The Audi Sportback and Cadillac Converj won the EyesOn Design awards Tuesday for the most significant concept vehicle designs to debut at the 2009 Detroit auto show. EyesOn Design winners are selected by some of the best designers and academics in the business. They choose the winners from the floor of the 2009 North American International Auto Show.
The winners in the production vehicle category were the Audi R8 V10 and BMW Z4.
The Cadillac design team, led by Simon Cox, director of General Motors advanced design, has been working on the electric-drive Converj nearly every day since June. The vehicle debuted Sunday at the show.
"It's been a tough couple of months leading into the show," said Cox, referring to the struggle GM endured to receive a loan from the federal government. "Design can be a very important catalyst leading into the future. We have shown we can be very dramatic, but also very relevant."
Jeff Perkins, a GM designer, said he was proud to be in the same league as Audi and BMW with the EyesOn Design Award.
"It validates us as a design studio," he said. "This is our prom night. This is the moment we live for."
One of the features the GM designers were most proud of on the Converj was the center stack, where the radio and other controls normally reside between the driver and passenger seats.
"We want it to be as cool as an iPhone," Perkins said. The center stack combines LED and touch-screen technology. The luxury electric car also uses recycled materials.
This year's three chief judges were Chris Bangle, design chief at BMW; Willie G. Davidson, executive vice president and chief styling officer at Harley-Davidson, and Larry Erickson, chair of transportation design for the College for Creative Studies.
Bangle said that as judges walked the floor Tuesday morning, they were looking for inspiration and vehicles that made a statement.
"They give us the DNA for our future," he said.
Christian Bokich, manager of Midwest communications for Audi of America Inc., picked up two awards Tuesday -- one for concept and production vehicle design.
He said the Audi R8 V10, a two-seater with slick aluminum construction, has provided the brand's biggest halo. The V8 version sells for $115,000. Pricing hasn't been set for the V10.
"Design has been a huge factor in making the cars the best advertising on the road," Bokich said. "You can put snow tires on it. So you not only have a car that looks hot, but you can drive it in all four seasons."
Overall, 23 judges took part in selecting this year's winners in the fifth annual design awards.
Other production vehicles that made it into the finals were the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, Fisker Karma, Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, Ford Taurus and Mazda3 5-door.
Other concept finalists were the Chrysler 200C, Lincoln C, Volkswagen BlueSport Diesel and the Volvo S60.
The awards are presented by the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. Sponsors are the Society of Automotive Engineers, Whirlpool Corp., KPMG and Dassault Systemes.
