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Mar
01
This might not be a surprise for regular VirtualModels visitors, but… I just love cars with straight lines. The design of 1980’s cars doesn’t need much tweaking at all to look awesome. A set of adjustable coilovers, a set of period correct wheels and low profile tires usually is enough. These ingredients easily give the vehicles a totally different appearance and character. In this case I used Toyota Supra wheels of the same vintage and a front air dam from the same car, modified to suit the proportions of the Toyota Camry Wagon (V20). I would so love to drive this lowered hauler as a daily!
Jan
17
Fond childhood memories include a Nissan Micra with a huge soft top that could be openend electrically. Even though this was a nice feature that I enjoyed as a young passenger, the car still lacked something with it’s red paint, skinny tires and off-road like stance. Other markets enjoyed Micra / March versions that packed more ponies under the hood. One of these was the Nissan March Super Turbo (EK10 GFR/GAR) – a limited production (10.000) homologation model. Fitted with a nice bodykit from the factory, all it needs is a set of mesh wheels and a healthy drop.
Jan
16
Ever since spending the holidays in France as a young boy, I had a weak spot for the Renault 25. Two years ago I created a quick chop of a Renault 25 Turbo. This time around it’s the luxurious Baccara version with the V6 engine, which gets treated to a makeover. Worthy of receiving a STANCE | WORKS sticker? You decide…
Jan
09
Recently I found this picture of a SAAB 96 towing a vintage Scandinavian caravan trailer. Even though the combination is rather cute as is, I thought it might look better with a healthy dose of lowering and a few tweaks here and there. Removing the turn signal lights and adding mesh to the air intakes below the headlights helps the front to look cleaner. Now – what do you think about going on a vacation in style? 😉
Aug
23
I know, I know. Nobody would modify an Alfa Romeo Spider this way in real life. Not even the unloved-by-most version with the rubber spoiler on the boot lid would receive bolt-on fender flares by any Alfista out there. Or am I possibly wrong and somebody already did this? Maybe in Japan or somewhere in Scandinavia? If you happen to know any such modified Spider, please let me know and I’ll post it here. Thank you very much in advance.
May
30
Most vehicles have been photoshopped at least once. But I bet you, that nobody ever attempted to photoshop a Peel P50. This cute little vehicle has no potential you say? Well… everything has potential – albeit some admittedly on a smaller scale (no pun intended). Let me present you, which is according to Top Gear The smallest car in the world. Lower anything (except a 4×4) and it instantly looks better than stock with the new stance. Add larger diameter wheels with less sidewall, a little bit of negative camber and top it all of with a set of vinyl stickers. Add a top chop for good measure and… Jeremy Clarkson will not fit anymore. Ask Richard Hammond instead. 🙂
Apr
01
Today, I was rummaging through some boxes full of old car magazines and dealer brochures. While thinking about all the nice cars that are about to become classics, I found something interesting: a Nissan information brochure from 1985. In this brochure, the CUE-X Wagon concept car is presented with all the features and details, including engine specs. Considering the brochure is now 30 years old… this vehicle looks very modern even by today’s standards. I’d definitely consider buying one, if they’d offer it with the RB26DETT engine!
Mar
21
Zündapp Janus 7500 4×4
4x4 / Jeep / Panel Van Conversion / Photoshop Chops / Zündapp Posted by Sebastian Motsch
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Watching the second Pixar Cars movie inspired me to photoshop a Zündapp Janus. A couple of hours later, this little monster was born: a modified Janus body with partially blocked windows, sitting atop a Willys Jeep frame. Simple, clever and easy. OK, I admit that it might be a tad more challenging to create this in reality. However, I did find a Renault 4 bodied Jeep a couple of years ago in France.
Feb
23
Once again, a colleague challenged me to do a lunch break “quickie chop”. This time it was inspired by finding a stunning bagged and stanced Mercedes-Benz W123. A quick search provided an interesting base to start with: the W123 Pick-up by Baumgartner. Due to the limited time available, there was only so much I could do with it. Obviously, the vehicle is lowered substantially and sports period-correct aftermarket wheels. But there are also some modifications less obvious, like the shaved rear door and the relocated rear fender well. Hey… it could have been done that way back then. 😉
Jan
21
Let’s start the new year with modifying a design icon, shall we? As far as I know, nobody ever built a two-door wagon version of the Citroën DS. This is very unfortunate, because a shooting break of La Déesse would be more than awesome. Ever since seeing these fantastic automobiles in France as a young boy, I thought the roof line of the DS Break doesn’t really flow with the overall shape and lines of the car. Please, somebody with the funds and skills on hand, build this! Rest assured – it would certainly win a few prizes at a concours d’elegance in the future or fetch a high price at an auction.
Nov
25
Let’s suppose you are a Citroën enthusiast who, at some point in his life, wondered why the French automaker never bothered to produce a two-door Coupé version of the BX series. Well, dare I say it wouldn’t have looked ugly at all! The straight lines of the body actually are very inviting to try different styles, in my humble opinion. A shortened wheelbase, deleting the rear doors, adding a period correct set of alloy wheels and changing a few little things here and there make for a nice concept of what the Citroën BX Coupé could have looked like. Et voilà, mesdames et messieurs, c’est fini!
Nov
21
After modifying a Volvo VN series about two years ago and receiving many positive comments, I felt the urge to do it again. This time around it’s an older version of the much loved Volvo VN. Once again it turned out to be a great idea to keep it simple. Lowered over a set of larger chrome rims and adding a few aero enhancements do the trick quite easily. Hope you will like it!
