Honda to Close European Design Studio

Honda apparently doesn’t think much for European designs. The Japanese automaker has just announced that it will close its European design studio, located in Offenbach, near Frankfurt, Germany. This is the latest cost cutting measure by Honda to reduce operational losses.

The R&D center is responsible for design of European Honda models as well as for motorcycles. Some of the more notable designs to come out of the German offices are the Neukom concept, unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show in 1999 and the OSM (pictured above), which was first shown in 2008.

‘There is no word on where automotive design will be transferred to, although motorcycle design is thought to be moved to Honda’s Italian design studio in Rome.

Honda has said that, for now, the non-design related R&D activities at the offices will continue.

Source;
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2009/10/breaking-honda-to-close-european-design-studio.html

Honda Concept: The Honda Zepplin

This is not an Official Honda Concept but made by a design student Myung Jin Jung.
Figure out which direction this thing drives yet? In the image above, the Honda Zeppelin would zip off to the left. At glance, you might be tempted to say that designer Myung Jin Jung's creation's most interesting quality is its asymmetrical design, but the real weird stuff is actually going on inside. The front seats of the Zeppelin swivel 180° (when the vehicle isn't in motion, or that's the plan), so that the occupants can interact with one another as if they were in a living room instead.

Supposedly the glamor of air travel inspired both the curvy, crazy exterior and the more personal interior — thus the Zeppelin. I don't want to sound like a downer, but when I think of flying on a plane lately, I don't think of having space to stretch my legs or wanting to talk to the folks around me. Still, pretty car.

What sets the Zeppelin apart?
The Zeppelin includes a slit-like windscreen, attached to a video display inside the car, which offers an extensive view and better driving perception to the driver. Moreover, the car comes with swiveling front seats, capable of rotating on an acute 180-degree angle to face the back seats, taking the Zeppelin into the “Entertainment Mode.” This makes the interior the car more adaptable while being luxurious.

Myung, who is a student designer from Hongik University, created the Zeppelin concept as a part of his final year thesis of the car design course.

Source(s);
http://dvice.com/archives/2009/04/crazy_looking_h.php?p=2&cat=undefined#more

http://www.thedesignblog.org/entry/honda-zeppelin-is-luxuriously-adaptable/