I did some 'chops that adjusted the roofline, but I didn't want to post them because the roof line has already been decided on and it's Jes's design...I didn't want to step on any toes honestly.



But since we're having a little fun....

http://www.imagelinkers.com/out.php/...onceptver4.jpg

Uhh...what about that hood?!?

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...0&d=1292902111

I'm diggin' the center-lock wheels :giggle:
Oh the fun I would have if I could do 3D modeling like that.

I want one for the NA badly. The slightly changed roof height on doppelbangers last pic looks so badass. Shame that It'll cost me close to $4,5k shipped:facepalm:

This exactly. The window looks retarded and ruins the entire thing for me. If they dropped that and did something else, or just left it blank, I would love it. Rear is too high.

Did you not look at a single other post in this thread? :rofl:

ALMOST! But here it is done correctly sir...

Attachment 192068

The window needs to match the curve of the roof as well, and needs to be shorter front to back. Also the "b pillar" needs to be a bit wider. Also a slight taper of the b pillar from top to bottom (bottom slightly wider). Even or straight lines on a curvy car just doesn't work.

Actually... no I didn't, not until after I posted and realized there were 4 pages. I thought it was a new thread. :facepalm:

Good news on the wing mount. Interesting idea about how to hold it. I was considering something similar for the wing mount I have now. It would be very nice for the wing to lift with the hatch.

This one. I like the reduced height of the rear slope, and the tweak to the side window.

LOL at the previous Panamera comment. I was thinking the same thing. Stay away from the Panamera, probably the ugliest car ever made by Porsche.

This. Exactly the same reason why I'm not going to buy the AK widebody kit for the NB.

I need to try and keep this quick and still try and hit on the concerns I have read.... I have a lot of work to do today.
NA GUYS.... we're going to get to you ASAP. As soon as I get my NB back I'm going to send the NA I picked up for a song (specifically for this project) down there.
NC guys... want something like this? No problem, we just need a car to borrow for 6-8 weeks!
Like the hood? That was just a heat extractor design I was playing with for V8 conversions. We've been talking about doing that as well. Are you really tall or do you have a big mellon? We can build in a gurney bubble for you.

First, the tapered fastbacks you guys are doing look great, but that is from a profile. Once you start messing with the cross section it gets a little funkier trying to get a shape that looks good from other angles. We went there and decided to go a different direction. Remember we're not just designing a profile, but a 3 dimensional shape to be mast produced from a single piece mold. Second, if we went along those lines I'm sure there would be plenty of screaming that we copied AK. Third,if we're doing a hatchback why not give it a nice kammback design for aero and add a little space to the trunk as well? We're juggling several design goals here, and one of them was adding a bit of practicality :) I dont know about you guys, But I liked taking long trips with my NB whenever possible. A little more space and ability to put longer items back there can go a long way. We took the stock roofline and extended it back to the stock trunklid contours. It looks high in back because the rear quarters taper and slope down. The top of the tail is actually pretty even with the top of the rear 1/4 panels. With the exception of the 1/4 window issues with the B -pillar, e really worked on getting the lines to look like mazda designed them into the NB.
I hope to have pictures of the actual outer shell on a car by next Monday the 27th. The mold is done, radical changes to the roofline are not going to happen at this point.... probably not for the NA version either. The NC is a different story. We were going to keep it fairly similar, but are open to more radical changes.

Side windows... yes, there is a possibility that we can leave them out and let the customer cut their own. We also considered "routing out" the fglass for a nice overlap that will keep the lexan flush. We are trying to keep the surface nice and smooth and dont want lexan sticking out beyond the fiberglass. The only issue we have with that is customers that may not have the skills to do it right and are just concerned with saving $ and cutting corners doing a half ass job. Then we have a POS top out there with our name on it. Not good, and we have run into that issue before. Now, if you can show us that you are a serious racer and/or have the skills to finish it up properly and dont mind the fact that not having the windows cut out for you isnt going to save you a bunch of $, then yes I'm sure we can figure something out for you on a case by case basis. We can consider a lot of things on a case by case basis!
You overseas guys.... we ship a lot of big heavy stuff overseas already, including entire cars. I wouldnt be opposed to shipping 2 or more at a time to single locations on your continents and you guys handling the logistics from there. They will stack well and shipping 5 should be marginally more expensive then shipping one. Hell, I'd even consider setting up some sort of distributorship.

