RobiNZ Personal Blog

Citroën celebrate 90 fabulous years

90 years of Citroën and it ends with a new logo

via http://www.eurocarblog.com/post/2393/citroen-anniversary-video

Jalopnik Engine Of The Day: Fiat SOHC

I’ve driven countless kilometres pedalling one of these in a Fiat 128 Bello. The un-bustable 128 engine was one feature that made an old design (‘60s tech that was in production till the late 70s) a pleasure to drive. While there was which was dated by the end of the 128’s long life – with little real development - the engine was still a strength. It outlived the 128 with production in to the current century.

Some might have called it noisy but it was a sound I liked. It was willing to rev and rewarded you doing that with a sporty yowl and reasonable progress. Compare it to the powertrains the likes of Ford, Leyland and GM offered in small cars and you can see why it lasted! While the body of my 128 eventually succumbed to corrosion it’s heart was still strong.

Engine Of The Day: Fiat SOHC - Fiat - Jalopnik

Production of this engine ran from 1969 to 2005.

Formula One Expert floortalks - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ

This is one reason to be at Te Papa next weekend, a special session at the Formula One™ - The Great Design Race Tour Exhibition;  

Formula One – Expert floortalks - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ

• Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 2009


• Visa Platinum Gallery, Level 4


• Saturday 11am–12 noon


• Sunday 11am-12noon & 2pm-3pm


• Exhibition admission charges apply

We’ve brought in the big guns for our expert talks this weekend. Join top motorsport commentator Bob McMurray, original McLaren racing team mechanic Walter Willmott and motorsport historian and F1 aficionado Michael Clark, as they walk through the exhibition and a history of the sport.

Formula One™ - The Great Design Race Tour is organised by the Design Museum, London and at Te Papa from 15 July to 1 November 2009.

Stile Bertone re-born

Will a new Design Director, and influx of new young designers, bring new life to Bertone? I hope this design icon thrives.

Who's Where: Jason Castriota joins Stile Bertone

Lucire’s Car to Be Seen in for 2008 - Fiat 500

While there are many more powerful, expensive, bigger and (to be honest) better value cars out there it’s the new Fiat 500 which takes the “Lucire Car to be seen in” prize this year. I  saw a preview of this announcement a few weeks ago, thanks Jack, but it’s now on the Lucire site.

I’ve had a good look at, but not yet driven, the 500 and it’s styling is a remarkable homage to the original. It’s bigger, to fit all today’s “essential” toys and larger people!, but not grossly oversized like the new “Mini” .

It’s also an expensive, comparatively, lifestyle statement rather than the simple budget transport it’s predecessor was. I think that’s a pity but future twin cylinder editions may be closer to the original in spirit, and sound, rather than just style. There is also a possibility Fiat will do a more radical small car. Maybe that’s why they’ve saved the name Topolino.

The 500 is a neat machine and, as the price of petrol skyrockets, it’s nice to have a stylish, small, economical car with a sense of style. It’s one which I’d be happy to be seen in!

The Fiat 500 is Lucire’s Car to Be Seen in for 2008 – Lucire – The global fashion magazine
“The year’s most classless car, appealing to every segment” says Jack Yan..

Related posts:

• Finding the Car to Be Seen in 2008 - www.lucire.com
• Car to Be Seen in 2007 - www.lucire.com

500 picnic photo credit: Fiat New Zealand

Tags: lucire, Fiat+500

It's a BMW Honda?

The BMW X6 is a strange, ugly and useless mix of XWD and Coupe. I’m pretty sure David Linklater knows what they look like but maybe this just looked better on the page. From memory the sleek beast pictured below is a Honda FCX Concept.

UPDATE 2008-07-1: It’s been changed, to the real X6, but I prefer the Honda

Tags: x6, honda, bmw

Italdesign @ 33

Automotive.com have a great article celebrating Italdesign’s 33^rd Anniversary. They feature a range of concept and production cars, both exotic and everyday. Italdesign excelled at both, two of which you can see in my photo below!

The mighty Uno, it’s my 45s, applied the sit up high seating position to achieve more passenger space in a small car. It’s clean simple shape, aerodynamic though boxy, was little changed from it’s release in the 80’s to the mid 90’s yet has aged well. The Lotus Esprit, seen in the background, is surely every boys super car dream sketch made real. Happy Anniversary Italdesign!

