WomanOnWheels.ca

Ralph Gilles: A lifetime achievement award for design

Ralph Gilles has been a designer at Chrysler/Stellantis his entire career, and had a hand in such iconic designs as the Viper, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Jeep Grand Cherokee, and now he's receiving a lifetime achievement award for his work. Find out more in my story at Driving.ca.

Deep freeze: Cold-weather testing at GM's Kapuskasing Proving Grounds

Every automaker does extreme-weather testing, and for GM, much of that happens in Kapuskasing, in northern Ontario. What's it like to freeze your fingers making sure everything works right? Find out in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Ten auto innovations that flopped

Automakers are always trying new things, and while many of them turn out to be hits, there are a few that make it to market but then don't make it in the market. How about retractable steering wheels, heartbeat sensors, or in-car record players? Find out more in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

How It Works: Modular Vehicle Platforms

A "platform" used to mean a frame, but today, it's primarily an engineering tool for building more than one vehicle on the same basic design. Find out how and why in my "How It Works" column at the National Post (Driving.ca).

The top ten vehicle interiors for 2019

Each year, industry publication WardsAuto chooses its ten best vehicle interiors. What were they, and what do I think of the choices? Find out in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

The best and not-so-best design turnarounds

Design isn't the only aspect of a vehicle, but it's the first impression, and automakers spend a lot of time and money trying to get it right. Some do ... and then, for whatever reason, some don't. Find out which ones fall into those categories in my story over at the National Post (Driving.ca).

What's involved in developing a vehicle?

There are lots of raw materials that go into a vehicle -- steel, rubber, plastic -- but what really costs the cash is what it takes to develop and engineer it in the first place. Find out what's involved in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

Vehicle ergonomics: It's about style AND substance

Designing a vehicle's interior isn't just about how it looks; it also has to fit most people, and the controls have to be easy to reach and understand. It's a vital part of engineering a vehicle and far more goes into it than you might think. Find out more in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

Smooth and slippery: All about aerodynamics

Cars may all have a similar shape these days, and that's because of aerodynamics. How air travels over a vehicle can affect its fuel consumption, as well as its engine cooling and wind noise. Find out more in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

Car design: The inside's as important as the outside

Car design isn't just about the exterior. The interior has to be created as well, and just like the outside, the cabin is created with sketches, computer design, and even clay models. Find out more in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

Virtual reality: Building a car in cyberspace

Car designs can still start with a pencil, but using high-tech methods, designers and engineers can work with the vehicle both inside and out, and some are starting the initial designs right at the computer level. Find out more about Ford's VR labs in my "How It Works" column at the National Post.

Meet Canada's newest F1/Infiniti employee!

Each year, for the past four years, Infiniti and Renault Motorsports have sponsored the Infiniti Engineering Academy, which picks the top engineering students from around the globe to do a one-year stint with its engineers in Britain. Canada has been part of it for two years, and this year, Matthew Carsson of London, Ontario represents the country. Find out more in my story at AutoTRADER.

On the inside: What it's like to design interiors

That's Michael Stapleton, the director of design for GMC's interiors, who says it isn't easy to make an interior come together. It has to look good, but it also has to work. Find out more in my story at the Toronto Star.

Clay: Still an important part of car design

Clay car models have been around since the 1920s, and computers can't make it go away. It's still an essential part of vehicle design and engineering, and I got to see Bailey Isgro doing the job over at General Motors. Find out more in my Toronto Star story.

Jaguar's Wayne Burgess: Designer, musician, taxicab genius

I had the opportunity to interview Wayne Burgess, the man whose team was responsible for the new Jaguar F-Type (which is, to put it mildly, an F'ing gorgeous car!). But he was also almost single-handedly responsible for a vehicle that just about everyone in London has been inside at some time. Find out more in my Toronto Star story.

An interview with Peter Schreyer

I recently had the opportunity to interview designer Peter Schreyer, who transformed Kia and is now heading up Hyundai's design centres as well. Read all about it in my Toronto Star story.

Look in the distance - it's a Nissan!

Of all the things that designers have to consider when they create a vehicle, I never thought that distance would be one of them - but it's true. Read more about Nissan design Taro Ueda in my Toronto Star story.

How do you build a Porsche? With a pencil!

I was interviewing Porsche designer Michael Mauer last year for a story on his auto designs, when he happened to mention that he prefers to sketch with a pencil.

Up went my ears, because I'm a contributor to Pen World magazine, a publication for crazy pen collectors like me. So I spoke with him a second time, primarily about how he uses pencils to create his work. And now, I've got a story about pencils, including Mauer, in the February edition of the magazine ... click here!

So how do auto designs become reality?

At Ford, it's primarily because of Desi Ujkashevic. Although she's not a designer herself, she's in charge of all the teams that turn sketches into vehicles, working with the models, the tooling, the materials, and the reality of taking a fanciful drawing and turning it into something that can be stamped on an assembly line. Read my interview with her in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

Ralph Gilles: Designer, enthusiast, car nut

I had the opportunity to speak with Ralph Gilles, vice-president of design at Chrysler and the man responsible for some of the coolest cars from that company in recent years. Read all about it in my Toronto Star story by clicking here.

Porsche's Michael Mauer: Old-school design with a pencil

When I interviewed Porsche chief designer Michael Mauer, he admitted that he was doodling with a pencil - something he does all the time, it seems. Being a pen-and-paper junkie, I focused on that, and the result was a great interview that ended up with me being sent the sketch he made. Read all about him in my designer series in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

BMW design: Evolution, not revolution

I spoke with Karim Habib, now head of design for BMW, on what it takes to produce a new one. Unlike many designers, who like to start from scratch, Habib likes the challenge of taking existing styling cues and moving them forward. Read all about it in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

The designers: Casey Hyun of Hyundai

The similarity of his name with the company's is purely a coincidence, he says, but Casey Hyun has made quite a difference with Hyundai's design. Read about it in my Toronto Star story by clicking here.

Volvo design: Looking almost 40 years ahead

That's Jonathan Disley, advanced design manager at Volvo, and he has quite a task: he has to work toward car designs that we'll be seeing anywhere from 2030 to 2050. Why so far ahead? Find out in my Toronto Star story by clicking here.