PKN

My nephew lives in the UK and has quite a following in the car design and digital modeling world under the name Jack Darton. He has done work for a couple of well known organizations including Oakley Design. I asked him to come up with a design which might interest Porsche 911 aficionados and here is his result.

The changes are relatively sympathetic to the original design and he has labeled it as "Panda" to reflect the black elements built into it. We would very much like to get some feedback on what owners think and where it could be improved. This is not currently a commercial venture so I am hopefully not breaking any of the Rennlist posting rules. More examples of Jacks artistry can be found on his Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/jackdarton
Steve

STG

I like. Lose the "Panda" name though. Sounds childish.

I like the GT3 style rear bumpers, the front bumper is interesting too. Better than what I'm seeing with 991.2

Would be cool to see more ideas. So far so good!

Thanks for posting

LexVan

I've always like the GT3 style rear bumper, so, I like this example too.

As for the front bumper, the vertical inlet slats are interesting, but I'd be concerned about cleaning them and keeping them clear. Cigarette butts, leaves, bugs and etc. The middle section of the front bumper I don't like. It dips too low. And this middle section would never work with PowerKit cars and GTS cars since it would interfere with the 3rd radiator.

STG

I'd add a cool rear Vorsteiner like rear diffuser too. Improve on the OEM.

I like the carbon exterior accents too.

Lex, front bumper can be tweaked for you I'm sure.

Larry Cable

+1

Also dont paint the front splitter/lip ... leave it black ... avoids the scraping issue

Larry Cable

+1 also black (GTS) headlights

Larry Cable

I'm curious how (if at all) are any of these designs tested/proven for their aerodynamic impact (if they are realized from concept)?

LexVan

I'd bet ZERO. Wind tunnel testing is extremely expensive. Did you see the article a few months back in Christophorus about Porsche's new tunnel?

Larry Cable

That's been my suspicion ... Wondered if some of the CAD packages offer aerodynamic simulations?

PKN

Some great comments here. The way this has worked on previous projects is that the design is built with acquired knowledge from previous designs and projects. When Jack did designs for Oakley, they were subsequently "prototyped" into production to ensure they could be fitted relatively easily into the body without destructive changes. Oakley would also validate effects on handling etc. I will ask Jack to comment on this thread to check my comments for accuracy but I personally look at his designs for the looks rather than performance on a racetrack.

If you haven't seen his Facebook page, please do so. You will find many examples of his work - most with "supercar" designs/graphics and some of which have been seen wearing the Oakley badge in video and even a scene from one of the Fast and Furious movies.
Regards
Steve

Larry Cable

I think you will find that a LOT of people on RL are not principally concerned with 'looks' at the expense of performance ... while there is nothing wrong
with 'customizing' (and a lot of people love to do it) I personally would not
do so without some performance benefit, or at the very least no performance
loss ...

This is particularly true of aero components, you only have to look at examples such as the initial Audi TT debacle to appreciate the importance
of proper aerodynamic function, and the consequences when such is not
present!

I think Porsche's approach of form follows function is the right design approach for me...

PKN

That is excellent feedback. I did just exchange mails with Jack and he will be responding shortly on the form follows function debate. I didn't want to give the impression that Jack is a neophyte in this area but I also did not want to give the impression that his designs are engineered as a racecar body might be. I know he does look to how these body changes can be applied as well as making sure that such things as brake cooling, radiator cooling and downforce are not impeded - rather they should be improved if possible.

Steve

jackdarton

Hi guys, I'm Jack. Thanks for the great replies and thoughtful feedback.

Regarding form vs. function, it's something I take quite seriously when working on designs. The work I began doing for Oakley Design 8 years ago left me little room for freedom of design, due to the company having a strongly established look. Over time, the scale has moved to the other end of the spectrum, entirely due to trial and error.

When we started with the designs for Oakley, I would render kits for the cars that already existed, thus the aerodynamic properties were already tested. Over the next couple of years, I was given more freedom to add my own styling cues to the cars, at which point the design from paper to production would have to be changed significantly to align with targeted wind tunnel results. As it stands now, I'm able to eyeball aero modifications as I design them, with the resulting build being very close to what I imagined. Of course, there will always be tweaks required.

With the Panda kit posted here, it was mostly a design exercise to add a personal touch to an already beautiful car. The result won't be for everybody, but as far as function goes, things can absolutely be tweaked to suit the needs of any potential client. I wouldn't put a hood intake on a mid-engine car for example, but I wouldn't be opposed to adding a subtle brake-cooling intake in front of the rear wheel.

A lot of the work I've done has been focused solely on function, which I've enjoyed immensely as it challenges me on more than just the design level. This one, whilst not designed with performance impedance in mind, perhaps negated that focus in lieu of something more on the aesthetic end of the spectrum.

I really do appreciate the comments, it's impossible to grow as an Artist/Designer without constructive input.

Larry Cable

one thing I would suggest for your 'panda' design is to add a GT3-like vent on the top of the front facia/valance to duct air from the ctr radiator (X51) over the hood of the car ... looks good and is
very functional.