Italdesign Giugiaro | European Car Magazine Article at Automotive.com
Thirty years marks a generation. For most of us, that's how long it takes just to grow up, tame our wild oats, settle down and start doing something productive. Few of us make much of a mark in so little time. Giorgio Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani, on the other hand, have made an indelible mark on our automotive generation--first separately, then together as Italdesign, all in the 33 years since the company was born in 1968…

Tags: italdesign

Fiat Design, Thanks to Pulse...

While I have many CAD/BIM/Design RSS feeds in my reader it’s always good to find new ones. In this case I found Car Body Design.com via Franco’s “Novedge Pulse” aggregator.

It has some brilliant “behind the scenes” stories on Auto design, including the tiny Fiat Phylla concept

 Car Body Design.com - Fiat Phylla Concept

The demise of Bertone

In January it appeared Bertone might survive. Cardesignnews have an update and the news isn’t good:

Trouble at Bertone - cardesignnews.com
It has now emerged that Bertone will not be making an appearance at this year's Geneva Auto Show, the first time in more than 50 years that the company will not have a stand at the grand European show…

FutureCar shows great talent & technology, so what's wrong at General Motors?

I’ve just watched FutureCar which features many designers, and car companies, but is largely focused on General Motors. They showed some of the awesome technology used at GM to design, validate and visualise new cars. Their design team is obviously packed with talent and has the resources to produce some great concepts, and they do (think Saab Aero).

I watched it wondering, thinking of GM’s mediocre production vehicles, where the hell does it go wrong?

FutureCar: Discovery Channel

Tata Nano, it doesn't need power steering or electric windows!

Tata seemed to pulled off a remarkable feat creating a small, efficient, relatively safe (certainly compared to a moped) and cheap ($2500) car - the Tata Nano.

So why did New Zealand TV news seem obsessed with the need to report that didn’t have electric windows or power steering? Maybe lazy reporters can’t comprehend winding up a window with muscle power (it’s really possible) or realise that a small light rear engined car does not need power steering.

As much as I like the 2007 Fiat 500 I think Tata’s Nano is a more honest modern realisation of Dante Giacosa's diminutive 1957 Nuova 500.

Tata’s goal, like Giacosa, is to mobilise a nation as efficiently as possible. Mobility gives choice, choice gives freedom. You might argue that but I’d first suggest reading  Drive On! : A Social History of the Motor Car by LJK. Setright.

Extract from “A Preamble”, Drive On!  LJK. Setright
"We need a book to show us - especially those of us too young to remember - what good and evil things have been done to, with, for, and by, the motor car. I would like this to be a book that the enthusiast for motoring can read with pleasure, the critic with growing understanding, the historian with some surprise, and the scholar with satisfaction."

If the Nano succeeds Tata will change economies and societies. The call to deny people that opportunity is usually made by those who already benefit from it. How can I deny someone personal mobility, when I own a car.

Tata launch YouTube found via www.autoblog.it, price comparison image viaTata

Tags: Tata+Nano, Fiat+500, Nuova+500, Dante+Giacosa

Bertone Sold, Bertone Saved?

I’ve long had a fondness for Bertone: the Italian Design Studio & Coachbuilder. I’m not sure when I discovered who designed those brilliant cars from the 70’s like the Lamborghini Urraco, Lancia Stratos and Fiat X1/9 but thats only a few from their legendary past. Not all Bertone cars were great, look at the Volvo 262, but there were more hits than misses and often a Bertone concept set the theme for an era, the Lamborghini Countach, or brand. Consider the 1970 Bertone BMW Garmisch 2002Ti concept which was the inspiration for the 70’s “E-12” BMW 5 Series. It established style elements which survived at BMW until the arrival of Chris Bangle. 

I recently found this old photo* snapped, when I was 11, on a family holiday in the Coromandel. A Ferrari [Dino] 308GT4 appeared in the driveway of the place next door and I was inspired by the styling and rare occasion of seeing a Ferrari “in the flesh” to capture it on film.

