The Crowd Sourcing Competition [Round 49]

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CSC37: American Comeback

Full Version


Kaizen%20logo%20for%20ad%20japanese

December 19, 2020
Toyota City, Japan

(everyone is spread out and wearing a mask)

https://www.finsbury.com/2015/01/26/ceos-and-crises-communications-strategies-of-effective-leaders/

High ranking personnel from the SHINKA brands (and their US/North American subsidiaries): Kaizen, Kurokama, RCN, and Eon, are gathered among a long table, along with the main designer from Spander Design.

The lead designer of Kaizen Corporation North America hands a portable hard drive with the files of submissions for the new Kurokama executive class sedan bid, from major and amateur designers alike. This drive is inserted into a laptop, where the screen is shared on a large flat TV. As this is an international competition, and knowing the current world situation, it was not possible to do their usual studio preview. Blender style files and images will have to do.

The first car to pop up is a striking design from an iconic Italian sports car manufacturer…

Zephorus E777

@Riley
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First impressions were very positive, and the team was very enamored with the well sculpted, tense, and purposefully aggressive fascia that conveyed a sense of subtle elegance. It really fits the “power fist” theme well, as it looks like the car is crouching forward and ready to punch through the air, and the headlights give off a vague fist style. In addition, the grill pieces fit together well, and every fixture there adds to the powerful aesthetic. This however, makes it more suitable for a Kaizen than the more thoughtful and harmonic look of a Kurokama.
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Worth noting is how well the front and rear seamlessly work together. The rear is generally well designed, bringing a nice dash of elegance that fits the purposeful themes of Kurokama and Kaizen. Unfortunately, the rear bumper arrangement looks like a last minute thought, and is integrated poorly with the rest of the design, requiring more molding and thought, especially for the application of the exhausts.


The DRLs are well placed on the outside edges, and the lights fully utilize the width of the car, which along with the fender flares give an impression of a car that can assert its dominance on the road, butting out others.

One interesting detail is the chrome side lines, which seamlessly integrate the door handles, and makes a good attempt at connecting the front and rear. It lines up flawlessly with the rear lights, but the team would prefer the front section to line up with the oversized side vents instead of the door sills, as its current configuration completely wrecks the muscle look that is augmented by the lower molding, and causes some cacophony of contrasting geometric and biological design elements. In addition, none of the flat side design emphasis dynamic shaping. This is made worse by the lack of trim to bring focus to the side, making it look incomplete. On the other hand, the team were the fan of the roof, with a nicely integrated panoramic sunroof.

However, the most severe of the issues is the fact that this design (in their view) does not get the fundamentals of a premium executive sedan. Particularly noteworthy is the observation that the bottom of the A-pillar is pushed too front forward, fiving the side profile an awkward, cab-forward profile that hints at a FWD layout, which is undesirable for a premium car, much less one being sold in the US. The unusually low slope of the A pillar is not compensated by the higher slope C pillar, giving a short bonnet, poor proportions, and a downmarket/smaller look style wise.

Also not helping is the potentially awkward design choices of the mirrors, they are placed a bit too forward, and contribute to the FWD cab forward look that further detracts from the intended premium executive sedan feel.

Overall, the Zephorus E777 manages to blend aggressiveness and elegance in a highly compelling package, while getting several fundamental concepts wrong. Regardless, it serves as a good way to start up the process.

A Kaizen executive commented how it would serve as a nice basis for their compact TR series.

A file from a legendary Romanian designer was loaded up.

