Following the first ever Art of Wheels custom rim design competition success last year, the second sequel returns to coach and train more talented designers from any background to develop world-class functional car rims.
Celebrating the best of art and engineering in the automotive sector and co-organized by Giant Light Metal Technology (M) Sdn Bhd & My Lives Global Marketing & Event, Art of Wheels 2023/24 will once again see both Malaysian and international designers vying for the opportunity to showcase their skills through the inclusion of GLMT's expertise in producing state-of-the-art alloy wheels that deliver superior functionality, aesthetic quality and an exceptional user experience.
The competition was first launched in 2022 as an initiative to mentor and educate aspiring designers in Malaysia. The first edition began with 50 participants from local universities who were given a list of Porsche sports car models for which they could design rims, based on technical specifications and target groups aged between 18 and 40.
The event was attended by Bryan Teh Yea Quan, a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design student at the School of Media, Arts and Design (SoMAD) of the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), who was crowned the champion. This was announced to media members and invited guests by GLMT Malaysia Branch Manager Andrew Thu in his welcome address during the unveiling ceremony and press conference held at the GLMT showroom at Sunway Nexis in Petaling Jaya on 20 September 2023.
“Although aesthetics are the priority in this competition, participants are expected to highlight the lightweight properties of the material alloy while exuding an avant-garde fashion style to meet the needs of discerning and wealthy luxury car owners and prestige car manufacturers,” Andrew Thu said. “Factors such as material utility, reinventing customer perception of alloy wheels, creativity, concept and feasibility in a real-world design will be considered by professional, industry-leading judges,” Thu added. Henry Thu, chairman of Giant Light Metal Technology of Kunshan, China, a manufacturing subsidiary of the world-renowned Giant Group of Taiwan also attended the event.
“Through this competition, we hope to push the boundaries of our participants and provide them with constructive feedback that they can carry with them throughout their careers. In this way, we hope to fulfil our responsibility as established players in the industry and to mentor and promote the future generation and our local talent,” expressed by enthusiastic Henry Thu.
This year's competition will also feature a motorcycle rim design challenge as part of an exclusive collaboration between GLMT and Tekhne Sdn Bhd. This was revealed by Chong Chee Kong, general manager of Tekhne's automotive spare parts and accessories business, which covers both two-wheeler and four-wheeler segments.
“As a new company, we target to launch our products sometime in Q1 of 2024, targeting the Malaysian automotive aftermarket and will be looking to expand our business further into the ASEAN region within the next 5 years, explained Chong.” “We are also actively looking for business partners that share the same business synergy to join us in order to grow our business together and to bring the company forward,” he further added. “Tekhne’s mission is to become the leading automotive supplier in ASEAN by 2028,” Chong concluded enthusiastically.
Francis Chen, Assistant Sales Manager of My Lives Global Marketing & Event went on to introduce the competition and provide exclusive insights into the competition's theme and objectives. “The competition transcends the boundaries of mere aesthetics and technology. It is a testament to the profound fusion of art and technology in the automotive industry.” “Our mission is to delve deep into the Malaysian design landscape and discover hidden talents waiting to be polished. We are looking for extraordinary visions to create wheel designs of incomparable luxury and elegance. These creations, exclusively gracing the majestic Porsche supercars and Yamaha motorcycles, will leave an indelible mark and increase their appeal to unprecedented levels.”
The competition program, aimed at attracting and developing creative talent, is divided into two phases. Phase 1, the one-month preliminary phase in which participants will have to submit designs including sketches, technical drawings, datasheets, justification and also a model, and Phase 2, the two-month final phase in which the qualifiers will meet for deliberation by a high-level panel to participate and have their designs reviewed by the car owners and modified or adjusted accordingly.
Only Phase 1 qualifiers are allowed to participate in the Motorcycle Rim Design Competition. Finalists' designs are sent to Kunshan, China, for production, where professional judges and car owners can judge them against actual rims. The winners will be announced in early 2024.
The winner of the Rim Design Challenge will receive a cash prize of RM5,000.00 while the second runner-up and third runner-up will receive RM3,000 and RM2,000 respectively. All consolation prize winners will be awarded RM500 each. In the Motorcycle Rim Design Challenge, a cash prize of RM3,000 awaits the champion, while RM2,000 and RM1,000 will go to the second runner-up and the third runner-up respectively.
Interested designers can register on the GLMT website at www.glmwheels.com. The registration deadline is on October 23, 2023. There is a one-time registration fee of RM 300.00 per participant.
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