Many thought the 308GT4 an ugly duckling and it’s angular lines were certainly a radical departure from the curvy 60’s Pininfarina Dino 246GT  which preceded it. I think Marcello Gandini’s response to the challenge of enveloping a mid-engine four seater layout has aged well and regard it is a classic. The later Ferrari Mondial showed Pininfarina could do no better when faced with a similar task. What I didn’t realise, until researching this post, that our “family car” of the time, a Fiat 132, was also another Bertone/Gandini design.

I’m sure the 132, essentially Fiat’s Morris Marina, was a “pay the bills job” but thats something Bertone have been struggling with of late. They have been losing money, existing for several years with government support, and it appeared the end was nigh. Then, a few days ago, Gruppo Prototipo arrived like a knight in shining armour with a buy-out offer:

 Autocar - Gruppo Prototipo buys Bertone
Struggling Italian coachbuilder Bertone has found a buyer with days to spare before a bankruptcy court hearing that could have closed the iconic company after 95 years…

An icon saved? I hope thats how this story ends.

* The tint is the last remains of correcting a Viko print which had faded to a very 70’s bright orange!

Tags: Bertone, 308GT4, Ferrarii, Fiat+132, Fiat+x1/9

Ferrari fans Luigi and Guido...

Pixar & Mattel have released my favourite CARS characters, Luigi and Guido, decked out in their Ferrari racing fan gear.

eModelli - ModBlog: Pixar and Mattel Do It Again
Just when you thought that the interest was waning on the Pixar CARS, Mattel releases two new Movie Moments car sets…

Tags: CARS

Bravo Designs

This Bravo blog has some nice coverage of the design concepts

Quelli che Bravo - www.quellichebravo.it (Italian)

quellichebravo's photos - Flikr

The Mercedes with Ford style?

Seeing this photo on Autoblog reminded me…

When I first saw the Mercedes CLS at the San Francisco Motorshow I couldn’t believe someone would copy the rear end of a Ford Falcon AU. That was one of the worst aspects of a generally dismal design!

Although Mercedes added a little more refinement it’s still horrible!

“The CLS is just a saloon with a lower roof-line and ugly curved back and that looks like it was lifted of an AU Falcon. It didn't work for Ford and it doesn't work on a Merc – RobiNZ CAD Blog”

The Classic Fiat X1/9

This article is about one of my favourite cars. The tiny X1/9 was Bertone design at it’s best (seen here) before later versions were ruined by US spec bumpers.

The X1/9 was often termed the “Baby Ferrari” as offered mid-engine layout, great handling and the wonderful, if rather overwhelmed, ex 128 Lampredi SOHC cam engine in a tiny, smaller than compact, car. The early ones were 1300cc, later 1500cc, so not fast in a straight line but you made it up in the twisty bits and had fun doing it. It was a pity the X1/9 never got the development it deserved.

I nearly got a mint Bertone edition 1500 several years ago and regret not doing it when I had the chance. They appear fairly often on TradeMe and if not for a lack of garage space I’d own one now. They are not expensive to buy but running a elderly mid-engine Italian car, even a Fiat, usually means trouble and fun in equal doses!

Classic Cars: Fiat X1/9 > Independent Online Edition.
The Fiat X1/9 looks sharp, is a great performer and, best of all, has a limited number of admirers, says Keith Adams

 

Tags: Fiat X1/9, Bertone,

Morris Marina collectible, I'm driving a "rarity" - Who'd believe that?

I never thought I’d read the words “Morris Marina” and “collectible rarity” in the same sentence! The Morris Marina is on my “Cars I’ve Owned, Driven” list with the comment:

“This is very possibly the worst car I've ever driven. The sort of product that made the British motor industry what it is today...”

I learnt to drive in a Marina and still remember it was not a rewarding experience! Now I find it’s not only considered rare, it’s even collectible. If you have one, if you like them, that’s fine but I don’t want to drive it!

Then I look down the list to find my own mighty Uno listed on the “Top 10 of once-common vehicles which are now rarely seen”. I still see a few in New Zealand but have caused the demise of one, sorry mum*, increasing remaining Unos rarity!

