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Jan
01
BMW Isetta Dragster
It was a successful year for my photoshop blog VirtualModels: I created 44 photoshop chops in 2018. Many thanks to everybody for your support, encouraging words and great ideas for improvements.
I wish all of you a Happy New Year 2019!
Es war ein erfolgreiches Jahr für meinen Photoshop Blog VirtualModels: ich habe in 2018 44 Photoshop Chops angefertigt. Herzlichen Dank an alle für Eure Unterstützung, ermunternde Worte und großartige Verbesserungsvorschläge.
Ich wünsche Euch allen ein Frohes Neues Jahr 2019!
Herzliche Grüße and yours sincerely – Sebastian Motsch
Happy New Year to everybody! Frohes Neues!
Dec
24
2018 was a successful year for my photoshop blog VirtualModels. Many thanks to everybody for your support, encouraging words and great ideas for improvements.
I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
2018 war ein erfolgreiches Jahr für meinen Photoshop Blog VirtualModels. Herzlichen Dank an alle für Eure Unterstützung, ermunternde Worte und großartige Verbesserungsvorschläge.
Ich wünsche Euch allen Frohe Weihnachten und einen Guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr!
Herzliche Grüße and yours sincerely – Sebastian Motsch
Merry Christmas to everybody! Frohe Weihnachten!
Dec
23
What if downsizing the US land yachts went a little different?
Every car enthusiasts knows that the oil crisis in the early 1970’s eventually spelled the end for the gas guzzling land yachts. Cars from Europe and Japan with much better fuel economy flooded the US market and created a situation the big three had to face. They tried frantically to build something suitable. However, most cars they came up with were great achievements horrible miniature caricatures of the bygone era of dinosaurs. You fondly remember the downsized barges and new designs like the Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin amongst others. Especially the shrunken Cadillacs and Lincolns put a sad expression on most peoples faces. But hey… what if they had approached the whole downsizing trend with a little bit of humor and left the interiors of the cars full-size and only compromised on the outside of the body and the drivetrain? They might have come up with something like this 1959 Plymouth Fury Hardtop Coupé Shorty concept I created. It puts a smile on your face, doesn’t it? 😉
Dec
22
After a long time since creating thetop-chopped Harley-Davidson Special Edition Lonestar, I wanted to create another one. The 2008 International Lonestar looks like a show truck from the factory and it didn’t need much customizing to create the slick rig you see in the picture. Lowered, larger diameter wheels with low profile tires and a a little clean-up here and there.
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.
Dec
14
This SAAB 96 has been modified, but appears to be rather subtle. Lowered, bumpers deleted, bigger diameter wheels with white wall tires, a top chop and custom front spoiler make it look a lot sportier. Can you imagine a second engine in the boot, as in my recently finished SAAB 96 Tvillingmotor?
Dec
08
Recently a friend and I discussed which OEM wheel has the best design. We agreed on the deep dish five-spoke Mitsubishi Starion wheel and thought it wouold look good on most vehicles. Just for fun and because I wanted to chop a V6 Nissan anyway, I fitted them on a Nissan Maxima J30. Just a quick photoshop chop with lowering, larger diameter wheels, replacing chrome with shadow line parts, window tint and deleting the rear door handles.
Dec
03
From an old people carrier to a surf bums’ beach ride. With barges like the Buick Park Avenue being rather cheap on the used car market, it is easy to imagine that a half-broke surfer dude would buy a car that has a lot of space. No money to fix the broken rear window? Just rivet in a random piece of sheet metal for extra privacy and use the leftover money from the last job to buy nice Trans-Am style wheels, fake wood trim for that old school look and a handful of hobby-related stickers.
