World Premiere at the Geneva Motor Show 2000
RINSPEED DESIGN – It’s a tradition: Each year the "Imagineers" from the Swiss town of Zumikon come up with a unique new creation for the Geneva Motor Show. This time around the innovative company is focusing on future trends in keeping with the start of the new millennium. And so, the first automobile ever with an Internet address for a name is born:
RINSPEED TATOOO.COM
Tatooo.com - the play on words combines the emotional, erotic appeal of human body art with the three zeros that have come to symbolize the new millennium. The Internet address is a website for the vehicle, as well as its name.
The original concept of the "Multi Utility Vehicle (M.U.V.)" was first demonstrated in last year’s creation for the Geneva Motor Show, the Rinspeed X-Trem. TATOOO.COM takes that concept to a new dimension.
The Design
The RINSPEED TATOOO.COM can't hide the fact that its roots lie in the traditional American hot rod. Its lines are reminiscent of the classic pick-up trucks of the Fifties. The dominating hood with its large air intakes lends a sporty and dynamic appearance to the showstopper.
The front and rear fenders with their generous sweeping lines just barely cover the extra-wide tires. The windshield and side windows are very low compared to contemporary production cars. These observation slits harken back to the hot rod era. The doors are completely free of attached parts, with the exception of the rearview mirrors required by law. Door handles have been replaced by a remote-controlled electromagnetic opening mechanism. The truck bed is also free of attached parts. Wide side skirts and modern light units provide the only visual clues that the vehicle is in fact a synthesis of old and new. The tailgate is a real novelty. It is essentially a frame with a transparent and indestructible Lexan plate in the center. The tailgate lends a much lighter appearance to the vehicle's rear and gives stylists unprecedented design freedom.
The Technology
Under the enormous front-hinged hood a powerful 5.7-liter V8 aluminum power plant delivers feisty acceleration. Precision tuning delivers a power output of 409 hp (301 kW) at 5’800 rpm. Maximum torque is 555 Nm at 4’350 rpm. The dual exhaust system with striking Remus tailpipes produces a robust sound. Ultra wide and ultra low Continental SportContact tires in sizes 245/35 ZR 20 and 295/40 ZR 20 provide the necessary grip for the enormous available torque. For mounting the tires, An Italian wheel manufacturer created custom 20-inch rims. Getting to 100 km/h from a standstill takes just 5.9 seconds. Top speed is 245 km/h.
The RINSPEED TATOOO.COM features a pneumatic suspension to keep the vehicle leveled perfectly at all times. An infinite number of suspension settings are available at the push of a button. This offers a couple of advantages. In addition to continuously adjustable ride firmness, the suspension permits adjustments in ride height, depending on terrain, speed or road conditions.
Like all its predecessors, e.g. "X-Trem", "E-Go Rocket" and "Mono Ego", the TATOOO.COM is fully street-legal and conforms to all current EU regulations.
The X-Tra-Lift
The lifting mechanism "X-Tra-Lift" (+ patents pending), introduced last year, has undergone intensive further development. Through the use of a dual-arm cantilever, engineers have achieved linear lift without a center of gravity. A mechanical drive, located below the truck bed, swivels both arms to and fro in tandem, thus lifting or lowering the load platform in less than a minute. The electric motor is powered by the vehicle battery and activated by remote control. The system also incorporates all possible safety features, including an inclination angle limiter.
The "X-Tra-Lift" was specifically integrated into the vehicle design. The tubular frame offers protection against rollover accidents and visually integrates the system into the vehicle body.
The loading system is ready for production and enjoys high demand, especially in the USA.
Toys as Cargo
"B.O.B." isn’t a nickname for an American man in this case. Loaded onto the back of TATOOO.COM it stands for "Breathing Observation Bubble." "B.O.B." – produced in sunny Florida – is a totally new diving apparatus. The underwater motor scooter looks like something straight out of a science-fiction movie. Even beginners can easily dive up to 30 feet deep. The diver's head moves freely in an air pocket under a helmet reminiscent of Darth Vader. There is no mouthpiece, no regulator. A battery-powered propeller provides propulsion. Steering is done with a kind of bicycle handle that operates a rudder. Diving depth is controlled by a sack of air that inflates and deflates and is adjusted easily at the push of a button. The compressed-air bottle holds enough air for one-hour excursions under water.
Street toys, of course, also need to be transported. So a customized Ducati Monster 900 S with chrome styling is also available as cargo for easy transport.
The Interior
The interior of the RINSPEED TATOOO.COM is creative and futuristic in design and choice of materials. Imitation African mamba snake leather, woven beige leather from Italy and terracotta-colored plastic floor covering lend an exclusive yet natural touch. The Austrian company Burg Design did the styling of these and other décor elements. The clever combination of these unusual elements, colors, and patterns creates just the perfect setting for the high-tech Sony stereo system. Many parts of the interior and exterior are plated with a chrome-like finish called SLC ("Surface Like Chrome") using a new technology developed by Durovib. FoliaTec contributed many useful design elements inside and out.
The vehicle also contains the latest in mobile entertainment. A fast and easily installed Sony PlayStation makes travel times seem shorter for the passenger. A 7-inch LCD monitor offers super-sharp picture quality.
