Volvo Designs & Builds Chick Wheels For The Ladies of the 21st Century

[JohnBckWLD]

Subtitled: The Dodge La Femme ( http://www.woodenautomodels.com/1956%20Dodge%20la%20Femme%20%5Bthe%20lady's%20car%5D.jpg) – Updated For The New Millennium. Or, featherlou’s ( http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335419) prayers have been answered.

After 14 months on the drawing broad, the YCC (http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Volvo/picture/history-in-the-making-a-personal-look-at-volvos-ycc-in-vancouver/1417/) (or Your Concept Car as it’s being dubbed), is a new Volvo concept vehicle designed by - and for - the fairer sex. According to Automobile.com (http://car-reviews.automobile.com/news/history-in-the-making-a-personal-look-at-volvos-ycc-in-vancouver/1417/), this new vehicle includes: Cinema seating Gear levers are located on the steering wheel An electronic parking brake Multiple front seat storage compartments A glass roof for better parallel parking visibility Push button, interchangeable seat pad options that change the interior color scheme A whole host of differently colored magnet floor mats A computerized body scanner to take measurements and automatically determine your personalized driving position Gull wing doors for easier entry and exit from the carUnfortunately, there’s no mention of an oil-change-free engine option.

Now, before you ladies (and metrosexuals) run down to your local Volvo dealer to get on the buyer’s waiting list, keep in mind this is a concept car that will probably never go into production. However, some of the ‘ideas which they’ve initiated will be introduced into future’ Volvos. My hunch; the YCC is a trial balloon, and if all goes as planned, we’ll be seeing the Asian (ACC), African American (AACC), Jewish (JCC) and Italian (ICC) concepts sometime this decade.

Questions:
What, in your opinion, did the developers at Volvo omit from the design? How could they improve their concept? Would you like to see a floor board channel in front of the accelerator and brake pedals to accommodate your pumps? How about vanity lights around an oversized rear view mirror? Would you like to see a special compartment for your credit cards? What about an over the shoulder, X-strap seat belt configuration?

There’s gotta be plenty more options the Volvo team overlooked; do you have any you’d like to recommend?

[Exgineer]

I can't be the only one who finds this a little patronizing.

[UrbanChic]

How does a glass roof aid in parallel parking? Is there some method of parking using the position of the sun in the sky of which I'm unaware?

[JohnBckWLD]

I can't be the only one who finds this a little patronizing.Economist across the country are debating the assets and liabilities that arise from this newest form of Patronizing Capitalism.

[Ravenman]

I recall seeing this last year, and thinking that I liked a lot of the features built into the car -- the good visibility, the sporty looks, the smart features, and if I remember right, the oil needs to be changed every 30,000 miles, or something like that. Who wouldn't want all of that?

Here's more pics: link. (http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-2004-Volvo-YCC-Concept.htm)

I can do without the embroidered flowers on the seat, though.

[YaWanna]

Some of these sound pretty good - I've always wondered where to put my purse when I'm driving and the car is full (I usually ask my husband to hold my purse for me), so I've been wanting a storage compartment for it, in the front where I can reach. The gull-wing doors and the computerized, personalized automatic seat adjustment-thingy seem like good things, too.

But, will someone please explain to me what "cinema seating" is? I'm picturing a movie theater fold-up chair with a big cupholder in the armrest, and I doubt that's what it really is.

[Phlosphr]

That car is positively demure.


But I like it.

[JohnBckWLD]

...If I remember right, the oil needs to be changed every 30,000 miles, or something like that...Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Imagine if the Volvo design team had borrowed a page from Mille Borne (http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/millebornes/drivingace.jpg)'s playbook and included 'increvable' tires and an 'as du volant' guidance system, they would've scored a perfect trifecta.

[mack]

But, will someone please explain to me what "cinema seating" is? I'm picturing a movie theater fold-up chair with a big cupholder in the armrest, and I doubt that's what it really is.
That's what it really is. The rear seats stay folded up unless they're being used. Interesting concept. It would be nice to have the seat backs fold down and have that nifty teak or whatever it is stripping. I don't know if you can do both, though.

[JohnBckWLD]

That car is positively demure...If that's not a call-out to Eve, I don't what is.

[AskNott]

A family story told of a long-ago aunt who clipped a row of clothespins to the hem of her skirt so it wouldn't blow up while she drove with the windows open. When I heard that as a child, I thought she was clever, but overly modest. Now, I'd say she was One Curious Dame.

I'm a guy, so I can't think of many car details women would specifically want. Maybe dashboard controls that can be worked without messing up nail polish? Maybe cloth on the front part of seat cushions, so a woman with a short skirt won't get 2nd degree burns on a hot day?

