Group Lotus has teamed up with Hot Wheels, the famous global die-cast brand, to design, develop and produce a Lotus Hot Wheels Concept vehicle.

This 1:5 scale model was on display to the world at the annual SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Centre between October 29th and November 2nd, 2007 and a 1:64 scale version of the design will become part of the Hot Wheels product range in spring 2008.

Russell Carr, Head of Lotus Design said; “This was a dream job for the design team because, for many of us, when we were children, it was Hot Wheels that first ignited our passion for cars and design. Lotus Design’s international reputation for designing visually dynamic and exhilarating sports cars perfectly fitted the brief for this programme and we relished the opportunity to design a concept that was free from the typical technical and legal constraints of a full size car. In addition the design offered unique challenges because it has to work as a toy and we therefore had to remember how specific views, features and tactile qualities of toy cars fascinated us as children. I am very proud of the final design by Steven Crijns that succeeds in being both instantly recognisable as a Lotus and a Hot Wheels Car.”

Steven Crijns, Design Manager at Lotus Design and creator of this concept design explained; “Hot Wheels cars are barely 75mm long, so specific attention went to create a bold shape that would work well at this scale. Another challenge was to create an exciting design that would work well as a toy. The car needed to be recognisable as a Lotus without having to turn it over to look at the badge underneath, so I took elements from the Elise and Exige such as the headlight design, the Lotus ‘mouth’, the pronounced wheel arches and trademark bonnet graphics. I was keen for the design to express the Lotus philosophy of performance through lightweight: the shrink wrapped body is kept to an absolute minimum to save weight. The dynamic voluptuous curves make the car look agile and fun to drive. Bold aerodynamic aids are incorporated to achieve exceptional Lotus handling. The top exit radiator at the front, a distinctive Lotus design feature, the rear diffuser and a large rear wing all provide down-force helping the vehicle stick to the road. In addition, large side air intakes and an open rear end aid engine breathing. Inside the car, the exposed centre spine is part of the structure and incorporates the switches and gear linkage and supports the rear wing.”

[Lotus]

What is Jelly?

Jelly is casual coworking. We invite people to work from our home for the day. We provide chairs and sofas, wireless internet, and interesting people to talk to, collaborate with, and bounce ideas off of.

You bring a laptop (or whatever you need to get work done) and a friendly disposition.

Why do you do this?

Jelly started in NYC in February of 2006 when roommates Amit and Luke realized that they loved working from home, but they missed the creative brainstorming, sharing, and camaraderie of a traditional office. (Office politics, not so much.)

So they started inviting friends to come work from their home one day a week. They soon found that working in close proximity to new and interesting people every couple weeks resulted in new ideas and interesting conversations.

Emboldened by their early success, they made it a more regular thing. Jelly was born.

Who can come to Jelly?

Anyone!

We see a lot of designers, developers, and internet types, but we’ve also had musicians, cooks, sound designers, tea sommeliers, product designers, photographers, writers, and more.

Some of us are entrepreneurs or freelancers. Others work in an office most of the time, but work at Jelly for fresh ideas and a change of pace.

No matter what you do or what you create, you’re welcome to come to Jelly and share your talent and learn from others.

[check it here for your local Jelly... very cool idea] and [if you're in Sydney, Australia]

The success of a product can be measured by how cool it becomes. The cooler it becomes, the more people must have it and the more people that have it, the less col it becomes… until something comes along to make your’s that little bit cooler than everyone else’s.

Part with your cash to attain some of Apple’s coolness and then part with more to make sure that you are cooler then the person next to you.

What a wonderful web of one upsmanship (is that a word?) is being woven in the world of consumer products.

Does that come with flames?

[iphone/pod reinvented]

As we’ve mentioned here previously, NewWebPick publishes a great and rather worthwhile electronic magazine.

Today they just released issue 14, which is well worth looking into, if you have not already. And for USD$1.95, it’s not really even worth debating giving it a go (though they do release a free ‘lite’ version, if that’s too much cash for you).

[See it, and the other back issues here]

This is interesting.

Spec work IS the bane of most professional designers and everyone that’s done it and not got the work has a story to tell…. more often along the lines of ‘…and then I saw the logo that was 50% or more of what I came up with…’

From the site:

“At the end of the day, there is a certain irony in spec work. A prospect requesting it is ultimately saying, “My project isn’t important enough to hire a professional who will take the time to understand my situation and goals and invest the time needed to create a suitable solution.” ”

Plenty of people would now rather not do spec work than waste their time and then be ripped off.

[check out more here]

The North American Handmade Bike Show has been helf for 2008 and as to be expected, there was more bike porn than a bike porn junkie would know what to do with.

If you are into bikes, or just into insane craftsmanship the NAHBS is the thing for you. The above is a detail of a frame made by Engin Cycles and sort of sums up what you will find at the show.

For a full rundown, pics and vids, check out the coverage over at mtbr.com. Worth the effort… if you are so inclined.