New Kitcar Design Sketches and Concepts
Discussion
After a long while, I decided to start a new and dedicated thread on kitcar Design and styling.
We've seen many threads lately where we've talked about feasability, sales and manufacturing methods, it's all very good for information gathering but it would be interesting to see real concepts or real designs that could appeal to kitcar enthusiasts.
It would be nice and fun to see engineers and designers, enthusiasts and all, post their sketches or ideas, just for the fun of an interesting and healthy discussion.
Potentialy these ideas and sketches should consider the current and future kitcar market or maybe open up a new niche or resurect a defunct niche...who knows anything is possible.
Will post a few sketches of mine very soon...but looking forward to everybody elses...
Italo
We've seen many threads lately where we've talked about feasability, sales and manufacturing methods, it's all very good for information gathering but it would be interesting to see real concepts or real designs that could appeal to kitcar enthusiasts.
It would be nice and fun to see engineers and designers, enthusiasts and all, post their sketches or ideas, just for the fun of an interesting and healthy discussion.
Potentialy these ideas and sketches should consider the current and future kitcar market or maybe open up a new niche or resurect a defunct niche...who knows anything is possible.
Will post a few sketches of mine very soon...but looking forward to everybody elses...
Italo
I'll post this up again for now, my photoshop of the Hot Wheels Lotus concept as a 7 rebody.
I'll try to come up with something new for this thread though
I'll try to come up with something new for this thread though
ajprice said:
Where would you figure the driver's head to be in that car, is he supposed to be looking through the windscreen?
fuoriserie said:
There's no doubt that you are a talented designer, and I look forward to seeing any more sketches you have.fuoriserie said:
Here is my rough sketch for a retro inspired design body on MEV Sonic7/Rocket chassis and vehicle dimensions.
I would love to see it with modern wire wheels and BRG.......
This sketch is an image overlay of this picture
Did you use the MEV as an underlay to get the generic propertions and perspective roughly in place? I would love to see it with modern wire wheels and BRG.......
This sketch is an image overlay of this picture
I like your rendering tenchnique. Is is mostly chalks over limited marker then touched up in PS?
slomax said:
fuoriserie said:
Here is my rough sketch for a retro inspired design body on MEV Sonic7/Rocket chassis and vehicle dimensions.
I would love to see it with modern wire wheels and BRG.......
This sketch is an image overlay of this picture
Did you use the MEV as an underlay to get the generic propertions and perspective roughly in place? I would love to see it with modern wire wheels and BRG.......
This sketch is an image overlay of this picture
I like your rendering tenchnique. Is is mostly chalks over limited marker then touched up in PS?
, the rendering technique is exactly as you say....singlecoil said:
fuoriserie said:
There's no doubt that you are a talented designer, and I look forward to seeing any more sketches you have., I will be showing the other sketches , side and rear view, stil based on the Rocket chassis images I have in my files.
On other threads I've often suggested a 2+2 and have cited the Caterham 21 as a starting point so here is roughly what I had in mind.
I've also suggested that the Fiat X1/9 could make a starting point for a new design. The buck for this is an X1/9 (so the buck is half finished on day one) with a racecar style minimal windscreen, aero fairings behind the seats and minor reshaping of the front and the rear panel. No doors which keeps things as simple as possible, just jump in. There might be many more mass produced cars that could be used as a short cut to a buck like this.
Apparently the molds for this lovely car, the Byers CR90, were lost many years ago. Can you imagine losing this? A few examples still exist. I'd change the side air vents for something like the Aston DBR1 or '58 Corvette but it looks lovely as it is. Another design without doors.
These cars have four cylinder engines but if you were resurecting the design it could be fitted with a V8 and be an alternative to the endless Cobra kits.
I've also suggested that the Fiat X1/9 could make a starting point for a new design. The buck for this is an X1/9 (so the buck is half finished on day one) with a racecar style minimal windscreen, aero fairings behind the seats and minor reshaping of the front and the rear panel. No doors which keeps things as simple as possible, just jump in. There might be many more mass produced cars that could be used as a short cut to a buck like this.
Apparently the molds for this lovely car, the Byers CR90, were lost many years ago. Can you imagine losing this? A few examples still exist. I'd change the side air vents for something like the Aston DBR1 or '58 Corvette but it looks lovely as it is. Another design without doors.
These cars have four cylinder engines but if you were resurecting the design it could be fitted with a V8 and be an alternative to the endless Cobra kits.
