Design Study

The Cheetah was Lamborghini’s first attempt to develop an off-road vehicle. The model is based on FMC’s XR311 prototype developed for the military in 1970 and featured a fiberglass body. Under the hood, it had a 5.9-liter Chrysler engine that delivered a total of 180 horsepower. However, the fact that the engine was placed in the rear gave the Cheetah very poor handling characteristics and the U.S. Army never got to test it. Instead of the Cheetah, Lamborghini developed the LM002 - a model with a similar design and a 12-cylinder engine from the Lamborghini Countach mounted in the front.

Neither of those models were real trucks. And with Lamborghini offering an SUV now, the idea of and Lamborghini truck has been floating around. Our sister site, HotCars, tried to imagine what a Lamborghini truck would look like, and the result is quite impressive.

Manufactured between 1975 and 1989, the 930 Turbo was the first Porsche to inherit a turbocharged flat-six engine. And Porsche made only 400 units of this masterpiece of a car in 1975, after the FIA homologation. Nevertheless, the 935 Turbo, based on the 930, was a massive success in motorsports as it won the 1979 Le Mans’ 24-hour endurance run, Daytona, Sebring, and the 621-mile Nürburgring. So when we came across these renderings of the “widowmaker,” we were instantly impressed. Moreover, these renderings show how a retro Porsche could bring a more futuristic approach to the design of the 911, and for that, we thank Alexander Hemoglobin.

Even in times when carmakers are transitioning to electricity, BMW still prides itself as one of the sportier premium brands on the market. While the Bavarian company continues to churn out high-performance models like the M4 Competition, it’s the Z Series that seems to have been neglected. The Z4 G29 never really made an impact, unless we count its technological twin, the GR Supra, but an independent designer that goes by Bekir Kaya, has provided an interesting take on what a BMW Z7 would look like.

While most luxury and performance carmakers have at least one SUV in their lineup, Ferrari has none. As a result, the Italian marque is set to launch its first full-fledged performance SUV in September after battling countless design leaks. While the Purosangue is only a few months from its official debut, we now have a set of close-to-reality renderings that might give you some idea of how Ferrari’s first SUV will look.

As most of you know, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is the more luxurious and powerful version of the standard S-Class. However, for half the price of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, you will have access to a similar level of comfort, features, and better cabin tech. But that is in the real world, where Mercedes-Benz cars are made better by the AMG and the Maybach divisions for those who want more customization. Meet the Maybach-AMG S900, a digital representation of a joint venture of both divisions. These renderings by Emre Husmen give us hope that maybe someday we will witness this collaboration on the much-loved S-Class.

Alpina pretty much needs no introduction. For nearly six decades it has been making BMW cars better. Now BMW is working on finalizing a deal that will bring Alpina in house, which means in the future things will look a little bit different.

In 2019 Toyota launched the fifth generation Supra, and while many might be impressed by the quality of the sports car, it is in fact just a rebadged BMW Z4. Well, nearly anyway. So, with the Supra actually being a BMW, what if Alpina was to offer its own interpretation of the compact sports car? It’s okay, go ahead and get mad. I’ll wait.

The Tesla Cybertruck is one of the most anticipated yet controversial vehicles in recent times. This is mainly due to the fact that the all-electric pickup truck from Tesla was unveiled back in 2019 and despite numerous preorders, still hasn’t seen the light of day. While Elon Musk assures us that the Cybertruck will go on sale in 2023, Tesla may have dropped the ball since other carmakers have, not only brought it up, but beat Tesla to the EV pickup truck game, a case in point being the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, and the GMC Hummer EV.

A subsidiary of Stellantis, Abarth, is well known for the 595 thanks to its cheap-to-own-and-maintain character and nippy performance. But keeping the racing heritage of the Italian carmaker in mind, a few renderings of the 595 have surfaced with a racing livery and a BMW V-8 powering the two-seater hatchback.

The sixth generation Chevrolet Camaro is nearing the end of its production run with the 2023 model year being the last refresh of the American icon before being discontinued in 2024. There have been talks about what’s coming next, and it looks like the Camaro nameplate will be adopted by an EV sedan. The Camaro’s main rival, the Ford Mustang, has already taken steps forward with the S650 generation, which will feature hybrid powertrains and then, there’s the Mustang Mach-E. While the sixth-generation Camaro is not enjoying great sales figures, an independent graphic designer that goes by jlord8, has envisioned a more practical version in the form of the Chevy Camaro Sportback, and we have to say, it looks like a missed opportunity from GM.

Not long ago, BMW unveiled its future racecar for the LMDh in collaboration with Dallara, which is powered by a hybridized V-8. While it caught the attention of enthusiasts worldwide, it is not as badass as these renderings here. Meet the iM Vision from 2050, which has been imagined by Rizu Koley to give us an idea of how BMW can shape the future of racecars.

These are sad days when the most exciting design studies are done, not by the manufacturers themselves, but by independent designers who are showcasing their vision of what a certain brand could make. While modern regulations ensure we will be getting fewer and fewer exciting models, a Turin-based graphic designer known as Mattia Loghero has presented his take on a French high-performance, luxury gran-tourer, dubbed the Peugeot EX8 Concept, and we already wish it was more than just a sketch.

Enter the 1977 Chaika, a Soviet-era limousine developed by GAZ (Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod). Exclusively made for the mid-level officials of the Soviet Union, it was limited to only 1,114 units. In Brussels, the Chaika was first introduced in 1958 as the GAZ-13 model. However, the model you are witnessing is the second-gen GAZ-14, which is more updated and hosts more electronics than the previous iteration. Thanks to Dominykas Liberis, the rendering of this magnificent vintage limousine indeed takes us back to 1977.

With the transformation from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, car manufacturers worldwide are trying more efficient ways to improve technology and be better than the rest. But how about we look into other alternatives, like the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which do not have to carry a massive battery under the floor. Meet the Audi h-tron Glaciah; a hydrogen fuel cell powered SUV imagined by Jeesoo Kim and heavily inspired by Audi’s Skysphere concept.

The BMW 3 Series has always been the go-to car to experience the world of German automotive engineering. With millions of units sold worldwide, the 3 Series remains one of the top dogs from the Bavarian automaker, which is not only stylish but also powerful, comfortable, and economical. So if you own a used F30 and want to give it a touch-up, then maybe this widebody rending of a bonkers-looking widebody 3 Series from Dominykas Liberis will give you some inspiration.