Kaizen Kurokama

@OME

penguin screams

no
axolotl
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Some of the Kurokama and Kaizen officials gasps in horror at the gaping grill of the avant-garde sedan. At first glance, that grill gives off a vulgar and “dumb” appearance not befitting of a premium sedan, and could be repulsive to American buyers. The team also weren’t so convinced of the disorderly sides of the bottom vent, which reminded them of a shark’s gaping mouth (this is definitely NOT the car breaking itself). Also the amount of lights could be outright overwhelming to some, but this wasn’t seen as a general issue. In addition, the badging in the center of the grill was considered questionably placed, a placement on one of the low corners would have been much more appropriate.

guraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

However, once that subsided, it was clear that the bold design is able to give off elegance in a a distinctively European style. The slim headlights give off a purposeful and somewhat minimalistic feel, with a crash course in overt aggressiveness. Every front light is seamlessly integrated in the fascia, especially the flawless fit of the foglights and grill. The disconnected light strips do give off a vague Kurokama association, an arrangement that might as well be unrecognizable as a Kurokama to the most consumers.

However it is clear that despite those gaping flaws in the car’s design choices, it does get the basics right, with a relatively long hood and right sized overhangs, with a good proportions. The general profile gives the impression and slicing through the air, which is good for a Kurokama, although there were some comments about how it looked more like a bubble, as the cabin did seem slightly pushed forward. However, this also leads it to lack the desired dynamic muscle looks of a premium sedan, giving it a tamer appearance. The very smooth design (and most glaringly lack of body molding on the top part of the side) led some to see it as a passive low energy design. However, the car uses black trim well, trim pieces on the bottom of the side and a black roof panel giving the car much needed definition in the shaping.

However any pretense of harmony and elegance is shattered by the half-done rear. The team did like the internals as an interesting take on the traditional Kurokama design, they are quite bold, which does match the front quite well. However, the boxy design meshes poorly with the slippery design, and they are hampered by the lack of wraparound, dating it significantly. In addition, there are no definite provisions for a license place, and the rear vent and exhaust area looks like an afterthought, making the car look blander. Fortunately, the general rear design does use its space quite well.

The team concluded that while the appreciation for the modern, striking, efficient, and smooth design is high, several turn-off design choices don’t do it much favor, and it was concluded that a market like China would appreciate such a bold design far more than the more conservative markets of the US, with unclear potential in Europe. Likewise, the executives see this proposal as having high potential throughout the SHINKA alliance.

The design from a longstanding partner is brought up.

Kurokama FBK Hybrid

@Reizei
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The Sakai Design Studio submission represents a more traditional approach to a luxury Japanese sedan, and the team breathed a sigh of relief. The front is somewhat tamer than the Zephorus and the OME design, but exhibits chiseled and confident looks, a good balance of the Kurokama and Kaizen styles. The headlight internals resemble knuckles of a clenched fist ready for action, and molding is strategically placed to give depth. The smooth top grill section helps give a reasonably slick look, which helps modernize the front. The front vents are well designed, they use the space well, and mesh well with the general design, helping the design balance the demands of sportiness and luxury, with well integrated foglights. Overall, the team had the impression of the car not only having the power to punch through the air, but the patience to slip through it, something the previous two designs couldn’t balance as well. One area of contention was that there was no area for a license plate.



Furthermore, the car has very attractive proportions that are proper for a RWD premium executive sedan that will appeal to the American market. It uses its black trim on the side and roof well, giving the car a sharper appearance, although that lower side trim could be longer and slightly shorter (this might be a game issue though). However, the side molding received significant criticism, as it is poorly integrated, with the chunky dimensions conflicting with the dynamic intentions, giving an unfinished look. The team would prefer a single deeper indent. In addition, the forward side vents were seen as “not belonging” on the car.

The sloppily placed side decal was also a major glaring point.
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It did not get better once the very flat rear came into view. While the rear vent area was seen as well designed and integrated, the exhausts would be better seen on a sport version, and would require significant reworking for daily use. Furthermore, the rear vents looked slapped on. The license plate area with connecting bar connects the rear lights very well. The outer edges of those lights were generally seen as too thin and weak (delicate), failing to bring a confident appearance that the front brought to the table, although the team had no objections to the light layout. Furthermore, the rear is overly flat, with a lack of depth from no body molding, and overly round and smooth integration of the sides and rear.