Oct
07
A lunchbreak challenge on the weekend? Call it what you want – this photoshop has been finished in less than 45 minutes. I took an image of a cutaway Volkswagen Käfer (aka VW Beetle), lowered the car, modified the wheels, deleted the bumpers and customized it with a top chop. Done. The dog doesn’t care driver and passengers seem to like it. 😉
Oct
06
Quite a few photoshop artists are creating “floating” or more precisely hovering vehicles. I have done that in the past, too. Well, sort of. Actually my collection of Citroën Ami are only half-hovering vehicles, thanks to the imagined creativity and engineering of the ol’ French engineers from back then. Upon finding this picture of a 21-window Volkswagen T1 Samba, I knew immediately that I wanted to convert it into a hovercar. Happy Hovering in the DeLuxe Microbus, folks! 🙂
Oct
02
For this picture I challenged myself to a limit of ten modifications maximum. So, let’s see how it went. I started with a plain silver Porsche 911 Turbo (930), which I wanted to stand out but still be somewhat subtle at the same time. Not too easy to achieve, but according to friends who already commented on it, I pretty much nailed it. Here is a list of the changes I made with photoshop:
- Substantial lowering
- Zender Turbo II wheels
- idlers tire stencils
- Front lip modified with a larger splitter
- USDM sidemarkers front
- USDM taillights
- 993 Sideskirt
- 993 rearview mirrors
- Roof spoiler
- Stickers
Not even a dozen things modified and voilà – a 911 Turbo 930 that turns heads everywhere. Next step in the process of modification would be rocking up at bisimoto.com to have one of his famous twin-turbo engines installed. I’d love to have one similar to the engine I used for my Abarth 750 GT Bialbero chop.
Sep
23
This is another one of those “what if” photoshop quickies. What if somebody would take a USDM Volkswagen Dasher 2-door sedan (Passat in other markets) and modify it? Slap on a set of overfenders, mount a set of coilovers and wheels in a size that has never been intended to be used on a front wheel drive car. Replace the anemic original engine with a 1.8T with a bigger turbo setup and build an exhaust with motorsport components. Once finished you should have a pretty fairly decent, water-cooled, Volkswagen. I suppose it’s safe to wager a bet that it would be the only such vehicle at any VW meet. Is there anyone crazy enough to tackle this build and take it to the Wörthersee next year?
Sep
22
Some of you might remember the Bischoffberger camper conversion or the SAAB Toppola campers from the 1980’s . Brilliant ideas, but all of them somehow lacking style, because they are cursed with odd proportions. I thought it must be possible to create such an integrated camper based on a passenger car chassis, but with more pleasing and elegant proportions. Many tries and many fails later I came up with this rather luxurious camper conversion. It is based on the Mercedes-Benz W116, has a pop-up roof and may be built in various configurations. The standard version features a semi-integrated camper body which ties nicely into the overall design with matching chrome trim. Access to storage compartments left and right is possible via the converted rear doors, which now open like suicide doors and feature central locking.
The roof raises by the push of a button and once fully extended provides ample headroom in the living quarters. A second set of windows appears and floods the interior with daylight. All windows are equipped with chrome plated sliding blinds. Not visible in the pictures are the glass windows in the roof. They open by operating regular Mercedes-Benz sunroof switches.
For customers who wish to drive on roads less traveled or off-road, the vehicle could be converted to four wheel drive. In this case, a Mercedes-Benz G Geländewagen donates the frame, running gear and axles. Full 4×4 capability with three differential locks and a snorkel for fording rivers should take you to the most remote campsites. Or all around the world, should you fancy an extended getaway.
People with children, or a general need for more space to carry their gear, might want to consider a long wheelbase (LWB) version or an extended version with three axles.
Sep
15
“Eat. Sleep. Surf.”
Great idea, but before embarking on an adventure and just doing what the sticker says, you have to build a go-anywhere vehicle that will take you even to the most remote of beaches. Let’s suppose your funds are limited and you have to make do with whatever base vehicle you find in your area. If it happens to be a FIAT Ducato Mk1 or Peugeot J5 with Dangel 4×4, you’re a lucky chap. Provided the rust has not eliminated most of the metal, it is a fairly good base to start with. Build a lift-kit, add overfenders, source some nice wheels and appropriate BF Goodrich rubber, build a camper interior that suits your needs, load up the surfboard and drive to the beach. Should you have forgotten to stop at the supermarket, it’s just surfing and sleeping for you and you’ll have to ask fellow campers for something to eat. 😉
P.S.: The trim-line stickers are losely based on the original stickers of the Ducato 4×4.
