World Premiere at the Geneva Motor Show 2002
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rinspeed
Presto
Double your pleasure,
double your fun
RINSPEED
DESIGN, the Swiss creative source for innovative automotive concepts and
fantasies, presents a very special attraction on the occasion of its 25th
anniversary:
Rinspeed
Presto.
The Rinspeed Presto transforms itself in a few seconds from an under-3-meter
long two-seater roadster - presto! - into a 3.7-meter long four-seater with
plenty of room for the rear-seat passengers. The additional space can also be
used as a pick-up bed for cargo when the rear-seat backrests are folded down.
The magical trick
This almost magical transformation is made possible by a centrally located
electric motor, which stretches the vehicle with the help of two mechanical
screw-and-nut gears by exactly 746 millimeters to its full extended length of
3.74 meters. The longitudinal members run on low-friction precision rollers and
disappear like a drawer in the rear of the floor pan. Despite its variable
length the engineers succeeded in designing the adjustable Presto floor pan with
the torsional rigidity necessary for a roadster. To ensure absolute operational
safety the extension mechanism also features self-locking safety latches.
The environment friendly propulsion
A
four-cylinder, 1.7-liter common-rail turbo diesel engine in
dual-fuel configuration,
based on a Mercedes-Benz engine, provides future-oriented and highly
environmentally friendly propulsion. The engine runs on a mixture of natural gas
and Diesel fuel at a 40 to 60 ratio. Natural gas is a very clean-burning fuel,
which consists almost entirely of methane with sulfur content near zero.
However, since a Diesel engine has no spark plug to act as an ignition source,
operation on natural gas alone is technically impossible.
The
operating principle of the dual-fuel engine is simple: Natural gas is injected
into the intake air of the engine. Just like in the production engine the Diesel
fuel is injected into the combustion chamber where it ignites a mixture of
natural gas and air rather than just plain air.
To configure the turbocharged in-line engine for dual-fuel operation, a number
of modifications are required, including installation of a tank for the natural
gas and a gas-injection system. At the heart of the modifications is a
reprogrammed engine management system. Should the system malfunction it reverts
to the standard Diesel mapped ignition, thus offering the same level of
reliability as the production car.
This technology has enormous potential for reducing exhaust emissions and fuel
consumption. Emissions of nitrous oxides and carbon dioxide can be lowered by as
much as 10 percent compared to the already extraordinary low level of the
production engine. Particulate matter emissions can be lowered by up to 40
percent. With emissions this low the dual-fuel engine easily meets all existing
and currently planned emission limits. Fuel consumption can be improved by up to
10 percent compared to a production engine.
The dual-fuel engine is compelling proof that environmental protection and
driving fun can go hand-in-hand: The four-valve engine develops maximum power
output of 120 hp / 88 kW at 4’200 rpm, and produces maximum torque of 224 Nm at
just 1’600 rpm. Performance is boosted accordingly: The 865-kg quick-change
artist accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in approximately 10.5 seconds and reaches
a top speed of approximately 180 km/h.
Give me a smile
From the first glance the smiling face of the Presto is universally appealing.
The contoured drooping hood sports a mouth-shaped front grill whose upturned
corners definitely appear to signal ‘Hi – I am in a good mood.’ The body of the
Presto itself tapers off into a front spoiler, a bumper in the traditional sense
of the term is non-existent. The headlights of the Presto come from the Mercedes
C-Class sports coupe.
In its role as a quick, highly maneuverable city speedster the Presto appears
stocky yet sporty, thanks to extremely short front and rear overhangs. With a
wheelbase of 1’750 millimeters and an overall length of 2.99 meters it can fit
even in the smallest parking spaces.
As a four-seater
with a wheelbase of 2’496 millimeters the roadster appears much sleeker, poised
to strike. The Remus
side pipes are more than just a sporty styling element. They also allowed the
engineers to avoid a variable and complicated exhaust routing. During the
transformation process the body glides past the side pipes with interference.
