Next-BIG-Thing

Clemson students, with the help of Mazda and others, show their concept for practical Gen Y-targeted car that could be marketed at a price of about $28,000.

WHAT DOES THE YOUTH MARKET WANT IN AN AUTOMOBILE? Many companies at the recent SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show in Las Vegas attempted to answer that question with their product lines. A team of students in the master's program in automotive engineering at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) submitted its own proposal. Named the “Next-BI G-Thing” (NBT), it was viewed as a practical approach that could be marketed at a price of about $28,000.

The team, led by Dr. Paul J. Venhovens, who holds the BMW-endowed chair in systems integration at CU-ICAR, said it liked “cool” cars, but that's a term heard often at the SEMA Show. The students studied Gen Y buyer satisfaction data from AutoPacific to develop insights. They enlisted many sponsors, led by Mazda North American Operation. It supplied a Mazda2, RX-8, and MX-5 Miata (plus various components) and asked only that the concept capture the Mazda essence and evoke emotions similar to the first Miata (introduced in 1988). The Mazda Foundation also contributed, funding three fellowships.