The Tatooo’ists:
Rinspeed Design has developed lasting partnerships in the design and technology sectors.
BURG-DESIGN : Once again the Burg-Design Team has demonstrated its creativity and styling expertise. As in years past the Austrian company Burg Design is responsible for interior design, badging, typeface, side moldings, grille, and color and material selection. Its high-quality products INOFORM, EVOTEC, INOTEC and plastic films and new high-tech product V-Form (available in 52 designs) offer the customer enormous creative freedom in styling.
CONTINENTAL : The ContiSportContact is the tire for sporty and tuned vehicles. Apart from the OEM approval by leading manufacturers as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, these exceptional tires are recommended and used by the leading tuners in Germany and around the world. The best possible grip – especially in critical situations -, a high protection against aquaplaning, excellent silent running capabilities and the comfort are the major advantages of this product. The ContiSportContact is currently available in 63 dimensions and speed indexes for the OEM and aftermarket applications.
The DUCATI MONSTER 900 i.e. Special boasts the following specs: two-cylinder L-engine, 2 valves per cylinder, desmodromic valve gear, air-cooled. Electronic fuel injection Marelli. Torque 7.4 Kgm / 73 Nm at 6’750 rpm. Steel tubular space frame. Hydraulic multi-disc clutch, six speeds. Two disc brakes in the front, 320 mm, four-piston brake calipers, one disc brake in the rear, 245 mm, two-piston brake caliper from Brembo, available in red or black.
DUROVIB : DUROVIB Oberflächentechnik GmbH was founded in mid 1997. DUROVIB offers the Surface Like Chrome plating process, used to manufacture rims with chrome-like reflectivity. In April 1999 DUROVIB opened its second plant, where it began large-scale application of the patented SLC process to add brilliance to objects, replacing galvanic chrome plating. In the SLC process a metallic alloy coat is sandwiched between two coats of powdered paint using a plasma-based vacuum plating process.
FOLIATEC, the Carstyling Factory from Fürth, offers individual and high-quality car accessories: glass films, interior and exterior styling elements, wheel accessories, engine design, and trendwear. Their do-it-yourself products keep up with the latest international trends. Since its inception in 1982, retail customers, dealers and franchise partners alike have profited from the high-quality products, future-oriented product development and intensive care for the FOLIATEC brand. The company’s 100-page Millennium Catalog and creative and comprehensive website (www.foliatec.de) are especially popular with young men and women ages 17 - 25. The Carstyling Factory is a member of the Association of German Automobile Tuners and is represented by business partners on all continents. In just a few years Michael Böhm, managing director of FOLIATEC (Neumeyerstraße 70, 90411 Nürnberg, phone 0911/97544-0, fax 97544-334, e-mail: info@foliatec.de), has turned the factory into one of the leading DIY tuners through his innovative ideas.
LUFTHANSA CARGO, the world’s leading provider of transport and logistic services, has flown once more the show highlight of Rinspeed Inc. from Los Angels to Zürich. As for many other products, but also special freight services as for heavy objects, valuables, microelectronic parts, dangerous goods or live animals, LUFTHANSA CARGO is also considered as the specialist for the safe transport of automobiles. Not only the modern fleet of airplanes, but also the thorough know how of the staff and the especially developed equipment – as in this case the Car Rack – allow a perfect service to the full expectation of the customers.
MASTER STREET RODS (www.masterstreetrods.com) from the USA was commissioned to build the vehicle’s body.
REMUS – a success story: In September 1990, the company is founded in Bärnbach, Austria, specializing in designing and producing sport exhaust systems and catalysts. In spring 1991 production starts up in the new plant. Several expansion stages follow. "REMUS goes global"- more than 90 % of turnover comes from export markets - within ten years the number of employees grows to 500. In 1994 REMUS becomes the first manufacturer of sport exhaust systems in Europe to receive the coveted ISO 9001 EN 29001 certification. Other honors such as the "Quality Seal" and the Austrian Environmental Award follow. REMUS RACING demonstrates a worldwide commitment to motorsports. Numerous drivers and teams on two and four wheels around the globe race under the sign of the wolf's head. A recent reader survey by Motorsport aktuell magazine showed Remus in third place in the sponsor recognition category, trailing only BBS and Sonax.
SONY : The open road – Sony Mobile makes it a great place to enjoy music. When you’re not surfing the Web, you’re cruising the streets. And then you want sound. Pristine sound. The kind you only get with innovative technology from Sony. Like the new MiniDisc Tuner with recording and editing function or the digital sound engineer HX-DSP (Hyper expression DSP) that gives the sound your personal touch. Design?! Check out the extravagant design of the Active Black Panel headunits. A black beauty with two charming faces - but please keep watching the traffic.
SONY PLAYSTATION : With more than 70 million units sold worldwide, approximately 400,000 in Switzerland alone, the Sony PlayStation is the most successful video game console in history. More than 1,000 available games mean that players of all ages can find something to their liking. All this makes PlayStation the ultimate entertainment product that has earned its rightful place in every living room alongside the TV, VCR and stereo system.
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