Future Of Transportation As Articulated By Frank Stephenson Captured By 2025AD

The world where art and science intersect, is where Designer Frank Stephenson feels alive and is most comfortable. Image Credit: 2025AD Screengrab (2020)

Future Of Transportation As Articulated By Frank Stephenson Captured By 2025AD

Speaking to 2025AD - The Autonomous Driving Community powered by Continental, Art Center College of Design trained and world renowned designer Frank Stephenson highlights his ideal way of getting from A to B, the future of vehicle interiors and of course, our move towards autonomous vehicles.

One of the world’s most successful and prolific automotive designers, Frank Stephenson has created some of the most instantly recognisable cars out there, ranging from the ubiquitous (Fiat 500, BMW X5, New Mini) to the unique (McLaren P1, Lilium flying taxi.)

For many, creating something iconic is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, based on hard work, good timing, and the right conditions. For Frank Stephenson, whose work creating icons has come seemingly naturally, is now turning his attention away from the car design world and towards the future of transportation.

"Chasing Perfect" is a bio-documentary that gives one insight into the complex world of designing for the masses while maintaining the integrity found in the definition of perfect. Find out more of what influences drive and inspires the designer behind what gets us around and surrounds us with space that speaks to our mobility & stylistic needs.

"Chasing Perfect" can be acquired via digital download order, streaming, and DVD purchase through the following resources.

Amazon
iTunes
Google Play
REDBOX
VUDU

... or, just Search for your favorite portal of choice.

... notes from The EDJE

Featured Posting On Electric Vehicles & Hybrid News




TAGS: Frank Stephenson, 2025AD, Autonomy, Continental, Chasing Perfect, Salon Pictures, Lionsgate UK, Head Gear Films, Ford, Escort, McLaren, Ferrari, Maserati, BMW X5, Mini, Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Art Center College Of Design, The EDJE

CES 2020 - THE GLOBAL STAGE FOR INNOVATION

CES 2020 - Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - EVHNews.com (2020)

CES 2020 - THE GLOBAL STAGE FOR INNOVATION

- CES 2020 Photo Album -

Photo overview gathered and presented by Electric Vehicles & Hybrid News managing editor Edmund Jenks (2020).

Hyundai Vertical Lift Aircraft - Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - EVHNews.com (2020)

CES is the world's gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years — the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.

Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, it attracts the world's business leaders and pioneering thinkers.

Future-Focused Automakers Turning to Startups

CES 2020 cemented its role as the most important show for automotive technology, with a handful of new car introductions (and re-introductions) plus lots of standalone technologies this week. Most US auto shows other than perhaps LA don’t generate a critical mass of tech-oriented auto company people, analysts, and journalists. CES certainly did.

Automakers are preparing for the future of mobility by investing in and partnering with all sorts of technology and mobility-focused startups, which allows them to expand their knowledge, capability and expertise to remain relevant in an industry on the verge of massive transformation.

Some might snicker when Byton CEO Daniel Kircher called the M-Byte EV “the first smart device on wheels,” but not the people attending this show. Of the vehicle introductions and concept cars, all were electrified – EVs or plug-in hybrids – with no gas-engine-only vehicles introduced.

Enjoy this visual overview gathered on an overnight boomerang run from Los Angeles to Las Vegas Wednesday January 7th and Thursday January 8th, 2020. What a way to begin a year of exciting possibilities.

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Sony, Vision-S, Ford, Fisker, Nissan, Ariya, Mercedes Benz, Vision Avatar, Hyundai, Aisin, Toyota, EVBOX, Futurus, Renovo, Woven City, Fiat, Bell, Mobility Solutions, The EDJE

Lessons Learned In The Needs-Satisfaction World Of "Chasing Perfect"

Lessons Learned In The Needs-Satisfaction World Of "Chasing Perfect"
The first half in a life lived as a motorcycle competitor, artist, pursuer of nature, perfectionist and ... mobility solutions designer, Frank Stephenson.

"Chasing Perfect" is a documentary style film production by Salon Pictures and Lionsgate UK that is a biographical look behind the curtain of the creative and commercially productive life of Casablanca born, Frank Stephenson.

So, just who is this man who was placed into our everyday mobility consciousness?

Listing of the documentary that Salon Pictures, with a distribution partnership through Lionsgate, found as the working title of an active project on the Salon Pictures website. Image Credit: Salon Pictures (2018)

Many people are not aware, but they are met with Stephenson designed solutions when outside of their homes through the traveling designs of the Ford Escort, the BMW X5, the re-birth of the MINI, the modern version of the Fiat 500, as well as the establishment of McLaren in the world of (can this be said?) everyday drive and affordable supercar - a calculation most supercar creators and purveyors do not consider when they create a near 200mph, or better, transportation solution that is meant to be reliably driven (as opposed to being tinkered with in the tune-up shop) everyday.

To label Frank as an artist minimises the totality of what evolves through the many influences and points of information designer Stephenson has to consider and digest before he is given a target assignment objective and places a drawing instrument to a sheet of paper.

Caught in the act of enjoying pursuits of perfection in the McLaren presentation space along the 18th Fairway at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance - Frank and his wife, partner, best friend, co-pilot of "Riverbreeze", and co-lover of Bernese Shepherds, Linda Stephenson. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)

This documentary evolves into an enticing study in the life of an eternally young man who understands that perfection is elusive but for one convergent moment, achievable, given that ultimately, what's produced has to deliver its desired effect, one customer at a time.