There is a link between the two other than my own car history. In 1980 the Marina became the Morris Ital, named after Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign Studio. It wasn’t his design, not even the face-lift, but I suspect it’s one car Giugiaro would rather forget!

Despite the long-held belief that Ital Design was responsible for the revised styling of the new car, it was somewhat less involved in the process – simply handling its productionisation. Of course, the story soon got out that the Morris Ital was actually the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro and, as one insider has subsequently said: "...why spoil the story with facts, we thought!"
Marina/Ital Development story | The Unofficial Austin Rover Web Resource

A few years later Giugiaro designed the replacement for the Fiat 127. The Fiat Uno was launched in 1983 and was the first modern “Tall Small Supermini”. Giugiaro demonstrated this concept in the MEGAGAMMA. You sit high, more like a dining chair than sofa, which means your legs take less length making the interior seem larger than it is.

The Uno had simple, but subtle, styling which allowed something the with all the sleekness of a fridge to have a low drag coefficient of just 0.34. This was the result of careful detailing. The Uno was one of the first mass production cars to have doors which wrap into the roof, eliminating exposed “rain gutters”. The 3 doors have a small recessed exterior door latch which still catches people out as they can’t find it!

The first generation Unos also had a radical (and very rattley) dash with nearly all the controls mounted on “pods” behind the steering wheel. That idea didn’t survive the ‘89 face-lift which went back to nearly conventional stalks; Fiat’s usual three but still with indicators on the left to confuse Jap car drivers!

The Uno was in production, in Europe, until the first Punto arrived in 1994. It’s more amazing that the Uno is still in production, in Brazil & Pakistan, but now rare in the western world it seems!

Morris Marina now collectible - Stuff.co.nz
Once as ubiquitous as red telephone boxes, the humble Morris Marina has become the rarest car on Britain's roads, closely followed by the Ford Cortina, according to Auto Express….

The 10 rarest list:

- Morris Marina (1971-1980)
- Ford Cortina Mark IV/V (1976-1982)
- Renault 18 (1979-1986)
- Renault 5 (1972-1983)
- Skoda Estelle (1977-1992)
- Vauxhall Cavalier Mark III (1981-1989)
- Austin/Rover Metro (1980-1994)
- Austin/Rover Montego (1984-1995)
- Austin/Rover Maestro (1983-1995)
- Fiat Uno

• Wikipedia.org – Fiat Uno
• Extract from the Uno US Road Test by LJK Setright 
• Ital Design – www.italdesign.it 
• Morris Marina/Ital - www.austin-rover.co.uk

* Within a couple of weeks Mum was back in another Red Fiat, now a Punto.

Porsche Cayenne facelift still ugly as hell

Unfortunately my daily commute takes me through Cayenne country so I get to see quite a few of these on the road, doing the school run…. 

It’s not a pretty sight, not even “quirky ugly with a purpose” like a Fiat Multipla, and it seems the facelift is not going to be any better. Why anyone would prefer the Cayenne over the cheaper, better looking Touareg is beyond me.

Porsche Cayenne facelift caught sans camo - Autoblog

I’m not even putting a thumbnail image here, Go and look if you must…

Keep a BandAid on all day

Ingenious modification of a standard bandaid to make it stick on your finger all day!

swissmiss: keep your childs BandAid on all day

Maserati - The Truth About Jaguar?

This is a great review of a beautiful, if flawed, car. I often see one parked on the way to work and it’s a stunning sight in the morning sun. Perhaps those at Ford who can’t figure out what to do with Jaguar should take a look at…

The Truth About Cars – Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT

“It’s true: the Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT is the best Jaguar Jaguar never built.“

Jack Yan: Super Human Persuader!

Happy 3rd blogging birthday to Jack Yan. I originally found him on the Beyond Branding Blog but he’s since started his own and The Persuader Blog is a must read. He’s a complete car nut with an interesting view of the auto industry, posts like "Trim milked", but that’s only one of many topics covered.

When not blogging, running his virtual company, publishing Lucire, writing, speaking, creating fonts, appearing on Radio and TV*, or meditating he somehow even finds time to comment on this blog.

One thing I’d like to know, with only 24 hours in the day, how does he do it all?