Since the Presto does not have any doors, the upper side pipes are designed to
swing out and make entering and exiting the vehicle easier for the little ones.
The entire
body of the Presto consists of Pre-Preg-Composite, a modern plastic material
rarely used in vehicle design for cost reasons. It offers extraordinary
stability at comparatively low weight.
Show me the way
The creators
of the Presto came up with a very special solution for the vehicle rear and
front: Instead of conventional light signals the Rinspeed Presto informs other
drivers in writing about the intent of its driver. The innovative lighting
technology with powerfully bright LED lights is contributed by
in.pro.
During braking the international word ‘Stop’ appears on the brake lights, and
during turns ‘Turn’ appears on the appropriate signal. With lights turned on,
the taillights proclaim the vehicle’s name, ‘Presto’, to those who follow. A
color camera integrated into the taillights reveals any potential obstacles to
the driver in the rearview mirror.
The Presto
shows its noble heritage in the interior, too. The dashboard comes from the
A-Class and the seats are from the smart. The fiery-orange interior is as
versatile as the body. The comfortable two-seater turns into a spacious pick-up
or four-seater roadster at the push of a button. The rear-seat passengers can
enjoy more leg room than in an A-Class with long wheelbase. In addition, the
rear seats can be folded down individually and make almost any interior
configuration possible.
Interior reflections
Exclusive reflective upholstery materials from Xmobil create an eye-catching yet
comfortable atmosphere. Entertainment in hi-fi quality is provided by a Sony
stereo system whose sound is transmitted via wireless headphones. Foliatec
contributed many clever styling elements for the interior as well as the
exterior.
A Meta-Sat anti-theft system gives thieves no chance. With GSM and satellite
wireless communications the Rinspeed Presto can be traced, located and
immobilized by remote control. The Meta-Sat system is combined with a
keyless-entry system from in.pro., which deactivates the security system from a
distance of 10 feet.
Tires and more
The Rinspeed Presto runs on one-piece Antera wheels (7.5x17 with a offset of 17
mm in front, 8.5x17 with 52 mm offset in the rear), on the front axle
individually suspended on custom-developed Eibach springs. In the rear a
semi-independent suspension also feature custom Eibach springs. To complement
the low-emission nature of the Presto, Rinspeed designers chose SportContact 2
tires by Continental (205/50 front and 235/45 rear), which underscore their
fuel-saving bionic design with green tire treads.
Swiss made
Rinspeed-C.E.O. Frank M. Rinderknecht (46) used highly advanced technology and a
Swiss-based network of automotive and natural-gas specialists (Gasverbund
Mittelland AG and SVGW) for his project. Although there is no automobile
production in Switzerland to speak of, there is a very active automotive supply
industry there. Many highly innovative prototypes have been developed and
manufactured in Switzerland. The competent team translated initial sketches into
a fully functional prototype in just four months.
Esoro
Swiss based ESORO is an innovative and independent engineering company that
delivers solutions for the automotive industry. The company is well known for
its innovations in the areas of composite materials, production technologies,
lightweight construction and fuel cell vehicles. ESORO's prototypes are renowned
for their originality, quality, design and fuel efficiency. Looking back at a
number of impressive prototypes - the last one being a Swiss developed
Fuel-Cell-Vehicle called “HyCar”-, ESORO has proven their engineering
competence. At this time, ESORO develops a new and very efficient technology for
thermoplastic composite materials for the automotive and aeronautical
industries.
ESORO was hired already the third time as general contractor for the entire
project, including for project management, engineering, design and manufacturing
of the Presto. ESORO completed the challenging task on schedule with the help of
three of its best Swiss-based suppliers.
Schwaller
Movement Engineering
Schwaller Movement
Engineering - a supplier of prototype parts and experimental vehicles to the
Sauber Formula 1 team and German motor sports and vehicle manufacturers - was
commissioned for the complex structural chassis modifications and metal
fabrications.
