Supercar design! Anything which doesn't fit these 4 groups?

[DRVR]

Can somebody post a mid-engined 2-seatersupercar or sports car which doesn't follow one of these form factors:

1.Lamborghini like
2.Ferrari like
3.Porsche like
4.Le Mans like


Meaning, does somebody know of anything truly new?

If the above doesn't make sense, I will explain.

1.Lamborghini like: Vector, Cizeta, Apollo Arrow, Lykan Hypersport etc (way too many)
2.Ferrari like: Noble M600, Mazzanti Evantra, Hennessey Venom F5,
3.Porsche like: Isdera Commedatore, XJ220
4.Le Mans like: McLaren F1, Pagani, Koenigsegg, Ford GT40, GT etc,

It seems any supercar will follow one of the above formula. Maybe tastefully mix 2 of them. Anytime it doesn't entirely fit this it will be a style mess, like the Zender Vision.

Remember, this is about design only. I don't mean Lamborghini-like etc in terms of mechanics, branding etc. Only the design of the body.

By 2-seater I mean cars which don't have a backseat. But if it's a 3-seater like the McLaren F1 or even a single-seater it's fine. But no 2+2 cars please.

By the way, this post was originally part of my other thread. But people were getting confused so I broke it off into it's own thread as it's a different subject.

Edited by DRVR on Monday 29th August 15:45

[DRVR]

Mastodon2 said:

I don't see anything of a Ferrari in a Hennessey Venom, nor do I see any Porsche in a Jaguar XJ220.

That is because you are only thinking about the 911 as a Porsche.


I will take another crack in explaining the categories:

1. Lamborghini-like: Well, looks like a Countach or like a modern Lambo. Cab-forward, edgy etc.

2.Ferrari-like: The classic sports car look. Reminds you of a 308, 328, 355, 348, 388 etc.

3.Porsche-like: Lots of rounds and bubble like lines.

4. Le-Mans like: Well says it all. Le-Mans racing cars have a very distinct set of lines.

Hope that helps.

This thread is not limited to supercars. Any mid-engined cars without a backseat is a go.;)

Be it a MR2 or a LaFerrari.

[DRVR]

Mastodon2 said:

I don't see anything of a Ferrari in a Hennessey Venom, nor do I see any Porsche in a Jaguar XJ220.

Sorry. It's not the normal Venon GT I meant the Venon F5:

[DRVR]

Hugo a Gogo said:

yes, this one isn't confusing

I tried explaining as well as I could. If it's above your "pay grade" just don't post then.

[DRVR]

Hugo a Gogo said:

I guess you missed the sports cars specification.

Should I explain to you what makes a vehicle technically a sports-cars or will it be beyond your level of comprehension?

[DRVR]

desolate said:

There is an argument that certain front engined cars could be classed as mid-engined.

Yes, there is indeed such thing as front-midle-engined. At least technically. But they are normally discussed as only front-engined. I also think everybody knows mid-engined normally means rear-midle-engined, unless specified.

[DRVR]

MTech535 said:

Where does Bugatti fit into your categorisations?

(trying to understand the question)

You mean the Veyron, right? Because the EB110 is totally Lamborghini.

Yes, the Veyron is a curious case. It almost made me created a 5th category when I was considering it. Like I said I some will mix more categories. I guess I would still fit it in the Porsche-like category because of the bubble nature. It's like a fat Porsche with a little Lambo. But it's definitely up there with the more original designs for sure.

[DRVR]

Equus said:

What do I win, and when are you back at school?

Is this a one of?

In any case I specified sports-cars. That technically is not what peopl think of as a sport-car. Hot-hatch more like it.

[DRVR]

Mr2Mike said:

Mid-engined, two seater sports car

OK, if we will go into that there is also the KTM car. For that we would either have to create an extra category which would include all the wheels out of the body cars like Lotus 7, MG etc. But reason I didn't is they are not sports cars as we see in modern times or at least more of a subset, called roadsters. Yes a subset of sports cars for sure. But lets leave them out and focus on hard top or at least targa, wheel enclosed sports cars.

But yes, this is a different category which doesn't fit any of the above. You are right. But a few decades ago every sports car would fit in that bracket.