Three years of blogging | Jack Yan:The persuader Blog

August 2006 marks three years since I began blogging. Picture it: Wellington, August 11, 2003. I had just got back from California and the “Total Recall” election. Not much to the post, but it was written to provoke thought…

• Blog: http://jackyan.com/blog/
• Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/JackYanThePersuaderBlog
• Website: http://www.jackyan.com/

* I’ve only seen You've Got Male (a segment on TVNZ’s Good Morning show) once as it airs when I’m usually at work. Coincidentally Jack was both a participant and the subject as Barry Soper & Co spent the whole time giving him heaps about his new romance…

The sexiest car in the world is a Fiat!

This just has to be good news for the new Fiat Trepiuno 500 (right) which arrives early next year.

The 1957 Cinquecento, Nuova 500 below, that inspired it has just been voted the worlds sexiest car by Britains Top Gear Magazine.

Even Sally, the sexy Porsche 911 Carrera from the Pixar film Cars, only rated 10th which perhaps explains Luigi’s grin.

Top Gear crowns Fiat 500 as Sexiest Car in the World - Autoblog
Wah? Top Gear conducted a survey to find the Sexiest Car in the World, the results of which appear in the recently released September issue. The results: the Fiat 500 is the Sexiest Car in the World. We'll repeat – wah?

Fiat 500 è l'auto più sexy del mondo - www.autoblog.it
Top Gear ha realizzato un'inchiesta per scoprire quali sono le prime dieci auto pi sexy del mondo. Tra grandi berline di lusso e costosissime coupè svetta al primo posto la mitica 500.

The world's sexiest car? - World - smh.com.au 
It may be slow and stumpy, but the Fiat 500 has a "wholesomeness" that makes it the sexiest car in the world…

Evolution in action II

More evidence

TIME: The Evolution of the...

Furl the Main Topgallant?

When a boat has 15 sails they all need a name!

So which is the Main Topgallent?

See the full list at: fenderkicker: So many sails, so NOT confusing

Maltese Falcon
“The Maltese Falcon’s DynaRig is effectively a square rig, the mast is freestanding and the yards are connected rigidly to the mast, in this case each mast supports six yards. The sails, when not deployed, furl into the mast & are trimmed to the wind direction by rotating the mast.”

The Clipper returns

A combination of classic layout and hi-tech signal the return of the Clipper.

fenderkicker: The Merging of Old and New - The Maltese Falcon

fenderkicker: The Maltese Falcon (again) (Rigging)

fenderkicker: The new falcon (Design)

Fiat Trepiuno 500 sketches

Eurocarblog have some (supposedly official) Fiat Trepiuno 500 interior sketches and some unofficial, but wonderful, Trepiuno Abarth concept sketches.

The Abarth would be an awesome machine and I can see the standard Trepiuno being popular, petrol hit $1.67/Litre today…

Fiat 500 - Interior & Abarth sketches - www.eurocarblog.com

Spend less on ad's and build it!

Alfa have a choice, spend on advertising or build this. They may be going to make the right decision.

Build the beautiful 8 Competizion? - www.eurocarblog.com

Praise for the Fiat Grande Punto Design

I just received the January Car Magazine (U.K.), off the slow boat, and in his “From the Drawing Board” column Stephen Bayley discusses the design of the new Fiat Grande Punto among others….

• Chrysler 300C: “Designer Ralph Gilles has drawn a car of fine proportions and imposing presence”
• Porsche Boxter: “Great cars evolve inexorably, just like basic life forms, but Porsche philosophy is much cleverer than plankton”
• Subaru Impreza (with the latest snout): “Thigh slappingly awful, an absolute stinker”, he even steals Wolfgang Pauli’s words: “It’s not even bad since to be bad would imply it’s in the same philosophical area as good”

He then states “the best work is always with the small cars” praising;

• Nissan Cube (Japan, some in NZ) : “a totally desirable wheeled box”
• Fiat Grande Punto: “the superb Grande Punto will, I’m delighted to say, restore Fiats credibility moments before that big nasty clock in Torino threatened to strike midnight. It’s Giugiaro at his very best which means none better”

“Quality design is independent of price… as Chrysler, Fiat and, in it’s own particular way, Porsche prove”

Italdesign must be proud of it, they have a special website:

Launch Italdesign's webspecial Fiat Grande Punto
Requires Macromedia Flash 6 plug-in

Branding

An interesting post on Microsoft Channel 9 goes through the history of Microsoft branding and suggests how the branding could be improved for various product lines.

