The final element to Maccolini’s presentation was a very cool short film announcing Alfa’s return to the US market. And as with the other speakers at Autostyle, he gave credit to his team of designers for creating the vehicle and to the clay modellers who worked on the project.
Flavio Manzoni’s presentation on LaFerrari was the proverbial icing on the cake. As the last one of the day, Manzoni drove the human aspect home by presenting several members of the team responsible for the creation of the Enzo successor.
“I am very proud of this professional team,” Manzoni said. “There is a high human value in the design center and a synergy between creatives, engineers, aerodynamic engineers and other experts in manufacturing, which is why it was decided to do the project in house. This synergy with our colleagues is important and allows a technology transfer from F1 to road vehicles.”
Manzoni explained how the design development of LaFerrari began with nine models in 2010, was whittled down to five models built in full-scale in May 2011 and how the final selection’s design themes were transferred onto a single model [see the proposals that informed the LaFerrari design here]. His presentation focused on the technical requirements of LaFerrari and its packaging, lightweight elements and aerodynamic attributes, all of which are of utmost importance when designing a hypercar capable of a top speed in excess of 350km/h.
“It’s important to understand the technical essence of a product in order to understand its shape,” Manzoni said, echoing Maccolini’s sentiment. As such, LaFerrari was an “aerodynamic conception” Manzoni says, though “it’s not a shape dug in by air, but a form stemming from the carbon fiber platform.”
While birds and wings inspired LaFerrari’s ‘tensostruttura’ form language — the treatment of the bodyside harnessed lessons learned from F1. And though its design is inherently modern to conform to the challenges encountered during the design process, its front face also cites the F156 sharknose racecar from 1961 – itself inspired by the 250 GTO — in a discreet way.
The analogies to F1 don’t end there. The overall need to save weight and optimize aerodynamics while adhering to strict homologation standards meant that the car’s design process was very complex. “Every millimeter was redesigned and remodeled dozens if not hundreds of times,” Manzoni said. “Every time we made a change it was necessary to test it in the wind tunnel.”
And though the performance — and therefore technological ability — of a Ferrari is of utmost importance, Manzoni still maintains that clay is the best method in which to work. “It is very important for the sensual form,” he said.
In conclusion, before giving advice to the students, Manzoni pointed out an image on his last slide and said: “These sketches are by Marc Poulain [a previous Autostyle winner who joined Ferrari in 2010]. He has developed into a very good element of our team.” He then cited a quote from industrial designer Achille Castiglioni, whom he himself met as a student: “A designer is not an artist. You must forget about working on your own. Good design is the result of teamwork. A whole career cannot fully explain what this means…”
The interaction with industry colleagues combined with the quality of speakers at this year’s Autostyle Design Competition makes this event exceed expectations of a conventional design competition. Add in the Italian sunlight reflecting off the surfaces of the latest concept and production vehicles and it’s a recipe for a decade of success. We’re already looking forward to the next one.
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