LocostUSA.com

The Original Rinox is inspired in a Rhinoceros in this case we will use the personality of the animal to merge the lines to the Locost7
This is just a taste of we are doing, the next designs will be more close to the Original Rinox
We are happy to share with the LocostUSA community our designs, please feel free to comment.

Hi Jack

You are ahead of the game in many ways. Before I posted I ran through all your links and really like your Lola inspired body.

We will go through the process of refinement and may suggest chassis advances. I think there are many people out there who are also busy with body improvements and we don't claim being the authority on the topic. I think you are the pioneer here!

Best

Marius

I posted in Jack's thread as well but I'll make soem of the same points here.

I think you're probably overusing the "design language" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_language) term, having not actually demonstrated much in the way of a recognisable design language in a single sketch laid over a Locost profile. The strange dichotomy of leather hood straps with hard, angular, facteted design elements doesn't really work for me.

If you want to see what a real design language is (in automotive terms at least), have a look at BMW. Every BMW is immediately recognisable as same becuase of their consistent application of specific design elements. See http://www.carbodydesign.com/2012/05/bmw-design-dna/ for a good discussion of that.

Also, the chassis design, whilst very nicely rendered in CAD, has some strange things in it. Is that floor panel actually being illustrated as perforated in some sort of triangulated pattern? To what possible gain (other than looking "cool")? Weight saving? It's a floor - it's there (mostly) to keep the weather out of your butt

Until you have at least have at least a couple of views of an actual design (and all consistent with each other i.e. no cheating by drawing something in the profile which you change or exclude to look better in a front view) then there's no point asking people's opinions. The sad reality is that photoshop drawings over existing car profiles are a dime a dozen on the internet and do NOT constitute a "design" let alone a "design language".

I genuinely and sincerely wish you good luck but the last 40+ years are full of failed attempts to "improve" on the Lotus 7 design. Probably the only manufacturer really succesful in creating their own specific, recognisable variant is Donkervoort.

Dominic

Here are ideas from our designer - as usual and true to his brief, tomorrows designs today.

Here he offers additional perspectives. I really like the freedom young designers apply - no restriction thinking!!

Enjoy.
Marius

Looks pretty good to me.

Looks like an original Gillet Vertigo to me... the 1994... the .5 look much different.

Transformer car. ..

_________________
"There are times when a broken tool is better than a sound one, or a twisted personality more useful than a whole one.
For instance, a whole beer bottle isn't half the weapon that half a beer bottle is ..." Randall Garrett

I think the mistake is thinking that there are rules.

_________________
Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

Marius, the game I was referring to was the baffle-with-buzzwords game, and I was merely being my usual smart alec self.It doesn't look like we're competitors; as Justin pointed out, I'm more of a yesterdays designs tomorrow kinda guy. Statements such as "as usual and true to his brief" applied to an unidentified person or entity, well, it does bring out the smart alec in me; it indicates a solid reputation and a stable track record, If Only We Knew. So I'm curious: who is this Designer of Mystery, and who gave him his brief?So I guess it's not Battista Farina. Tha dup!

Thus endeth the smart alec section. I'll try to provide useful feedback henceforth, starting with the front fenders.

There are places where restrictions on thinking are valuable for a designer. From an artistic standpoint, I love your stuff, and you seem to be masters of CAD, but if you haven't built a prototype yet, I strongly recommend you make a 3D model of your chassis and components and include full suspension travel, to verify the innards will fit in the body, even when the car is being driven. The Rinox7 would be a great show car, and maybe a great track day car on the right tracks, but the driver will get a horrible hammering on the street with those low profile tires and one inch of suspension travel. Also, it'd be good to run pencil lines over a printout of the car, tracking the paths of road debris from the front tire to the cockpit.

I believe KB58 is right--there are rules. Of course, show car rules are different from real car rules, and the only rule for 3d renderings is they should look possible to make real...and even then, only if you don't look too hard.

_________________
Locost builder and adventurer, and founder (but no longer owner) of Kinetic Vehicles

It doesn't matter, as long as they're clean and dry.

_________________
-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie

Well, there's clean and then there's Clean!

clean could mean someone else's briefs that have been worn for a week but still show no signs of stains.

And it also matters who gives them to him. If you take them from a kid you run the risk of them being way too small or lightly dusted with itching powder.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

The way forward for us to not just come up with the pretty pictures, but we chose the locost platform to be able to afford to create a prototype.

The process forward is somewhat disciplined in that we create some sketches and move forward from there. After a number of reviews we will come up with 3 options.

We are a few weeks away from confirming specifications, and that is after prototype and some development.

I welcome your suggestions and will defenitely incorporate as you suggest.

I had another look at your real-world example - your lines clean and classic - it reminds me of one of my favourites, the 1963 Ferrari 250 P Le Mans.

Best
Marius

In our previous attempt to create a futuristic car, we also ventured into chassis design - only in concept. We played around with a number of ideas i.e. body on frame like the Delorean. We also looked at a 'backbone' design, Lamborghini, and Mclaren. But these are composite bodies and insanely expensive, hence the locost chassis!




Eventually we came up with a design that was made up of a rear and front bolt-on - similar to that of the Bugati Veron. We created left and right safety sections based on a formula 1 car which sat on top of the frame. The front had impact bars similar to the Mclaren and the engine mounted in the mid-section - way too expensive for us now.




Anyway, hope you can get some ideas for your next project. Will keep you posted when we integrate body and chassis in a month or two - hope the wife allows us to do this over Christmas

Hi Jack

I include some conceptual designs we did for our more expensive concept car. You will see the features included from the different car chassis, from body on frame, to Mclaren impact bars as I mentioned earlier.

Enjoy
Marius