2020-11-11
I've been struggling to find a new project idea for the past month or so . . so without any clear direction or plan I started doodling in Photoshop with my Wacom.. after a few hours of random exploration, the concept above started to emerge . .
I wanted to do something compact but potent - again, true to the spirit of the original 917k I've played around with previously.
2020-11-17
I want its footprint to be very small and lightweight - I feel that most sportscars have got way too big and cumbersome.
I wanted something stripped back and raw - and super compact. A proper hooligan missile.. I'm also feeling like it definitely needs to be either hybrid or full electric.
It's slightly frightening to lay a 95th %ile Mannekin into this package - it looks very tight in my latest version - so it must've been simply murder to try and squeeze into the original 917!
2020-11-17
Styling exploration taps into all sorts of existing / evolving design cues.. there bits of Aston Vulcan, some Lotus Evija, an ongoing fascination with Porsche, some McLaren Senna cues have crept in - and some Ford GT references too . . . Some details and features echo work done in my past projects - 773R etc.
At this stage, the model is all still a bit rough and basic, but seems to be going in an interesting direction. Still showing exhausts at this stage - to leave the hybrid option open - but I'm inclined to just go insanely fast EV..
2020-11-18
The body design is quite flexible in that it lends itself to all manner of different graphic breakdowns. For now I'm gonna run with "F" on the strength of a quick chat with a trusted friend - who's got a good eye for things..
2020-11-18
I've always been a big fan of Silver and Orange.. the POC brand seems to suit this - and it's got a clean simple "producty" vibe to the design. I'm not sure if this will be THE livery yet - but for now it'll do as a startpoint.
2020-11-19
So - first pass vRED studio image of the developed livery.
Ended up flipping the front POC logo as it all felt a bit too "normal" as I'd first proposed it.
Ecotricity have also joined the party as a key sponsor - seeing as we're going all electric with this concept.
(UK government policy announced yesterday confirms that all new cars are to be electric by 2030 - we need to get started ASAP)
Looks like I've also managed to rope in the driving talents of Kimi Raikkonen for this project - so we're already off to a GOOD start! ;-)
Brief clip to summarise the development process. A week (on and off) compressed into 30 seconds.
In reality, I do basic CAD modelling in parallel to 2D development sketches - so the evolution of the volumes and form details converged over the course of the project. . . the process of sketching does not end once the 3D model is started, but serves as a companion activity to scout out the details.
2020-11-29 - Quiet, please
This concept was conceived as a racer - big bold livery, shouty colours.
Wanted to try something subtler - a bit more understated - something you might not feel too embarrassed to be seen in away from the track.
I still like it - but in this plainer guise, the surfaces could do with a few more flicks and tricks to add a little more visual interest
- but that's a challenge for another day..
2021-02-04 COMPARISONS
Interesting to be able to compare my 917 inspired studies to a CAD model of the original machine. Makes me realise I've still got work to do to fully capture the essence of the original whilst updating it - back to the drawing board.
