Design and Technology at Siggraph 2008

From 11-15 August over 28,000 artists, research scientists, developers, filmmakers, and academics from around the world gathered in Los Angeles for the 35th Siggraph Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. The Siggraph conference includes courses and technical paper presentations, new technologies demos, an art gallery, computer animation festival, and an exhibition by software and hardware vendors. While the New Tech Demos and the technical programs are focussed on technologies that designers will have to wait several years for, several automotive software and hardware suppliers announced new shipping products at Siggraph.

Porsche 960 & Porsche Pajun on the way

A Porsche source has confirmed that Porsche are working on a smaller Panamera – the ‘Pajun’ – and a mid-engined Porsche 960. Now that Porsche has finally become part of VW, it can move forward with its plans to fill every supercar niche in the same way Audi is in a mission to fill – and create – every premium car niche. With two new models already officially confirmed as on the way – the Porsche Macan (a smaller Cayenne) and the Porsche 918 – Porsche’s minds are now firmly focused on the next two new models from Stuttgart – the eighth and ninth models in the range.

2014 Audi R8 to drop manual gearbox

2014 Audi R8 to lose manual gearbox It’s reported that the new Audi R8 – due in 2104 after a facelift in 2012 – will lose the manual gearbox option. It’s at least two years before the next generation Audi R8 arrives in 2014, but if reports from CAR are right then Audi’s next sporting flagship will do without a manual gearbox altogether. With all that’s on offer in the current R8 apart from the manual ‘box being the rather poor R-Tronic ‘box, that may seem like a recipe for sales disaster for the R8.