What would the Pontiac Firebird look like if it made a Lamborghini Countach-style comeback in 2021?

Posted on 19/08/2021 by Sarang Sheth

We live in an age of comebacks. Movies, music, and culture are doing a full 180° as we throwback to the good ol’ days; technology may be advancing, but retro tech is pretty much still loved and respected (nixie tubes are increasingly popular today, and vinyl sales have actually gone up in the past few years). Cars too have seen retro throwbacks, with the likes of the Delorean DMC-12 making a glorious return, Hyundai making an EV version of its popular Pony, and Lamborghini reissuing the Countach from the 70s with an amped-up design.

The folks at Budget Direct and NeoMam studios took the idea a step further – rather than reviving defunct cars, why not revive defunct car BRANDS instead? Taking brands like Pontiac, Daewoo, Hudson, and a few more, Budget Direct and NeoMam Studios decided to reimagine what their most iconic cars would look like in 2021. The image above shows what Pontiac’s wildly popular Firebird would probably look like if it was redesigned for the modern era. “Admittedly, it’s not easy to redesign an iconic GM muscle car shape and not make it look like a modern Camaro. We exaggerated the pointy bits and gave it a progressive coupe profile. The sharp body lines remain, but it’s clear this isn’t your grandpa’s Firebird”, say the designers at NeoMam. The car retains its hood scoop for the fire-breathing V8 engine underneath, with nostrils that ‘only a mother could love’. Finally, a coating of vibrant crimson red paint literally brings the firebird back to life!

Designer: NeoMam Studios for Budget Direct.

Before Pontiac declared bankruptcy and was acquired and eventually dissolved by GM, it was known for its era-defining sports and muscle cars. Some may remember the Firebird (and the Trans Am) as well as the GTO, but another car that really made an impression was the mid-engine sports-car, the Fiero (rather unfortunately named because a design failure caused it to often catch fire). For those old enough to remember, General Motors made a next-gen prototype of the Pontiac Fiero in 1990, but it never made it to production. However, reimagined for 2021, a little over 30 years later, the new Pontiac Fiero now has a lower silhouette with a wraparound windshield, a longer hood, and a hatch-like rear glass. And instead of fitting hidden headlights like in the original, the newer iteration has a permanent set of Countach-inspired eyes and a pointier nose.

Designed and produced between 1951 and 1954, the Hudson Hornet came from the long defunct Hudson Motor Company based out of the motor city of Detroit Michigan. It had a unique step-down chassis design with a lower centre of gravity, making the Hornet one of the best-handling vehicles of its era. In 1999, Popular Mechanics even wrote that “the car’s unique, low slung appearance and silky handling earned Hudson an image that — for many buyers — eclipsed luxury marques like Cadillac.” The modernized Hornet, however, is a fusion of 50’s design and contemporary art. The original Hornet’s ‘pontoon styling’ is still there, most notably in the rear, no doubt inspired by the hidden rear wheels of the Citroen DS. It also has a canopy windshield, a ridiculously long hood, and chrome detailing all around.

It seems the entire world got a taste of the Daewoo Matiz in one form or another. Now known as the Chevrolet Spark (since GM acquired Daewoo Motors), the Matiz’s tall-boy styling always had a quintessential appeal both in the east and the west. The new Matiz sports a larger windshield and a slopier hood to give it a lower, sportier stance than the first-gen Matiz. Now, the window line is in sync with the base of the windshield. With edgier body lines and a redesigned façade with oblong headlights and familiar detailing, this modern Matiz looks good enough to give other superminis a run for the cash.

I dare you to name a more iconic roadster than the AC Cobra. The British carmaker claims it’s relaunching the world’s most popular sports car as an all-electric restomod with an electric motor hiding under a vintage body shell… However, this modern interpretation of the iconic AC Cobra is enough to make the late, great Carroll Shelby smile in motoring heaven. “The classic AC Cobra shape and detailing remain, but we enhanced certain areas like the front fenders, hood, and a rump that will make Marilyn Monroe blush in envy”, say the designers at NeoMam Studios. They got rid of the classic round headlights to make room for teardrop-shaped lighting units with C-shaped DRLs too… plus, check out those rims!

