Oh, no doubt it's just the angle. I like the lines.

It's just that every car seems to be pushing the "muscular" look these days, and I think it makes most of them look heavy and lumbering. Because this car is anything but, it stood out as incongruous.

 

You actually caught an element about the car that concerned me. I'm not sure if you put it bluntly, or if I'm sensitive to that criticism. I guess that's because there is some truth to it.

My intent from the beginning was to have design elements that flow all the way from the front to the back. No choppy designs. The Miata design also flows, but I wanted a more pronounced long-hood GT look. In doing so, we gained some visual "weight".

That weight came off via software and I think the back end is now balanced with the front. Walking around the car, there are actually a lot of curves and lines and bulges to keep your imagination busy.

 

If it's as close to the rendering as you say, I think that one picture will definitely be chalked up to perspective and shading. It does look "nose heavy" in that unfinished state, but the renderings look much more balanced.

I definitely appreciate a lot of the details of the design, like the recessed strakes in the hood - beginning and end treatment (hard, angled line vs soft fade).

 

each time you post a new angle of the renderings I get an erection.

that angle from behind is sexy

 

It does look very nice in those recent renderings. Coming along nice Cordy.

 

Heres my opinions as to why it looks front heavy. The front end looks way too wide, the rear end looks way too small for the front. Perhaps something closer to the corvette or viper look in the back along with the rear fenders not hugging the wheels so tight. The middle area right in front of the rear area what would represent the rear of the door. It goes down and in too much.

 

The front had too much volume. The renderings you're seeing are before we did the "facelift" on the Catfish. The new, younger catfish came out of surgery with a tighter, younger look, like a rich Hollywood socialite with a facelift.

This was a MAJOR ordeal. The design has passed through so many software programs to get to the final state that to just skinny-up the front meant that we had to reconstruct the WHOLE car. Yes, we took two months of the project just to take out probably less than 1" of thickness from the front. It's funny--people on MT are catching this design element, so I feel justified in the change.

There's more in store for the front that will balance the design. It's a "process", and usually it's fun. Sometimes it's an anxiety-producting PITA.

 

Thanks Jack. The car is still a work in progress, and we've got more planned.

 

Np man, I was just stating what I see. Most of the times someone elses eyes can open your eyes.

 

render at larger camera distance with more crop and it'll reduce the snout volume.

or shoot it with a long zoom (200mm).

 

I have got an awesome macro lens...no?

I'll be at the car tomorrow morning and will try to snap a few photos from new angles. unfortunately only the stock wheels are on the car, so imagination will be required.

 

I would really like to see this in coupe form. I really think at that point, I wouldn't be able to resist.

 

photoshop this onto it.

 

that would be more that awesome!

 

So something like this, eh? (Except without the craptastic 5 minute photojob job)

 

That's the top I considered too, but the Catfish is going to be a barchetta for a while before we start talking about tops.

Since the car could have double hoops behind the seats, I think the quicker way to a top solution will be a Porsche Carrera GT setup. My thought is to have a lightweight carbon targa-style top, probably with Gurney bubbles like the GT.

If you can imagine, it would unlatch from the windshield and tilt up from the roll hoops. that way you won't have to be Elastic Man to get in, because I still don't plan on doors.

 

Your craptastic job looks better than my 2 hour effort would look.

 

I would definitely want one!!

 

When I saw the rear 3/4 I knew you had a secret crush on Bangle.

Does the Carerra GT have a double-hump top? As a tall guy... I support this effort.

 

I grew up watching my dad restore Porsche Speedsters for fun--until people realized what cool cars they were--and the prices skyrocketed. He loved to show the car at local events and autocross it, but just lost a taste for the whole thing. Concours competitors would trailer in their cars, and the tires were unloaded wearing "socks" so that the rubber wouldn't touch anything.

With that background, I found that there was a total 'bonding moment' for me when it came to the Miata.