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Dec
15
Most articles ever written about the NSU Ro 80 focused on the technical side, mainly the futuristic rotary engine designed by Felix Wankel. The design pinned by Claus Luthe was also praised for being ahead of the game, too – back in the time when the car was new. When I was a young boy, frequently riding shotgun in our neighbors’ lime green metallic Ro 80 in the 1980’s, it was just an old and somewhat anachronistic car. Always maintained by the (ex-) NSU dealership, the car was in great shape and absolutely spotless, but in my eyes it lacked something I could never really pinpoint back then. Now, three decades later, I know what it was: presence – or rather the lack thereof. The upright greenhouse with the slim pillars and chrome trim, the narrow track and the huge ground clearance made the still modern looking shape of the body feel aged.
In this photoshop chop, I adressed the above points and as a result the car has a lot more presence. Most obviously the ride height has been altered and the track widened. Apart from that I fixed the greenhouse by performing a top chop and modifying the rake of all pillars. To tie in the design of the pre-facelift taillights with the widened track, they have been modified as well instead of opting for the ugly facelift parts.
Nov
22
Imagine living in the 1970’s. It was a decade with plenty of grassroots motorsport events, e.g. hill climbs. Tuning shops popped up in sheds and small garages everywhere and catered to the individual needs. If you drove an Opel Kadett C, a Ford Escort Mk1 or even a VW Beetle you had plenty of choice when it came to car modification. But where would owners of the innovative, rotary-powered NSU R0 80 go to ask for tuning parts? Apart from the factory-option Fuchs wheels, there was a very limited selection. Maybe a few chrome-plated dress-up parts or a set of mudflaps. Fast forward 40 years and the magic of Adobe Photoshop easily makes it possible to modify the mighty NSU Ro 80 during a 45 minute lunch break.
I always thought the lines of the classic NSU have at least a little bit of potential and to prove the point that the design of every vehicle can be improved, I dug into it. As usual I started with a set of larger diameter wheels and lowered the car. To get the stance right and to avoid a rather stupid looking rake, I relocated and reshaped the rear fender. Surprisingly it makes the lines of the body look more elegant. To accentuate this, I also shaved the rear door handle and changed the side skirt from black to body color. All these modifications would have been possible when the car was in production, but the low profile tires are a more contemporary touch. Let’s call it artistic freedom, shall we?