Perhaps the most peculiar of the bunch, the Reliant Robin is a three-wheeled British oddity that captured the hearts of pop stars, royalty, and commoners alike. It had a fiberglass body, three doors, and a dinky straight-four engine. Sure, it had a balance issue, to be quite honest, but three-wheel oddities are making a comeback in our modern times. The modernized Reliant Robin, however, sort of resembles a space-pod. Still, it remains a fun-to-throw-around daily driver with progressive detailing like flush door handles and a more streamlined persona.

We end this series with the Holden Torana. First released in 1967 to replace the aging Vauxhall Viva in Australia, the Holden Torana has a special place in muscle car culture, particularly the third-gen LX Torana SS and SL/R 5000 from 1976. The modernized Torana uses this ’76 LX as its baseline and boasts of a sleeker, more muscular shape, all without alienating the retro vibe. The designers enhanced the wedge-inspired design and gave it a hatchback-like rear profile, bulkier fenders, and an aggressive face. Keen-eyed viewers will notice the front fenders are an extension of the hood line, extending to form the angular bumper.

[Via Budget Direct]

Popular SUVs redesigned as Sedans are difficult to un-see!

Posted on 16/07/2020 by Sarang Sheth

You wouldn’t be wrong to assume this post was about crossovers, but these definitely aren’t crossovers. Created as a fun design exercise that’s more absurd than practical, the guys at NeoMam Studios envisioned what popular SUVs would look like if their proportions were altered to become Sedans. To be honest, it’s a lot like the Jason Momoa commercial from the 2019 Superbowl (remember thin Jason Momoa?)… these new sedans definitely look a little more ‘macho’ than you’d expect and that SUV character really still shines through. It’s a great way to understand design and visual semantics too, and that each product has something called a ‘category code’. You wouldn’t expect to see Kleenex sold in a Coca Cola bottle, right? Or a soft-drink in a jerry can. Bottles are designed a certain way to fit into their product category the same way cars are. That’s probably why these sedans look like there’s something off. It’s a good thing these are just concepts and nobody’s actually building any of them!

Right above the first paragraph, we look at the Land Rover Discovery Sedan, perhaps the most easy-on-the-eyes of them all. The adventure DNA is still present with recognizable headlights and a standard front grille, but the front bumper is shortened to give it the SUV proportions of a sedan. Also, the roofline is a direct ode to the Discovery SUV, although the boxier rear proportion means expansive room for both rear passengers and cargo.

A Hummer Sedan is the equivalent of superimposing Hulk Hogan’s face on Michael Cera’s body (or the Undertaker on Pete Davidson). The iconic Hummer chrome grille almost hints at an SUV build, but its boxy sedan proportions sort of feel like we’re not getting our money’s worth! The large wheels have the same chrome finish as the grille, making this sedan a proper bling machine. The angular front bumper was also redesigned to give it the appearance of a sedan. NeoMam, however, retained the large wing mirrors mounted on the doors to give it the unmistakable appeal of a Hummer.

Is it a Ford Explorer sedan, or is it a reincarnation of the now-defunct Taurus? I admit the Explorer sedan sort of resembles a crossover-inspired Taurus, albeit with a more rugged appeal. The massive front grille and large headlights were lifted directly from the Explorer SUV. However, the shorter front bumper is complemented with a new lower front lip like a proper sports sedan. The large wheels are also lifted from the Explorer SUV.

The GMC Yukon is a prime-and-proper family SUV. It has the right levels of toughness and luxury, and the same holds true for your GMC Yukon sedan. Right off the bat, this sedan means serious business. The familiar GMC Yukon grille and headlight design are present, albeit toned down to match the proportions of a full-size luxury sedan… And yes, it has the aura of a Chrysler 300 C, but the boxy pillars and curved roof is very much original. The GMC Yukon sedan exudes a strong sense of robustness. It has a long and sculpted hood, a long wheelbase, and a shorter front overhang – all the qualities of a Rolls-Royce. It looks as robust as an SUV and yet as stately as a proper limousine.

