car design thread | Page 437 | FerrariChat

car design thread

Discussion in 'Creative Arts' started by jm2, Oct 19, 2012.

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  1. tritone

    tritone F1 Veteran
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    Right along with the top decision-maker asking his secretary "so which one do you like the best?" :eek:
     
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  2. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    I've actually seen that happen. :eek:
     
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  3. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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  4. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Im living that right now
     
  5. Tenney

    Tenney F1 Rookie
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    Now is it worse when it's done by a boss who has the gig because he speaks well at a luncheon?

    Or a boss who can kinda walk the talk and is maybe doing it to mess with ya a bit ...?
     
  6. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    :) Every time I have witnessed or been a part of this type of behavior, it was certainly the former, not the latter.
    The ones that really cracked me up/drove me crazy were the managers that would solicit the whims/opinions of all those present including marketing, manufacturing, finance, engineering, et al. Seriously?

    In my MOST serious professional manner I would gently remind them that that was exactly what they were paying ME for.
    Sometimes it worked..............others, not.
     
  7. Tenney

    Tenney F1 Rookie
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    And, alternatively, bet it must've sometimes felt as though that was the part of the gig they were actually paying you for? (hazard pay!)
     
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  8. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    Believe me, I earned every cent!
    I had to take a stress test recently, and one of my former colleagues reminded me that I was taking a stress test for 35 yrs at my former employer. Truer words......
     
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  9. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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  10. ModernLou

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    I mean, it really does look like everything else. There's nothing about this that says "famous, talented designer" (IMVHO)
     
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  11. VigorousZX

    VigorousZX Formula Junior

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    It has design cues that evoked the 70's Firebird Trans AM for me and that car was way before my time.
     
  12. ingegnere

    ingegnere F1 Veteran
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    Looks like an X5 but like someone went to town on it with the gaudy golden treatment. Market specific maybe?
     
  13. ingegnere

    ingegnere F1 Veteran
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    I don’t really see any design cues but the black/gold livery is a bit like this. Needs a hood chicken to complete the effect ;-)
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  14. VigorousZX

    VigorousZX Formula Junior

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  15. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    Part 2 of the Mangusta/ C8 comparison
    https://velocetoday.com/mangusta-vs-corvette-c8-the-drive/#comments

    Mangusta vs Corvette C8: The Drive

    October 6, 2020 By pete 1 Comment



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    The Mangusta has a wonderful Italian driving spirit and the C8 Corvette is built with the force of American enthusiasm for performance.



    By Dick Ruzzin

    Read Part 1

    THE MID-ENGINE CONCEPT AS ADDRESSED BY DE TOMASO AND CHEVROLET

    The Mangusta platform potential was never realized, it came out before it was fully developed and production was stopped after 401 cars were built. That was done so that De Tomaso and Ford could start building the Pantera, mid-engine also but a totally different car. The Mangusta’s P-70 racing chassis was created by Alessandro de Tomaso and Carroll Shelby, but the iconic design by Giorgetto Giugiaro is so visually powerful that their contributions to the creation of the car have been forgotten.

    Coming over fifty years later the mid-engine C8 Corvette Stingray has a long and admirable rear drive heritage and an expansive mid-engine future. The C8 potential is already packaged into its new cast aluminum chassis. In 1959 even before the Mangusta was created some at Chevrolet were already seeing a future mid-engine platform for the Corvette…. “Some day”.

    The Corvette mid-engine development process started in 1959 with the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle (CERV), as created by Zora Arkus Duntov. With this car his idea of a “someday” future mid-engine Corvette was revealed. It was a single seater with a mid-engine platform that included four wheel drive. Much testing was done on the car with multiple engine changes and some testing even by Chaparral Cars of Texas. GM was gathering data but the concept was too big a leap into the unknown for a car that was selling well and establishing a name for itself in racing. To the engineers the culture change would be daunting, the mid-engine concept was a dream that was just starting to emerge in racing and from there mid-engine street cars would obviously be the next step.

