As we celebrate the launch of the Rimac Nevera in Asphalt 9, we’re joined by a very special individual: Ignacio Martinez, Chief Interior Designer and Head of the Bugatti-Rimac Zagreb Studio.

Being at the forefront of the electric revolution in hyper cars, Rimac also understands that it’s not only the powertrain that makes a hyper car but the entire package. The interior of each car also needs to be carefully designed and engineered to strike a balance between form, function, and emotions.

So, join us, as we take a moment to get to know Ignacio as he takes us through and reveals the trade secrets of what it takes to truly put the “hyper” in hyper car.

- How did you start designing cars?
My passion for automotive design started around mid way through my Industrial Design bachelor degree studies in FADU-UBA, the best University in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I moved from my birth place (Quito - Ecuador). 
I had teachers and mentors who had worked in the automotive design industry in Europe, I did some car sketching courses with them and from then on it was a no brainer, had to target my design scope only on cars.
They guided me towards car design literature, methods, skills and history. Thanks to them I also found my way towards Italy to study my Masters in Car Design in Torino.
A car is one of the most complex products that can be designed, so challenging on so many levels, such a complete industrial object blending art and technique, ergonomics and safety, materials and structures, aesthetics and functions, comfort and performance, aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics, user experience and interactions... Such a rewarding endeavor.

- Your latest model, the Rimac Nevera, has generated a lot of excitement in the industry. What sets it apart from other high-performance cars? 
The Nevera is a pioneer in a yet un-explored segment, Electric Hyper Car segment. Many competitors are still trying to pull it off, many already failed, but we managed to design, manufacture and deliver globally the first full electric hyper car that is raising the performance bar in an unprecedented way. There is nothing yet that comes close to the Nevera's figures, specially acceleration and top speed, while offering decent luggage space, practicality, amazing user interfaces, and so much customizability, not only on premium materials and finishes but actually on how the powertrain behaves, how the vehicle drives. The user has full control on the powertrain through the bespoke knobs on the dashboard, one of the many advantages that an EV powertrain offers, full flexibility and brutal torque. 

- What’s the process to start a design from scratch?
Every vehicle yet to be designed starts with a brief. There is a defined set of requirements that we need to cover (segment, customer target, amount of occupants, powertrain set up, features needed, design direction etc...). The designers start early on impacting on how the vehicle is being packaged communicating closely with the engineering team, making sure that the proportions of the vehicle are correct from the get-go while covering all performance needs. For example pushing an engine as low as possible for better weight distribution and also for a lower roof line, pushing the size of wheels to enhance the stance of the car on the road, the length of overhangs and wheel base etc... 
In parallel of these activities, the design team sketches intensively themes, proposals, ideas that would feed into the packaging and further on into the features and details of the whole vehicle, always considering the brand DNA, the story telling, the user's experience, the sales and marketing inputs.
Those sketches then become digital illustrations and later 3D models used for the actual development of the vehicle towards production parts.

- How do you keep updated with latest trends and technological advances?
All designers are usually very much aware of what is going on in the design world, not only automotive but also fashion design, shoes and snickers design. We are all passionate about technology, arts, digital art, music, cinema, photography, racing and other means of transportation.
Nowadays it is really easy to get a constant flow of data from all these environments though social media.
But it is also really important for us too to be in real contact with colleagues on other car companies, understanding what competitors are developing, networking and attending conferences and relevant events (classic car gatherings, tech fairs, supplier visits etc...).
All of these factors inspire us and feed into our design process. 

- How do you balance aesthetic and functionality in your designs?
The definition of "Design" is actually that balance of both aesthetics and functionality, that sweet spot where art and engineering meet. A well designed car is not only aimed to display beauty nor to be exclusively functionality-driven. A car is a highly emotional object, so finding that balance is essential in the design process.
It takes experience to be able to find the right compromise between both in favor of the project, sometimes the design of the part itself needs to be prioritized above its function and in other cases the function is the driver of the design itself.
But for brands like Rimac usually every design choice is very much linked to performance; squeezing every millimeter, every gram, every newton-meter out of every corner of the car to boost the experience, we don't create shapes without a clear purpose. 

- What are the most valuable skills for a car designer?
I think there are 2 skills that are essential, communication and adaptability.
A designer needs to communicate clearly and convincingly through sketches, photoshop illustrations, 3D, sections, renders. Also verbally, present ideas and catch the counterpart's attention, whether that is your boss, your client, your supplier...
On the other hand the capacity to adapt when facing adversities is also essential for a car designer. Being able to push through all the engineering, homologation, manufacturability and physical constraints with a clear design vision and make it a reality. It is a very hard task that requires resilience, high levels of persuasion, negotiation skills, quick responses to obstacles, finding solutions with outside- of-the-box thinking, being technically competent and understanding technologies, materials, design strategies, design philosophies.
That flexibility is very important when designing a car. If this is paired with great communication (visual and verbal) skills, things move forward quite well. 

- What has been your favorite project so far?
Contributing so intensively on the Nevera interior has definitely been a career highlight. A very challenging project with big constraints that we successfully brought home. It all resulted in a beautiful, technical and extremely comfortable cabin space that has very unique features and very smart solutions. Extremely proud of that result.
I have been very lucky, in such way that I am having the opportunity to lead an amazing team in Croatia, developing other projects within Bugatti-Rimac that are as exciting and challenging as the Nevera. I am sure that there will be more highlights coming in the future so just wait and see...