Protoscar
Protoscar SA
- based in Southern Switzerland - oversaw the design and animation on a
sophisticated 3D CAD system for the Presto.
Protoscar is specialized in 3D design, animation and conceptional work in the
automotive sector and for other industrial fields.
Logos
Logos
Advanced Composites
manufactured the moulds and composite parts of the Presto.
Logos is specialized in the manufacturing of high quality composite parts in the
Prepreg-process.
GVM - the largest regional Natural gas company of
Switzerland - partners with Rinspeed
GVM which stands for „Gasverbund Mittelland“, the biggest regional gas transport
company in Switzerland, teamed up with Rinspeed.
The natural gas vehicle (NGV) version shown by GVM and Rinspeed includes the
concept car Presto, a Mercedes-Benz 170 CDI A-class and the GVM monovalent
SMART. The Presto is driven by a natural gas engine
uses the dual fuel natural gas diesel combustion process. The same converted
engine provides power to the A-class Mercedes-Benz in a clean and
environmentally friendly way. The GVM NGV SMART, runs on natural gas only (monovalent
mode) and has a range of about 300 km.
Natural gas as an alternative fuel is becoming more and more popular in
Switzerland too.
Natural gas is a clean burning, environmentally friendly fuel and offers a
sustainable alternative for vehicles. In times where the intensity of travel
increases and goes more and more towards individual motorization the emissions
of this sector are causing levels of pollution which can no longer be tolerated
(c.f. Italy in January). For the time being only natural gas offers a valuable
and practical alternative with an infrastructure in place. Natural gas is a fuel
for the future, present today. Because of its simple chemical structure and its
combustion properties natural gas is an inherently clean fuel. There is a big
potential to massively reduce the emission of internal combustion engines i.e.
soot, particles, nitrous oxides, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons responsible for
smog and ozone formation as well as global warming. Heavy duty natural gas
engines produce less noise than their diesel analogs. As an additional benefit
the use of natural gas diminishes the oil dependency of the fuel supply. Today
natural gas is used predominantly in stationary applications like space heating.
But you can drive on natural gas as convenient as with diesel or petrol.
The future of mobility belongs to natural gas.
The engines, power trains, vehicles are serial products offered by many
automobile manufacturers. Refuelling is easy and possible at more than 40
refuelling sites all over Switzerland. The refuelling infrastructure will be
continuously expanded so we will see fifty public stations at the end of 2003.
Range is no problem. Most natural gas cars are bivalent they can run on natural
gas or petrol anyway.
A word from our
most important supporters: our partners
Antera
Antera took up the challenge of producing special wheels with high-gloss rims to
carry these Continental tires. An Italian company, it is famous for its
avant-garde wheel designs and for the unusual technical principles which it
adopts. For example, the tire valve is hidden behind the hub cover made of
titanium so that the wheel's overall appearance is not affected by the valve
protruding from the rim.
Continental
Designer Tires from
Continental Just Right for Rinspeed Presto. A
custom-designed ContiSportContact 2 guarantees the right ground contact for the
new Rinspeed Presto. By interspersing a bit of green among the individual tread
segments, the high-performance tire from Continental effectively underscores the
concept behind the innovative subcompact car that converts into a pick-up for
larger loads. The Presto's other impressive features are its mileage performance
and its unique drive concept. As the sole bionic sports tire, the strikingly
designed ContiSportContact 2 is also admirably suited to optically highlighting
the Rinspeed concept, i.e. that of a space-saving vehicle that nonetheless lends
itself to sporty driving.
The
Continental Corporation is a leading supplier of tires, brake systems, chassis
components and technical elastomer.
The company realized sales of €10.1 billion in 2000 with approx.
64,000 employees worldwide.