Overall though, the Japanese design presents a particularly compelling case for its adoption, nailing the fundamentals while requiring some working of the details.

The file from an enthusiast American designer is loaded up.

Kurokama S70

@Be_gone_thot
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The bulging front looks significantly bulkier and muscular than the other submissions, to the point of being brash and perhaps unsophisticated, as it brings an impression of bring too tall and unwieldy. Part of this is the large body molding on the bottom that add some nice punch. Lights heavily use Kurokama design elements, and help bolster the bullish looks by using the wide space in a well defined manner. The general foglight design strongly mirrors the TU2 update of the K612 generation Kaizen SC, and does a reasonably good attempt of bringing some elegance to the design, although not quite as fitting for the Kurokama compared to the Kaizen, as it simply looks like it is floating above the abyss of the vent. The hexagonal arrangement of the grill and vents are a nice touch, but the design could be even bolder by making the grill wider.



This muscular theme extends to the side, which actually uses its shorter bonnet to its advantage. One potential problem is how it heavily resembles a liftback, which might not do so well in the American market. It does vaguely resemble a cheetah ready to spring up, this tension being augmented by the well designed side molding, although the top molding could be deeper. The door handles are a bit thin and jut out a bit too much. Some black trim on the bottom would further complete the design, much like it did on the roof. These changes could make the side much more dynamic, a significant improvement over the current relatively flat design.
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This design was considered to have the best rear bumper arrangement of the 4, featuring well integrated rear reflectors and exhausts in a meticulous and modern housing. The lights are a proper blend of traditional design cues and a more modern and confident application, fully utilizing their space, and connected well by the license plate area and light connecting bar.

Unfortunately, this is heavily impeded by the fact that most of the rear remains unused, an issue that also plagues the FBK. This could be resolved by the use of body molding. It looks very empty and incomplete, begging for some more dynamic touches.

After a few hours of meticulous and holistic review, the SHINKA team pick up their order from an unidentified restaurant. Shortly after they return, a pretty intensive debate pops up…

Results

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Congratulations @Reizei, your submission has been selected as the basis for a new generation of Kurokama executive class cars! Once finalized, it will be christened the Sora, and will revive the venerable nameplate, while spearheading Kurokama’s revival in the American automotive market.

However it would be wise to note that all 4 designs will have influence in the production model, as they all brought a useful characteristic to the table.

.1. @Reizei
TIE 2. @Be_gone_thot
TIE 2. @Riley
.3. @OME

Spreadsheet

Personal proportion notes

Bonus

max is a troll

shut up css

9 Likes

@66mazda thanks man, this review made me laugh first thing in the morning :))

2 Likes

don’t know why it’s not updating even though everything looks fine in my editor
well looked like adding this: and that: to the bottom of OME’s section (right before the detail cutoff) worked.
Thanks @The_Stig_Is_A_Spy

wait i won?

I might be able to host CSC38 in about a week or so. Thanks for hosting @66mazda (and @Maxbombe)!

6 Likes

Also as the stig’s fix broke OME’s images, I shall include them here for your reference

5 Likes

2006, Bayonne (France)

Bayonne Automobiles is a French brand building everything from small city cars to luxury sedans. The Saturne, their small family car / C-segment hatchback, is one of their bestsellers, selling over 500000 copies in 2002. The age of the 1999 generation is showing though, as Sakai, Bayonne’s main design studio is running out of ideas for the car, and as a result, it hasn’t been facelifted since it’s release.

So Bayonne Automobiles is looking for a design studio / designer to design the new generation Saturne, to give the car and brand a new, quirky image and to set the path to a new generation for Bayonne Automobiles.

