Automotive designer Eduard Gray has sent in some renderings of his ideas for the first car to come from the Saab purchase of Spyker. Based near Saab headquarters in Trollhättan, Sweden, Gray believes the drawings could land him a job with the Saab Design Studio Team.
“The union of Saab and Spyker presents a unique opportunity to create a design that takes the best of each brand and distills their qualities into a single product, the designer says in his website.”
Indeed, his six drawings of the Saab Spyker 9+ Tribute shows elements of both companies. Gray calls the work "a quick expression of my optimism for the future of the brand."
Spyker lends us its supercar chassis with a mid-mounted engine and low down aerodynamics while Saab contributes with the style, character and engineering making for a design that is as pleasant to look at as it is to drive.”
Last week's Chicago Auto Show didn't hold a lot of surprise concepts or glamorous supercars, but there were a few key developments for car shoppers, including a hint at a new Dodge Compact car. The preview, given at the Economic Club of Chicago toward the end of the media days, reveals a new small car that is expected to use a modified Fiat Group platform, and will be one of the first joint projects of the new Fiat-Chrysler partnership.
When Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne took over at Chrysler he made it clear that one of his key issues was adding more small cars to Chrysler-owned brands' lineups. Recalling Dodge's product plans (chart included) for the future, it includes a small Fiat rebranded as a Dodge. With some reports speculating ties with the Dodge Hornet Concept from 2006, the car could come by 2013.
According to Dodge’s product plan, a small Fiat Group-derived vehicle will debut in 2013. The rendering reminds me of a streamlined version of the 2007 Dodge Hornet concept. This vehicle could be based off the same platform that underpins the Fiat 500. Whatever it is, Dodge desperately needs it now. via:thecarconnection
American race car company, Swift Engineering, Inc. is proud to announce key motorsport partnerships with industry leading companies to further its bid to design and build the next generation race car chassis for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series ®. "Given Swift is the leading US race car design and manufacturing company and our 27-year history was founded in motorsport, it is only natural that we aspire to partner with the nations' premier open-wheel formula, the IZOD IndyCar Series," Jan Wesley Refsdal, Swift's president said.
Key business alliances have been cemented between Swift and Cray Inc. (The Supercomputer Company), Indianapolis-based Mark One Composites, Inc. and Cruden America, world leaders in motion racing simulators
"Individually, each one of these partnerships is critical to Swift's continuing commitment to motorsport; however, collectively and in conjunction with one another they will help us set new industry standards in innovative design, manufacturing and support," Refsdal stated.
Swift's strategic industry partnerships were carefully selected and cultivated through a focused effort to realize the challenge the IZOD IndyCar Series has set for its next generation car.
Cray supercomputers will be used at Swift's facility to further enhance its capabilities in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), an important tool in the design and development of aerodynamic concepts. In conjunction with Swift's existing on-site wind tunnel designs will be tested in accurate virtual models allowing for valuable driver feedback and performance data collection on Cruden's state-of-the-art 3Ctr 6-DOF motion racing simulator which is soon to be operational at Swift.
"Speed-to-market is critical in any business, but probably more so in racing as the green flag doesn't wait for anyone," Refsdal said. "Rapid development is just as much about the speed and quality of the design process as it is manufacturing. We are evolving our four-year exclusive certified composite repair relationship with Mark One Composites, Inc. to provide further manufacturing and inventory support directly to teams from its Indianapolis-based facility."
Jonsibal.com has published a new rendering featuring a proposed McLaren MP4-12C GTR. Jon drew up the idea in several different classic liveries, including Fina, Gulf, and Marlboro.
"I gave the car wider fenders to house four OZ wheels (with some lip) the previous F1 GTR ran back in the days," said the artist on the website. "I also added splitters in the front and rocker panels to keep the air moving underneath as fast and clean as possible."
The artist was a big fan of the Gordon Murray design for the McLaren F1, and the GTR version that followed. Photos of the F1 GTR are included on this page. The follow-up rendering to the MP4-12C GTR will be a Long Tail variety, an homage to the GTR '97 Long Tail. Once Jon sends it out, we will bring it to you.
The 2011 McLaren MP4-12C will be launched next year with a 3.8-liter V8 engine that produces 600 hp (447 kW) and up to 422 ft-lb. Pricing will be set at £150,000.