Depending on your point of view, the Nissan Juke is either funky and super stylish, or just a bit weird and googly. While its design might not please everyone, it’s definitely one of the more natural SUV to sedan transitions. Nissan’s trademarked V-motion grille dominates the front, but the biggest eye-catchers are the LED indicators and large headlights on the front bumper. There’s no mistaking the Juke sedan for anything other than a Nissan, but from the A-pillar and back, it’s pretty much a Juke with a wagon-like rear end. Dare I say this Juke sedan looks good enough for production? Attention Nissan, here’s your next car.

Yet another iconic SUV (perhaps the most iconic, since the word jeep is now used as a noun) turned sedan, the Jeep Wrangler Sedan looks odd, but rewind to the 70-80s and maybe this sedan would fit in just fine. The flat Wrangler doors are retained along with the iconic vertical grille and round headlamps, but the guys at NeoMam Studios angled the windshield to give the vehicle a lower roof. Despite having a sloping windshield and lowered roof, the roofline is straight as an arrow and dramatically slopes downward to form the boxy rear end of the vehicle.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a modern SUV with a retro body style. The G-Class (or more popularly known as the G wagon) is also oozing with power and sophistication. The G-Class may be the boxiest of the lot, but it doesn’t look as unusual as a Hummer or a Jeep sedan, now does it? The powerful hood, aggressive Panamericana grille, and classic G-wagon headlights are there. Instead of creating an entirely new front bumper, the G sedan makes do with a Lilliputian version of the G-Wagon’s bumper. The AMG wheels fit well under those resculpted wheel arches. All it needs now is a growling turbocharged V8 motor!

Designer: NeoMam Studios for Budget Direct.

Via: Budget Direct

These superimposed images showcase what the “average car” in each category would look like

Posted on 10/07/2019 by Sarang Sheth

In what could be a very insightful exercise for transportation designers, both country-specific and internationally, the guys at NeoMam Studios have superimposed as many as 25 pictures of cars within distinct, separate categories to create an image of “the average car”. This amalgamation of fronts and rears is interesting because it sees no brand, it sees no price, and it sees no cultural or budget constraints. All it is, is a visual mash-up of multiple cars across multiple brands to create something homogeneous. The “average car” series does two interesting things. It A. Shows us what’s common between cars of categories, and B. Shows us how some brands have also tried to be subtly different. There’s a distinct similarity in, for example, the taillight design of a Pickup versus a Sedan, or the grille on a Convertible versus the grille on a Crossover. It’s important for transportation designers to recognize these similarities and differences in car designs, so that it’s much easier to break the mold of design and create something truly new and daringly different. Let’s take a look at how these average cars look, and how designers of the future can break this pattern of predictability.

Designer: Designer: NeoMam Studios for Budget Direct.

The Average Pickup

Pickups are the best-selling vehicles in USA and are the sturdy backbone of Ford and GM’s business. Considering that basically the entire global pickup market is US-focused, it’s no surprise that size is everything when it comes to the average front. The sleek lines of Japanese and European models, like the Isuzu D-Max or Mercedes X-Class are toughened out with the more rugged, boxed appearance of the likes of the GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado.

The average rear of a pickup shows quite a few competing elements trying to muscle through. A full rear-light pillar on both sides wins out over more minimalist approaches, like on the F-150. The average pickup will also ride a lot higher than might be expected, sticking to its original working vehicle roots rather than going down the line of many modern versions which often seem more intent on looking like performance cars than carrying a load of stakes.

