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Originally Posted by Imhotep Evil 1. To be interesting, IMO it should go beyond the curent state of affairs, and only the first TT and now R8 do that. |
There really is no such thing as avant-garde design ...all predictions of "the future" are invariably set to be seen from a contemporary context ..thus, the results will inevitably be expressions of the present -- but that may be at a very highly cultured level, like concept cars.
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Originally Posted by Imhotep Evil 2. Thus if Audi doesn't change they won't become a design leader, IMO. |
Well Audi is changing -- they have established a strong position -- they are not about sudden and irrational change ....that would go completely against the aesthetic principles of the brand. As I said earlier, Audi is a design-led manufacturer ...that goes much further than just the appearence of their cars .... Audi's aesthetic philosophy is holistic -- it is incorporated into the entire system of the brand: marketing, manufacturing, and corporate.
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3. What does Audi stand for ?!
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Vorsprung durch Technik -- this is more than just a pragmatic slogan -- it is a metaphysical one too -- the whole culture of the brand is built around this pusuit of advancement through technology -- it is a clean, all encopassing, and very Teutonic aesthetic.
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> As for communication, Audi themselves stated that they were following BMW on the path to humanity, and that so their cars must comunicate to people.
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Well sure ...it is clearly a part of the evolution of the brand ...I think we have seen quite clearly that Audi have become more expessive with their recent designs
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> However this only makes them a follower, not a leader (unless they pick something else).
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That is a moot point Imhotep Evil -- I don't think Audi is following BMW in terms of actual design perse ...but of course BMW have been enormously influential in the design world ..Audi, being a pragmatic and receptive design-led company, are naturally going to take notice of design philosophies from other leaders ....but like BMW, that is not confined to the auto-industry ....but also from all facets of art, music, architecture, science, information technology and IT culture, philosophy, anthropology and sociology. There are people who are professional trend spotters -- they are employed by companies like Audi, Nike, IBM, etc. to research all manor of social, cultural, and design trends.
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4. In its critics of metaphysics one of the arguments Nietzsche used, was that metaphysics is agains/anti-human.
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I am using the term metaphysics in a more general sense ... the subconscious, underlying associations of semiotics and specific aesthetics in our contemporary culture -- of course, these associations and meanings can vary from one culture to another ...or from person to person ...but also can change over time.
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But now back to MB.
Their main problem IMO, is that they desperately want to be loved by everyone.
They don't want to be seen as an old man/excesively conservative (design) auto maker, nor a love it or hate BMW type.
And in this process of balancing they can produce some really goofy designs, witch have neither the majesty of the older ones, nor the artistical shock and
awe influence/growndbreaking force of the avant-garde BMW designs.
MB represent the search for compromise/balance that on several ocasions goes wrong.
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Well that was precisely my innitial point.