fulltiming
05-04-2012, 03:18 AM
Interesting article at http://www.examiner.com/article/newell-coach-broadens-collaboration-with-porsche-design-studio
(http://www.examiner.com/article/newell-coach-broadens-collaboration-with-porsche-design-studio)Miami, Oklahoma-based Newell Coach Corporation, a premier US manufacturer of custom luxury motor coaches, has once again called on Roland Heiler and Zell am See-based Porsche Design GmbH (a subsidiary of Porsche AG) to provide an inspirational new front and rear aspect for Newell’s 2013 model year coach.
The tailor-made “refresh” features a dramatic front headlight bucket design and cathedral-style rear tail lights reminiscent of those found on a 1955 Packard. According to Karl Blade, Newell President and CEO, the first motorhome using this newly minted design has just rolled off the company’s production line (the Porsche renderings are shown on left). Blade – who described Porsche’s latest contribution as “very impressive” - is clearly a fan of the Austrian-based design house.
Newell Coach first incorporated Porsche design elements – including a molded-chrome trim - back in 2005 for their 2006 model year coach. The design work - Newell’s first major revamp in over 15 years - was undertaken at Porsche’s former Huntington Beach, California-based design studio. The 80-year-old engineering company – founded by Bohemian born Ferdinand Porsche - opened its first US-based design subsidiary in March 1999 under the stewardship of director Neil Brooker but closed the studio a few years later.
The Porsche Design Studio – founded by the late Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in 1972 – focuses primarily on designing and licensing consumer items (including watches, sunglasses, apparel, and luggage) though the studio also undertakes industrial and product design commissions.
With its global branding operations the Porsche Design Studio is probably the most publicly visible side of Porsche’s Engineering division (a separate company) which specializes in automotive commissions – like designing a new truck cab for Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania or partnering with US motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson to create the V2 engine for the “V-Rod” model. Porsche Engineering also works in a number of areas outside the auto industry including shipping, power engineering, agriculture, load-carrying vehicles, competitive and aquatic sports, and in the health sector. According to Malte Radmann, Managing Director of Porsche Engineering, the company sees its engineering services as “an essential part of the Porsche brand core.”
Porsche’s technical and manufacturing expertise is legendary so it was with some trepidation that Newell opted for an “in-house” refresh for their 2011 model year coach. The Newell inspired redesign called for genuine hard chrome plating of the front trim - unusual for a low volume vehicle because of the technology required to avoid heavy tooling costs - LED running lights (like the Audi), reshaped wheel opening moldings, and a redesigned tail light trim panel.
This decision to bring operations in-house - dictated primarily by the closure of Porsche’s US-based styling operation – should not by itself have been a major factor though - with a team of just 150 employees - it still required that much of the specialist fabrication work be outsourced. Small manufacturing companies like Newell Coach – and others like them within the RV industry - often call on the expertise of subcontractors for major design work, engineering and mold fabrication.
Newell contracted with an independent California design studio, a Canadian engineering firm, and a California custom parts fabricator for the 2011 do over, a decision that proved a major headache for Newell. “We had a great deal of trouble executing because our contract design and engineering was very deficient,” said Blade. “We had to completely reengineer the molds, parts casting and plating process to get usable parts. In the end Austria did not look so far away,” added Blade somewhat ruefully.
Given this woeful subcontracting experience it’s perhaps not surprising that Blade chose to call on Porsche for the 2013 model year coach and “even with some cutting edge innovations in materials and other design elements, they managed the entire project without a hitch,” said Blade who has over the years taken the measure of a number of subcontractors in the Sooner State and beyond and believes that Porsche provided by far the best experience. However, the cost of perfection doesn’t come cheap, the latest 45 foot, quad slide Newell with its 600hp Cummins engine and Allison 6-speed transmission will cost you upwards of $1.6 million.
(http://www.examiner.com/article/newell-coach-broadens-collaboration-with-porsche-design-studio)
The website has several interesting photos and a video.
(http://www.examiner.com/article/newell-coach-broadens-collaboration-with-porsche-design-studio)Miami, Oklahoma-based Newell Coach Corporation, a premier US manufacturer of custom luxury motor coaches, has once again called on Roland Heiler and Zell am See-based Porsche Design GmbH (a subsidiary of Porsche AG) to provide an inspirational new front and rear aspect for Newell’s 2013 model year coach.
The tailor-made “refresh” features a dramatic front headlight bucket design and cathedral-style rear tail lights reminiscent of those found on a 1955 Packard. According to Karl Blade, Newell President and CEO, the first motorhome using this newly minted design has just rolled off the company’s production line (the Porsche renderings are shown on left). Blade – who described Porsche’s latest contribution as “very impressive” - is clearly a fan of the Austrian-based design house.
Newell Coach first incorporated Porsche design elements – including a molded-chrome trim - back in 2005 for their 2006 model year coach. The design work - Newell’s first major revamp in over 15 years - was undertaken at Porsche’s former Huntington Beach, California-based design studio. The 80-year-old engineering company – founded by Bohemian born Ferdinand Porsche - opened its first US-based design subsidiary in March 1999 under the stewardship of director Neil Brooker but closed the studio a few years later.
The Porsche Design Studio – founded by the late Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in 1972 – focuses primarily on designing and licensing consumer items (including watches, sunglasses, apparel, and luggage) though the studio also undertakes industrial and product design commissions.
With its global branding operations the Porsche Design Studio is probably the most publicly visible side of Porsche’s Engineering division (a separate company) which specializes in automotive commissions – like designing a new truck cab for Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania or partnering with US motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson to create the V2 engine for the “V-Rod” model. Porsche Engineering also works in a number of areas outside the auto industry including shipping, power engineering, agriculture, load-carrying vehicles, competitive and aquatic sports, and in the health sector. According to Malte Radmann, Managing Director of Porsche Engineering, the company sees its engineering services as “an essential part of the Porsche brand core.”
Porsche’s technical and manufacturing expertise is legendary so it was with some trepidation that Newell opted for an “in-house” refresh for their 2011 model year coach. The Newell inspired redesign called for genuine hard chrome plating of the front trim - unusual for a low volume vehicle because of the technology required to avoid heavy tooling costs - LED running lights (like the Audi), reshaped wheel opening moldings, and a redesigned tail light trim panel.
This decision to bring operations in-house - dictated primarily by the closure of Porsche’s US-based styling operation – should not by itself have been a major factor though - with a team of just 150 employees - it still required that much of the specialist fabrication work be outsourced. Small manufacturing companies like Newell Coach – and others like them within the RV industry - often call on the expertise of subcontractors for major design work, engineering and mold fabrication.
Newell contracted with an independent California design studio, a Canadian engineering firm, and a California custom parts fabricator for the 2011 do over, a decision that proved a major headache for Newell. “We had a great deal of trouble executing because our contract design and engineering was very deficient,” said Blade. “We had to completely reengineer the molds, parts casting and plating process to get usable parts. In the end Austria did not look so far away,” added Blade somewhat ruefully.
Given this woeful subcontracting experience it’s perhaps not surprising that Blade chose to call on Porsche for the 2013 model year coach and “even with some cutting edge innovations in materials and other design elements, they managed the entire project without a hitch,” said Blade who has over the years taken the measure of a number of subcontractors in the Sooner State and beyond and believes that Porsche provided by far the best experience. However, the cost of perfection doesn’t come cheap, the latest 45 foot, quad slide Newell with its 600hp Cummins engine and Allison 6-speed transmission will cost you upwards of $1.6 million.
(http://www.examiner.com/article/newell-coach-broadens-collaboration-with-porsche-design-studio)
The website has several interesting photos and a video.