The Average UTE

Where would we be without the beloved UTE? The rest of the world considers them a bit of an anomaly but here at home they reign supreme, so much so that pretty much every manufacturer selling in Australia offers a UTE version. With UTEs’ fronts ranging from compacts or saloons, like the Jumbuck, to commercials like the VW Caddy, all the way to full on American-style pickups in the mold of the HiLux, the average front is quite a mix of styles. What wins out is the form of lower riding saloon, but with sterner lines and a flattened bonnet giving its appearance a touch of American muscle.

Though UTEs are all about party at the front and business at the back, the average rear is surprisingly heavy-duty, looking exactly like what a saloon/pickup cross should. There are hints of the side bars and tarp and Tonneau cover supports that set UTEs apart from their American cousins but by the looks of things the average UTE would have carrying capacity to match any of them.

The Average Hatchback

Though everyone will have their favorites for different reasons, hatchbacks generally follow a formulaic pattern, which was why it was notable when some strong features shone through despite being averaged out. Its height to width ratio, for example, makes it a lot taller than one would think, which would suggest that manufacturers have been quietly super-sizing hatchback models to meet modern tastes while still striving for them to fit into “small” car categories. This is also borne out in the bonnet size, which is in line with a smaller engine housing, but appears to be relatively tiny compared to the rest of the car’s dimensions.

The average rear is also an eye-opener for hatchback aficionados. Gone is the sporty fastback style of the mid-00s and in is a far more reserved, Yaris-style straight rear. Though that doesn’t mean that the sporty nature of hatchbacks has been completely eroded, the averaging out also delivers a dual exhaust system to keep the horsepower ticking over.

The Average Sedan

The average sedan actually turns out to look anything but average, showing off some slick lines and boasting a meaty radiator grille. The wraparound headlights are definitely on-point and the bonnet shows off a sweeping curve around the sides which follows the current Japanese design trend from, among others, the new Subaru Legacy and Toyota Camry. So, even though the averaging methodology is completely objective, here it’s definitely managed to create something which would fit right in at any of the major shows.

The rear of our average sedan takes a slightly less bold and adventurous route. The boot and rear shoulders would more befit a boxer than a ballet dancer but who’s to say that sturdy and uncompromising isn’t exactly what the average sedan driver is looking for. The rear intakes and dual exhausts add a dash of flair but, overall, it’s a solid, dependable look that wins out.

The Average SUV

Sports utility vehicles or SUVs are a heavy-duty lot which don’t really know whether they want to be off-roaders or city-tractors. Due to this vehicular dysmorphia and the different design directions taken by the various marques, we discovered that the average SUV came out with some fascinating features. The front is stern, with an imposing and slightly protruding nose and the kind of grille that wouldn’t look out of place on a semi-truck.

The average rear has very much the appearance of one of the original archetypes of the class, the Chevy Suburban. This elongated and box-like rear was originally to give extra room for your camping gear, but from the look of the average SUV we’ve created, they have now become the size of a small house.

The Average Convertible

As a favorite of design teams who get to let loose with lines, curves and features, each convertible is unique and so an interesting challenge for the averaging process. Drawing from Corvettes, Porsches, S-Classes and many more, the result is that most of the kinks and curves are ironed out, though the car still holds onto its low-profile character and the extra lower front air intakes to keep the likely souped-up powertrain chilled.

The average rear however really takes on some of the best sporty features from the convertible class. A quad exhaust system should keep air flowing nicely, while the drag-reducing aerodynamic curves wouldn’t hold the car back. The average convertible would obviously also have the hood down, what’s the point in having a convertible otherwise.

The Average Crossover

Crossovers are already a considerable mix of ideas, in that they generally share a design platform with smaller cars but get amped up to be like milder versions of SUVs, so creating an average version suited it perfectly. This can be seen in the front, where the narrowing curves around the headlights lead to a more tapered grille than the more in-your-face battering ram approach of an SUV. The windscreen and upper part are also more petite than pronounced, aiming for substance rather than statement.

The rear of the average crossover is also a lot more understated than the SUV but carries a lot more heft than the average sedan or hatchback, though it has a similarly low profile. It displays nice lines below the brake lights and a sleek rear window design.

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