Adam Fairless was awarded the 'Best Vehicle Design' accolade in the Corus sponsored 'Autumn Collection', the private view of the Coventry University MA Automotive Design Show 2002. The winning design was selected from a line-up of twenty-four international students by a distinguished industry panel, which included Peter Horbury, executive director of design at Ford's Premier Auto Group and Richard Seymour, one of the world's leading product designers.

Adam's 'Thrill Seeker's Paradise' concept recreates the emotional and psychological aspect of being driven at the edge of a vehicle's limit. It translates the thrill seeking experience of roller coasters and arcade games into an automotive form.

Jon King, director of Corus Automotive and chair of the judging panel, said: "We were very impressed with all the concepts on show. In particular we were impressed with Adam's vivid interpretation of our contemporary leisure culture taken to a logical conclusion. His design concept was well thought out and thoroughly well executed."

Peter Horbury added: "I was particularly pleased to see the influence of the many different nationalities and cultural backgrounds of the students reflected in the design concepts on show. Strong national identity in automotive vehicle design is to be encouraged and, I believe, can go a long way to help sell a product."

Second prize at the Design Show was awarded to Ning Huang, from China, for his design concept 'Wave Runner on Land'. Based on leisure and sport boat design, the high quality concept was commended by the judging panel for its perfect extrapolation of Yamaha's brand and product philosophy, one of Ning's main influences.

The third prize went to British student Andrew Lee Entwhistle for his 'Lotus for Everyday Use' concept. The design reflected on other areas of transport such as aircraft and motorcycles in order to create a lightweight, athletic model that would generate an emotional response. The concept echoed the core philosophy of Lotus while allowing for practicality and everyday use.

Brian Clough, course tutor of Coventry's MA Automotive Design course commended the ninth graduating masters class. "The calibre of concepts unveiled at this year's show demonstrates that Coventry continues in its task of moulding the next generation of designers who will be responsible for the vehicles of tomorrow."

Sponsorship of the Coventry University Automotive MA Design Show, now in its fourth consecutive year, forms part of Corus' work in bridging the gap between advanced metal engineering and leading edge product design.

Jon King added: "By partnering an institute at the forefront of innovation in European automotive design, Corus gains valuable fresh insights into the future of the automotive industry."

Corus is committed to supporting new talent in automotive design and engineering, creating a platform to understand the needs and wants of young designers whilst demonstrating the material solutions being developed within Corus.