    CHEVROLET IN 2020

    A rear wheel drive engineering culture is very different than a mid-engine culture. Chevrolet made the transition from a very successful rear wheel drive platform, the C7, to an instantly competent and expandable mid-engine platform in the C8. That has already been demonstrated successfully by their racing program. The final rear wheel drive Corvette was so successful that it was able to outperform some very expensive mid-engine cars. In spite of that Chevrolet management had felt for years that the rear drive platform was reaching its limit, requiring a move to the mid-engine concept to raise the performance horizon for the Corvette. The C8 will also be built with right hand drive, signaling that Chevrolet has global sales expectations leveraged by its racing success.



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    To really understand the design of the C8 Corvette you have to see and hear the racecars in motion. Corvette racing has paved the way for global sales. A GM Design sketch showing the new silver livery on the No. 4 car, joined by a traditional yellow livery on the No. 3 car. Courtesy GM Media



    Examining the C8 closely will show that Chevrolet has spent money on the C8 that is beyond it’s traditional Corvette content. Clearly it matches its history for offering a lot of car for the money but it has also included a combination of architecture, detail and content that is exceptional and beyond it’s norm. With a uniquely engineered high pressure cast six piece aluminum chassis and a best of the best in house developed eight speed transmission the C8 is positioned for technical advancement to match any car in the business. There is no doubt that the C8 Corvette Stingray is challenging the mid-engine star cars of Europe and it is likely better positioned. Behind the car is world class GM powertrain and engine technology and a culture that has demonstrated a very high level of dynamic competency. The test numbers at Nurburgring show that.

    DRIVING THE 1969 DE TOMASO MANGUSTA

    Approaching the Mangusta, due to its mid-engine proportions and skillfully executed timeless design, it still looks modern and dramatic. What makes the car so beautiful is the masterful and artistic execution of the sheer surfaces. It is very low and small with a sporty and elegant character designed in by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro. He created the car as a race car for the street. He designed both interior and exterior, on his kitchen table, and it was introduced in 1966.



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    The Mangusta interior, designed as a racecar of the time with eight VEGLIA BORLETTI guages and a much imitated steering wheel built by FERRARA.



    You sit very low in the Mangusta, five inches lower than the C8 Corvette. The interior is harmonic with the exterior, simple, purposeful and tight since the car has a very short wheelbase. The seats are typical for the late sixties not nearly offering the support of those in the new Corvette. The instrument panel is flat and covered with black leather and suede. On it are eight beautifully designed black VEGLIA BORLETTI gauges and a line of toggle switches. In front of you is one of the most beautiful steering wheels ever designed, it has been much imitated and is a piece of artwork. Behind you, a thick piece of glass that helps keep engine sound from entering the passenger compartment. The Corvette has a thick glass too, with a specially developed seal around it to keep sound out of the interior.

    Mangusta seating is compromised by the very large front wheel wells so the pedal box is a bit to the right and you sit at a slight angle. Normally you are not aware of the angled seating position as you become used to it easily. You are aware of it when you have been away from the car for a long period of time. The car is wide on the inside but tight fore and aft, like a racecar



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    Good engine accessibility is always difficult to achieve on a mid-engine car. The solution is unique to the Mangusta, so unique that it has never been done on anther production car.



    Driving the car is really fun. The rack and pinion steering is very tight and the throttle response is crisp, it is noisy at low speeds but it quiets down on the freeway. The suspension is typical of race cars of the early sixties: A arms and Heims joints front and rear with minimal wheel travel. The chassis is very sensitive to adjustment but once dialed in you will get a driving experience that is very precise. It tracks straight when accelerating or braking. The Mangusta has a very low transaxle so care has to be taken for speedbumps and other road hazards. The ZF five speed transaxle and the Girling disc brakes are racing components used at the time in Grand Prix cars and the Ford GT40. De Tomaso was a racer too and it is easily seen in the Mangusta.

