“My job is to replace them, so I have to live with it,” explained Garand matter-of-factly. Some of us may dream of owning an Audi TTRS for weekend drives in the country, but Garand drives it to awaken a different set of emotions. “There's a touch of social acceptance in automotive design. How does this car make you feel as a driver? How do others perceive you?”
And so, every 9 months or so, Garand makes the switch and updates his company car based on the designs he's working on so he can truly get a feel for the car he's looking to improve, such as the TT.
“I want the next TT to be stronger,” stated Garand. “It's a learning process to achieve stronger design.”
Well, then. Clearly designing a vehicle is about more than smooth lines and making sure all the pieces fit together without rattles and spaces. And that's what pushes Audi to the top of their game, clearly. Speaking with Garand, it was clear to see the passion he has for his position in the company. Every day he goes to work eager to reach that next level in his project, eager to see his sketches take shape in 3D models and real-life concepts.
So, where does Madonna come into all this? In all his passionate prose about his battle from middleclass Quebec to the elustrious speed-limit-free roads of Germany, Garand made one of his most interesting analogies of all: Audi is a lot like Madonna.
Over the years Madonna has managed to stay on top of the charts and in everyone's tape decks/CD players/iPods because she reinvents herself without losing her core values. She adapts to her audience, but still stays true to herself – just like Audi. Every time they launch a new design or a new model (take the A1 for example), it might be called “new” but it's an Audi through and through, and that's evident. Just as Madonna may release a new song that follows the current trend in the music industry, you know it's a Madonna song before you even catch a whiff of her raspy, slightly out-of-tune voice.
And so Garand battles with the old and new every day at work as he tackles projects like the forthcoming A3 and the TT. Sitting with his coffee in hand, staring at a life-size clay model, Garand (literally) whittles away at it until he has a vehicle that embodies sportiness, progression and sophistication: a vehicle that embodies Audi.
“A battle that's been resolved: that's my favourite part of the job,” Garand said with a smile. “To see the progression from sketch to final production model... it's pure magic.”
And so, every 9 months or so, Garand makes the switch and updates his company car based on the designs he's working on so he can truly get a feel for the car he's looking to improve, such as the TT.
“I want the next TT to be stronger,” stated Garand. “It's a learning process to achieve stronger design.”
Well, then. Clearly designing a vehicle is about more than smooth lines and making sure all the pieces fit together without rattles and spaces. And that's what pushes Audi to the top of their game, clearly. Speaking with Garand, it was clear to see the passion he has for his position in the company. Every day he goes to work eager to reach that next level in his project, eager to see his sketches take shape in 3D models and real-life concepts.
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| 2012 Audi TT (Photo: Audi) |
So, where does Madonna come into all this? In all his passionate prose about his battle from middleclass Quebec to the elustrious speed-limit-free roads of Germany, Garand made one of his most interesting analogies of all: Audi is a lot like Madonna.
Over the years Madonna has managed to stay on top of the charts and in everyone's tape decks/CD players/iPods because she reinvents herself without losing her core values. She adapts to her audience, but still stays true to herself – just like Audi. Every time they launch a new design or a new model (take the A1 for example), it might be called “new” but it's an Audi through and through, and that's evident. Just as Madonna may release a new song that follows the current trend in the music industry, you know it's a Madonna song before you even catch a whiff of her raspy, slightly out-of-tune voice.
And so Garand battles with the old and new every day at work as he tackles projects like the forthcoming A3 and the TT. Sitting with his coffee in hand, staring at a life-size clay model, Garand (literally) whittles away at it until he has a vehicle that embodies sportiness, progression and sophistication: a vehicle that embodies Audi.
“A battle that's been resolved: that's my favourite part of the job,” Garand said with a smile. “To see the progression from sketch to final production model... it's pure magic.”