Unique design and translucent colors give a whole new look to automotive interiors

At Mondial 2002 in Paris, Johnson Controls, one of the world's leading suppliers of automotive interior systems, will show how new trends are changing the look and feel of auto-motive interiors. Designers and engineers at the company have been experimenting with new colors and material combinations, and the result is the Special Effect Door. It demonstrates what door panels might look like in future generations of Small and Lower Medium segment vehicles.

The basic model used to create the prototypes - which will debut in Paris - is the Smart door trim, manufactured by Johnson Controls. Company designers modeled several variations on the new approach in which unique materials and unusual colors meld together to create a harmonious look.

Responding to the request of a European automaker looking for innovative materials for a new Small segment vehicle, the company developed three prototypes of the Special Effect Door. But first, consumer researchers, designers and engineers at Johnson Controls set out to learn more about the small car driver - to get an idea of his or her lifestyle and expectations from a new vehicle.