DETROIT (Jan. 9, 2007) - Whether your vocation is marketing, manufacturing or design, a license to "throw away the book" and take a "clean sheet approach" is a welcome, but often rare opportunity. For the last six years, Michelin Challenge Design™ has been the catalyst for design students, design firms, professional designers from top car companies, and individual designers from all over the world to do just that, and have their work exhibited at a major international auto show in support of a central theme. Over a thousand designers in more than 70 countries have enthusiastically answered Michelin's call and today the tire maker announced the 2008 Challenge theme: create vehicles with attributes that make smaller vehicles safer, particularly in urban environments, entitled "Sharing the Road - Big Safety/Small Vehicles".
"Rising energy costs, urban congestion and environmental concerns are all contributing to increased interest in smaller vehicles, but consumers are often hesitant to consider smaller vehicles due to real and perceived safety concerns," said Tom Chubb, vice president of marketing for Michelin Automotive Industry Division. "Safety is often used as a justification or rationale for larger vehicles. Some drivers feel less vulnerable in a larger vehicle, therefore part of the challenge will be to recognize those concerns and through design concepts, provide both real advances and an enhanced 'feeling' of security in smaller vehicles."
Enhanced safety through design innovations in areas such as accident avoidance, enhanced driver controls, survivability and visibility will be considered. Designers will be encouraged to consider designs that present innovative approaches to vehicle ingress and egress, side impact protection, occupant protection volume, seating arrangement, vehicle dimensions and proportions.
According to Stewart Reed, jury chairman of Michelin Challenge Design and the head transportation design educator at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., the Michelin Challenge Design theme gives participants an opportunity to address real-world issues faced by automakers around the globe.
"Questions like: 'Beyond core design attributes of the vehicle, what features or design elements will enhance safety by interacting with other vehicles and the overall road environment?' and 'How can design concepts for small vehicles inform or influence developments of streets, highways and the urban parking environment?' are being asked within the professional design community," Reed said. "Michelin Challenge
Design entrants also benefit from an unprecedented opportunity to get those ideas and answers in front of some of the world's top design and safety experts who will be serving on the MCD jury," he added.
Vehicle designs that best represent the "Sharing the Road - Big Safety/Small Vehicles" will be reviewed by a jury of professional design and safety experts whose names will be announced later in 2007. The works they select will receive prominent display in the Michelin Challenge Design exhibit at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.
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