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Aug
25
Citroën CX 22 TRS
2019.08 | Photoshop Chop | Tuning
Growing up at the French border gave me the opportunity to enjoy the weird and quirky French cars. At a very young age, I was fascinated by the sheer elegance of the big Citroën cars parked in the lowest position of the hydropneumatic suspension. Seeing them sink into or rise from their “sleep” position always was the icing on the cake and put a smile on my face. These days now, air suspension setups are the norm, but for me it will always be a reminder of days long gone, when the French engineers’ ingeniuity and driving comfort was more important than the bean counters interference in vehicle development. This photoshop depicts a dream of my younger self: being able to actually drive the Citroën CX in the low position and fit larger multipiece wheels. Ça c’est une voiture très belle.
Aug
24
Jaguar E-Type Zero
Yes, there is something missing in this picture. No, I didn’t photoshop it out. This Jaguar E-Type doesn’t have exhaust pipes because it has an electric drivetrain. Jaguar unveiled a modern revival of the E-Type roadster with an all-electric, zero-emission powertrain in 2017. The vehicle is called the E-Type Zero and has a 40 kWh battery-powered electric motor. It can accelerate to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and has a range of 168 miles (270km) on a full charge. The battery pack is designed to fit in the space occupied by the original six-cylinder motor without any modifications, and will fit in any model Jaguar using the same motor. The single-speed transmission replaces the original gearbox. In August 2018, Jaguar confirmed it will offer all-electric E-Types for sale starting in summer 2020. You can order yours now. To wet your appetite, I lowered the E-Type for an improved stance and fitted a more contemporary wheel and tire combination.
Aug
23
Audi 100 C1 2-Door USDM
A quick lunchtime photoshop chop once again. A friend complained that I hardly ever photoshop Audis. Well, there’s a reason for that, but I made an exception and went creative on a classic Audi 100 C1. Found this tracking shot of a USDM model and modified it. Obviously the car was lowered and the steelies have a larger diameter now, albeit still featuring a thin white-wall line so typical for this period and location. The rear fender has been relocated because I didn’t want the wheel to disappear into the fender. Quick & dirty? No. Quick and clean style just for fun.
Aug
12
Opel Rekord C Delivery Van
It is not often that I use an old black and white picture as a base for a photoshop chop. But sometimes I stumble upon a picture and immediately know what to do with it. Subtle, clean and simple, but with great impact was the idea this time around. The Opel Rekord C delivery van (Lieferwagen) has been lowered, the rear fenders have been widened and the grille has been modified. This gives it a muscle-car-like look and certainly more presence, doesn’t it? Just the right amount of lowering to give it a proper stance adds to the presence. Larger diameter and wider steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps go well with the classic overall look and keep the retro vibes.
Jul
05
The BMW 2002 ti was a proposal designed by Marcello Gandini and built by Bertone. It was displayed at the 1970 Salon d’Automobile in Geneva and disappeared after the show ended, never to be seen again.
Jan
02
Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC AMG Widebody with Overfenders (C126)
A good friend of mine recently complained that most of my photoshop chops are side-view only. That is true, because I have more ideas than time and 3/4 view pictures need a lot more time to finish properly than the simpler side-view pictures.
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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
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.
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
Mar
17
After almost 15 years without a Honda I wanted to try it again and bought a CL3 Accord with the 2.3 VTEC quite cheap from an elderly gentlemen in the Black Forest. So, after many RWD-only winters I drove FWD again. And let me tell you… I was so glad we had only one week of snow in the 2016/17 winter! Front wheel drive is just horrible and takes all the fun out of driving in wintery conditions. Therefore I sold the Accord as soon as the the first flowers blossomed and went back to rear wheel drive cars for good. Never again am I going to buy a winter car that powers the wrong axle.
And even though I didn’t do anything to the real car, apart from replacing the fake wood interior trim pieces with fake carbon from a Type-R model, I went creative with Adobe Photoshop and let my mind wander. What if the Accord had rear or all wheel drive? It could sure enough be a nice ride for any winter, don’t you think?
Modifications could include Rays TE37 wheels (or cheap knock-offs because they would get damaged by the salt anyway), auxiliary driving lights, mudflaps and a roof rack. The reality looked rather bland in comparison, as you can see in the picture below. I didn’t even bother to buy the Streusalz Edition stickers.
The Honda was very reliable and never let me down. And to be honest… I absolutely loved the rear wing with the integrated Gurney flap.
