Recently, I sat down with one of Audi's head designers, Dany Garand. While most of you have probably never heard his name before, you've no doubt spotted his creations on the road: He's the man behind the current TT and the A3, as well as the brand-new A1. He's the one you really have to blame for all that lusting and gawking.
Speaking with him was like talking to a kid who'd just been to Disney World and couldn't stop talking about how cool everything was. Garand truly loves what he does and he has a passion for automotive design and everything related to it. Even after a few decades in the industry, his eyes still light up when he talks about what his work involves – and it's that light, he says, that makes a car come alive, and it's the reason he's so passionate about it.
How does your car make you feel?
Garand spoke about vehicles stirring up emotions in people, whether from behind the wheel or when you see them on the street. He said how things like weather, lighting and even the state in which your car is in (dirty or clean) can greatly affect the way you feel about your car.
And I couldn't help by smile and nod my head in agreement.
I change my car every week. Some might think that's a bit extreme and downright annoying, but I love it. Every Monday I get to experience a new car from a range of different prices and markets. And they all make me feel something different.
Sometimes it's purely a design thing. There are cars I do double-takes on as I walk away when I've parked. There are cars I scurry into, hoping that no one will notice me driving. And there are cars I just stand in my living room window and stare at in my driveway for minutes on end; they're like works of art.
And sometimes it's the circumstance. Am I having a good week? A bad week? Did something bad happen in my life? It can greatly influence my opinion on a car and what I think about it. Was the weather nice and was I in a convertible? Best car ever! Was it snowing and I was in a FWD on all-season tires? Good God, shoot me now.
And it made me realize how right Garand was: Cars are truly an emotional thing. From buying them to living with them, they stir up something within us that can't quite be compared to anything else. Maybe our homes, but even those are too static to entice such drastic mood swings. I'm never ashamed of my home because it's raining and the paint on the siding doesn't look quite right.
Emotions influence us throughout our daily activities, no matter how rational we try to be. Automotive designers know this and they tap into it every time they put pen to sketchpad, sculpting tool to modelling clay. It's an incredible thing to feel something so strongly for an inanimate object, and I'm fascinated with it each time I'm handed the keys to my new car.
How does your car make you feel?
Speaking with him was like talking to a kid who'd just been to Disney World and couldn't stop talking about how cool everything was. Garand truly loves what he does and he has a passion for automotive design and everything related to it. Even after a few decades in the industry, his eyes still light up when he talks about what his work involves – and it's that light, he says, that makes a car come alive, and it's the reason he's so passionate about it.
How does your car make you feel?
Garand spoke about vehicles stirring up emotions in people, whether from behind the wheel or when you see them on the street. He said how things like weather, lighting and even the state in which your car is in (dirty or clean) can greatly affect the way you feel about your car.
And I couldn't help by smile and nod my head in agreement.
I change my car every week. Some might think that's a bit extreme and downright annoying, but I love it. Every Monday I get to experience a new car from a range of different prices and markets. And they all make me feel something different.
Sometimes it's purely a design thing. There are cars I do double-takes on as I walk away when I've parked. There are cars I scurry into, hoping that no one will notice me driving. And there are cars I just stand in my living room window and stare at in my driveway for minutes on end; they're like works of art.
And sometimes it's the circumstance. Am I having a good week? A bad week? Did something bad happen in my life? It can greatly influence my opinion on a car and what I think about it. Was the weather nice and was I in a convertible? Best car ever! Was it snowing and I was in a FWD on all-season tires? Good God, shoot me now.
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| Even covered in slush and snow the Countryman S ALL4 makes me smile. (Photo: Miranda Lightstone/Auto123.com) |
And it made me realize how right Garand was: Cars are truly an emotional thing. From buying them to living with them, they stir up something within us that can't quite be compared to anything else. Maybe our homes, but even those are too static to entice such drastic mood swings. I'm never ashamed of my home because it's raining and the paint on the siding doesn't look quite right.
Emotions influence us throughout our daily activities, no matter how rational we try to be. Automotive designers know this and they tap into it every time they put pen to sketchpad, sculpting tool to modelling clay. It's an incredible thing to feel something so strongly for an inanimate object, and I'm fascinated with it each time I'm handed the keys to my new car.
How does your car make you feel?