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From YourSITE.com Miscellaneous Features Tehran, Iran - If you were to poll automotive aficionados on what nations are hotbeds of memorable automotive design, our guess is that such a list would start with the obvious… Germany, Italy or the United States. Even beyond that short list, you’d likely have to go pretty far down the line before you’d find a vote for Iran. Don’t be fooled though - there are some very qualified Iranian designers in this field and the recent ‘From Dreams to Reality’ exposition was brought about to showcase this unknown talent.
Participating designers included: Iman Maghsoudi, Farzad Barkhordary, Alireza Mohammdzade, Keyvan Naderi, Mohsen Jafari malek, Hossein Soleymani, Yaser Rashid Shomali, Mohammad Reza Shojaee, Hosein Amini-Yekta, Majid Razmi, Hamed Amini, Ali Reza Sahragard, Peyman Mardani, Amin Dahre Sobh, Mostafa Bonakdar, Kaveh Naser Bakht, Hesamaldin Jeddy, Mahdy Sadeghi Rad. Design subjects in the Iranian exposition ranged widely – from brands devised by the designers themselves to existing ones - even unexpected American marques such as Ford and HUMMER. European nameplates were most common, with Audi and its wholly owned subsidiary, Lamborghini, being two popular choices. An Audi coupe design was the focus of one of the team efforts, while two Audis and a Lamborghini GT model were also displayed.
Audi D7 Concept – Team Project The Audi D7 concept examines the idea of an electrically-powered sports coupe within the German marque. On paper, the coupe is described as a super sports concept car with a front-mounted motor providing electric power to the wheels. Most notably, the low-slung two-door takes Audi’s modern lighting signature to the extreme. “Light belts” around the car integrate the headlights and taillights to augment the car’s lines and make it immediately identifiable as an Audi, especially at night.
Another notable change, the D7 skips the trademark Audi shield grille entirely. It’s a radical move for an Audi, but this concept coupe instead has a vertical opening designers envision would house hardware for recharging the car’s batteries. One can see plenty of current Audi family cues in the car’s voluptuous design – from an R8-like nose to the brand’s widely-used five-spoke alloys. An Audi enthusiast will also appreciate the designers’ nod to Audis past with placement of four rings on the car just aft the front wheels – much like the original ur Quattro coupe, though that ‘80s rallying icon never featured accent lighting that followed its movement into the night.
It’s assumed that the D in the D7 nameplate suggests its size. D is used to designate Audi’s largest vehicles like the A8. However, given Audi’s recent suggestion of an E-range of vehicles to mark efficiency and alternative propulsion, perhaps the name E7 might be more fitting.
Audi A7 by Farzad Barkhordary The second Audi-subject design in the exposition was a car bearing the name ‘A7’ by designer Farzad Barkhordary. Models bearing the ‘7’ designation began several years ago when the Q7 SUV hit the market, while most know that a four door coupe dubbed ‘A7’ is also a part of Ingolstadt’s future planning. Germany’s A7 will be decidedly car-based as hinted to by the Sportback Concept shown in Detroit last January. Barkhordary goes a different direction with his A7 concept by making it share more with the Q7 SUV. The result is a an off-road-ready four-door coupe in the vein of the BMW X6. Farzad Barkhordary eevolves existing Audi design language to define the car. His use of the grille-work underneath the headlights is a decidedly different take on a staple Audi element and an interesting direction to be sure. An outlet on the front quarter panel takes on the feel of a reverse positioned side blade as seen on the Audi R8, while suicide doors give way to the angled C-pillar window treatment similar to what Audi plans for its upcoming Sportback models (A7 Sportback included.) Some of Barkhordary’s displayed drawings show various directions the design could have gone, though you get the best feel for what an Audi answer to the X6 might look like in his CGI rendering depicting the front three-quarter view of the car in a light shade of grey. Call it A7, call it Q7 Sportback or call it whatever else you wish. As Audi considers new segments and niches to extend the brand, Farzad Barkhordary’s concept car certainly shows an Audi answer to the BMW X6 could be one very desirable vehicle.
Audi Rally Car by Mahdi Sadeghi Rad The Audi Rally Car concept submitted by Mahdi Sadeghi Rad is but one rendering in a selection of small cars that also included an interesting Volkswagen Microbus-like vehicle. Both are evidence of Rad’s love of the Volkswagen Group brands and heritage. There is only one image provided of the Rally Car and little information to go with it. This tall coupe-like vehicle appears to have a rear compartment with no windows. It is presumably something that might fit the Audi brand in its A1/A2 class of vehicles. With only one profile drawing, it is difficult to assess the car or compare it to Audi’s own design language. From what we can see, the Rally Car does share a similar profile and elements such as rounded fender arches with Audi’s last-gen A2 – more in-tune with Ingolstadt’s previous simple-and-clean Bauhaus design era most defined by the first-generation TT.
Lamborghini Aggressive Hunter by Majid Razmi Two things become apparent when you look at Majid Razmi’s Lamborghini concept. First, we’re guessing something was lost in translation and ‘Aggressive Hunter’ sounds a lot cooler in Razmi’s native tongue. Second, his edgy sports GT makes a great case for a Sant’Agatan answer to the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Majid Razmi cites the iconic Lamborghini Miura as his primary source of inspiration. Key design cues at the sides are four holes fore and aft of the front wheels envisioned for airflow. These came from the Espada, while he cites the use of a mirrored line as a common cue of Stile Bertone, the Italian design house responsible for the Miura. Other design themes such as six-edges and the basic triangular form were current Lamborghini design cues that Razmi wanted to carry into his design in order to help establish it as a credible modern Lamborghini.
At the Paris Auto Show last fall, Lamborghini showed another front-engine concept – the Estoque four-door coupe. In many ways, the Estoque shows a direction that Lamborghini could take, utilizing Audi’s new modular longitudinal chassis (MLP) architecture while creating something different in the exotic GT segment. The Aggressive Hunter looks as if it too could also use the MLP, but instead takes cars like the Ferrari 599 or the Aston Martin DBS and puts them square between the horns of Lamborghini’s raging bull.
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