DENSO approached ECCO Design looking for a way to capture the mindset of the US Urban Enthusiast Driver and embody it in a concept instrument cluster and cockpit design which would help establish the future design direction of DENSO’s new instrument clusters.

Through their research process the ECCO discovered that the New Urban Enthusiast Driver functions in terms of paradoxes. In complex urban traffic the driver wants to have a carefully sealed environment built for comfort and safety, filled with their music, environment control, and information. However, when they open up on a clear road they want to hear and feel the engine, to be as close to the road as possible to enjoy the excitement of driving. It is this duality that came to define the Urban Enthusiast and would inform the design of the final concept piece.

The collaboration between ECCO and DENSO illuminated one clear trend: the focus is shifting within the automotive industry toward the total experience of the driver. Simply communicating the status of the car is no longer sufficient. As more technology is incorporated into car design and traditional methods of status indication are replaced. The ideal application of this technology is to enhance the bond between driver and vehicle, not to add layers of complexity. If executed well this enhanced bond could serve to create a more intuitive, better performing, and safer in-vehicle environment for the roads of the immediate future.

The final concepts were incorporated into a full-size working prototype built by DENSO to embody the findings of the research process and design exploration. The model was presented at auto shows and conferences in Japan through 2007.