When it comes to impressive auto concepts in the Motor City, one needs to look no further each year than the collegiate offerings at the North American International Auto Show.
Detroit never shines as brightly as when its young genius takes to the drawing board, no holds barred.
The 2012 NAIAS Lawrence Technological University standouts were a pleasure to peruse. And, in keeping with the school’s usual striking performance, more young LTU designers are successfully moving from its hallowed halls of education into corporate America.
In that wake is a legacy of beautiful colors, sleek lines and imaginative vision, surely promising a secure future in vehicle design.
Third-year student Colin Bonathan, 20, and from Wayne, Mich., measures up in extraordinary ways, extending additional recognition for his four-generation, car-focused family.
“I always knew I wanted to go into automotive, and when I realized I could actually draw cars for a living, car design was my calling,” he said. “I came to Lawrence Tech because I’m interested in every single portion of the automobile: how it looks, how it sounds, how it works…LTU's program allows me to become well rounded in every aspect of the automobile, (such as) what goes into making an automobile; learning the (design and manufacture) process is a huge part of our program.”
Bonathan snagged the Chevrolet Brand Winner for the 2011 GM Car Design News Design Competition with his multi-colored futuristic SUV, featuring rear lines reminiscent of Egyptian inspiration. He also garnered both the Jesper Ingerslev Judge’s Pick Award and the Matt Humphries Judge’s Pick Award in the Factory Five Project 818 Design Competition with a green hard-top roadster sporting a hybrid-like appearance and off-center wheel hubs. Finally, he nabbed the 2011 Steel Market Development Institute and Michelin Steel Wheel Design Competition, which is prominently encased at the show this year, too.
In collaboration with LTU sophomore Jeeho Cha, Bonathan was also recognized for a Lincoln 2025 Continental, hyped as the high-speed vehicle “for discerning businessmen.” Bonathan’s gleaming burgundy exterior highlights balance between aerodynamic streamlining and logical beauty — like a sliding trunk — while Cha’s roomy light interior offers stainless steel inlays, fresh air from integrated bonsai trees and mahogany perks. Center-opening doors and food/beverage storage round out the duo’s efforts, and it’s visionary enough to be compared to this year’s much-ballyhooed NAIAS Acura NSX concept supercar.
Student design is obviously holding its own appreciably.
Just a few yards down the main concourse from LTU is the Oakland University racing team. Its spotlighted 2012 super car, brings pride to the Grizzlies legend in the D. Although the school has some unneeded baggage with its annoying local current TV ads of a wandering idiot looking for the admissions office, OU has particularly distinguished itself in recent years athletically as well as academically.
The Formula SAE program adds further panache to that effort. Comprised predominantly of mechanical engineering majors, it has continued to make progress in that area as well as business, says its marketing manager Stephanie Moore.
"We design, build, test, and race a formula car annually," said Moore, a business marketing senior who graduates in April. "It is completely student run and we build and design a new car every year, (which) takes about nine months to do. Then, we participate in collegiate competitions with colleges from all over the world, where we are tested in design, durability and endurance. There is also a business competition, which asks teams to create a business plan of how we would produce and sell 1,000 units of our car. And, we participate in racing events that include acceleration, auto-crossing, and endurance."
That effort is paying off to date. During the summer of 2011, the team placed 11th overall in an international collegiate competition in Fontana, Calif.
"This broke all school records at Oakland University," said Moore, a self-described passionate automotive industry fan who additionally serves as president of the American Marketing Association at OU. "We also participate in all of the Detroit SCCA auto crosses, where we have been the champion of our division for three years in a row. Most colleges do not participate in any other events besides the collegiate competition, (but) we feel this gives us an advantage because it allows us more testing and practicing."
Sponsors remain a pivotal aspect of the team's needs and Moore says it allows OU to stay an active group.
"We are actually an under-privileged chapter," she said. "We have sponsors who donate parts and sponsors who give monetary donations, without whom we would not be able to participate in the program. Larger schools and international schools receive much more funding than we do, (so) we are always looking for sponsors."
OU's main sponsors include: Prefix, Solid Concepts, SECS, Continental, CF Designs, and Solid Works.
Senior Usama Ali, a mechanical engineering major from Rochester Hills, enriches his educational expertise through extra-curricular activity with the team.
“I moved here from Egypt after 1994/1995,” Ali said. “I’d always enjoyed redesigning other machines as a kid, but around high school it developed into crafting alternative vehicles — tweaking them with new ideas I had. That led to two summer internships for Chrysler.”
Now the program aims early to get each year’s designs in, says Ali. A rigid full six months of planning and pre testing ensures better success before each annual competition, and OU focuses on maintaining expertise among the collegiate movers and shakers in racing.
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