    DRIVING THE 2020 C8 CORVETTE

    The Corvette looks dramatic. It gets a lot of looks and waves, even thumbs up from Mustang drivers. It appears almost like a quick sketch. The sculptural execution of the complex surfaces are masterful and the surface quality of the glass is the best that I have ever seen. The interior design is simple and beautiful, exotic yet very functional. Entering you sit behind two large screens, the one in front of the square steering wheel immediately presents a short video, an X-ray side view vision of MY car, black with no spoiler! It evolves into a beautiful illustration of the car on a black background. Then one of the two electronically adjustable instruments appear with all the information that I have decided to have available. All control settings are electronically adjustable and memorized by the car. Several seat functions, steering wheel, fore and aft as well as up and down, mirrors, HVAC, radio station and volume.



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    The C8 Corvette interior design combines an exotic theme with a high level of functionality and quality. With more interior space than any other Corvette, the C8 will also be built with right hand drive to address the global market.



    It takes some serious driving and a little time to get everything set but once you do, driving the car is like sitting in your most comfortable chair at home. Balanced, relaxing, solid and stable, the car is quiet and the steering requires very little correction.

    An outstanding part of the car to me is the interior design; obviously a lot of attention went into the driving position and the seats. The interior is clearly designed around the driver. There is support for your elbows on both sides and the square steering wheel is a no brainer. You immediately adjust to it and the corners are in just the right place to help you grip the wheel for low speed turns when you feel the car rotate around you. The new C8 Corvette has five electronic driving programs to choose from, ‘Weather’ to ‘Track’ as well as one added program that allows you to configure the cars drive train, the ride and handling exactly to your liking. Plus, it is quickly activated by the ‘Z’ button on the steering wheel that unleashes your favorite combination for ‘special occasions.’

    Be very careful when entering a freeway, suddenly you see 100MPH flashing by on the speedometer! Then, cruising at 1300RPM in 8th gear at 75 MPH the 490HP engine is smoothly running on 4 cylinders and giving you well over 30MPG… Amazing!



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    The 2020 C8 Corvette is a stunning design that attracts a great deal of attention. Yes…. It does look like a mid-engine car!



    CONCLUSION

    The Mangusta driving experience is unique. Any car that old also has technical and mechanical deficiencies compared to modern cars. A trip on the freeway at 7:30 in the morning brings them out. Brakes are a little slow to respond compared to new cars and because it is so small in a world of pickup trucks and SUVs it can be frightening to drive in that environment. The car is very low and often people do not see it. They look over it so a freeway trip at that time is to be avoided. The Corvette is up to date, maybe beyond, and it is significantly taller and longer. You feel very relaxed and safe in the car in spite of its size. Multiple cameras front and rear aid your driving vision as well as assisting you in parking. A GPS signal will lift the car over high spots when required and you have 1000 possibilities available. Pushing the gas pedal past more than one quarter way down is not often required. You get lulled into a mood of driving easily and safely with very little throttle. I had to look for a special place to floor my C7 and, as with this car, the comfort and relaxed cruising conceals a 490 horsepower beast that can really scare you. You must be sure that the steering wheel is straight or you will literally be in the weeds before you can react. The Mangusta was to be a racecar for the street as declared by de Tomaso in the owners manual. The Corvette is a street car that you can race. All you need are racing tires; everything else required is already engineered into the C8 for success. Simply turn a knob for an optimally designed performance software program called “Track”.

    The Corvette Development Team is closely linked to the Corvette Race Team. They are some of the most talented, accomplished and admired people at General Motors, and rightly so. The C8 Corvette Stingray has a great heritage and a great future and those enthusiasts who buy one will enjoy it immensely.

    ______________________________________________
    At a recent car event, while getting out of my black C8 a small crowd gathered to look it over. I was quickly asked, “Is it worth the money”?