Jan
10
Ever since driving an early Porsche 928 at the age of 21 I loved these futuristic but timeless grand tourers. The only thing that always bothered me design-wise was the shape of the fenders. On the later models they are wider, but still have a weird shape that make the car look strange when lowered. No worries though, as this can easily be improved with photoshop. While at it, I realized that this wouldn’t work on the real car and I had to find a solution. Overfenders have been popular to fix wheel fitment issues for decades and are now more popular than ever before. Instead of taking an exaggerated approach like Kato-san from LB Works, I designed a more subtle set of overfenders that tie into the original design of the 928 and cover the concave Forgiato wheels. To clean up the flanks, the door handles have been integrated into the side trim of the car. The air vents are integrated into the original bodywork and help to keep the brakes cool.
Originalists might cringe and prefer to look at the original picture.
Dec
04
This was another one of those 15 minute challenges: create a camper van or RV that would be fun to drift, if equipped with an engine that makes suitable torque and horsepower. I started looking for a base picture to begin the photoshop chop. The Roadtrek 210 Popular, based on the rear wheel drive V8 Chevrolet Express Van, has a very nice and sporty looking body kit that accomodates a set of overfenders nicely. With a set of Watanabe-style wheels that are converted to an 8-lug pattern and a healthy drop in ride height this beast might take you to the race track, provide all kinds of drifting fun during the day and living quarters for the night. You would have to secure all your cutlery and other items very securely for the drift sessions, though. 😉
PS: It could also be a nice and capable tow-rig for a drift car.
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?
Sep
13
“Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems.” Scott Adams
Nobody would have even the faintest doubt that the FIAT engineers created a lot of problems when they came up with the FIAT 130 and 130 Coupé, because these vehicles shared virtually no parts with other FIAT models from that period. Even the Aurelio Lampredi designed V6 engine is not identical with the machine used in the Dino. But nonetheless – the 130 Coupé is a beautiful automobile – and definitely more elegant than the somewhat baroque sedan model. The guys at the Pininfarina design studios must have had the same thought and created a four-door model based on the design of the coupé. Quite a stunning vehicle with almost perfect proportions – but as I never liked the tall and narrow wheels of the Seventies I updated the looks with more modern wheels and tires. Larger diameter, lower profile and a substantial drop in ride height all of a sudden make the vehicle look more contemporary timeless.
See the original image here for comparison.
Jul
30
“A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of.” Ogden Nash
It really makes me wonder what the photographer of the original picture had in mind, when he placed a rather large dog in the rear seat of the Volvo 262C? Is it possible that he wanted to illustrate that dogs are good companions and like to travel in Volvos? Good idea, but judging by the dogs’ rather sad face he might have actually prefered to ride in a 265 station wagon.
The original picture was on my hard drive for more than a decade. The first try on modifying this vehicle is just as old – and was horrible. So I saved it and forgot about it. A chance encounter with a 262C on the Autobahn last week reminded me of the old file and I openened it in Photoshop again… only to delete it minutes later. After a quick search for the same picture with better size and resolution, I started to modify it again. This time around I changed a vital part that I didn’t think about ten years ago: the rear fender. The Volvo 200-series cars have a rear fender cutout that prohibits lowering the car without looking odd, because the upper part of the wheel disappears behind the sheetmetal. Once that was fixed I selected a set of wheels with period correct design, lowered the car, modified the front spoiler and added the black stripes.
It took ten years to finally finish this one, but now I’m happy with the result. If you have any suggestions what could be done differently or better, please let me know in the comments. Thank you in advance.
May
27
The designers of the Subaru SVX (aka Alcyone) went all out to create something very futuristic in the 1990’s. My favorite color combination on this UFO car is white and black, because it gives the vehicle an elegant look. But stock cars are not really my thing – I love to modify them to better suit my taste. Especially with delicate designs I try to keep the modifications rather subtle, because I don’t want to mess up the original lines and ruin it in the process. That’s why I only lowered it over a set of Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am wheels that resemble the classic BBS E50. The front and rear skirts have been modified to give them more volume and to line them up with the sideskirts. Please let me know in the comments if you would drive it like that or what you would do differently. Thanks in advance. 🙂
Apr
25
Found this picture of a nice Maserati Shamal today and decided to have some fun and create a quick photoshop chop, Stance|Works style. Not much done here: lowered, USDM sidemarkers, tinted window frame and the same front lip and concave multi-piece OEM+ wheels I used on the Maserati Biturbo Spyder. Like it or not – it does put a smile on my face. 🙂
Edit: somebody asked me how the front of this Maserati Shamal would look like. Turns out to be a rather mean and evil looking Maserati Shamal.
