Name: Claus Potthoff
Age: 42
Job: Head of exterior design, Audi, Ingolstadt, Germany
Key cars: Audi Allroad (2006 second-generation production and 1998 original concept), Pikes Peak, fifth- and sixth-generation Audi A6, VW Caddy van, Touareg and Touran.
4Car - What's the most significant design element of your latest concept?
Potthoff - 'It's been more difficult to get a rugged feel for the new Allroad, as it was based on the more smooth-shaped new A6 generation platform than the last, slightly boxy one. We worked a lot on the front end and wheel arches, but I'm really pleased with the slightly higher roof rails: that has helped the proportion of the car and made it visually more rugged.
'It also features a differently proportioned grille - a bit wider, less height - and we have a different grid inside, exposing the vertical lines with a chrome layer to denote more luxury, as it's at the top of the A6 range.'
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| Citroen DS |
4Car - Design influences?
Potthoff - 'What I admire about good car design is really showing off the idea and technique of a car. The Citroen DS is a good example. Design shouldn't only cover something - it should show what's behind. In the 70s I was very impressed by Giugiaro, the Mk1 VW Golf, for example.
'Nowadays I'm more influenced by product and industrial designers such as Philippe Starck and Marc Newson - I like his 021C very much. I think it's important to get influence from outside the car industry, as most car designers come from three or four schools worldwide and every school has it's own style, so you get only three or four styles from mostly young people coming out of those schools. Carmakers now want their own form language, like BMW. We've done the same - the new single frame grille now makes every car we do recognisable as an Audi, even from a distance.
'I also like the simplicity and use of materials of Tadao Ando and, in contrast the kind of "ignoring gravity" style of Zaha Hadid.'
4Car - What attracted you to car design as a career?
Potthoff - 'I drew in school maths lessons but I was more influenced by the engineering side. My father was an aerodynamics engineer at the University of Stuttgart - a lot of car companies hired him. When I was a kid he'd occasionally take me to work - to go into a full-size wind tunnel as a little child was fascinating. Then I studied industrial and automotive design at Pforzheim College of Design.'
4Car - What's the next big car design trend/challenge?
Potthoff - 'Derivatives. The challenge is how we differentiate these products so they are still a family, but with their own characters.
'Most derivatives are crossovers - we just mix existing concepts and it gets more and more difficult to tell the customer why we make the car. I see it especially at Mercedes - I think it already has too many derivatives.'
4Car - What other car firm/design team do you think would be interesting to work for?
Potthoff - 'Nissan and Infiniti are doing a very good job. I like Renault show cars, but not production: there is a very big gap between show and real life.'
4Car - What car did you wish you'd designed?
Potthoff - 'Something advanced like the 1957 Citroen DS.'
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| BMW 7-Series |
4Car - What car are you glad you didn't?
Potthoff - 'The first-generation BMW 7-Series. I understand the idea behind what Chris Bangle wanted, but it doesn't work on that car.'
4Car - What shoes are you wearing?
Potthoff - 'Bally boots, £100, they're quite old - I remember paying for them in Deutschmarks.'
4Car - What watch are you wearing?
Potthoff - 'Rado, £1,500.'
