Maserati Biturbo-Shamal restomod reincarnates the 90s Italian coupe into a desirable hunk

Posted on 06/11/2024 by Gaurav Sood

Maserati Biturbo-Shamal was one of Maserati’s finest creations when it was released in the 90s. Co-designed by Marcello Gandini, the performance grand tourer fitted with a V8 engine only sold a limited edition of 369 units. Now, Automobili Modena has brought back the sharp Italian classic as a restomod version.

Dubbed MA-01 Biturbo-Shamal Restomod, the car retains the bodywork’s angular, sharp flowing lines, right from the front grille to the LED light clusters on the rear. Eye-pleasing muscle is added in the form of wheel arches, high tail, fixed wing, smoothness of the flanks, and beefy exhausts (two on each side) bulging from the valence.

Designer: Modena Automobili

Lucky ones who own the original Shamal, and ones who are motorheads will instantly recognize the semblance of grille design, center pillar, and Trident on the rear pillars and door handles. The facelift comes in the shape of a more aggressive frontal stance, bigger air intakes, side skirtings and sharper wheel arches. Of them all, the LED light pack and the large spoiler give it a sportier look. The lightweight body features steel and carbon fiber make. Integrated into the frame is an exposed carbon central pillar that doubles as a rollbar for protection.

Although not many details of the interior have been shared, it will likely have an oval digital instrument cluster just like the original. Other details about the innards are left out for now to everyone’s imagination. Under the hood is where most of the work has been invested in. Gone is the original Maserati Biturbo Shamal’s 326-hp 3.2-liter V8 replaced by the modern Maserati Ghibli S’ twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. The engine is custom-tuned to generate more power in coordination with a Ghibli S’ eight-speed ZF gearbox that’s capable of gear shifting in a mere 150 milliseconds. More internal components push the twin-turbo V6’s capability to generate 500hp. In the end, the Shamal hits a top speed of 177 mph and goes from 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds.

The ambitious Modena Automobili Project is only going to take shape as 33 limited edition units. Priced at approximately 638,000 the Maserati Biturbo-Shamal restomod will go up for sale in Spring of 2025, so better mark your calendars.

The post Maserati Biturbo-Shamal restomod reincarnates the 90s Italian coupe into a desirable hunk first appeared on Yanko Design.

Meet the Porsche GTE grand tourer – a supercar even Ferrari fans would drool over!

Posted on 08/09/2021 by Gaurav Sood

This Porsche two-seater grand tourer is a supercar designed for the thrill of speed for adrenaline junkies, a stylish character that reflects the driver’s personality, and a ride that carries a lot of history in its origins.

Only a few can compare to the pure design language of Porsche, and giving it an elegant interpretation is no ordinary feat. So much history and sense of responsibility are associated with legendary brands like Porsche that designers have to tread with caution when creating their own versions inspired by them. Such is the magnetism of this luxury grand tourer that draws one towards its voluptuous contoured shape – highlighted by a sweeping silhouette encapsulating the car.

The wide stance of the Porsche GTE here, conceptualized by Sreenath Sundaram is a perfect example of concept 3D modeling done right. The inspiration comes from the hugely popular Porsche 917 (Le Mans winner in 1970 and 1971) which has been the design inspiration for other concept cars as well. The reason, the man maximum machine minimum philosophy that’s been strong at Porsche all these years. The Porsche 917 is the ideal icon of that vision, and so is this creation.

This concept follows an eye-like design on all fronts – the core design, exterior form and interior form. The designer emphasis on the warm expression of a hug on the front section that radiates a friendly charisma. On the rear, the car’s design is characterized by converging muscular surfaces towards the end. The motive is to have an elegant surface transition from rear wheel arches to the tail. The interior follows suit with a spindle that evolves to create a dual lounge-inspired seating arrangement connected at the center.

The result, a grand tourer with a smooth surface transition on the haunches and clean reflections. The Gull-winged doors and the mighty diffusers further reinforce its stance. At one point in time, I even mistook this one for a Ferrari supercar – the widebody stance and the front section being the reason. Would Porsche want to go this way in the future? Why not, it looks absolutely gorgeous, ready for a spin on the freeways!

Designer: Sreenath Sundaram

The post Meet the Porsche GTE grand tourer – a supercar even Ferrari fans would drool over! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Audi Skysphere is set to redefine the automotive industry, courtesy of its expandable wheelbase!

Posted on 11/08/2021 by Gaurav Sood

As an auto enthusiast who is completely awed by this feature, if the other automotive giants are as surprised as I am, I can honestly state that Audi has taken a giant leap in the technology that will take years for the others to catch up on. With this concept, Audi redefines the automotive industry while establishing itself as a true leader in this space.

Audi has just dropped a level 4 autonomous car concept that goes beyond the realms of what we are used to seeing – even by conceptual design standards. Audi propels into the future of autonomous driving with the Skysphere, an electric convertible that morphs from a luxurious grand tourer to a beastly sports car at the push of a button. This concept is designed by Gael Buzyn and his team to bring an unparalleled driving experience to the streets. The highlight of this concept is its transforming design, featuring an expandable wheelbase that transforms a two-seater convertible into a four-wheeler sportscar, giving you the best of both worlds.