Apr
23
The Mitsubishi Sapporo Coupé is one of those vehicles with great lines and design details. All in all a nice car, but it somehow lacks something. However, this can be fixed easily: a healthy dose of lowering, larger diameter “OEM+” wheels and a few details here and there. The two-tone paint is more pronounced now, the taillights are all red and the front grille darker. The front airdam is the icing on the cake.
This photoshop chop only took half an hour, give or take. I just love to enhance original design so the changes are hardly visible to those not familiar with the original car. 😉
Dec
21
Many years ago I saved a picture of an Alfa Romeo Alfasud Giardinetta on my computer. I fiddled around with it now and then but never liked the outcome. But when I created the BMW 2002 Turbo panel wagon a couple of weeks ago I remembered the Giardinetta. After opening the picture and covering the windows it was only a matter of a few hours until the Furgone conversion was finished. I hope you enjoy and like my take on the Alfasud with lowered suspension, multi-piece wheels, low profile tires and blacked out chrome parts.
Dec
17
While recently discussing shooting breaks and the design of the Volvo 480 Turbo with a friend of mine, we agreed that the proportions of the vehicle are rather odd. In my opinion, the proportions are off because the front overhang is way too long. Or is the rear overhang just too short? Whatever the case may be – the latter is a lot easier to fix. I wanted to stick to my motto that it must be possible to create something not only in photoshop but in reality as well. This is what we came up with: the Volvo 480 Turbo Wagon. I purposely kept it looking stock, apart from a set of BBS LM wheels, lowering and a front airdam. Looking at the picture I wonder why Volvo didn’t think of that and built it? They are the wagon company after all, aren’t they?
Now only one question remains: who dares to build this beautiful and elegant two-door wagon?
Dec
05
Avid followers of my blogs VirtualModels and Drive-by Snapshots may already be aware that I have a sweet spot for classic French cars. Spending many a school holiday en vacences in France certainly is one of the possible reasons, yes. This and my preference of straight lines and low waistlines are perfectly combined in the Peugeot “05” generation. The greenhouse of the Peugeot 505 is more elegant than that of a Ford Granada Mk2 and at the same time almost as delicate as a Jaguar XJ‘s. This however becomes obvious only after the 505 is lowered, which also changes the overall appearence and makes the car look longer than it actually is. As with many cars from that era, there is no need to alter the body to get a great look. Just a few minor adjustments here and there… et voilá! C’est ça. Très bien.
PS: I do know that the classic Wolfrace wheels are a better fit on the early chrome bumper models, but I choose them anyway to offset the blacked-out trim pieces. Doesn’t hurt the stance either, does it? 😉
Dec
03
Looking at it from far away or just seeing a tiny little preview picture many people might think “BMW E30” initially. Though very similar in overall size, shape and packaging – this is neither designed nor made in Bavaria, but on the other side of the Alps where the weather usually is a lot nicer during winter. For the first time ever I applied my photoshop skills to a Maserati. Why? Because it looks like a cross-country 4WD edition with the original ride height which messes up the proportions of the car entirely. Check out the original picture here. So what has been done to achieve this look? Not much, actually – keeping to my design ethos of keeping it realistic so it could be done with a real car and possibly even get TÜV-approval in Germany. Substantial lowering (possibly air-ride?), re-shaped front and rear bumpers to match the lines of the original sideskirt, USDM sidemarkers, black stripes to break up the area between the wheel arches. I also converted the original wheels into more concave multi-piece items.
Now – who spotted the chopped windshield frame / A-pillars? 😉
Nov
23
In case you’re not a friend of the Saharabeige BMW 2002 Turbo Panel Wagon, here is a different version for you: medium grey with M-colored turbo stripes. Instead of placing them on the usual location on the front fender, I opted to put it on the door. This creates a nice mirror-like effect with the A-pillar, which is almost shaped like an arrowhead pointing in the direction of travel. Next up will be an El Camino style pick-up. Stay tuned!
Check out the BMW 2002 4-door touring this conversion is based on.
Jul
26
Back in the 1970’s vanning was hot and a lot of people converted ordinary run of the mill vans into plush and colorful expressions of their (often weird) ideas.
Round bubble windows proved to be a popular addition and I wanted to include this period design feature by utilizing the rising sun flag theme. However, this vehicle is based on a more luxurious trim level and therefore I had to remove a couple of windows first.
Keeping the old spirit and adding current customizing flavors is what I had in mind with this one. The overall theme and choice of wheel design are a nod to the seventies, but the details take it right to current trends. The Nissan Caravan was therefore properly stanced to ensure nice fitment of the wheels. All the chrome trim has been blacked out for a more modern look, but all the badges are still proudly displayed. And just in case you’re wondering whether or not I would take this van for a surfing holiday: hell yeah!
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!