Eibach
With regard to suspension technology, the company Eibach, one of the leading
suspension components manufacturer supported Rinspeed with the Presto. The
company Eibach which is specialized in suspension technology and works for the
most important motor sports teams worldwide - among others also for the most
part of the Formula 1 field - developed the springs and the stabilizer bars for
the Rinspeed Presto. Its suspension developments gave Eibach a first-class name
worldwide. Several decades of experience in the world market have enabled Eibach
to offer, today, complete suspension systems that consider the interrelating of
the most important suspension components - spring, damper, stabilizer bar - as
an interactive function, a very important aspect. The Presto is the ideal
platform to demonstrate Eibach’s capabilities.
Folia Tec - innovative partner
Presto - the snappy city car which by the push of a button can be extended by 75
cm and transformed into a four-seater roadster/ pickup - is full of surprises.
Numerous FOLIA TEC® products from the latest range of the German Carstyling
Factory contribute to the success of this innovative creation by the Swiss
concept car studio Rinspeed: with PEDAL-Set Colorline, silver BRAKE-CaliperLacquer,
SHORT-SHIFT Fiberstyle, ALU-RaceGrid, DOOR-Pins, STEP DoorSillCovers, ALU
LicencePlateScrews, INTERIOR Colorspray, INSTYLE-InteriorMirror and NEON-Lights
in all variations, the concept car features a comprehensive selection of cool
FOLIA TEC® ideas for individual carstyling. So the Mercedes A-class is „presto,
presto“ transformed into a personality which is certain to cause a sensation at
the Geneva Motor Show.
FOLIA TEC®, the Carstyling Factory from Nuremberg, was founded more than 20
years ago as a supplier of individual carstyling accessories: AutoglassFilms,
Exterior and Interior Styling Accessories, Wheel Accessories, Engine Design,
Neon and Special Effects. The do-it-yourself products are always an innovative
step ahead of current trends. International success is ensured by business
partners around the globe.
In.pro. - “Everything that makes cars fun …”
Following a successful involvement in the last Rinspeed concept vehicle, the
Advantige Rone, the north German automobile accessory specialist in.pro. is
delighted to be providing support to Rinspeed for the appointments of the new
concept car - the Presto - as well. in.pro has stood for high-quality,
innovative automobile accessories in the sectors design, interior, comfort,
safety, and fun for more than 20 years. Technology freaks and aesthetes are
equally enthusiastic about the more than 4’000 in.pro. products, for in.pro.’s
highest priority is the joy the customer has with his or her car. For a very
reasonable price, everybody can enhance their vehicle in an optical (e.g. with
design products as clear glass taillights), more comfortable (e.g. aftermarket
remote controls) or safer (e.g. alarms or parking systems) manner. The new ideas
are created by a team of development engineers and trend scouts. For the
efficient realization of the first idea to ready-made products for the customer,
in.pro. employs more than 45 people in their headquarters at Henstedt-Ulzburg
and maintains a world wide dealer network of more than 300 partners. “It was an
important factor for our cooperation that the new ideas and products initiated
and realized on the Presto-project remain not only conceptional studies, but
soon find their way to the new in.pro. catalogue for our customers to order for
their very own car” says in.pro.’s C.E.O. Jörg Knoblich.
Remus
Stainless steel, laser precision, optimal performance and the typical REMUS
sound, these are the four characteristics that distinguish REMUS sport exhausts.
Through their involvement in motor sports and their close cooperation with world
champions like Jacques Villeneuve or Damon Hill, European champions and other
champs, REMUS gains important knowledge for the development and production of
high quality silencers. High quality comes first for REMUS and it is attained by
using stainless steel in combination with other high grade raw materials. Tests
have shown that this combination guarantees best results under thermal and
mechanical stress. The wage: REMUS will take a leading position in the favor of
the public. The success of the sponsoring activities of REMUS is impressively
documented by the readers’ survey of numerous specialist publications.
 |
Photos |
|
Data |
|
Animations |
|
Download |