A friend of mine has a fast ski boat. It has a big chrome-plated post in the middle with a knob on top. That's where you put the tow ropes. He told me, "Every woman I've ever had on the boat has grabbed that pole when the motor was revved up. They just love that knob." Maybe one of those should go on the list. :cool:

[Ravenman]

Imagine if the Volvo design team had borrowed a page from Mille Borne (http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/millebornes/drivingace.jpg)'s playbook and included 'increvable' tires and an 'as du volant' guidance system, they would've scored a perfect trifecta.Actually, I ran across one description of the Volvo that says it has run-flat tires. Again, another feature that I'd love to have in a car.

[Dag Otto]

How does a glass roof aid in parallel parking? Is there some method of parking using the position of the sun in the sky of which I'm unaware?


No, but it explains why women can't parallel park. They're looking up!






:: ducks and runs::

[Queen Bruin]

Gear levers are located on the steering wheel

*snort* If this woman ever drives a car with gear levers on the steering wheel, it'll be a F1 shifter, or may Og smash me.

The interior of that car is just plain ugly. What's up with those headrests? And the headlights look too squinty.

[JohnBckWLD]

...They just love that knob...Let's not even go there. Oddly (alright, I cop a plea) enough, the mention of boats and knobs got me thinking about hood ornaments. Maybe something like a bronze Chippendale statuette or a chrome David.What's up with those headrests? And the headlights look too squinty.Don't quote me on this, but I think it has something to do with being more pony-tail friendly.

[scr4]

How does a glass roof aid in parallel parking?
What it says in the link is: "...a glass roof all over, all the way to the back, so you can back up and know where your car is." So just a large rear window that extends to the roof.

I'm intrigued by the comment: "High on the list of customer wants is a car with good visibility and is easy to maneuver. So we .... put four corners on it." I never thought about the importance of corners, but now that I think about it, the very boxy Volvo 244 was easier to park than any other car any I've driven.

Why did they go to the trouble of eliminating mechanical controls between the front seats (parking brake is electrical, gearshift is on the steering column) and then fill the space with a clumsy storage console? I'd think a flat floor would be more useful. That's what I like about my minivan - lots of floor space.

What's missing for me is room for a roof rack. As an avid bicyclist and beginning canoe paddler it's an essential requirement, but I don't see how you can fit one between those gullwing doors. And I don't think this is a particularly male-centric requirement, as half the cyclists and paddlers I know are women.

By the way, was this the car that had the hood bolted on, so it could only be opened by a mechanic?

[Jeep's Phoenix]

The hood is welded shut, yes. The entire panel has to be removed by the dealer in order to perform service.

What gets me is that this thing was designed by women. I honestly can't believe my fellow female engineers could be this...well...stupid. They've cheerfully given in to almost every sterotype about female drivers.

[Ravenman]

Seriously -- if there was no mention made of the car being "designed for women, by women," are you all saying that you think the car is poorly designed? For example, if the area between the seats was described as a storage compartment for "all your handy articles" (or something) rather than for a woman's purse, would you all make fun of it?

To put it another way, are most of you mocking the car because of its design, or simply because the words "woman" and "car" appear in the same sentence?

My view, again, is that I think it's a cool looking car with a lot of ideas that really ought to be worked into any vehicle on the road, not just "chick cars."

[DiosaBellissima]

First: I think it is ugly (surely they will make it less ugly when it is a real car, not just a concept). But, more than anything, I'm pretty friggin' insulted.

I should preface this with: I am in no way an uber feminist, yadda yadda, yadda yadda.

I can understand making a car with women in mind (interior design: things like compartments, etc etc), but having something like "A glass roof for better parallel parking visibility" is insulting. Would anyone dare to market a "man's" car (say a Ford F250) in a manner that would imply the driver is incapable of parking otherwise?

[SparrowHawk]

... having something like "A glass roof for better parallel parking visibility" is insulting. Would anyone dare to market a "man's" car (say a Ford F250) in a manner that would imply the driver is incapable of parking otherwise?Are you sure you aren't the one inferring that the driver is otherwise incapable? I don't know anyone who adores parallel parking; why wouldn't anybody want it made easier if possible? Why rag on the women just because they're willing to admit it?

My question is, can you open those gull-wing doors after you've wedged yourself into a spot at the mall that's nanometers away from the car next to you? I honestly don't know how those things work; they look like they'd whack something on the way up. I like the way the car looks from the back, and I like the cinema seats being up so you can chuck stuff back there. The ideas of having the gears on the steering wheel and the hood "nailed" shut disturb me.

What I really want to know though, is if they are capable of making a car that only needs the oil changed every 30,000 miles, why the heck aren't they making every car that way?

[Q.E.D.]

I can't be the only one who finds this a little patronizing.
Wait'll this chick (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=336351) hears about this.

[MsRobyn]

Having a changeable interior is last on my list, but I like some of the ideas.

I like the idea of having my purse within immediate reach, for example. I also like the idea of having fold-up seats, which maximizes floorspace.

One thing I would like to see, though, is a more carseat-friendly configuration. With some states having requirements that kids be in carseats until they're 8 or so, it's something that must be considered. Perhaps they might consider a seat cushion with a built-in booster as an option.