Thanks, can you get an estimate for one or two fastbacks to a european country?

Best looking chop so far, the quarter window is perfect.

OK, one more time in a short post so it doesnt get buried in all the crap I have to say.

The roofline is _not_ going to change at this point. Photoshop all you want, but the mold is made. If you want to start playing with a shape for a "designed by committee" NC, go nuts.... we may use it.
We wanted a true hatchback with a bit of added practicality and space. We could possible do more of a fastback like the chops, but at this point THAT would be a rather obnoxious ripoff of the AK top and I dont want to go there. I'd rather do a shooting brake.
The 1/4 window can be changed within reason and it will follow the lines of the car better and match the curves of the side windows, but the b-pillar needs to retain a substantial amount of material and cant be too thin (5in at the narrowest) and the window can't interfere with the gas door. It needs to be seen in all 3 dimensions as a real physical part matching the color of the car.... soon :)

This is why I didn't send you that picture along with the others in that email, I already knew that the roofline was a done deal ;) I was having a bit of fun knowing that it was not something to suggest. I like the original roofline that you designed just fine :)

Mike,
I dont mind your photoshops at all, especially since you were sticking to the window.... That I can appreciate because it is an area that I still am not happy with. We need to stick to the window, thats all.

I gotta admit, this shit is starting to look choice.

I elongated the window like the Dopplë keeps eluding to and cleaned up the lighting, and added the duck tail.


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1292951953

I like this. If the bottom of the window followed the line of the car more, It would be awesome.

How about doing an NA with as close as possible to the roofline in the original photos? Thats what we're going to start working on next.

The window and duckbill that Brian did makes the top flow much better. With a third brake light installed it would look factory.

I actually really like the one brain posted. Wasn't so sure about it in the beginning, but that is growing on me. GJ Brainysack.

Is it just me or does it still look a little funky where it connects to the windshield?

The BMW top cut follows the exact same slope at the original concept :) I just put them over eachother and switched the image about 500 times :laugh: The thing that makes it look like it's not is the upper window line of the side window (it's straight on Scott's)

The real thing is a dead on copy of the OEM top until you get to about where a rollbar would be.

In for part-out.

Fastback look tits!!!

WTF!! I've been so good about not spending any unnecessary money on the miata in the past year, and here you guys are, teasing me and making me want one.

So I've skimmed through the thread (mainly the last 2 pages), so forgive me if it was mentioned or is considered common sense with these fastbacks. This will pretty much take away the ability to drop the top correct? Or at least without having to swap trunks I assume.

Maybe I'll have to treat myself to a present this spring. :idea:

^^I don't put my top down. :dunno:

Yup, have to remove trunk to install. The hatchback uses the trunk release mechanism.

I don't like any line on the NA. Can't find one that works...the one I used for the NB looks like dickhole.

Lol! I had to look that up! I'm more about Cisitalia than Porsche. Think '50 202... I see why Porsche did the roof that way though.

Either way, what I was doing was just a styling exercise, nothing more.
None of this 'you should', 'you ought to' crap. I don't operate that way. Just throwin' it out there. Dopple got what I was doing. For fun.
Besides, my l'il rendering would be a pita to produce a backlight for...
It'd be a huge compound curve of glass that would require a structure for hinging, which would not be at the 'top' but more like in the top third of the 'hatch'.
It's also tough to do 'chops with peebucket, considering I don't have P-shop.

I almost wonder if using the glass from a Z4 coupe would work...

Here is a dumb idea but I wanted to put it out there. Find a back and side glass off of an existing auto that you can use as a donor and design around that. I prefer one that already has defroster built in. Perhaps an older RX?

