Volkswagen decided to give us a sneak peak at the new up! Frankfurt Motor Show begins. Volkswagen for many years since the original Beetle. It's surprisingly a very dynamic design for such a small car. It doesn't appear too tall for its 136 inch by 64 inch frame. It has very interesting details, such as the Volkswagen badge in the rear that serves as the third brake light. The short front and rear overhangs not only gives the car a dynamic look, it also improves interior space. Speaking of the interior, the up! No clutter of buttons or dials on the dash. Everything is controlled through the seven-inch screen that utilizes a new interface system. It does seat only four with adequate luggage up front. Nothing in the official press release talked about possibility of production. However, Martin Winterkorn gave strong indication to the fact during his presentation. He says that the up!
Volkswagen, Skoda, and SEAT brands. The press release, however, does mention that the up! At face value, that little saying probably means that Volkswagen has reinvented a classic (the Beetle) but, if we look deeper, could Volkswagen really be talking about themselves? Only time will tell. So while we wait, check out the press release and more images after the jump. Update: Image gallery added. Click image to start. Click again to enlage. IAA 2007 / up! World premiere: Volkswagen up! Wolfsburg, September 2007. There are cars that endure for all times. They are icons of their type, masterpieces of craftsmanship and technology; they put ideas into motion, make progress tangible and sometimes quite simply make everyday life better, more practical and enjoyable. Many of these cars carry the VW logo. “Bug, Beetle, New Beetle”, “T1, Bulli, Samba bus, California”, “Golf, GTI”. Now Volkswagen is presenting - as a world premiere at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt - a concept car that once again has the right stuff needed to move more than just one generation.
It is a small, pure and high-spirited Volkswagen that pays tribute to its environment. The overall concept is marked by an innovative, clear, intuitive functionality. The name of the concept car: up! A small car that shows a lot of size, because it offers more space than any other car of similar length (3.45 meters) and width (1.63 meters). Its engine - conceivable here are all facets of technology that can be sensibly applied - will run in the rear. And that changes everything: Space, mood and design. Walter de Silva, Chief Designer of the Volkswagen group, sums it up like this: “The up! It shines in its cleverness and yet is made with loving care. And so the up! Volkswagen design.” Furthermore, the team of designers and engineers has envisioned the up! Ralf-Gerhard Willner, Director of Concept Development, has final responsibility for the technical layout of the up! He and Walter de Silva had already achieved a new balance in the mutual interaction between form and function at Volkswagen before the start of the project.
“Absolute harmony of the basic technological concept and the emotional aspects of the design”, note Willner and de Silva in unison, “can only be achieved in a hard clash of ideas between engineers and designers. That is the only way to produce icons.” That is precisely why the up! Its form is pure. It just had to look like this, no other look would do. There is nothing superfluous, and its functionality - and so also its design - speak for themselves. Simultaneously- and this is typical of Volkswagen - uncompromisingly attention was given to refining every line and every surface until we had created a friendly and masterful car. The fact that the engine of the up! That is because the up! It forges links to the Beetle. This fact alone gives it a great deal of independence. In many areas, technology and design have melded into a vehicle architecture that is not only appealing, but is also very utilitarian. The rear end of the up! The tailgate was produced using a transparent material.
