Post by Aurora40 on Jan 2, 2006 14:31:26 GMT -6
2001 AURORA: UNDERSTATED, OVERWHELMING ELEGANCE [/i]
When the design team sat down and began their first sketches of the 2001 Aurora, they must have felt just a little bit uneasy. How do you improve on a vehicle that has won so many consumer and design awards? For five years, the Aurora has turned the heads of countless consumers for its sleek, sophisticated design, both inside and out. Now, Oldsmobile has totally redesigned its flagship Aurora to reach a new consumer for the new millennium.
“The original Aurora was a beautiful, breathtaking car,” said Dennis Burke, chief designer, Aurora. “For the next generation, we wanted to capture that same passion, but really try to touch even deeper in the hearts of the consumer than the original.”
Improving on the original Aurora was an intimidating challenge. The shape of the all-new Aurora may be different from the first, but the visual impact is the same - it’s a stunning vehicle that captures the hearts and imagination of people who love cars. True to the original Aurora, the new model maintains its tight, muscular form.
Redesigned Flagship
Capture the Passion
Tight, Muscular Form
“Styling is an important part of the heritage of this car, and we certainly want to preserve that,” said Burke. “We wanted to avoid any frivolous decoration - no cladding or tacked on moldings. For a sophisticated, elegant vehicle like the Aurora, less is more.”
Reaching a New Target
When it was first launched, the Aurora was unlike any other vehicle on the road - and certainly unlike anything Oldsmobile had produced before. As the Aurora evolves for the next millennium, the biggest design challenge was to maintain the same distinctive impact, while making the flagship more appealing to a broader base of consumers - younger, more contemporary, and yes, more women.
“If you compare the previous Aurora with the 2001 generation, you’ll notice a huge difference right away in the exterior styling - it’s just as elegant, striking, and inviting, but not as polarizing,” said Burke. “Our new target buyers - including women and younger buyers - really reacted to the new lines of the car.”
The 2001 Aurora is six inches shorter than the original, but that doesn’t detract from its aggressive, athletic lines. The new smaller, tighter shape gives the Aurora a nimble and confident feel. The striking lines of the 2001 Aurora keep it ahead of the competition in a category where sporty, distinctive styling is a prerequisite to make it onto the shopping list.
Less is More
Appealing to a Broader Base of Consumer
Shorter but Aggressive
“From a design standpoint, decreasing overall size while increasing luxury and comfort poses a significant challenge,” continued Burke. “The 2001 Aurora strikes that balance perfectly.”
Form and Function
While the 2001 Aurora is, no doubt, a beautiful car, the exterior changes served as more than just aesthetic improvements. The standard rear fog lamps, while serving to give balance and symmetry to the rear of the car, also provide a safety benefit.
Instead of a front grille, the designers opted for lower intakes in the bumper that reinforce Oldsmobile’s brand character that was established with the original Aurora. At the rear, a steep backlight and large, wrap-over tail lamps minimize the horizontal length of the deck lid.
In the rear of the car, the trunk has been improved dramatically. Even though volume has been reduced slightly, the wider trunk opening and low-lift over make it more useable and much easier to load and unload items such as golf clubs.
The profile of the new Aurora includes large break-away exterior mirrors for parking in a tight garage or on a narrow street.
“We don’t believe in change for change’s sake,” continued Burke. “Everything we’ve done to the 2001 Aurora represents an improvement on the best of the previous model. In the end, consumers have to feel the benefits from the changes we have made
- and they certainly will with this car.”
Standard Rear Fog Lamps
More Useable Trunk Space
Break-away Exterior Mirrors
Evolution or Revolution?
On every level - exterior design, interior design, and
No Doubt-It’s an Oldsmobile
manufacturing - the 2001 Aurora is a bold departure from the previous iteration. But while the overall impact of the new car is different, it still pays homage to its Aurora roots, and reflects the Oldsmobile lineage - the long, slim, horizontal headlamps, the sleek wheel wells and muscular fenders. The liquid crystal tail lamps add another touch of unmistakable Oldsmobile lineage.
“It’s the Aurora, it’s our flagship, and it’s an Oldsmobile,” said Burke. “The original Aurora gave us styling cues that we carried down throughout the Oldsmobile lineup. With the next generation Aurora, we wanted to take the evolution one step further.”
THE 2001 OLDSMOBILE AURORA: LUXURY THAT SPEAKS TO YOU [/i]
In the increasingly competitive entry luxury segment, a car is only as good as it makes its passengers feel. The interior of the 2001 Aurora is an evolutionary step from the original - designed to speak to the driver, and make each passenger feel like they have a luxurious space all their own.
“As we set out to rethink the interior of the Aurora, our challenge was to make stepping into the car as exciting and inspiring as looking at it,” said Dennis Burke, chief designer, Aurora. “When someone sits down in the car, they have to feel like it was designed and built just for them.”
Designers achieved a strong sense of luxury by using soft touch materials throughout the interior. The controls are smooth and angled - designed to feel good to the touch. High-grade genuine walnut veneer accents dress the center console, door panels and venting areas. The leather trim, which is standard on the 2001 Aurora, fills out the spacious interior. Two-tone treatments add depth to the Aurora’s interior, with a darker upper area and a lighter lower trim. With narrowed roof A-pillars and lowered cowl,
Aurora Evolution
Soft to the Touch
outward visibility has been dramatically improved, while also giving the interior a more open and spacious feel.
While the 2001 Aurora is six inches shorter than the original, front and rear interior space has been increased for all passengers. Headroom has been increased in the front and the back, as well as shoulder and hip room. “The Aurora is deceivingly spacious, given its sleek lines,” said Burke. “We maximized efficiency of space, so passengers still had all the room, comfort and luxury they need.
Designed and Built for the Driver
Like the original, the interior of the 2001 Aurora is driver-oriented, with a console that wraps around them, putting everything within their reach. “When the driver sits down, it’s like the car reaches out to them rather than the other way around,” continued Burke.
To enhance the luxury performance feel, the 2001 Aurora features a gated shifter, which eliminates the lock-out button. The shift gate is mounted within a real burl walnut trim plate, which fits flush against the rest of the console. The overall effect is one of quality, harmony and precision for the driver.
The interior of the 2001 Aurora is quiet and refined, with a modest amount of chrome to brighten the focus areas - such as the rings around the major gauges. The chrome casing is offset by the black-faced gauges with white lettering. The net effect is a precise,
Increased Interior Space
Driver-oriented Interior
Burl Walnut Trim
Quiet & Refined
uncluttered interior, which creates a strong sense of control and connection with the driver.
To further connect with the driver, the 2001 Aurora features a Driver Information Center (DIC) - providing complete information about vehicle systems. With 27 different warning messages, the DIC monitors all major functions, including: fuel range and gallons used; average fuel economy; oil pressure; battery voltage; tire pressure; engine oil and transmission fluid life index; and date and elapsed time.
“The new interior takes the original Aurora concept one step further,” said Burke. “Driver-oriented, elegant, and state-of-the-art. People who step inside will likely notice the difference right away. The 2001 Aurora has been designed and built to compete with the best of its class.”
Driver Information Center
Built to Compete
