. The IP top surface has a typical Alfa twin-hooded instrument binnacle complimented with four round vents protruding out of the main surface to produce an arresting landscape of forms. Inset into this is a carbon-fiber effect soft plastic pad that envelops the instrument binnacle hood and sweeps down into the center stack. It's a great texture that suits the car well, especially when the interior is trimmed with typical Italian high contrast tan leather seats. Other features include a plug-in MP3 player and Bluetooth phone connectivity, using technology from parent Fiat's highly successful Blue & Me technology. Finally, note the DNA electronic control system paddle just in front of the gearlever, featuring three modes: Dynamic, Normal and All-Weather - adjusting the responsiveness of the throttle, steering, brakes and gearbox.

Lotus Evora

This is a very important new car for Lotus. It's the first all-new car since the 1995 Elise, the first Lotus developed from scratch for global markets and the first 2+2 Lotus design since the 1974 Elite S1. It's also set to go head to head with cars such as the Porsche 911...

There are two core significant aspects to the design. First is its unusual combination of 2+2 seating with a mid-mounted engine; and the second is its Lotus aesthetic: lightweight, taught forms pulled over slim bones, a wraparound windscreen and details such as the chuckling mouth and twin circular rear lamps. These two aspects then interact where the discontinuous shoulder line, lower side rocker feature (two of the design's most interesting design details) and the short DLO successfully counteract the long wheelbase inherent in this configuration.

Inside, behind the cream leather front seats, is a black leather narrow bench seat with just enough space for small children. The light leather IP front, thick aluminum panels in the center console and instrument binnacle and details such as the polished billet aluminum armrest hinge and push-push round switches make the interior a special place to be in.

The few criticisms of the car we picked up on related to its classical quality - some citing little progression since the M250 concept of 1999 - although Design Director Russell Carr told us Lotus "wants our cars to be modern but classical". This makes sense as it will likely have a long product lifecycle and that it is looking to compete with designs as familiar to us as the Porsche Cayman and 911. Beyond these slight criticisms, this car was being very well received by press and designers we spoke to. It carefully balances a unique and contemporary form with a classical edge: it looks lithe while still having substance and it looks like its worth Porsche money while also looking like a Lotus!

Honda OSM

This was the only new concept at the British Motor Show from a volume manufacturer. The Open Study Model is a two-seat roadster with two vestigial rear jump seats designed in Honda's Offenbach studio in Germany, under the direction of Masaki Kobayashi and the justification of the launch here is based on two factors: first, that the UK has a continuing obsession with sports cars and second, it remains Honda's most significant market in Europe.

The overall aesthetic has an Italian quality to it, particularly the previous generation Alfa Spider, with its short lean-forward rump, long front overhang and strongly-diving line running forwards from above the rear wheel. Given that the model was built in Turin, maybe that's no surprise, although neither of the two designers involved - Dimitrios Darkoudis and Andreas Sittel - are themselves Italian. The form language used here is softer than the current Civic or the previous CR-Z concept (also on display here) and gives a possible indication of where Honda is heading next for its European models.

Probably the most novel aspect of the design is the protruding front and rear lamps. A new twist here is the way the added surface continues as part of a plinth on the body surface itself. Note also the way the beltline twists up around the A-pillar and continues into the hood cowl line and the 6-spoke wheels with an interesting new treatment where the spokes are ‘dragged' around the rim.

The interior builds on themes seen in the Civic with its floating IP surface, split graphically into three areas: a dark gray functional area surrounding the driver with metallic blue waves either side. "We didn't want to split the exterior and interior, they should morph together," explained Sittel. The two tiny rear bucket seats are split by a central spine that grows out of the center console and are finished in the same metallic blue and white leather as the front seats.

Seat Ibiza

Seat chose the British Motor Show to debut the production design of the new Ibiza hatchback, previewed as the Bocanegra concept in Geneva earlier this year. The design is most significant for being based on the Volkswagen Group's next generation small car architecture, which will be shared with the forthcoming Polo. On first impressions, this seems to be far less advanced than the architecture of the Honda Jazz, Toyota Yaris and that shared between the Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2, all of which have a more ‘one and a half' box profile, are less massive at the front and have more plan shape.

Offered as both a five-door and a high performance three-door variant, the design shows a development of the Seat corporate facial identity. The central grille has prominent vertical vanes and is flanked by headlamps that have a ‘hooded' look from the side feature line sweeping around over them, further accentuated by a band of LEDs on higher specification versions that give it a heavy ‘eye-brow' look.

The three-door version differs to the five-door at the rear more than other Volkswagen Group products in this class have done before - note how the side feature line wraps around the rear three quarter on the three-door above the rear light, but fades through the light on the five-door version. Also note the different rake of the rear window and lower roofline.

Inside, the IP is angled towards the driver and uses modern textures, which will counter the cheaper looking materials relative to its forthcoming Volkswagen and Audi-branded siblings. The compact and integrated design of the HVAC and ICE controls and the steering wheel design are other notable design elements of this otherwise orthodox interior.

Seat purports to be a sporty brand - its slogan is "auto emoción" - but this new Ibiza's old fashioned proportions hobble the brand's ambitions despite its emotive graphics and feature lines.

Lightning GT

It might look like a classical powerful front engine GT and you'd be forgiven for thinking it's powered by a large and powerful multi-cylinder engine, but in fact, the Lightning is an electric car due to reach buyers in 18 months time. CDN spoke to principal designer Daniel Durrant who took us through the design - one of the most impressive aspects of which is that it started only nine months ago.

Overall, the exterior theme is classical sports GT with overtones of sixties coupes such as the Maserati Ghibli in its long, low proportions, gently raked rear and kicked up rear side window. Contemporary surfacing and detail design - such as the fading side feature line and circular rear lights connected by a single graphic element - help lift this design above other British low volume sports car designs.

The interior is impressive too, with its bespoke design details including a Jaguar XF style gear selector dial in the center console and ‘+' and ‘-' foot pedals which relate to the car's nano-safe, battery powered four in-wheel 120kW powertrain.

The Lightning GT is a handsome car and a well executed design, but with only a rear fog light sitting in place of an exhaust pipe, we think that it is also a missed opportunity. Sports cars are status symbols and electric cars are increasingly becoming status symbols. An electric sports car would then perhaps benefit from looking more like an electric sports car...