    Spontaneously, my words just tumbled out;

    “Twice the money”! I replied, without even thinking.

    My Mangusta was more than worth the money too
     
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  16. Jeff Kennedy

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    The Mangusta has a lot of tumblehome which really helps pull off the design. A great aesthetic feature but one which can make the feeling of being a bit tight near the head inside.
     
  17. NeuroBeaker

    NeuroBeaker Advising Moderator
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    The interior is nice. The outside looks like a generic SUV with lots of faux performance styling features (scoops, overwrought aero, etc).

    All the best,
    Andrew.
     
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  18. ModernLou

    ModernLou Karting

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  19. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    The Mangusta is art. The C8 is a rolling appliance.

    Back in the day, De Tomaso had lots of build quality issues and my friend's Mangusta was no exception. When Ford was selling Panteras, they had to rework many cars prior to delivery. Lots of stupid stuff. For example, brake lines were not formed and routed using a tube bender, but were instead bent by hand resulting in a kink at the curve.
     
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  20. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    The second part of the Bill Mitchell motorcycle design story.
    http://www.deansgarage.com/2020/mitchells-bikes-1977/

    Mitchell’s Bikes, 1977
    October 9, 20202 CommentsBill Mitchell, Motorcycles
    Image Unavailable, Please Login Car Styling has been following Bill Mitchell’s personal creations on two wheels in three separate issues. A designer, a great one at that, is a designer whatever he designs. And a leader is a leader. In his privately more flamboyant way, Bill Mitchell has been prophesying trends in motorcycle design and engineering.

    Of his latest cafe racers, the most significant is the Honda CB550 Four based ‘Yellow Jacket’. Bill Mitchell has added to his already sizable stable a number of interesting roadsters and road-racers (he shows scant interest to off-road bikes). These include such true heavies as the Honda GL1000 water-cooled four, the Honda CB750A Hondamatic and the impressive Benelli Sei 6-cylinder bike. They must serve as his research vehicles for performance, refinements and innovations, as offered by the respective manufacturers. Mitchell’s concept of an ideal roadster is not, however, found among those heavy weights. It is a slim, light-weight machine with low center of gravity that offers exceptional road holding, handling, and maneuverability.

    A steerable quarter fairing has always been a Mitchell hallmark on his conversions. The fairing integrates instrument and indicator clusters. And he insists on a row of shift-position indicator lamps in addition to the standard instrumentation.

    He may retain the original fuel tank, to which new seat base and tail section are added. The tail and stop lamps are always integrated into the tail section design. Several bikes are given all new one-piece “‘bodies’’ that include fuel tanks. A classic example is the Honda CB500 “Banshee,” of circa 1974.

    Mitchell does not object to multiplicity of cylinders, but he would insist on an electric starter—through a painful experience no doubt! He would want the seat height lowered as much as mechanical layout permits. Again lower center of gravity and easier riding position. Above all, he would want light weight. There are certain limitations as to how far the manufacturers, especially volume producers, could go in lowering weight. Productivity, production tolerances, durability and reliability, and safety must be all considered and balanced against lower weight. You could however turn to such reputed specialists as Rickman, Dunstall and Egli, and obtain lighter components. Mitchell has taken such a route in his Kawasaki 900 cc four which has the special Rickman frame made of Reynolds 531 tubing.

    The “Yellow Jacket” is a gaint leap ahead of all this, in that it employs a specially fabricated aluminum monocoque frame designed and produced to Bill Mitchell’s specification. The complete bike powered by the stock Honda CB550 Four and complete with a quarter fairing scales incredibly light 167 kg (368 Ib) wet! Low c.g. is obtained in the Yellow Jacket by the adoption of 16 inch aluminum rimmed wheels, now a very rare size indeed after its boom in the late fifties in Japan, shod with fat Goodyear racing tires.

