The very first Volvo non-employee to experience the new S60 is blind.

Turkish artist Esref Armagan, who is renowned for his unique feel for perspective and shape, is the first civilian to literally get his hands on the new Volvo model, which will be kept under wraps until its launch in 2010.

Armagan has been invited to paint his rendition of the stunning, but still-secret, car.

Sculpture

Volvo says the S60 brings a whole new level of sculpture to the vehicle and believes the blind artist is the perfect person to capture the car's bold design.

Armagan uses his hands and the rest of his senses to identify the shape of the object he is painting. He has participated in a number of scientific research projects. He featured in a Discovery documentary in which his ability to capture the right perspective was revealed in a medical study. This defies everything that science previously believed about blind people and their perceptive abilities.

Armagan has painted everything from historic buildings, seascapes, flowers and forests to a portrait of former US President Bill Clinton.

On film

The movie documenting Armagan's preview of the new Volvo S60 is available on Volvo Car's own website on Facebook: www.facebook.com/volvo. It is also available on YouTube

Volvo director of live communication and social media challenge Lukas Dohle, says: "Since the car itself is not being launched until the Geneva Motor Show next year, this is a unique way for us to show an extraordinary artist's rendition of the forthcoming model."

This is also the first time that Armagan will be putting a car on canvas. "It was an honour for me to be asked to do this and I take it as a confirmation of my ability as an artist," says Armagan.

More dynamic

Volvo design director Peter Horbury says: "I'm proud of the new Volvo S60. It has a much more dynamic and sculpted form than any previous Volvo - it's a very emotive form. That's why this feels like such an exciting project - introducing our forthcoming model to someone as unusual as a blind artist."

On October 19, the first trailer was made available to 400 blogs globally, offering tantalizing glimpses of the car. Enthusiasts can also ask Esref Armagan to draw specific details of the car.

On October 26, the full-length film was made available on Facebook.

"It's an amazing experience to work together with Esref Armagan, because he truly embraces life and lives it to the full despite his handicap. It's an approach that exactly matches how we at Volvo embrace life," says Dohle.

The new Volvo S60 is due to be launched in South Africa during the last quarter of 2010.