Edited by cymtriks on Saturday 8th October 10:52
Edited by cymtriks on Saturday 8th October 10:52
Edited by cymtriks on Saturday 8th October 11:07
Edited by cymtriks on Saturday 8th October 13:26
Hope the actual MEV SONIC7 dimensions are of help to budding designers. Please note the measurements are slightly amended from this drawing which was for the prototype. Bracing was also modded for production Sonic7 cars. Wheel base is 2450. You will need 650mm from the floor to the top of the engine cover. Overall width is 1780. Have fun. 
How about updated versions of some of the old Mini and Metro based kits like the GTM, Midas and Mini Marcos cars, using the 'new' BMW Mini. Early ones are around for less than £5k now, and they can fit big wheels for a more modern design. Photoshop is more my area so I could cut and shut some pictures together.
Is there much difference as a kit donor between the Mk1 and Mk2 BMW Mini? I'd think it could be used as a FWD setup moved to the rear like an MEV to make it mid engined.
Is there much difference as a kit donor between the Mk1 and Mk2 BMW Mini? I'd think it could be used as a FWD setup moved to the rear like an MEV to make it mid engined.
stig mills said:
Hope the actual MEV SONIC7 dimensions are of help to budding designers. Please note the measurements are slightly amended from this drawing which was for the prototype. Bracing was also modded for production Sonic7 cars. Wheel base is 2450. You will need 650mm from the floor to the top of the engine cover. Overall width is 1780. Have fun.
Thank you for the Blueprint Stuart.....cymtriks said:
On other threads I've often suggested a 2+2 and have cited the Caterham 21 as a starting point so here is roughly what I had in mind.
I've also suggested that the Fiat X1/9 could make a starting point for a new design. The buck for this is an X1/9 (so the buck is half finished on day one) with a racecar style minimal windscreen, aero fairings behind the seats and minor reshaping of the front and the rear panel. No doors which keeps things as simple as possible, just jump in. There might be many more mass produced cars that could be used as a short cut to a buck like this.
Apparently the molds for this lovely car, the Byers CR90, were lost many years ago. Can you imagine losing this? A few examples still exist. I'd change the side air vents for something like the Aston DBR1 or '58 Corvette but it looks lovely as it is. Another design without doors.
These cars have four cylinder engines but if you were resurecting the design it could be fitted with a V8 and be an alternative to the endless Cobra kits.
All very interesting designs and concepts and now you would need a chassis to base them on, any ideas ?I've also suggested that the Fiat X1/9 could make a starting point for a new design. The buck for this is an X1/9 (so the buck is half finished on day one) with a racecar style minimal windscreen, aero fairings behind the seats and minor reshaping of the front and the rear panel. No doors which keeps things as simple as possible, just jump in. There might be many more mass produced cars that could be used as a short cut to a buck like this.
Apparently the molds for this lovely car, the Byers CR90, were lost many years ago. Can you imagine losing this? A few examples still exist. I'd change the side air vents for something like the Aston DBR1 or '58 Corvette but it looks lovely as it is. Another design without doors.
These cars have four cylinder engines but if you were resurecting the design it could be fitted with a V8 and be an alternative to the endless Cobra kits.
fuoriserie said:
Here is my rough sketch for a retro inspired design body on MEV Sonic7/Rocket chassis and vehicle dimensions.
I would love to see it with modern wire wheels and BRG.......
This sketch is an image overlay of this picture
Thats very nice but the first thought that popped into my head was why an off-roader, and the more I look at it the less I understand my first reaction.I would love to see it with modern wire wheels and BRG.......
This sketch is an image overlay of this picture
fuoriserie said:
All very interesting designs and concepts and now you would need a chassis to base them on, any ideas ?
The plus 2 version of the C21 would fit on a backbone chassis, Spyder do one for the Elan plus 2 and (slightly larger) for the Excel.The X1/9 Barchetta could be a monocoque or a spaceframe, there are plenty to choose from though the X1/9 is slightly smaller than most of them.
The styling of the Byers CR90 could be adapted to fit on any Cobra chasis.
singlecoil said:
The snag with the Byers design is the headlight height, of course (min 500mm to the bottom of the headlight). Raise those and it's really not too different to a Cobra.
Not the bottom, the main beam cut off, about half way up the headlight IIRC.I Reckon it's close to legal.
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