    Mitchell’s original design plan called for a wild one piece fiberglass body integrating fairing, fuel tank, seat base and tail section. In fact, this concept was realized in a preceding project, the Harley Davidson 1000 ‘‘Stingray.’’ Halfway through the Yellow Jacket project, he returned to the original configuration—the Mitchell traditional looks. Obviously the completed Yellow Jacket is a more roadable and practical machine. Function must have prevailed styling. Or the rivetted surfaces of the monocoque were too pretty to hide.

    The 1976 season has seen many a change in the motorcycle design. Quarter fairings, oddities a few years ago seen only on super sports bikes offered by BMW and Italians, are now commonplace, as the recent Cologne Show revealed. Fuel tanks, seat bases and tails are quickly becoming ‘‘bodies’’. Surfaces and lines are now treated boldly to express characters. Unique paint schemes and decals brighten graphics. A new era of motorcycle design
    has arrived.

    Then observe the new Moto Guzzi V50 Twin. A 500 cc V-twin shaft-drive roadster that weight 164 kg. (361 Ib) wet! Kawasaki’s 650 cc Four is a right direction toward tomorrow’s lighter and more comact super bike. Hope for a small diameter wheel and wide section tire combination. Marriage of cast alloy wheels and tubeless tires is a distinct Possibility. Consider the latest Avon development, the tubeless road tire ‘Roadrunner (unfortunately available in one and larger size only at the moment.)’’

    Monocoque. Still problems to be solves in production techniques and cost. British NVT (Norton Villiers Triumph) combines latest air-cooled Wankel twin rotor prototype has a monocoque frame, and is reported to be a true stormer.

    No direct relation to the function and performance of a bike, but Mitchell’s sense of perfect color coordination should soon find followers. Matching head gear, apparels and foot wears. Superficial? Well, oneness is motorcycling. Why shouldn’t colors help some?


    Honda 550 Yellow Jacket
    This is undoubtedly the most significant and revolutionary among Bill Mitchell’s latest creations. The power unit —a single overhead camshaft parallel 4-cylinder engine mated to a 4-speed gearbox—is Honda, but the rest of the bike is Mitchell, hence our christening it Mitchell-Honda.

    The Yellow Jacket features an all aluminum monocoque body/frame. from which the power unit is suspended. The engine is equipped with special Dunstall pistons and camshaft. also Dunstall’s 4-into-2 exhaust gives the bike a healthy sound in conjunction with the enhanced performance. Sixteen inch aluminum rimmed wheels are shod with fat Goodyear racing tires – an unusual size combination these days. which help lower the center of gravity. The front quarter fairing steers with the handlebar, again reflecting Mitchell’s philosophy of motorcycle functions, and has built-in VDO instruments, indicator lamps and shift position indicator panel.

    The Yellow Jacket weighs an incredibly light 368 lb. wet (167 kg.)! The name comes from that of certain yellow and black social wasps, whose color scheme is used on the bike.

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    Design Development
    Design of the Yellow Jacket has taken quite a sharp veer from its concept of early 1975. It may be of interest to recall its early stages of development.

    1. Full size drawings being studied by Dave North, a GM designer who is Mitchell’s trusted lieutenant on the super bike projects, in consultation with Bruce Burness, a Californian racing car builder who has undertaken the actual construction of the monocoque section. The drawings show one piece body, integraging a mini-faring, fuel tank, seat base, and tail section. Note enclosure of the power unit in the side view. Contemporary cast alloy wheels would have suited the character of the Monocoque better, but no proprietary wheels of the 16-in. size were available.

    2. Cardboard and masking tape are used to form a monocoque shape to investigate the layout.

    3. Exquisitely shaped fuel tank section. too pretty to be painted, let alone being covered by a superficial body. checked on the testbed frame of duplex cradle construction (Norton Manx 7).

    4. Montage photo of the Monocoque. The body outlines closely follow those of the original drawings. Note the shallow windscreen under which a row of instruments and indicator lamps are seen. The bike part has already been completed. The rear swinging arm has closed box section and appears to be robust. which should ensure high mounting rigidity, an important design feature for better road holding and handling characteristics.

