iF, SLS AMG & DPT

In the world of design awards, the iF product design award from the Hannover-based International Forum Design (ifdesign.de) resonates well. In the world of performance car development, AMG is equally well regarded. Which brings us to the recently launched Mercedes SLS AMG, the first car in the 40+-year history of AMG to be fully designed and developed at the Affalterbach-based firm (with participation by the Mercedes Technology Center in Sindelfingen), which has been awarded the 2010 iF product design award in the Transportation Design category. The SLS AMG began as a DPT—digital prototype, used for the determination of characteristics from weight distribution to aerodynamics, from crash behavior to production operations.