This is the very reason why anyone who engages in pursuits that are designed to hit their target, be it a grocer, a lawyer, a boat builder, a healthcare specialist, a government services employee, a salesman, a teacher, a small business owner, or even a CEO would benefit from sitting down and investing an hour and thirty-one minutes experiencing "Chasing Perfect" with one who is never satisfied ... even when the project is over.

These viewing minutes will deliver many lessons when one wishes to become competent at chasing the concept of perfection throughout one's life.

"Chasing Perfect" can be acquired in North America as of July 9th, 2019 via digital download order, streaming, and DVD purchase through the following resources.

Amazon
iTunes
Google Play
REDBOX
VUDU

... or, just Search for your favorite portal of choice.

... notes from The EDJE




TAGS: Frank Stephenson, Chasing Perfect, Salon Pictures, Lionsgate UK, Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology, 1091, Ford, Escort, McLaren, Ferrari, Maserati, BMW X5, Mini, Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, ArtCenter College Of Design, Stewart Reed, The EDJE

124 Spider By Fiat Seeks To Recapture Imagination And Space

Welcome the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider with top up.  Image Credit: FCA (2015)

124 Spider By Fiat Seeks To Recapture Imagination And Space

A 2-seat convertible roadster from Fiat was introduced at the LA Auto Show with the aid of the re-imagined platform that had held the lead in this class for decades and fueled the first rung of many racing ladder series efforts ... the Mazda Miata.

In today's vernacular, where millennials mash together two or more names (from people, places, & things) or concepts into one word, the Fiat 124 Spider becomes the Fiata.

This name ... Fiata, has a touch of fun, but ultimately, minimizes the heart and effort to re-establish Fiat back into the American and world motor culture when this proud Italian mark owned the imagination and space of the affordable and stylish 2-seat roadster sports car.

This excerpted and edited from CarScoops -

A Visual Comparison Between The Fiat 124 Spider And The Mazda MX-5
Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 6:35 pm | Posted by Bogdan Zoltan 

We knew for quite some time that Fiat was prepping to build a small, sporty roadster on Mazda’s ND platform, but we didn’t expect such a divergent result from the original MX-5. 

Even though the new Fiat 124 is technically a Mazda MX-5 with Italian-tailored clothes and a turbocharged engine, it manages to adopt a completely different character than its Nippon counterpart. But how can two cars built at the same plant (at Mazda’s Hiroshima facility) look so different?

2017 Fiat 124 Spider “romantic motoring” rear deck/quarter-panel line, badge, and tail-light are far different than the modern, non-nonsense euro-style of the Miata MX-5.  Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

While the MX-5 appears to be a sharp, driver-focused roadster, the 124 Spider appeals to the forgotten art of “romantic motoring”, centering its existence on driving as a form of delectation, instead of performance. 
----
The Italians did a pretty good job of (almost) completely masking the original design. 

Fiat’s vision mirrors the original 1974 Sport Spider, especially the later, Pininfarina-marketed Spider Azzura, both designed by the Italian coachbuilder. In fact, the similarities between the two are so striking, it actually seems like Fiat brought the Azzura in the 21st century. 

Fiat’s brand new roadster is on a completely different visual pathway compared to the Mazda’s approach. Even the proportions are somewhat changed on the 124, as it’s a bit longer with more extended overhangs; or at least it looks that way, since its back end isn’t slightly raked and the front end doesn’t slope towards the tarmac like the MX-5’s aggressive, pointy design.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider “romantic motoring” front grille.  Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

Mazda’s front end is clean, clear and crisp, with a very unique and original style. Fiat’s front fascia, on the other hand, has a familiar vibe to it (especially the grille), even though you can’t pinpoint where it got it from. It kind of resembles Mini’s current style philosophy, even though we know it’s a very good interpretation of the original Azzura. 
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At the back, the Fiat takes a trip down to memory lane once again, almost plagiarizing the Azzura. There’s no doubt the simple, gimmick-free approach, along with the slightly tilted taillights were taken from its ancestor, as the new 124 was sketched as a safe, evolutionary approach to the old car that left its distinctive mark on the US market. 

2017 Fiat 124 Spider side view has the look of a larger, more mature roadster than the 2016 Mazda Miata MX-5. With the top up, a "class effect" is imparted and adds to the sense we are entering a re-newed age of "romantic motoring."  Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2015)

And yes, it looks markedly different than the MX-5, which appears to be at least 10-years younger than the 124 Spider.

In the cabin, things take a 180 degree turn, because there are practically no differences between the two models. Both the 124 Spider and the MX-5 have exactly the same layout and design. In fact, the only major game changer is the badge on the (slightly thicker) steering wheel. Perhaps cash-strapped Fiat couldn't, or wasn't prepared to, fork out for a new interior. 

Fiat’s classic approach may have cleared Mazda’s path and appeal to potential buyers, but its somewhat dated design can still spawn its very own cult of followers.
[Reference Here - Includes Photo Gallery]

In only one small way does the effort feel that Fiat, in its re-purpose of the Mazda Miata MX-5 into the 124 Spider, did not go far enough to differentiate itself from the original platform so as to make the term "Fiata" irrelevant ... like the simple addition of a factory made, integrated snap-on, hard top, for example.

Of course, this becomes a perfect SEMA segment company opportunity for product of the year in Las Vegas come 2016.

... notes from The EDJE


 LA Auto Show - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC//NOVEMBER 20-29, 2015


TAGS: Fiat, 124 Spider, Mazda, Miata, MX-5, Miata MX-5, romatic motoring, Azzura, 2015 LA Auto Show, The EDJE