Oct
12
Some cars have potential, but nobody ever realizes it. The Buick Reatta is one such vehicle. Based on the FWD E platform, the proportions are far from ideal. Therefore I tried to imagine what it could have looked like, if based on a proper platform: the F platform, for example. It would have been possible for GM to use this platform, but for some reason or another they decided they wanted front wheel drive. I bet the Buick Reatta would have sold a lot better if equipped with a V8 engine and rear wheel drive.
Oct
04
Imagine you own a catering service, specializing in fine Italian food and wines. To make your deliveries you could buy a nondescript van and wrap it in vinyl, advertising your services like everybody else does. When catering to upscale events at nice venues, you might be asked to park around the back with all the others. However, there is a solution that gives you and your business more positive exposure: the Lancia Trevi VX Camioncino.
Sep
28
Another one of those challenges from a friend who likes French cars: “Photoshop this picture of a Renault 25 in one hour, just using what you have in the picture. No imported wheels, spoilers or anything else.” Unfortunately, the car pictured is only a base model, meaning it doesn’t have painted bumpers. Now, who is happy about having flat black/grey bumpers? People in Paris! The traffic and parking is so bad that your bumpers are always going to receive a ding here and there (see Video below). Hence the Paris sticker 😉
There is not much more one can do with this particular picture, but I hope you like the outcome anyways.
Sep
24
The Lancia Thema is a nice example for timeless design from the 80’s/90’s. However, even in 8.32 guise it seems to be a little too slim. Grafting on a set of Lancia Delta Integrale inspired fenders on a four door sedan might not be that easy in reality – but well worth it! It gains so much presence when widened and lowered over a set of concave wheels. As often with VirtualModels modified pictures, you find some USDM sidemarker love in the picture. 😉
Aug
14
Creating a photoshop chop is easy, provided you have the tools, dedication and patience to do it properly. Creating a picture that stops people in their tracks because “it looks so real” is an entirely different story – and exactly what I aim for with my chops. Thinking about the possibility of building the project in reality is very important. Sometimes this is extremely complicated and prohibitively expensive – and sometimes it should be the proverbial piece of cake. This time around it’s the latter, because of the Land Rovers’ simple architecture, based on a ladder frame, and the straight panels. Y aquí – el Hot Rod des Bomberos de Linares. Why Linares? That’s easy to answer: because the Santana Series IIa in the picture I found is red and it has been built there. Or to use the phrase a friend coined many years ago: you can hot rod everything!
Aug
14
Creating a photoshop chop is easy, provided you have the tools, dedication and patience to do it properly. Creating a picture that stops people in their tracks because “it looks so real” is an entirely different story – and exactly what I aim for with my chops. Thinking about the possibility of building the project in reality is very important. Sometimes this is extremely complicated and prohibitively expensive – and sometimes it should be the proverbial piece of cake. This time around it’s the latter, because of the Land Rovers’ simple architecture, based on a ladder frame, and the straight panels. Y aquí – el Hot Rod des Bomberos de Linares. Why Linares? That’s easy to answer: because the Santana Series IIa in the picture I found is red and it has been built there. Or to use the phrase a friend coined many years ago: you can hot rod everything!
Jul
27
When Alfa Romeo and Nissan decided to team up and produce a car, they made a big mistake. The Arna featured Italian underpinnings and Japanese styling. Excuse me? Shouldn’t this be the other way around? As much as I like cars with straight lines, this one was just too bland and the scudetto up front is a joke. The car might have been fun to drive, but seriously lacked presence. Was it a runaway sales success? Well… trying to figure that out shouldn’t be too hard. However, even the blandest car may be used a base for something a little more exciting. This worked. Sort of. OK, not really. Sorry! Just look at the beautiful hood ornament then, will you? 😉
Jun
29
A photoshop quickie, quite literally. A friend sent me a picture of the Dodge C500 and challenged me to modify it within a given time-frame of ten minutes. There is not much one can do in ten minutes, but hey – it was just for the heck of it anyways. 😉
Jun
29
The proportions of some American cars from the 1970’s are a bit cartoonish. The Chrysler Newport Sedan is a great example. Just for fun and to emphasize the oddness, I added a couple of axles and extended the hood and trunk accordingly. The passenger area remained stock standard. Note: this is likely to be the first vehicle here at VirtualModels that still has the stock ride height 😉
Jun
20
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a beautiful car, no doubt about it. However, the design of the lower rear end is debatable. This is why I choose the side view to create my idea of a low drag coupé. Chopping about an inch from the roof and lowering the car go a long way in improving the overall appearance. I could have removed the bumpers and chrome trim to suit the idea better, but decided to keep them to retain the classic look.
Jun
20
Who said compact family wagons are boring? Every boy sitting in the backseat of such a vehicle must have thought at one point that it would be really cool if Daddy modified the family hauler to add to the appearance. The Ford Escort LX Wagon pictured here was simply lowered, larger wheels have been fitted along with an airdam up front and a modified hood. Little things do make a difference.
Jun
01
Few people would think this legendary BMW designed by Albrecht Graf von Goertz needs more muscle or any other modification. And with the car being a high-priced classic it is probably wise not to tinker with it. However, sometimes you want to let your phantasy run wild, don’t you? Imagine if somebody with sufficient funds would get hold of a 507 roadster…
I always thought this particular vehicle is very elegant and beautifully shaped – but the stance was never to my liking. The nose high up in the air just doesn’t cut it for me. Now, I could have lowered the car and be done with it. But no, I added a few subtle modifications like the period-correct wheels a chopped windshield and a larger exhaust. Who know what might be hiding under the hood? A supercharger would be nice you think? Let your imagination go crazy!
Mar
31
The Alfa Romeo 4C is a nifty little sportscar, well worth of carrying the legendary brand name. However, I don’t like the stock headlights, because they do look very cheap and out of place on such a sculpted body. But hey, that is easily fixed with Adobe Photoshop.