Robin

[Ravenman]

Wait'll this chick (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=336351) hears about this.[hijack]Heard a story about someone who visited a friend of mine at UC Santa Cruz. They went to the cafeteria for dinner, and the menu featured "battered fish." The person in question commented out loud, "I bet they have a support group for it at THIS college." Angry woman behind him yelled, "That's not funny!" hit him on the head with her tray, and stormed off. Apparently UCSC offers no support for battered diners.

[Rick]

Volvo employee here.
The purpose of a concept car is to get people talking about your product. Based on that the YCC is a sucess beyond most concept cars. The YCC debuted about a year ago, and people are still talking about it.
A couple of notes here. About the oil changes, yes 30,000 miles is possible, but not with the oils that are available in bulk here in the US at the current time. The trend over the years is for longer and longer oil change intervals. Volvo is currently at 7,500 miles up from 3,750 a few years ago. Ten thousand mile intervals are probably a year or so away. (IMHO)
MsRobyn Intergrated booster seats are already available in the rear of current model Volvos, so no reason that they would not be in a YCC type car when it is produced.
SparrowHawk Gullwing doors were picked just because of tight parking spaces. They don't require the several feet of clearance that a standard door (esp on a 2 door) requires. If you have room to walk between you and the car next to you, the door has room to open.
The Sausage Creature about the head rests, JohnBckWLD got it right, they were designed with a split down the middle for ponytails.
Ravenman Run flat tires (we call them self supporting tires) are available today as an option on many Volvo models.

[LSLGuy]

Gull-wing doors are useless. They look utterly cool, and do make entry / exit easy even in a billowy dress or a confining skirt. But you can't open them in any normal size parking space or garage.

So they're seen on 50+% of concept acrs, and zero percent of (modern) production cars.

I agree the marketing is utterly patronizing.

Then again, my wife is a very male-attitude person (teaches boxing & hockey, and not to kids), but at 5'1" tall she finds the whole world designed for humans a different size than she is. In her opinion, simply designing a vehicle that shorter people can see over the dashboard and can reach the pedals without having the steering wheel bumping their chest would be a nice improvement. The pink flowers they can keep.

Modern marketing is all about segmentation. There are women who want everything in their life to be color-coordinated and soft & scented and non-threatening and ...

The company that can make a vehicle they just love will own them as a customer base. Just like the company that makes their drapes and matching carpet and duvet covers and dishes owns them as a customer for life.

The same thing is true for macho guy and redneck and urban and executive and geek and gay and soccer mom and another hundred distinctly identifiable demographics. All consumer-product companies are driving towards identifying and serving the niches because the mainstream is too crowded and has little customer loyalty.

It's interesting to watching the auto companies' mindsets change as they're beginning to realize they're in the consumer product marketing business, not the transportation manufacturing business.

And along that marketing learning curve they're gonna produce some spectacular blunders. I can hardly wait for the first car designed to appeal to the gay demographic; imagine how coy the advertising will have to be. Great sport.

(Note I'm not bashing gays, I'm bashing the ham-handed attempts by Corporate America to market to a demographic they understand only as a stereotype, while simultaneously not arousing the outrage of the reactionary anti-gay Christian Right and their legions of order-following TV parishioners. Yes, and them I'm perfectly happy bashing.)

[scr4]

Gull-wing doors are useless. They look utterly cool, and do make entry / exit easy even in a billowy dress or a confining skirt. But you can't open them in any normal size parking space or garage.

So they're seen on 50+% of concept acrs, and zero percent of (modern) production cars.
Would you consider the Mazda AZ-1 (http://www.nsobject.jp/~az-1/az-1/az-1_01.html) to be a modern production car? Admittedly only available in Japan and no longer in production, but it's not a particularly rare sight in Japan. And depending on where the hinge is, a gullwing door can require less space than a conventional door.

[LSLGuy]

Based on scr4's and Rick's posts, I stand corrected on modern gull-wing doors. If they can solve the clearance problem, I'm all for them. They do look way cool.

[SparrowHawk]

Thanks for the info Rick, and the picture link, scr4. I can see how the gull wing would just sort of rise vertically and never extend beyond the car's normal closed-door profile (or at least not much?). Is that how they work. That's a superb idea.

I don't know that I find the concept of marketing to women as a group inherently patronizing. It would be patronizing if they had a bunch of men doing the designing and all they assumed is that women wanted cushy seats with little embroidered flowers on them and vanity mirrors with lipstick and compact holders beside them. But the ideas of emphasizing reliability and that there are conveniences specific to women don't offend me. While they're at it, they could do better on those cupholders. I live and die by mine. A decent cupholder is a safety issue, not an incidental trapping.

[Pushkin]

Would you consider the Mazda AZ-1 (http://www.nsobject.jp/~az-1/az-1/az-1_01.html) to be a modern production car?

Japanese manufacturers make so many nice cars, a shame so few make it to Europe and the US :(