Unless I am mistaken, there are many sources for replacement glass for autos that have been discontinued for years. Some may want Lexan for weight, but as a daily driver I would prefer glass.

We have always kept the option open to adapt the design to use OEM glass, as long as it is relatively cheap and easy to get. We could possibly make another mold down the road that uses OEM glass and leave it to the customer to buy the glass.... but dont hold your breath... ducktail spoiler options, an NA and an NC versions take priority. Maybe we'll make the NC version to use OEM glass right off the bat.

already having a hardtop I dont think I would go for this, it is actually looking nice though, but a question about mounting hardware. Would it:

sorry if I missed this on other posts in this thread.

this is about the best I could come up with an NA. The body lines just don't work with a fastback compared to the NB as far as I'm concerned.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1293026609



even the coupe from that factory looked odd:

http://carview-img02.bmcdn.jp/minkar...2136382/p2.jpg


where the nb looks hawt:

http://image.automobilemag.com/f/aut..._side_view.jpg

I like the factory coupe.

looks too MX3ish.

NB has side skirts, long mudflaps on the rear tyres and huge rims. That helps in making it look decent.

hi ppl new to this forum, seen the picks on the fastback idea
Attachment 191799
Its a bit so so, but what do you think...

Great first post.

lol
so much fail

It gets worse with each edit.

Ok...just stop.

That last one looks like a Mitsubishi.

I promise you the NC top will not scream "z4".
The best way to do this is by _not_ starting with the very distinct roofline of another car from a different brand.
If you want to copy something, try maybe a FD or rx8, but remember the rear window will be fairly flat.... so that sort of goes out the window too.
We are not copying pre existing designs with these tops. Look at the lines and go from there. Bezier curves and vector graphics will not give good shading or reflections showing contour, but its a good way to create new complimentary lines instead of forcing some other cars lines to fit. Set up your lines and then go for shading using standard layers over the vector shapes.

http://www.theweeklydriver.com/files/2009/12/Pacer.jpg

Far out man

Is this what you're parting the nb for?

Why not something like this?

Attachment 241448

:barf:
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anyone have some picks of this, would like to try to put a coupe top on it ?
Attachment 191791

It looks like this. Please, no more.

http://image.europeancarweb.com/f/11...+rear_view.jpg

I've actually thought about some sort of shooting brake, maybe more like a volvo c30. It would be a real challenge to blend the top into the fender without it looking damn weird. If we could make it look really good, would there be much of a market? It hasen't been ruled out....but one thing at a time. I'm not sure how much sense it makes with the bulkhead there, but I guess it would still provide additional legitimate space. Something to think about...

Why not something like this?

http://static.cargurus.com/images/si...-pic-7976.jpeg


anyone have some picks of this, would like to try to put a convertible top on it ?

Lets do it.

Yeah, right after we do a miatachero.

oh hell yeah, that's one thing I never have enough of: space to put my 4x8 sheet stock

I think we need a design that looks more american. We are all americans here and the miata is a patriotic car! USA! USA! USA!

http://www.lastsummer.com/wagon/pic/m81lebb_x.jpg

Just remove the bulkhead and tank to make room for the hydraulics and you could even have a tilting bed!

The whole inspiration for the Miata is a copy of an existing design. :laugh:
Lotus never made a 'fasttop' to my knowledge. So, I would think one would be free to do whatever they wanted in this area. I do understand your point, but let's not think Mazda invented this design...


At least it's British inspired.
HBC's first post reminds me of a DB4.

I'm not sure what your point is. When did I ever say mazda invented the small 2 seat roadster concept? The NA is a copy of the original elan. You say it like the elan was the first small 2 seat roadster.
What lotus design does the NB emulate?
None of them, as lotus never made a more flowing and flared version of the elan.
Mazda took more liberties with their interpretation with the NB using the same more curvy and swoopy approach they used with the FD.
Do body kits designed for the NA work with the NB, or vice versa? If they were adapted to work, wouldnt they look awkward 9 times out of 10?