Rinspeed's Harmonious Zen-Mobile

Motoring Channel Staff - 16/Feb/2006

In 20 years time every car on the road could be using the holographic technology pioneered in zaZen, an exotic-looking Swiss concept car that will be shown to the public at the 2006 Geneva Auto Show.

The eclectic Swiss-based design company Rinspeed has revealed plans for the launch of its latest design, called the zaZen, which uses Porsche 911 as a base for its eye-catching concept study.

With all Rinspeed designs, such as the flamboyant Chopster and futuristic Senso, there's often a novelty feature, and the zaZen is no different in this respect.

It may look like an atypical concept car, but in fact features a holographic brake light system and a transparent canopy, which mark the beginning of a new era in lighting technology for vehicle design, says Rinspeed.

The Swiss company explains that the striking hardtop is light in both senses of the word: not only does it appear to float airily above the chunky body, it is also weighs many kilograms less than glass (not that it would be possible to make it from glass in the first place).

Before we take a closer look at the space-aged transparent roof system, it should be explained that the zaZen is based on the Porsche 911 Carrera S (Type 997), powered by a 3.8-litre flat six.

The zaZen is a fiery performer, generating 265kW of power (355hp) @ 6600rpm and 400Nm of torque @ 4600rpm, which Rinspeed says enables the 1,495kg vehicle to power from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds, and on to a maximum speed of 293km/h.

The company has indicated that, should the zaZen be built in a small series at some time in the future, it would even consider offering it with an environmentally friendly natural gas propulsion system.

Power is conducted to the rear axle via a manual 6-speed transmission, while running gear is supplied by Dunlop, using advanced tyres measuring 245/30 at the front and 305/25 at the rear mounted on bright orange 20-inch rims made by CW Fahrzeugtechnik.

The zaZen, whose official launch will be on February 28th, 2006, at the Geneva Motor Show, features a unique mineral-white paint job. Rinspeed explains that the organically designed body does not assault the eye with harsh colours but exerts a quiet fascination with its mineral-white color. 

Interestingly, this colour is achieved in an understated manner through the use of millions of tiny precious Swarovski crystals protected by a self-healing polyurethane clear coat.

As the company correctly observes, in its made-to-measure suit, the zaZen seems to belong to another world. The front end, and moreso the headlights, however, look as though they've come straight from the Ferrari Scaglietti spare parts bin.

In conjunction with Bayer MaterialScience, one of the world's biggest plastics producers, Rinspeed contracted Swiss engineering specialists Esoro to craft the new vehicle, whose conspicuously large third brake light shines out of what looks like a floating, transparent teardrop roof.

The technical revolution in the car's design is that the transparent rear window section has been turned into a luminous holographic area.

Rinspeed explains that the entire roof dome, right down to the belt line, is made of a single sheet of transparent high-tech polycarbonate (called Makrolon). Polycarbonate belong to a family of thermoplastics that have a high strength and are often used as a shatter-resistant alternative to glass. 

The amazing thing about this new polycarbonate is that the material can be made non-transparent at the press of a button to protect the occupants from curious gazes or ultra violet radiation, an innovative material that could work its way into high-end production cars across the globe, given time.

Because the transparency can simply be switched on and off, it means that any superfluous knobs and displays on the dashboard can be simply faded out so that the driver can concentrate on what is most important, such as the speed indicator, instead of being bombarded with unnecessary information.

And instead of a living-room atmosphere, the occupants sit in "glass-like" plastic seat shells in a bright orange color. The seats were produced in cooperation with Recaro and are upholstered with Technogel for form-fitting comfort, and the interior is an invitation to meditative unity for man and machine, claim Rinspeed.

The world premiere of the zaZen, with its holographic brake light and smoothly contoured single-section roof dome made of the Makrolon ushers in a new era in lighting technology and transparent surfacing in vehicle design.

This, at any rate, is how Ian Paterson, the member of the Bayer MaterialScience Board of Management who is responsible for innovation, sees it. The innovative light is also an important step for Rinspeed's boss, Frank M. Rinderknecht, on the way to attaining automotive enlightenment.

Rinspeed's zaZen will make its first appearance at the end of February at the Geneva Motor Show in '06 and after that, who knows? We might see some of these exclusive vehicles actually driving along our roads.