I love this bus," said Ivester., "I think it's visually arresting and so different from any other bus of its class. It's simply brilliant. Ivester's infectious enthusiasm for the Meteor Luxury Coach, designed and built in Israel in just 18 months, was almost enough for the jurors to drive the vehicle into the Best of Category slot - on y the strong competition kept it out. "It's unique, it's appealing, and it's not 'bussy,"' said Schumaker. "That’s a compliment."
Commissioned by Israel's largest body builder. the striking design is configured for three alternative European chassis – Volvo, Mercedes and MAN. Its chief designer, Alex Padwa, an independent consultant formerly at Citroen in Paris, set out to create a form that was "unmistakable" from every angle, and distinct from its "boxlike" highway counterparts. This he achieved by streamlining the transition from the front of the bus to the side, and from the side the rear. According to Padwa, the resulting aerodynamic form has high road stability and passenger comfort yet low fuel consumption.
Satava identified a key to the success of the design for the tourist market. "By wrapping the windows up over the top, the design gives you the feeling that the outside is actually coming into the bus. You can't get the feeling that you're boxed in. This is important for a tourist coach because the key event inside is what's happening outside."
For the driver, the accompanying high visibility designed into the "cockpit" area is an aid to safety, further assisted in the Meteor by a monitor for difficult reversing maneuvers. "The windshield dips down, rather than following a standard flat edge across the bottom, and has a simple jog to break up the surface and put a sensual spot for branding in front of the bus," said Schumaker. "It's not a static design, it has a speed to it that is appropriate for a bus. it's a very advanced design." |
