Audi 2010 Annual Report Download - page 35

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fi lm longed for the next journey. He
repeated the Stockholm-to-Africa trip,
this time by kayak – and once again
years later in a fl ying boat that he built
himself, essentially from an infl atable
boat, a kite and a propeller. Once, when
he was at a height of 3,000 meters,
interceptors were sent up to meet him.
The offi cers could simply not explain
the image on their screens. Never had
they witnessed such a small aircraft –
and such a slow one – at such a height.
Expeditions in the Himalayas and to
the North Pole followed. Nilson rode
across Mongolia on horseback and
crossed the Atlantic by jet ski, teaching
himself the skills as he went.
Wolfgang Egger, Head of Design for the Audi Group, Wolfgang Egger, Head of Design for the Audi Group,
in the Audi Design studio in Munich.in the Audi Design studio in Munich.
Wolfgang Egger’s product design team is developing a
carbon sled for Johan Ernst Nilson’s expedition, working
jointly with the specialists at Acapulka.
For a carmaker, what is the great appeal about building a
lightweight sled?
We want to position Audi Design as an exclusive design
brand. To this end, we also create extraordinary products
away from the world of cars. And it is a particular challenge
to use a high-tech material to develop a sled that will be a
reliable companion for explorer Johan Ernst Nilson on his
expedition to the South Pole.
Are there parallels between the design of a car and that of
such an extraordinary piece of sports equipment?
In this case, the designer faces a very similar task: He
has to implement a functional form that is to fulfi ll specifi c
technical requirements in an emotional design.
The sled is made of carbon. What role does this material
play in such a development process?
The material is of immense importance for the design.
Its properties and history form the basis for our work.
We always fi rst think of the material and of how to use it
in an authentic manner. This results in a unity of function
and emotion.
Is there any common ground between your work as Audi
designers and that of Johan Ernst Nilson as an explorer?
Johan Ernst Nilson’s marvelous pioneering achievements
and mindset, with his wish to overcome the power of nature
by means of his own strength, are a perfect match for Audi.
With our brand essence of Vorsprung durch Technik we
designers aspire constantly to create innovations and thus
to be a step ahead of the times. We therefore see ourselves
as pioneers, just like Johan Ernst Nilson.
“We always fi rst think of the
material and of how to use it
in an authentic manner”
Interview