Sep
12
Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week is an event where street/strip cars are driven 1.000+ miles on public roads during a trip that includes four dragstrips and five races in five days. The coverage of the various drag week cars I have seen over the last years inspired me to create a dragster that would be a lot of fun to take there, race it and enjoy the road trip. It is based on a Citroën DS 21 Pallas, which has been converted to a tube chassis and equipped with a V8 engine and a solid rear axle. There is no exact specification yet, so you can dream about whichever engine and transmission combo you’d love to drop into this chassis. I kept the look of the Citroen DS classic, with period-correct wheels, rollcage design and graphics. The scallops are just simple lines without fill color, to keep the somewhat subdued appearance and match the factory tinted windows. The fenders are obviously radiused, as the builders would have done back in the 1970’s.
Because the participants are only allowed to use the tools they carry with them on the road trip, most people utilize a trailer to have more room for spares, generators and power tools. Some even carry welders. Instead of renting a U-Haul, I created a matching trailer. Gotta keep the style consistent, right? All the sponsor Stickers go on the trailer, to keep the car looking as clean and uncluttered as possible. Please feel free to give feedback, I appreciate all comments.
Sep
09
I have always loved the shape of the SAAB Sonett I roadster, but similar to the BMW 507 I never liked the stance and choice of wheels. Diameter too large, tires too skinny and a stance that would suit a 4×4 – not my cup of tea on a roadster intended to be driven hard. Fixing these three problems is exceptionally rewarding on many cars from the 60’s and 70’s, because the designs are often adorable. Apply this recipe to a first generation SAAB Sonett, add a set of American Racing Torq Thrust wheels and tires with white lettering on the sidewalls. Voilà, you have a roadster that it still tiny and nimble, but looks like it packs a lot more punch.
Sep
06
When the Lada Niva (aka VAZ 21213) was launched in 1976, the iron curtain was not even half way through its existence. It would take another 13 years until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, triggering the demise of the iron curtain. Now in 2018, 29 years later, this particular vehicle is still in production. Apart from using your new Niva (aka Taiga, aka 4×4) in the woods for hunting or similar activities it was intended to be great at, you could convert it to a hotrod. Yes, a hotrod. Find an old frame, throw all the good old performance parts at it along with a nice V8 engine and enjoy the balmy new car smell inhale cheap plastic fumes in your brand new, top-chopped cabin. I sincerely hope that someone builds this, or sends me pictures if such a beautiful thing contraption already exists. Just imagine rocking up in this hot rod at your local cars and coffee. Every other vehicle present would be invisible instantly.
Click here to see the original picture.
Sep
05
A rainy sunday with cold wind gustst at the end of a super dry summer. No reason to leave the house and plenty of time to photoshop something. After fiddling around with a couple of projects that never quite get finished, I found a picture of a BMW E21 323i and immediately started modifying it. The most obvious choice would have been a BMW V8 engine swap, but because I wanted a USDM style theme on the vehicle, it made more sense to pretend that it is converted to a GM LS1 V8. The NASCAR inspired steel wheels give the car a more or less period-correct look and the overfenders add a more modern touch. The stance is a compromise between aggressive fitment and driveability – not too low, to remain functional. I removed the trim on the sides and the rear bumper and replaced them with two black stripes. The Alpina front spoiler, the rear wing and the diffusor create an aerodynamic package that has yet to be tested in a wind tunnel. This BMW E21 could be a daily driver with ample power and excellent gas mileage. Now, who wouldn’t want to have one?
Sep
02
While researching pictures for an upcoming FIAT 500 photoshop chop, I stumbled upon a picture of a Gutbrod Superior 600. As usual, an idea sparked and immediately I had the finished project already in my head. So I went to work and what you see here is not quite what I had imagined, but the result of a hilarious late night brainstorming session with a good friend. The Gutbrod body was altered slightly by chopping the top, louvering the hood, converting the doors to being hinged as suicide doors and relocating the wheel wells. The front axle has been moved further towards the front to get rid of the long front overhang and improve the overall proportions. Lowering was mandatory and after some trial and error with other wheels, I decided to go for Wolfrace slot mags, but kept the original hubcaps for that period correct feel. A joke referring to the German band Fettes Brot led to the sticker you see on the fender: Fettes Brod, which now also is the nickname of this hot rod project.
