I’m really digging it.
Love it! Definitely a future icon. Unique and stylish, yet cute and light appearance as a city bus should have. Although it looks much longer than the routemaster and not as agile.
What’s the deal, is it going to be produced?
As far as i know, yes, it will be produced! And i’m lovin’ it too but i soooooo need some more and better pictures as i’m sure there are lots of nice little details tobe found too. 
Are they LED headlights like on newer Audi’s? I really like the swooping windows - almost makes a regular bus look like some sort of rock band tour coach.
It just shows what a horrible idea it was to dump the double-decker in favor of those bendy-buses. They’ve started to use the bendy in Montreal…ugh! That is definitely not a vehicle designed for compact downtowns!
These roll out in 2012… in time for the Olympics… Agreed the articulating busses are a shame!
As far as I know, these don’t even meet current regulations!
They are a very expensive way for the current London mayor to get one over on his predecessor, and his much (un)loved bendy buses, and smack in the face of other financial cuts being made elsewhere in the country.
I’m all for iconic design, and do like the re-design, but can’t admire the project as a whole.
so political good design maneuvering?
Personally not a fan of the asymmetry for asymmetry’s sake. Overdesigned a bit for my liking. But if that were fixed could be ok.
R
Overdesigned a bit for my liking.
Like so many things … couldn’t they just re-engine the old design to comply with current environmental concerns? Visually, it’s huge and way over human-scale.
San Luis Obispo just replaced it’s old London double-decker with this … it blocks out the sun as it approaches. The downtown area of SLO is a shady, tree-lined, pedestrian friendly retail area; lots of small shops, sidewalk cafes, etc. Unfortunately many of the mature trees had to be drastically trimmed to allow this dreadnought to land at the curbs.
( I have no idea what the “hand rail-like” structure is on the upper right side of the windshield).
What is more than a little annoying is that this is a “gimmick” bus. SLO’s regular buses are single deck and seldom run at full passenger capacity.
Of course the original London bus was a gimmick as well … small and charming, but it was always full of tourists, even though it was in need of an over-haul… (LP gas, or even electric?)
I always wondered, do these double deckers have trouble going under bridges/overpasses? It seems like in the states regular busses barely clear some of the overpasses as is.
Yes.
Perhaps to protect the glass from the tree branches as it docks to the curb…
Normally, I rail at attempts of government to fund design.* However, this thing is so friggin’ appropriate for London and it seems like it could be a huge export business (where is it built? France I imagine hehe).
Design: I am with Yo and Richard and LMO. It imitates the old bus, but using modern materials. I think it’s because government is involved. They should have given the designers free reign to develop something appropriate to modern materials. It’s better than the ordinary crap buses though.
BTW…where are the design competitions to develop nice buses? Even in Spain, the buses were big rectangular ugly boxes with ads posted all over the side. Drop green design, that’s a waste of our time. Design a nice looking bus!!!
- footnote: Montreal just put out a RFQ to designers to develop a new recycle bin. Why? Because the previous design had a lid that would stick closed and didn’t work. Yeah, the city of Montreal blew (my estimates) $80k on design and $300k on tooling for a complete FAIL and is now trying trying to eff up one more time. Fabulous city of design my derriere. (end rant)
Mr-914, It was competition…organized by Mayor Boris…they had invited many design studios to participate in this competition.
After seeing these proto photos…I think this is a great project…for public transportation.
There has been the complete change in design & associated material & manufacturing process from public buses to luxury buses.
(obvious few like a riveted panel to a stretched panel, sliding Al’s window to pasted glass etc…)
this will be more expensive than existing one…even there is Volvo public bus in the market with similar material & processes…
The only difference that it has more no of non-std parts specially glass pieces & curved glass…but not a big issue…compare to the output that they will be getting. as well as there will be some issue with maintenance & inventory of parts.
Yes, I agree with others… some level of refinement needed…specially front.
Overall…a little ambitious design…only good production facility will uphold the design…
The new LDN buss has it too in the images posted here.
The new LDN buss has it too in the images posted here.
Hmmmm … so it does.
Me thinks I’ll give the SLO Transit Company a call and see if they know what it is.
EDIT - It’s guard to protect the upper glazing from tree branches.
Awesome! I was right!
Isn’t that an auto design fail if you have to add on some bits to ensure it won’t break as designed? It’s not as if it looks luke it was a part of the original design but a later kludge.
R
It’s not as if it looks like it was a part of the original design but a later kludge.
If they’d positioned the driver on the upper deck s/he wouldn’t be slamming into overhanging tree limbs all the time.
True, but he might be slamming into people down below more!