David Twohig
Engineer
David is a veteran automotive engineering executive with almost 30 years of international experience in car design and development. He was Chief Engineer at Alpine where he oversaw the A110 sports car programme and held the position of Head of Vehicle Engineering at Renault Sport at the same time.
He most recently headed the Future Automotive team at Waymo (the ex-‘Google car’ autonomous vehicle company) based in California’s Silicon Valley. Prior to that, he was Chief Technology Officer and Chief Vehicle Engineer at BYTON, a US-Chinese EV startup, also based in California. Between 2009 and 2013, he led the engineering team responsible for the Renault Zoe.
David brings his vast and varied experience to bear in the articles he writes for The Intercooler about the industry and the fearsomely complex process of bringing a new car to market. Currently working as an automotive consultant, he drives a 1980 Porsche 911 SC that’s been on a strict diet to get it to a whisker above a tonne – he says he is ‘extremely passionate about lightweight vehicles and the benefits of small wheels and tyres.’
Any views expressed here are (of course) David’s own, not those of any client or employer.
First car:
Peugeot 205 XS – could not afford the insurance for a GTI!
Professional hero:
Dr Ferdinand Porsche. Still the greatest car engineer of all time, in my book at least
Fondest driving memory:
Testing prototype or pre-series Alpines on French back roads. Probably the perk of the job
"I have my father to blame for my life-long passion for cars. He taught me that they are more than a mere means of transport – they represent freedom, dreams, passion, excitement and yes, danger. I have been lucky enough to make my living by engineering them, and this led me to fall in love with the endlessly fascinatingly industrial machine that produces them"