Recently I wandered around Florida Mall and it stood out that only one store (of hundreds) had no name, just a logo…

The power of branding.

Thoughts on Microsoft Branding & Meme's.

Thomas has an art blog...

Thomas has an art blog and it’s really, really good

The Adventures of Art Lad
The art blog of a boy named Thomas

Rubbish or Art

Some art is rubbish but this makes rubbish art!

Street art that makes you smile.

Rubbish Drawings at I Like Drawing ™

Via Drawn! The Illustration Blog

ART ATTACK

ART ATTACK ~ Kiwi art & photography by Grant and Lesley.

Competition for State Housing Design

 Want to design a house I’ll be helping pay for… (in addition to my own of course).

Design Competition For State Housing ~ Housing New Zealand Corporation

DESIGN COMPETITION FOR STATE HOUSING – HOUSING NEW ZEALANDERS 100 YEARS ON
State houses have been an important - and often iconic - backdrop to our history. The first social housing was built 100 years ago from a design competition. Housing New Zealand is celebrating its heritage and inviting architects, designers, urban designers, landscape architects and students to design new state housing for future New Zealanders.
Housing New Zealanders 100 Years On invites designs that respond to New Zealand's changing housing needs, greater cultural diversity, new building practices, materials and technologies….

Doodles, Drafts & Designs: Industrial Drawings from the Smithsonian

If you are interested in industrial design or design graphics this exhibition is well worth a look. Doodles, Drafts & Designs presents concept drawings and graphics done to develop and present designs or market the final products. Those in the USA can see it live but via the net its open to everyone.

Doodles, Drafts & Designs: Industrial Drawings from the Smithsonian
A travelling exhibition developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Behring Center, from the collections of the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution Libraries.
January 21, 2006 - March 19, 2006  Pasadena Museum of History, Pasadena, CA

Via Max Newmann, Editor At Large, xtra.co.nz Favourite Sites Newsletter.

EphemeraNow > Museum of Mid-Century Advertising Art and Illustration

This site is well worth a look. Although its advertising there are great images. An RSS Feed lets you know when new ones are posted. Mid Century art with new century distribution.

EphemeraNow > The Museum of Mid-Century Advertising Art and Illustration

A family-friendly Web site dedicated to the commercial art of mid-century America.

AutoCart Drive-through Supercenters

Perhaps those that think we need more shopping malls in New Zealand are behind the times. Malls require all that tedious walking when all you really want is more stuff fast...

Could Drive-through Supercenters  be the future?

Perhaps but I think they have missed two important features of shopping:

• It's a social and recreational activity. The mall/superstore is the modern equivalent of the town square or, sadly, the park for many. People actually go shopping for fun even if they don't want to buy something. I don't really understand this concept except for book, CD and electronics stores!
• Discovery is an important part of shopping. You may know what you want but often it's not what you buy. Just delivering the goods you have ordered more efficiently is fine (the net can do that now) but it won't with help the selection process.

Link: IFTF's Future Now: AutoCart Drive-through Supercenters.

AutoCart Drive-through Supercenters An interesting new concept .. a drive-through supercenter ...

Dilbert's Ultimate House

"Dilbert's Ultimate House (DUH)" has some great ideas (seriously, read the spec's) and the CAD images and tours are nicely done. Its well worth a look and some of the less serious suggestions are funny.

This was my favourite: "Solar panels to power electric fans. These fans will power wind powered generators on non-windy days. The wind turbines will power klieg lights to recharge batteries attached to the solar panels on windy nights."

Raj Raheja, of Heartwood Studios, did the "Virtual construction" using AutoCAD & 3D Studio Max 5.1 & 6 and said "It was a lot of fun!". Their impressive company website also well worth a look if you are interested in CAD/Visualization.