Aug
29
Todays lunchbreak challenge: something nobody in his right mind would attemopt to do for real. A SAAB 96 with twin engines, similar to the famous Citroën 2CV Sahara. All done and finished in 45 minutes, but I still need to add the shift linkage and the throttle cable. It’s impossible to add these details in the given timeframe.
Aug
15
Vanlife doesn’t only mean living and traveling in a van full-time. Most people actually just use for recreational purposes on the weekends and during their holidays. I found a picture of a 1990’s Toyota Previa All-trac and wondered if it would be possible to create a low-budget vehicle that has the ability to take you off-road to those remote hiking trails. After returning from the trail you could cook a meal, have a cold drink and sleep until the next morning. I removed the rear windows to make insulation easier and create room for storage. A body lift helps to tackle dirt tracks with more clearance and the light guards protect all four corners of the Previa. The bumpers have been shortened to improve approach and departure angles. And if you manage to get stuck, the winch will pull you out of trouble. Old school Wolfrace slot mags give it a that 1970’s vanlife touch and the roof rack provides storage for the spare tire and a couple of gas and water canisters. Add a CB-radio for those areas without cellphone reception and you’re set to go exploring. Happy hiking!
Aug
13
The Lamborghini Espada is a vehicle with a very different design approach and reflects the adventurous Seventies very well. Nonetheless it is a beautiful or even sculptural vehicle with stunning details. Believe it or not… this Furgone Veloce version happened by accident. I just wanted to lower the Espada and remodeled the rear wheel arches to fit bigger diameter wheels. It looked horrible with the stock rear window. Consequently I had to design a new window and eventually came up with the idea to convert it to a panel van. Similar to the Citroën CX Tissier shuttling newspapers, it might have been utilized to get the Gazzetta dello Sport to the chiosco quicker.
If the diligent newspaper shuttle driver needed more space, he might have ordered a furgone veloce with even more space for cargo. This would have necessitated extensive drivetrain and frame geometry modifications, of course.
Aug
08
A friend of mine posted my widebody Porsche 928 GTS on his instagram and told me the feedback was outstanding, demanding me to create more Porsche content. I told him that there are a quite a few Porsche photoshop chops in progress, but none of them close to being finished soon. But anyway, he inspired me to chop this export-spec Reutter-bodied 356a 1600 GS Carrera (T2). I applied the usual recipe of lowering the vehicle substantially and giving it a set of custom wheels. They are multi-piece items based on the originals. To spice it up and give it a nice twist I replaced the door handles with Mazda Miata NA items, removed the bumper bars and added a couple of stickers. Why Japanese you might wonder? Because I bet there is somebody in the land of the rising sun that has both the funds and the will to make my virtual creation come to life in reality.
#onlyinjapan
Aug
01
Lately I had a phone conversation with a friend and he asked me what I think about Daihatsu. Due to my experiences with Daihatsu vehicles, I’m quite fond of the engineering, reliability and longevity. I drove my first Daihatsu Cuore (aka Mira) while studying in Karlsruhe, had a long-term hire Sirion while living in South Africa and even took that one to 4×4 trails without any worries or problems. Mind you, it was not the all wheel drive version. I have never driven a Materia, but it definitely is on my bucket list. I like the styling of the body very much, but the dashboard with the centered instruments doesn’t do it for me. Researching the PCD and availability of tuning parts, I stumbled upon the Inden Design shop truck. Taking this concept a bit further is easy with photoshop. Remove the rear doors, convert it to a panel van and it’s done. Or isn’t it? To make the converted car look good, I modified the rake of the B-pillar and changed a few things here and there to get the proportions right. Once finished it received some spice: I lowered it, added vintage Gotti wheels and converted them to multi-piece with BBS barrels. Now, would you jump into this Materia to fetch some parts or deliver pizza?
Jul
27
A friend of mine has a 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V Bill Blass Edition. It is quite a barge and a lot of space is wasted for nothing but looks. But how do they say in Texas? Bigger is better. And the bigger the base, the easier a 4×4 conversion is. To add more utility to a vehicle that is rather useless for transportation purposes in stock form, I modified a Cartier Edition into an El Camino style pick-up. The friends down under call this a UTE. The shortened nose provides a better approach angle and should make it easy to navigate the trickier areas of your equestrian estate farm.
Add the matching bed cover for those rainy days and carry your Cartier handbags garden tools safe and dry.
