Always Keeping the Beauty of the Car in Mind

──Renault cars seem to be becoming more attractive lately. While the packaging is well thought out, they incorporate emotional elements that catch the eye of car enthusiasts. Where do you see your position in this?

Laurens van den Acker (hereinafter, van den Acker)As a designer, I'm conscious of having one foot in art and one foot in business. My brother is an architect, and my sister is a judge. I'm somewhere in between. I feel my current role is similar. Specifically, Renault has a rich lineup, with some models leaning towards the emotional and others towards the functional, forming a family. This might give the impression that Renault's design direction is ambiguous.



──Will car design change significantly from here on?

van den AckerOne possibility is that if autonomous driving becomes perfect, cars will no longer crash. Designers will then be freed from current safety regulations. Design will change significantly at that point. Alternatively, as technology advances, just as mobile phones were once the size of encyclopedias but have now shrunk to a size that would be lost if placed between books, innovation could occur in car design. Ecology, economy, and connectivity are keywords surrounding cars today, but I work in the studio always keeping the beauty of the car in mind.

Future Design

──What will the design of future Renault cars be like?

van den AckerThe primary goal is to bring production cars closer to the concept model "Dezir" (unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show). Specifically, we will give Renault products a strong face, characteristic of Dezir, meaning an impressive front mask that makes it instantly recognizable as a Renault. Then, we will enhance connectivity, such as internet integration. And finally, we will design the interior to be comfortable. Please consider the Captur as a manifesto for the new generation of Renault design.unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show

──Although there are significant differences from Nissan Motor Corporation's products, what is the relationship between the design departments?

van den AckerI have a very good relationship with Shiro Nakamura, CCO of Nissan Motor Corporation. I visit the design center in Atsugi, and designers from Japan also come to France. We have monthly discussions about design coordination between the two companies.



──Could you tell us about a product you personally like?

van den AckerI have a wide range of favorite products, but I particularly admire the British designer Ross Lovegrove, who has worked on them comprehensively. His work spans architecture, interior architecture, furniture, sculpture, and various everyday items, and I am always impressed by the high level of his ideas and solutions. In 2013, we collaborated with him to develop the EV concept model called "Twizy".

──Lovegrove has made unique proposals, such as "Car on a Stick" (2008) for urban mobility, hasn't he?

van den AckerThe Twizy is a bit more realistic. At Renault Design, we are currently dividing human life into six keywords and developing models accordingly. We call this the Life Cycle Concept. "Dezir" is themed around "Love," "Captur" around "Explore," "R-Space" around "Family," "Frendzy" around "Work," and "Twizy" around "Play."

──Do you have any personal favorite cars?

van den AckerI grew up in the 1970s, so I really like the works Marcello Gandini created at Bertone. Lamborghini models like the "Countach" and "Miura," and the Lancia "Stratos." They still hold their appeal today!



Laurens van den Acker
Born in 1965. After graduating from a university in the Netherlands, he began his career as a designer at Design System S.p.A. in Italy in 1990. From 1993, he worked as an exterior designer at Audi's Ingolstadt Design Center. In 1996, he moved to SHR Perceptual Management in the United States as a Senior Designer, and then in 1996, became Chief Designer of Ford's Brand Imaging Group. In 2003, he served as Chief Designer for the Ford "Escape." In 2006, he was responsible for corporate design at Mazda, then under the Ford Group, creating a series of concept models starting with "NAGARE." He joined Renault in 2009 and became part of the Management Committee in 2010. He is currently Senior Vice President of Renault's Design Division.