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Category: Highlight

  • 3D-printed body kits: Could it become a thing?

    Aftermarket company 1016 Industries is looking to pioneer 3D printing of body kits.

    The company, based in Miami, Florida, specializes in carbon fiber body parts for exotic cars and offers everything from individual parts to full body kits. It’s now looking to incorporate 3D printing into the manufacturing of its kits and is testing a prototype kit developed for the McLaren 720S.

    1016 Industries describes the kit as a full body replacement made from carbon. The company said the kit also adds 110 millimeters to the width of the 720S.

    It’s still early days as 1016 Industries is yet to determine whether 3D-printed body kits are durable enough to match the performance of traditionally formed kits, i.e. cured in molds. More advanced prototype kits should have better fit and finish than the one shown here.

    1016 Industries developing 3D-printed body kit for the McLaren 720S

    1016 Industries developing 3D-printed body kit for the McLaren 720S

    “Incorporating 3D printing into our production processes has been a steep learning curve,” Peter Northrop, CEO of 1016 Industries, told Motor1 in an interview published Wednesday. “While the material hasn’t proven yet that it would be the right fit for a long-term prototype, our testing has proven that a car can use 3D-printed technologies and be drivable.”

    According to Motor1, 1016 Industries will have a 3D-printed body kit for sale in 2021. It will be limited to 30 units and pricing information is yet to be announced. As a guide, 1016 Industries’ current kits for the McLaren 720S start at $22,000.

    Performance wheel manufacturer HRE has also shown off a 3D-printed wheel and the startup Czinger has shown a whole car where most of the parts are made using 3D printing.

    3D printing technology has also proven a boon for the major automakers whenever they need to produce complex parts in low volumes, for instance when building a prototype vehicle or adding a specialized part to a vehicle line. The technology has also proven useful for making parts for restoration of classic cars.

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  • Lunaz returns with EV conversion for first-gen Range Rover

    A number of companies have started offering restored versions of the original Land Rover Range Rover, including Land Rover itself. The latest comes from a company called Lunaz, albeit with a twist.

    Based in Silverstone, United Kingdom, Lunaz specializes in converting classic British cars to run on battery-electric power. In its portfolio already are the 1953 Jaguar XK120, 1961 Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur, and 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom and Silver Cloud. Now we can add the original Range Rover to the list.

    The original Range Rover, often referred to as a Range Rover Classic, was built from 1969 right up until the mid-1990s. For its EV conversion, Lunaz starts with an exhaustive inspection that includes weighing each corner of the vehicle to understand the original weight distribution right down to the gram. This information is then used to determine powertrain packaging and chassis setup so that the EV conversion is as dynamically similar to the original as possible.

    Lunaz hasn’t revealed any specifics on the powertrain it uses, but we can imagine the Range Rover’s boxy shape won’t be good for range.

    Land Rover Range Rover Classic EV conversion by Lunaz

    Land Rover Range Rover Classic EV conversion by Lunaz

    Beyond the mechanical bits, Lunaz also fully restores the Range Rover and adds modern niceties like GPS, WiFi, and climate control. All the new features are integrated with the original interior details to keep things looking original.

    Buyers will be able to choose between Town and Country specifications. For the Town specification, the focus is more on increased comfort, especially for rear-seat occupants. The Country specification is for those owners who enjoy heading off-road. In this case, the vehicle is equipped with four-wheel drive and modern suspension.

    Lunaz is also offering an open-top body style just like the Range Rover that featured in 1983 James Bond film “Octopussy.” At least one customer in Europe has already ordered this option.

    Pricing for the electric Range Rover from Lunaz starts at 245,000 British pounds (approximately $329,000). While that’s certainly steep for an old Range Rover, even one running on electricity, Lunaz has a long list of customers lined up. The company said the initial run is for 50 vehicles and the first of these will be delivered next summer. As a result of all the demand, Lunaz needed to double its number of engineers, designers and technicians in 2020 and expects a further doubling in 2021.

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  • Watch Travis Pastrana rock his hometown in this wild Subaru in Gymkhana 2020

    The last instalment in Ken Block’s Gymkhana series, number 10, dropped in 2018, and in it we saw the head Hoonigan pass the steering wheel to occasional series guest star Travis Pastrana, hinting that Pastrana would take over in future videos.

    Well, it’s happened for Gymkhana 11, whose official title is Gymkhana 2020. Airing Tuesday, the latest instalment sees Pastrana rock his hometown of Annapolis, Maryland, in a custom Subaru WRX STI packing 862 horsepower thanks to a 2.3-liter turbocharged flat-4 running a monster 50 psi of boost.

    You’ll notice the entire body of the car is made from carbon fiber, helping reduce the weight to 2,623 pounds, or about 800 pounds less than a stock WRX STI. It has also been fitted with wildly aggressive aero parts that Subaru said have been tested in the wind tunnel. Other upgrades include long-travel suspension and a stripped interior built to Pastrana’s specs. Overseeing the build was rally car constructor Vermont SportsCar based in Milton, Vermont.

    Block also drove Subarus in the early Gymkhana videos, before switching to Ford, so this represents a return to the series for Subaru. It’s also a great way to promote the arrival of the redesigned 2022 BRZ, which you’ll spot making a cameo in the video.

    But will we ever see Block back behind the wheel in a Gymkhana video? He doesn’t plan to give up his seat permanently. Adding a new driver “sets the ground for a new game of one-upmanship,” he said in a statement.

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