Guidelines

Must be a hatchback
Model/Trim year must be 2006 (though if there are exceptions like for using a newer body, please DM me)
Max wheelbase is 2.7m

Naming convention
Model / Family – CSC38 - [your username]
Trim – Bayonne Saturne by [your design studio / designer name]
Variant – whatever you want

Priorities

:star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

Quirkiness

Originality

Realism


:star: :star: :star: :star:

Consistency


:star: :star: :star:

Era Correctness


The Bayonne Badge

image

Sakai’s Design Proposal

This design proposal by Sakai Design Studio was rejected due to it not having a back end and for being a bit too ahead of it’s time.

2005_Bayonne_Saturne_-_Sakai_Failed_Proposal.car (43.6 KB)

Real Life Inspiration

Click on the images for more pictures!




Deadline

January 16, 2021, 12:00 CET

Link to Countdown

14 Likes

Do we need specific engines?

CSC is pure design

No, no need for specific engineering. CSC is just design.

Coming soon from HakumaiDesign

Thoughts (design is not final) One part of the headlight is a vent, functional to put air through the filter with its rather quirky design

Meanwhile at the Hakumai Design studio, Circa 2005. (Yes, it’ll go onto 2006)
image

The meeting:
Boss: "Today we’re going to design a car for a automotive manufacturer. We have a set criteria. Quirkiness, Good design, and a spacious and comfortable interior. We have a year to design it.
Exterior designer: “I Will get to doing that”
Engine and mechanical designer: “I have an idea”
Boss: “What is it”
Engine and mechanical designer: "Small engine, Turbocharged, and affordable parts.


Some discussion with the staff later
It’s now 2006 (Yes, the CSC Round is set in 2006. But im implying i designed the car earlier then so that it’s realistic and not in a month or 2 etc)
Exterior enginner: Got the design now
Boss: “Let me check through it.”
The boss authorises the design and the mechanical engineer’s design*
The design team bring a portable hard drive over at Bayonne. The results are to come (basically when the actual CSC Results come.)

The new Bayonne Saturne by HakumaiDesign.

Under the bonnet is a 1.4 Litre engine which packs decent power so your commutes are quicker.

Quirky styling,

And a amazing powertrain to go with it, and the 2000s trend of adding indicators to the side mirrors.

All you could need in a tiny hatchback.

The air filter is positioned at where the integrated headlight vent is. So you can get all your cooling


Forgive me please. I Know nothing about CSS

===========

That design work finally paid off.

Testing

.

5 Likes

Where should we send you the .car file? Here on the forum or on Discord?

Design Proposal by Quaglia Studio

14 Likes

On Discourse if possible. If you can’t DM, send it on Discord.

Are fake diesels allowed? Diesels really rose to popularity in the early to mid 2000s in France.

Bayonne Saturne by Cerault

Cerault proposes a design based on their own platform that X3 is on. This way, Bayonne would be able to offset the higher cost of paying an outside designer by lowering the development costs, since the platform, engines, and even interior bits could be simply reused. This also allows Bayonne to license the HydroComf suspension for the high trims if they so choose.


Using the X3’s platform means that the body shape is essentially the same. However, Cerault decided to cover the fact by giving the Saturne a different side windows shape.


The front end attempts to incorporate as many elements and ideas from the Bayonne design reference while still looking 2006


In the rear the parking sensors, third brake light, and height of the boot are all the same as on the X3 due to platform sharing.


Is your 00’s hatchback French if the rear doesn’t have an odd shape?


The proposed interior is shared with Cerault, however the platform doesn’t restrict Bayonne from implementing an interior of their own.

The trim shown is the high end model with a Cerault designed 1.8t developing 150hp while achieving the same fuel economy as 2.0 competition with range of power from 135hp-145hp.

6 Likes

wish I knew this 3 rounds ago tbh

OME Design Studio decided to explore a more refined and elegant approach to the Saturne design.

8 Likes

CSC is just design, engineering won’t be judged at all. Do whatever you want in the engineering, as long as it isn’t really crazy.

2006 Bayonne Saturn by Omanko Design "Studio"
it car !1!1!!!1!!! !! !! !


Psst

Woah no way it sedan variant


6 Likes