"In pursuit of finding true happiness and peace on earth for Dilbert and Dilbert-like individuals across the globe, cartoonist and visionary Scott Adams embarked on a journey to create "Dilbert's Ultimate House"(DUH)."

"Dilbert is single and needs all the help he can get," said Adams. "He'd design his house to be wife bait. We wanted him to have a house so impressive that some woman would overlook his personality just to live in it."
Link to: Dilbert's Ultimate House.

Via: BusinessPundit

Rollup Bridge!

This is very cool. Paddington Development Corporation has just unveiled, or rather unrolled, a startling new pedestrian bridge.
Full story on Newspad - the website for Paddington, Bayswater, Hyde Park and Maida Vale.
via A Welsh View

butterpaper

butterpaper is a resource for architectural news, links, and articles relating to Australia and New Zealand. Well worth more than a look, add to your favourites.
butter paper Australasia
butter paper - greaseproof architecture resources
Australian and New Zealand architecture and design resources

NZ Flag - Time for a change?

I think it is. The current flag does not present a distinct identity that represents New Zealand. The Southern Cross could apply to many southern hemisphere countries, the Union Jack is a symbol another country, and the similarity of colour & layout mean many confuse the NZ & Australian Flag.

NZ Flag.com Website
This site is intended to stimulate debate about the New Zealand Flag. We want all New Zealanders to ask whether the current flag represents our country as we see ourselves today? Can we improve it?
Does it portray the image we want to give of New Zealand internationally?
Most importantly, does it inspire us?

Real or fake?

These take a while to download on dialup but are beautifully done, worth the wait. I cant read the text, english translation anyone?
Real or fake, What do you think?
Go to Ugly Zoo

Paragon - McLaren's Technology Centre

McLaren Group's futuristic new headquarters, designed by Foster and Partners, has been officially opened.

Home to McLaren Racing (Formula One); McLaren Cars (high performance road cars); McLaren Electronic Systems (automotive electronic systems); McLaren Marketing (marketing services); McLaren Composites (advanced composite structures) and several other divisions in the group.

~ 50 hectare site.
~ 57,000 square metres of office space for 900 employees.
~ 100m by 200m, 11m high, large enough to hold nine Boeing 747 jumbo jets.
~ 50,000 cu m water in 5 lakes used for buildng cooling.
~ Natural light used wherever possible and energy recycled throughout the site.
~ 100,000 trees & 33 hectares of wild flower meadow planted.

Follow the link for a glimpse of the future, today...
McLaren Technology Centre Web Site

Jill Perrott - From Blue Yonder

Artist Jill Perrotts exhibition "From Blue Yonder" featured some stunning coastal aerial landscapes from the upper North Island. Areas included: Whatipu, Awhiti, Cornwallis Point, Wairoa River & Dargaville, Bream Head, Mangawhai, Pakiri & Whangaparoa.

The exhibition has finished but a selection of work from it can be seen online at Parnell Gallery. Click here for the index

The Web thumbnails are only an indication; they look much better in real life!

See my earlier post for other links about Jill.

Jill Perrott ~ Artist

Jill Perrott is a West Auckland Artist. She captures the wild rugged New Zealand West Coast including the Waitakere Ranges & its unusual black iron sand beaches near Auckland. I have one of her works; a view of O'Neils Beach which is one of my favourite beaches in summer. You can also view a selection of her work online at Parnell Gallery where she is exhibiting until 09-05-2004.

Airbus A380 Navigator

Follow the development of the new Airbus A380, a 555-seat "Super Jumbo" airliner, with the "Airbus A380 Navigator". This site is packed with information on the Design and Production of the A380 as it progresses towards its inaugural flight in 2006. There is also a great interactive 3d model view on the Navigator page.
Airbus.com Home Page

BERTONE Design

Bertone are not only one of the great Italian Design houses but also engineer and produce many of their designs. They have shaped some of the great cars and also are where many, now independent, designers began their careers.
Their web site is worth a look as covers all aspects from the great concept cars to the production cars they have made over the years.

BERTONE - Official Web Site Gruppo Bertone

Hubcap Creatures By Ptolemy

I first saw these in Car Magazine & loved them. Discarded hubcaps become Hubcap Creatures By Ptolemy
A great idea & nice website to promote it.