The shape-shifting character of this car is akin to the caterpillar’s morphism to a butterfly. There are actuators behind the front axle that move the car’s front section back and forth to give it 10-inches of shape-shifting advantage. In addition, the steering wheel and pedal shifters retract under the dashboard panel for added luxury while being highlighted by the touchscreen interface panning across the dashboard in the long-wheelbase GT mode. This helps transform the car from a stable GT model to the power-oriented aggressive Sport mode.

1937 Horch Type 853 Sport Cabriolet

Skysphere draws much of its inspiration from the proportions of the legendary classic – 1937 Horch 853 convertible. Audi calls this mind-boggling creation a “reverence without retro.” The Skysphere is a nostalgic nod to the glorious grand touring era but with the infusion of a very modern element. According to Audi, the footprint between the legendary Horch 853 convertible and the Audi Skysphere cars is pretty similar – 5.23 meters in length versus 5.19 and a width of 1.85 versus 2.00 meters, respectively. The concept also gives a nod to the Art-Deco-inspiration with its metallic accents.

The battery pack of the Skysphere is located behind the cabin in a 40:60 front-to-rear weight distribution configuration. The front and rear double-wishbone suspensions help with the overall stability, and the steer-by-wire system comes with a variable-ratio setup for switching between the two modes. According to Audi, the convertible will be capable of going from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds – courtesy of the rear-mounted 624 horsepower (465 kilowatts) electric motor. In addition, it will have a practically achievable range of 310 mph thanks to the 80-kilowatt-hour battery positioned behind the seats.

I can’t help but draw a parallel between this flamboyant electric car with the transformers (Bumblebee might just become a reality) with all the transformations it is making, both on the exterior and interiors. There is no compromise between the two driving configurations – such is the design refinement of this unparalleled concept car by Audi. Is this going to be the foreseeable future of cars whizzing past you in a couple of decades? I bet it is!

Designer: Audi

This concept Porsche was designed to be the last car you’d ever need to buy

Posted on 03/04/2020 by Sarang Sheth

The brief behind Ilya Zakharov’s Porsche Exclusive GT is simple. Make the car less of an impulse buy and more of a consciously purchased product you’ll own and cherish forever. The car is beautiful, no doubt, but its beauty is backed by the fact that Zakharov hopes it’ll serve a lifetime – with insides that are built to last years without going obsolete, and with an outer aesthetic that looks so cutting edge, it won’t ever age.

The Porsche Exclusive GT started as Zakharov’s MA Thesis project and gradually evolved into one of the most futuristic Porsche designs I’ve seen in a while. The Exclusive GT ups the aggression with its sinewy, muscular form that’s visible around the wheels with elevated fenders and rear quarter panels that almost make it look like the car’s crouching. Given that the car’s required to deliver a lifetime of peak performance, the Exclusive GT comes with exaggerated air intakes around the front that result in floating headlights… a detail that slightly resembles Porsche’s Mission E, but with a more dominating presence. The design extends to the back too, with a linear tail-light surrounded by a set of outlets for the air to pass through as the Exclusive GT cuts through time and space. The car sports a carbon-fiber body (you’ll notice the texture in the render right away), which probably indicates at a future where the composite material’s more widely present, along with rear-facing cameras for side-mirrors, another future-friendly detail. It’s safe to assume that the Porsche Exclusive GT concept is electric too, following the Taycan, and seats up to 4 people in its relatively small, yet extremely captivating design.

Designer: Ilya Zakharov

The streamlined Audi e-tron GT looks like it was inspired by a wind-tunnel test!

Posted on 09/03/2020 by Sarang Sheth

It isn’t often that we see a car with such a tight, dramatic curve running along the top from front to back. Almost borrowing from a style that Lamborghini adopted with its classics like the Countach, the Audi e-tron GT concept is an autonomous vehicle designed for long-distance travel. That beautiful unbroken curve on the top, it doesn’t just give the car aerodynamics, it also allows the car to have a larger, more spacious cabin.

In fact, the focus on spacious-ness (if that’s even a word) is perhaps the e-tron GT’s biggest selling point. With just two seats on the inside, infinite leg-room, and a dedicated space to store your luggage and bags, the e-tron GT is all about taking a break (brake?) from driving and leaving it up to the car’s AI, which works on Level 5 autonomy. Riders access the car using its two massive gullwing doors and are greeted with a cabin that looks quite like a room on wheels. The e-tron GT doesn’t come with steering wheels or controls. Instead, a wraparound dashboard screen communicates with you, greeting you when you enter, and giving you ride updates as you proceed.

The car’s exteriors are rather interesting too. The automobile is characterized by a continuous panoramic sunroof that goes all the way from the front to the back, while the sides have discreet one-way windows that seamlessly blend with the car’s side panels thanks to the use of a translucent metallic paint job. The e-tron GT’s aesthetic mirrors the Cybertruck in a variety of ways too, from the use of silver paint and black glass, to the relatively angular design, and even the razor-thin headlamps and taillamps… although the e-tron GT looks a whole lot better, in my opinion.

Designers: Hyojun Shin, Taek Lee & Seonghwan Hong

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