Honda, Italdesign-Giugiaro Toyota Concept Hybrids Make North American Debut In Michelin Challenge Design(TM) NAIAS Exhibit
Honda GRX, Italdesign-Giugiaro Toyota Volta Join 34 Works Representing California Design

DETROIT 01/10/2006 -- Michelin Challenge Design(TM) (MCD) brings an international 
  collection of 36 works - including two high-profile concept vehicles making 
  their North American debut from Honda and Italdesign-Giugiaro Toyota - 
  for a special exhibition at the 2006 North American International Auto Show 
  (NAIAS). In addition to the Honda GRX hybrid concept and concept eco supercar 
  Toyota Volta, this year's MCD exhibit features 12 scale models and 22 
  computer-generated drawings from 35 designers representing 19 countries.
The 2006 Michelin Challenge Design theme: vehicles for the California market 
  that incorporate an alternative powertrain and consider the effect of that powertrain 
  on tire size and appearance and the role electronic technologies play in tire 
  systems, attracted more than 200 entries from individual designers in 40 countries. 
  This year's theme fused design and innovative automotive technologies 
  to encourage entries that were the result of teamwork between design and engineering.
"Michelin expanded the theme this year to include advanced technology, 
  and we were pleased with the number and quality of the concept vehicles it generated," 
  said Tom Chubb, vice president of marketing, Michelin Automotive Industry Division. 
  "The momentum and enthusiastic support this program enjoys from the global 
  design community has been tremendous and we have the outstanding jury members 
  and entrants for the last five years to thank for that." 
The works selected for exhibition were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges 
  representing car companies, design studios, aviation, education and media. The 
  list of judges for 2006, led by MCD Jury Chairman Stewart Reed from Art Center 
  College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., includes:

   Peter Brock, journalist, designer and builder;
   Freeman Thomas, Ford's advanced design chief; 
  Professor Gordon Murray, F1 racing, McLaren F1 road car and super car design 
    director; 
  Paul MacCready, Ph.D., Aviation Hall of Famer;
   Jason Hill, designer of MCC sprinter car and Porsche Carrera GT concept 
    vehicles; and 
  Shawn Collins, industrial designer, entrepreneur and recent Art Center College 
    of Design graduate.

The vehicles and design work selected for the 2006 MCD exhibit located in Cobo 
  Center's Michigan Hall include: 
Italdesign-Giugiaro's Toyota Volta makes its North American debut having 
  first being unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2004. The collaboration 
  between Italdesign-Giugiaro and Toyota produced a new concept that featured 
  a derivative of its ultimate hybrid system, the one adopted on the Lexus RX 
  400. On the Volta, the 3.3-liter V-6 gasoline engine is fitted behind the rear 
  axle and not connected directly to the wheels. Motion is ensured by two electrically 
  powered engines, one per axle thereby securing all-wheel drive and enhanced 
  safety.
As such, this epoch-making mechanical layout paves the way to eliminating the 
  traditional transmission and gearbox. Operating electronics enable the power 
  transmitted by the electric motors to the wheels to be modulated, thereby rendering 
  superfluous the clutch. The vehicle's flat floor allows for three passengers 
  in a 14.1-foot-long (4.3 meters) coupe which is slightly narrower than 6.5 feet 
  (two meters).
Housed under the lightweight, carbon-fiber chassis, designed and engineered 
  by the Italdesign- Giugiaro technical department, are the batteries, weighing 
  154.3 lbs. (70 kg). The result is a significantly leaner weight, balanced and 
  encompassed between the axles, 300 kW/408 hp output, top speed limited at 155 
  mph (250 km/h). The Volta concept car proves it is possible to offer high performance 
  in a car whose green credentials are unimpeachable. 
American Honda Concept GRX Hybrid, an ultra-light and compact sport vehicle 
  for the 21st century, aims at a unique synergy derived from the company's 
  vast experiences in both motorcycle and automotive R&D programs and manufacturing. 
  The conceptual study model created by Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in Torrance, 
  Calif., is powered by a 1,500cc six-cylinder, horizontally opposed engine developed 
  for motorcycle applications. 
The aerodynamic exterior and interior design inspired by a Formula racer were 
  then carried over for the J-VX concept, an evolutionary version that made its 
  debut at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show. The GRX and J-VX concepts eventually led 
  to the production Honda Insight. 
Full Size Vehicles
Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A. Toyota Volta
  Honda R&D America's Inc., GRX 
Scale Models
Gustavo Guerra & Fabricio Baessa, Brazil
  Haocong Wu, China
  Sun Qi, China
  Zeng Zhicong, China
  Darius Zieba, Germany
  Tilmann Schlootz & Oliver Keller, Germany (two scale models)
  Tamas Hartai, Hungary
  Viktor Sass, Hungary
  Jacco Lammers, Netherlands
  Capoco Design Limited & InnovationRCA, United Kingdom
  John Lazorack III, United States
Drawings
Victor Lam, Australia
  Carlos Eduardo de Carvalho, Brazil
  Jiang Tao, China
  Lan Tian, China
  Tomas Sarnovsky, Czech Republic
  Antoine Gaillot-Drevon & Adrien Devauchelle, France
  Jeremy Chafer & Jeremie Pointier & Franck Malin, France
  THDU Design, Thierry Dumaine, France
  Christian Ebert, Germany
  Oliver May, Germany
  Neeraj Pathak, India
  Takuro Hiraiwa, Japan
  Iliya Cerjak, Netherlands
  Sebastiann Heitkamp, Netherlands
  Ryszard Szymanski, Poland
  Alexei Gontsov, Republic of Moldova
  Goran Marinkovic, Serbia & Montenegro
  Jose Luis Sanz, Spain
  Joseph Liang, Taiwan
  Alexander Kotlyarevsky, Ukraine
  Bjorn D. H. Simundson, United States
  James Owen, United States
MCD was launched in 2001 as a way to showcase creativity and innovation in 
  vehicle design on a global scale around a central theme. Each year, Michelin 
  invites designers around the world, from individuals to small and large companies, 
  to create and display significant design work that would normally not have an 
  opportunity to be shown at a major auto show.
The world's largest tire maker, Michelin (www.michelin.com) manufactures 
  and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, 
  bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the 
  space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering 
  Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin 
  North America employs more than 23,000 and operates 20 plants in 16 locations.
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