    5. Preceding project to the Yellow Jacket is this Harley Davidson 1000 cc track racer based super roadster, the Stingray.

    6. The completed Stingray, which pairs with a Corvette design exercise with the same name.



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    Honda CB750A Hondamatic
    The CB750A features a semiautomatic transmission a la Civic Hondamatic, which includes a torque converter and a foot operated 2-speed gearbox. The bike ts basically stock except for such deft Mitchell touches as a quarter front fairing that encloses the instrument panel, a patent leather seat and a new tail section with slotted tail lamp.



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    Kawasaki-Rickman 900
    Kawasaki’s Z1 roadster is indeed the reputed King of Superbikes. Powerful and fast as it may be, it is a heavy-weight in the true sense of the word, and some riders may find it a bit of handful. Bill Mitchell had owned a Kawa in stock conditions except for special color scheme matching to that of GM’s Pontiac Firebird. The Rickman conversion is considerably lighter than the Z1. The famous DOHC 4-cylinder 900 cc engine is now mounted in a special frame made of Reynolds 531 manganese molybdenum tubing. A set of Hooker pipes were installed. A one piece body is made of light weight fiberglass with built-in tail and stop lights. The front quarter fairing includes instrument cluster. Brakes are discs fore and aft. The total weight of the bike ts only 468 lbs. wet (212 kg.) Red flames against black background are very American!



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    Benelli ‘SEI’ 750 6-Cylinder
    The “SEI” ts the world’s only 6-cylinder motorcycle devised by Alejandro de Tomaso, a shrewd Argentinian ex-racing- driver-turned-automotive entrepreneur, well known for his brutal Pantera cars, the acquisition of the Ghia operations (later sold off to Ford.) and the salvage of Maserati. To challenge the Japanese supremacy, Benelli built this fantastic Six whose design was really a Honda CB500 Four with two more cylinders.

    De Tomaso chose the Maestro of Italian styling. Giorgio Giugiaro to style this Striking motorcycle. A number of similarities may be noted between the Ser and the Suzuki RE5, whose original design was also Guigiaro inspired. for example, in the mudguard section and the very automotive instrument panels of the two bikes.

    Mitchell’s SEI is basically left stock except for adding the front quarter fairing, and the specially designed tail section with the tail lamp being made to look like the Italian flag with the same red-white-green color scheme.

    An extraordinary cafe racer by the two great designers of the world.



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    Honda CB500 Four “Banshee”
    This is one of Bell Mitchll’s old works, first introduced in Car Styling No.7 in 1974. After a short adventure with the wild Harley, Michell has returned to the Banshee formula which must be regarded as a meeting point of function and style.

    Car Styling readers may note that the four-wheeled Banshee, a Pontiac Firebird-based design exercise, was displayed at this year’s Paris Salon, and reporyed in some quarters as GM’s latest styling effort. We all know they had it two years ago!



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  21. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    • 10-10-20
    Car design is about to change forever.
    • 10-10-20
    Car design is about to change fo







    • 10-10-20
    Car design is about to change forever. This video encapsulates how
    The car of the future is a skateboard, and whatever you want goes on top.
    BY MARK WILSON4 MINUTE READ
    Electric vehicles are incredible. Beyond eliminating fossil fuels, they are whisper quiet, accelerate faster than gasoline cars, and according to a new Consumer Reports study, operate with less expensive maintenance over time. But one of the biggest benefits of EVs is that they are revolutionizing the way cars are built.