[DRVR]

Equus said:

No but it was probably built long before you were born.

Hot hatch, my arse.

You might be just about old enough to remember its successor:

Well, isn't the blue one also a hatchback? Like a Golf, Polo, Fiat 500 or Mini Cooper?

Those are sporty but they don't fit in the sports cars bracket as in Ferrari, Porsche, Corvette etc.

[DRVR]

Mr2Mike said:

Ok how about this one:



or this one

MR2 is Ferrari-like. It was designed to be a mini-Ferrari of sorts.

MG is a roadester. If you take the top off then things get mushy. But besides that I would actually say it's more like a normal car. If it was front engined nobody would make a difference between it and something like a Golf or Escort cabrio, which are not proper sports cars. But like I said, let's leaves Carbrios, Spiders and Roadsters out.

[DRVR]

aka_kerrly said:

Not a sports car? It clearly fits the criteria of 2 seats, mid-rear engine and is based on Group 2 rally car that won Monte Carlo so in my opinion has more kudos than the bulk of "supercars" with no homologation

OP, I cannot quite figure out what you are hoping to achieve from this topic.

What I'm hoping to achieve with the topics is to find out if I'm overlooking any other type of supercar or sports car design which don't fit the above categories. It's a purely research and curiosity thing. I couldn't think of any designs that didn't fit which weren't just bizzare. Veyron was the closest thing.

So I asked to see if anybody could dig something up. I obviously don't know every car ever made.

As for sports cars maybe I should have left it at supercars then. But hatchbacks are not considered sports cars in design terms. The Renault 5 for example is technically characterized as a super-mini. Where a Ferrari 355 is categorized as a sports-car. It's a design thing. Not performance or use related. Like fastback, nothcback, hatchback, sedan etc. It's a class of car.

[DRVR]

desolate said:

True, but it doesn't mean they are right.

Technically they are absolutely not.

[DRVR]

Turquoise said:

Ariel Atom.

Technically a Formula or "Gokart". Anyway, not classed as a sports car.

[DRVR]

Iva Barchetta said:

How about the Ford RS200 ?

Also a homologated Group B rallycar ,not a hatchback either like the Renault.

Doesn't look like a Ferrari ,it has a Sierra windscreen too.

Lancia 037 ?

The RS200, although technically classed as sports car is more like a normal 2-door notchback. Not every rear engined car is a sports cars to the true sense. The Convair for example isn't. It belongs with Mustangs and Cameros. But it's rear engined.

The RS200 besides the round Porsche lights can be seen as a shorter Escort or as a squash Ferrari with a run of the mill car front end.

The Lancia again is more with the Mustang. More of a GT if you will.

[DRVR]

Equus said:

No more than this is a hatchback... in both cases, there's nothing back there but engine and a small amount of luggage space:

OK. Let's not go there. I think you know the Esprit is not a hatchback but a liftback-fastback. If I'm going to have to explain the difference between a Spider, a Roadster etc and people just want to call them all convertibles, then a thread about car design can't work.

[DRVR]

desolate said:

I think your first analysis was correct.

Does this please you?

I think we were always in agreement. If you want to be very specific I should have said rear-middle-engined. Reason I rectified it.

[DRVR]

Benbay001 said:

No point thinking of suitible cars.
OP just moves the goal posts if you find one.

I have the impression people are seeing the thread as some sort of challenge. Do people get their egos hurt when something they post is seen as not it?

This is a research type of thread. Just want to see if I'm overlooking any designs out there. If what you post already fits one of the categories or if it's not considerable, nobody loses or win. There is no winning or losing. It's just all considerations. Why some people get so personal about it as if they stand to win something?

[DRVR]

Iva Barchetta said:

THIS!

In what way is an 037 , "Mustang like" ?



repeated picture.

I'm out.

Hmm, somehow I looked at the picture and saw it differently. I think I thought of the Delta or any of the other Lancias which use the same headlights. You are right. Not Mustang. It fits the Ferrari-like category. If it had pop-up headlights it would look like a Ferrari, the lowered road version, not rally version.

[DRVR]

twocolours said:

Not really sure whats Le Mans-like about a Koenigsegg? Personally would have put it in the same category as the Noble

The proportions.