About the origins of the I.D. VIZZION showcar
A really stressful dreamjob
Forward-looking: the ID. VIZZION concept study showcased by Volkswagen in Geneva.
With Volkswagen at the Geneva International Motor Show the focus will be on one vehicle in particular: the I.D. VIZZION, the brand's latest concept study. The forward-looking show car is the fourth and youngest member of the electrically powered I.D. model range with a consistent focus on autonomous driving.
At Volkswagen's stand in Hall 2, the elegant luxury saloon, is based on the new, fully electric MEB drive platform. The car will likely be met with a frenzy of flashing cameras as well as expressions of amazement on the faces of journalists and car fans from all over the world. That's because its innovative interior and operating concept is void of a steering wheel and any other visible operating elements. And the wide-opening butterfly doors are sure to give flight to the imagination of all those who behold them.
‘Excitement and relief'
It's a special moment each and every time for Dzemal Sjenar, Volkswagen head of concept cars, and Christian Endter, I.D. VIZZION project manager in concept vehicle development. ‘It's a mixture of excitement and relief,' explains Dzemal Sjenar. ‘It's only once the vehicle has been unveiled and driven onto the stage for the first time that our job is finished,' says the Bosnian, who has set the wheels in motion for countless studies during his approximately 30 years with Volkswagen.
One of the show car makers: Dzemal Sjenar has lots of experience with spectacular studies.
And there are many signs which reveal that the Volkswagen show car makers have done their job well – some of them are immediate. For example, ‘Everyone who sees and experiences the vehicle for the first time – with unbridled excitement in their eyes. When they're speechless for just a moment. When you can see the wonder, the curiosity and the amazement on their faces,' says Christian Endter, explaining the ‘wow' effect they're always hoping for. ‘Or when we've managed to provide inspiration for the future development of vehicles with our ideas,' adds Dzemal Sjenar. ‘That means we've done everything right and achieved our objective.'
A long road from concept to show car
But the road to the final destination is long: ‘ideally' it takes one year from the initial concept to the finished show car. During these twelve months skilled experts deliver a lot of manual labour. During this process, the different areas of Technical Development work closely together: Concept Development, Design and Prototype building, just to name a few, to finish the car right on time.
The requirements are demanding and time is slipping away – faster than for any production model due to the shorter development cycles. As a result, the core team of around 30, which grows to 100 employees at peak times, needs to be extremely flexible. That's not a problem for passionate automotive visionaries such as Dzemal Sjenar. ‘If you can't handle the stress, you can't do the job,' he says with a shrug, laughing.
ID. VIZZION under construction
The star of the Detroit Motor Show in January 2017: The ID. Buzz showcar.
And what do they get for all their work? The concept vehicle developers prefer their reward in the form of sentences like this one: ‘I'd like to order one straight away – I can pay right now!' as a guest spontaneously remarked during the premiere of the I.D. Buzz.
Not possible, unfortunately! The spontaneous purchase at the trade fair stand is one of the few wishes that Endter, Sjenar and the others are unable to fulfil for car fans. Apart from that, there's almost no end to their creativity. ‘Technologically speaking, Volkswagen enjoys exploring new terrain with its show cars, particularly when it comes to obtaining feedback on certain technical features or solutions,' explains project manager Christian Endter.
Excitement in China: the production-derived T-Prime Concept GTE study, which provided a look at the new Touareg.
A real dream job
Sounds like a real dream job, doesn't it? ‘Absolutely!' the two confirm in unison. ‘Being involved in such a complex product in such a short period of time, from the sketch and construction to the unveiling, is definitely a dream job.' And that's something you can see in their faces: when they talk about recently completed or new projects, their eyes sparkle much like the show cars they build.
Dream job? Dream job! Above all else, the show car makers value ‘the total freedom' to pursue new concepts such as the legendary Golf GTI W12, which with its six-litre, twelve-cylinder bi-turbo mid-engine delivers an impressive 478 kW/650 PS and a torque of 750 Nm, and caused quite a sensation during the GTI event at Lake Wörthersee, Austria in 2007.
‘We focus on the visionary things,' says Christian Endter, explaining his team's responsibilities. For everything else, they benefit from the company's exceptional development and manufacturing expertise in classic vehicle construction. ‘A classic example is the brakes,' he says. ‘We tend to make use of the components found in existing modules. No need to develop new ones.'
Nonetheless, when it comes to all the automotive visions they pursue together, Endter and his colleagues still always build cars, not castles in the air. And no one knows that better than they do: ‘We assess and monitor technical feasibility already during the design stage,' he emphasises.
I.D. VIZZION is equipped for a distant future
And the I.D. VIZZION is no different, with its innovative operating concept which ‘is equipped for two or three generations into the future'. The ‘digital chauffeur' is in charge of controlling the vehicle with a whole host of assistance systems. At the same time, a ‘virtual host' anticipates just about every wish the passengers have via voice and gesture control.
ID. VIZZION project manager, Christian Endter: „The whole team has delivered an outstanding result!"
First of its kind: the ID. will be available for sale as an electric small family car in 2020.
Sound spectacular? ‘That's because it is!' promises the project manager. And Endter adds: "What's only recognizable for insiders here: The whole team delivered this outstanding result in an unbelievable short amount of time."
And who knows? In just a few days, someone at the Volkswagen stand in Geneva just might make him a spontaneous offer like the anonymous electric car enthusiast who once wanted to by the I.D. Buzz then and there.
Whichever form this offer might take, fans of the I.D. range will have to be patient, as the first I.D. model won't be available for sale until early 2020. But by then, Christian Endter, Dzemal Sjenar and their colleagues from concept development, design and prototype building just might be somewhere else entirely, as they so often are in their thoughts. Namely, far ahead of their time.