    How? As this new video from Israeli startup Ree demonstrates, the EV of tomorrow is basically just a giant skateboard. With tiny motors placed inside the wheels, the car can assume any form imaginable; any sort of seating or storage arrangement can be built right on top of this flat base

    Traditional gas cars were built atop a flat chassis, too. But that chassis was hardly so self-contained. Components such as your engine and steering system are on top. Then the motor propels a complex series of axles under the car. Of course you have brakes, suspension, cooling systems, gas lines, and other systems to snake around, too. It all adds up to 30,000 parts that are screwed, pressed, glued, and welded together. Today, most modern manufacturing uses robots to frame out the entire car first like a house—from chassis to body—meaning your car’s floorpan is permanent from its earliest moments on the assembly line.


    Ree was one of our Most Innovative Companies of 2020, and it’s one of several manufacturers working on an alternative platform. Peers include automotive mainstays like VW, newer startups like Rivian, and even Tesla. But Ree’s new video, seen here, is the first time I’ve witnessed the odd spectacle of these flat chassis whipping around a track with no other filigree attached.

    The smallest is a nimble EV made for tight turns and small cargo deliveries for last-mile delivery services. The medium is for transporting goods and people short distances. And the largest you see is a full Class 1 vehicle—a typical car or delivery van.

    With all components of the drivetrain and steering built into this base, a Ree vehicle doesn’t need the metal frame or plush seating of a cabin to drive. (The skateboards appear to be operated by a remote control for this demo—they are not self-driving.) But seeing how little an EV needs in terms of hardware to functionally drive really cements just how wild and open the future of electric vehicle design will be. Everything from the wheels up can be reimagined.

    Such a vision has already been teased by Ideo in one of the most impressive car concepts of the past decade. Ideo proposed an office on wheels. It’s basically a square room where the walls are windows.


    Ree is making some of these more aggressive EV thought experiments real (VW is about halfway there with its much-hyped electric bus). Ree’s technology has already been licensed by Toyota for the Japanese car maker’s electric truck subsidiary Hino. In a presentation last year, Hino detailed how this platform could power small city buses, sure, but also beauticians and doctor offices on wheels. Hino even went so far as to detail a mount, which would allow these modular “service spaces” to pop on and off the chassis at will.



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    [Photo: Ree]
    How long would that process take? Only long enough to put the cabin on jacks to pull it off the chassis, kind of like you’re changing a spare tire. With the right business model, you could even imagine bringing in your minivan for repair, and rather than giving you a loaner, the dealer just pops off the cabin and sticks it onto a new or refurbished bottom. So your car as you know it would stay the same, but the drivetrain would be new—a process that would take mere minutes.


    Delivery giants like Amazon are interested in these electric skateboards to power delivery fleets, as it just revealed new electric vans built atop a similar electric platform made by Rivian. For Amazon to have 100,000 EVs on the road by 2030, it needs these vehicles to be simple to repair, with interoperable parts. The skateboard design ensures a delivery vehicle is never out of commission for long.

    But what about cars for the rest of us? With a bit more imagination, you can picture consumer vehicles becoming far more personalized, as dozens of aftermarket companies build varying cabins for a skateboard base. Even if you don’t want to buy such a car for yourself, small business owners probably will. Vehicles could mobilize the nature of brick-and-mortar retail and services, much like food trucks shook up the restaurant industry in the mid-aughts. Design studio NewDealDesign has even suggested that, linked together, individual vehicle storefronts could amass to something like a mobile city that can cruise like a parade, or perhaps a mall on wheels. We’re well on our way to a world of wildly diverse vehicles, where design is limited more by the legalese of our road laws than by the creative decisions made by a few big automakers.


    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Mark Wilson is a senior writer at Fast Company who has written about design, technology, and culture for almost 15 years. His work has appeared at Gizmodo, Kotaku, PopMech, PopSci, Esquire, American Photo and Lucky Peach
     
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  22. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #10922 energy88, Oct 12, 2020
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  23. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    Sorry, the copy/paste method messed things up.
     
  24. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    The car business has been doing the same thing since the beginning.
    This may be the return of the true 'Coach-builder'
    Send your chassis/skateboard, we'll put a body on it.
     
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