From Cup Holders to Navigation Systems, The Evolution of the Car Interior

Whether or not you agree with Big Money reporter Matthew DeBord’s assertion that automobile exteriors are approaching some kind of idealized uniformity - in the pursuit of safety and efficiency - it’s hard to disagree with his claim that the real engineering and design innovations are moving inside our vehicles. And not under the hood either, but into the dashes, center consoles and seat backs as consumers come to expect more out of their cars.
DeBord points to the humble beginnings of the cup holder as his jumping off point as he examines the driving public’s changing relationship with their vehicles and automakers move to meet these needs. No longer viewed simply as a means of conveyance, increasingly people are looking to their cars as extensions of their homes and offices; merging our expectations for connected mobility with a degree of customizable comfort and yes, multiple drink trays. And while the article’s conclusions may not offer any radical insights, revisiting the evolution of the driving experience is a worthwhile exercise, if only to see how far we’ve come.

Keeping an open mind on the Aston Martin Cygnet

This isn’t a joke, but a concept for Aston Martin’s new £20k city car. Called the Cygnet, it’s a tiny Toyota iQ-based commuter car redesigned inside and out, and will be sold to existing and future Aston owners from the end of 2010.
To some, the idea of dressing a baby Toyota with Aston Martin clothes, leaving the mechanicals unchanged, putting the famous old winged badge on the bonnet, doubling the price and selling it as an Aston Martin model to existing customers will come across as an abuse of some great traditions.
However, the Cygnet is much more than a badge and stickers special edition – the concept features a redesigned front end with the trademark Aston grille, a vented bonnet, plus air intakes around the iQ’s lights, all of which help to differentiate the concept from its donor car. There are also new door skins and Aston’s famous pop-out door handles, plus revisions to the rear.
Aston won’t be drawn into revealing details of the Cygnet’s interior, but promises the changes inside will be even more extreme than the tweaks outside.

Keeping an open mind on the Aston Martin Cygnet

This isn’t a joke, but a concept for Aston Martin’s new £20k city car. Called the Cygnet, it’s a tiny Toyota iQ-based commuter car redesigned inside and out, and will be sold to existing and future Aston owners from the end of 2010.
To some, the idea of dressing a baby Toyota with Aston Martin clothes, leaving the mechanicals unchanged, putting the famous old winged badge on the bonnet, doubling the price and selling it as an Aston Martin model to existing customers will come across as an abuse of some great traditions.
However, the Cygnet is much more than a badge and stickers special edition – the concept features a redesigned front end with the trademark Aston grille, a vented bonnet, plus air intakes around the iQ’s lights, all of which help to differentiate the concept from its donor car. There are also new door skins and Aston’s famous pop-out door handles, plus revisions to the rear.
Aston won’t be drawn into revealing details of the Cygnet’s interior, but promises the changes inside will be even more extreme that the tweaks outside.

Citroën reveals MINI challenging DS3's insides'

Taking advantage of the news-thirsty internet media, Citroen is slowly revealing new bits and pieces of its MINI rivaling DS Inside hatch that will be called DS3 when it enters production during the first quarter of 2010. Although the premium hatchback made its world debut as a thinly disguised concept at the 2009 Geneva Show in March, this is the first time that we get a chance to see the car's interior which is for the most part, production ready. The French automaker has yet to release details, but it is clear from the photos that the designers have tried to give the DS3's interior a contemporary and upscale feel.
Highlights include the two-tone leather sports seats, a neat instrument panel with three deeply-dished instrument dials, the flat bottomed three spoke steering wheel and the decorative chrome trim. Following in the footsteps of MINI, Citroen will offer DS3 buyers the chance to customize the interior with various individual options.
The DS3 that will not replace the C3 in Citroen's range, will be offered with a variety of four cylinder gasoline and diesel engines including the BMW and PSA Peugeot-Citroen developed 1.6-liter petrol unit in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms.

Peugeot inundates London commuters with 308 'nudists' to celebrate launch of 308CC

In a cheeky bit of naked ambition, French automaker Peugeot inundated London's morning commuters during rush hour on April 22nd 2009, with a pool of 308 'nude' actors who appeared to only be wearing scarves. The reason for this au natural display? Celebrate the arrival of the company's latest topless model, the 308 Coupe Cabriolet.

On first inspection, much of London's commuters could have been excused for thinking a public exposure offence could have been in order but for the extremely minute, yet hugely important detail – their fellow commuters were wearing specially made bodysuits which gave the impression the commuters were naked.The nudes were out in force to celebrate the launch of the stunning 308CC, in attire designed to bring to life the car's first-of-its-class Airwave Neck Heating System – heat scarf. With its blend of innovative technology and sophisticated style, the 308CC is the newest addition to the 308 range and continues to build on Peugeot's rich heritage in the CC sector.

A website was created for this event Nudeinascarf.com . All this created a huge buzz in Great Britain with videos on YouTube, comments on Twitter and Facebook, pictures on the specialized website, Flickr, and numerous intermediary renown blogs, as well as articles in dailies, magazines, TV…

Mercedes E-Class Coupé

In Germany, Scholz & Volkmer has created a new website for the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe, presented as an "object of desire".

It's glamorous in an eccentric, Euroglam sort of way. The body shares its platform with the slightly longer E-class saloon and is very masculine. An array of sharp angles are contained within its swooping, droopy silhouette, but any doubts about its Cirque du Soleil architecture are soon forgotten as you sit inside.