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View Full Version : Volvo had females design their dream car...


west3man
08-16-2005, 03:41 AM
I thought this was an interesting project, for many reasons. That first line really grabbed my attention, too.

What do YOU think?

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/advice/specialreports/volvo.ycc.concept.car/ycc.car.160.jpg

http://aolsvc.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/106545/article.html

"When you meet the expectations of women, you exceed the expectations of men."

When women's marketing expert Marti Barletta delivered that statement to Volvo employees during a 2001 workshop in Sweden, she inspired the idea for what became "Your Concept Car," or YCC, a car designed by women.

"We were sure [her idea] was right; that's why it served as our guiding light during the car's development," says Camilla Palmertz, a Volvo biomechanical engineer, who teamed with several female colleagues to test and develop the concept.

Women represent an important market segment for Volvo. In the U.S., Volvo Car's largest global market, women buyers, account for 54 percent of Volvo's sales. In Europe women account for only 14 percent of Volvo's sales, but the company says that figure is rising.

According to Volvo research, female buyers in the "premium" (near luxury) segment, where Volvo competes, want the same things as men when it comes to performance, prestige and style. But women want more than a safe, stylish car that goes fast.

"Her [car design] wish list is longer, which makes her the most demanding of all our customers," says Tatiana Butovitsch Temm, Volvo's YCC communications manager.

Volvo surveys show that women want a car that:

has plenty of storage
is easy to park
has good visibility
is easy to get in and out of
can be personalized
requires minimal maintenance

Rachel Grey
08-16-2005, 04:41 AM
Volvo surveys show that women want a car that:

has plenty of storage
is easy to park
has good visibility
is easy to get in and out of
can be personalized
requires minimal maintenance

...wait. No AI? No transformation capabilities?

cactusmaac
08-16-2005, 04:42 AM
Gull-wings?

PatrickG
08-16-2005, 04:46 AM
It may be easy to park but with doors like that, you'd better do a good parking job. I think I'd be parking way out in the lot.

And the doors open when the owner approaches?

I mean, I like how it looks but I just imagine getting too close and getting tossed in the air by the door.

It looks cool as-is.

The only optional feature I think I'd want with doors like that is a flux capacitor.

Typo Lad
08-16-2005, 05:43 AM
Gull-wings?

Well, it does say under the photo:

[i]The YCC's gullwing doors provide dramatic looks and easy ingress/egress, but they aren't likely to make it into production. (Photo by Volvo Car Corp. )[/img]

tricksterpup
08-16-2005, 06:03 AM
I thought this was a chick mobile??
http://www.ajm.org/a/about/diary/photos/Shannon/SeniorBowl/oscar.jpg

Spackling Compound
08-16-2005, 06:06 AM
Gull-wings?
http://www.biante.com.au/upload/ProductImg/v24010%2Ejpg
No flux-capacitator?

west3man
08-16-2005, 06:29 AM
http://www.biante.com.au/upload/ProductImg/v24010%2Ejpg
No flux-capacitator?
Good one.


I thought it was interesting to see the similar (identical?) list of preferred featured men and women had for vehicles, while noting the different levels of priority assigned to each.

I wonder, though, if it was women who made up the list and then men (and different groups of women) were given the list and asked to rearrange the items according to their own priorities. That's different than asking the men what I believe the women were asked, more or less, "What do you want and need in a vehicle? What things are most important?"

TinMan
08-16-2005, 07:07 AM
It looks cool and all, but the big problem I see is the doors, you're gonna mess other peoples cars up with the doors. Not to mention the auto-opening feature on them, I mean are they retarded? Auto-opening on those doors is insane, everything breaks on a car eventually and it'll cost as much as the car did to begin with to have those doors fixed when the motor goes out on them. Bad idea on that part, other than that its cool.

Michael P
08-16-2005, 07:27 AM
So what women really want is the car from MASK?

Donald M.
08-16-2005, 07:38 AM
http://www.biante.com.au/upload/ProductImg/v24010%2Ejpg
No flux-capacitator?

Heh. My first thought was, "Do the optional extras include a suitcase full of cocaine?"

west3man
08-16-2005, 07:43 AM
So what women really want is the car from MASK?
You are SO cool. (This IS coming from a geek, though, so *shrugs* take it for what it's worth.)

Typo Lad
08-16-2005, 07:47 AM
So what women really want is the car from MASK?

Hey, Matt Tracker was HUNG.

howyadoin
08-16-2005, 08:27 AM
Volvo surveys show that women want a car that:

is easy to parkIs that even possible? Maybe if it parked itself...

Michael P
08-16-2005, 08:32 AM
Volvo is also working on a car based on surveys of what men want:

http://www.starstore.com/acatalog/Homer_Car_kit.jpg

tricksterpup
08-16-2005, 09:55 AM
Volvo is also working on a car based on surveys of what men want:

http://www.starstore.com/acatalog/Homer_Car_kit.jpg
Wait, isnt that Homer Simpson at the wheel of that car?

Ed Cunard
08-16-2005, 10:00 AM
Hell, I want one. It's pretty.

Donald M.
08-16-2005, 10:25 AM
Wait, isnt that Homer Simpson at the wheel of that car?

Yes it is. I guess you missed that episode.