ABOUT

The Wheels

This will bother me to no end if I don't get it out of the way - I messed up the wheels, big time. To the casual observer they may look fine or even cool but to anyone who knows anything about offroad these will look like military wheels.

The issue at hand lies with the tires. I used the model I first developed for the Countach, way back when, and heavily modified it until it looked passible. It doesn't really. The sidewalls have a nice section but since they have a couple of layers, a few angles make them look like they have a sharp-ish edge at 70% through. It looks weird.

The second mess-up came from the way I created the tire markings. The design looks a bit off but that isn't the main issue. The markings were made using a duplicate of the sidewall mesh and applying a texture with the design to it. It has become a really efficient technique that works amazingly well for decals and liveries. However, a few refinements were needed to replicate the raise in tire markings. I skipped those refinements.

The final and perhaps most offensive issue with the model is the tread. The tread looks fine in the middle but it really fails to wrap around the tires like it should. Not only does this make the usable surface thinner, it would severely reduce the tire's efficiency while turning or skidding. To add insult to injury, the tread really doesn't seem to blend with the tires. I failed to readjust the ambient occlusion and now the base if the tread looks either wet or like an Eldritch void.

I'm choosing to display my mistakes for two reasons: One, fixing them would mean delaying other similar projects. I'll get the chance to right these wrongs in the upcoming Stratos. Two, these are mistakes which came from rushing a key aspect of the project. They are an opportunity for learning.

The Setup

Now on to the fun stuff - the pitch for this vehicle was to make a luxury trophy truck of sorts. A weekend toy for the adventurous spirit, something akin to the Singer ACS or the Gemballa Marsien (yes, both are 911 based).

I started with a trophy truck chassis, inspired by a recent trend among a few creators, and added a modified 2020 Land Rover Defender shell to it. The shell was stripped of any and all mall crawler bumpers, side mirrors and two thirds of its cabin. In addition, the rear doors were fixed in place and shortened, the rear quarter panels were drastically extended and the wheel arches may look slightly wider. Just slightly.

The setup sits with a rollcage-based cab inside the Defender shell, with the outer one providing an agreeable shape for both the wind and the eyes. Everything behind the B pillar was removed and replaced with a lightweight clear old school Baja cover, giving the build a distinct look. The front sees a ram bar and a front bumper peeking through the original front, along with a discretely integrated lightbar. Non-functional hood details are now replaced with easy to remove grills for quick access to the suspension. The rear sees a drastic change with the removal of the trunk door, yet keeping the spare tire aesthetic.

The final detail I was afraid would go unnoticed lies with the roof opening on the Defender shell. With the Baja cover present, this allows the shell to still feed the massive dual radiators at the rear, all while keeping a clean-ish roofline. This modification sits atop the actual cabin, which protects its occupants from anything coming through the opening.

The Inspiration

This isn't my first rodeo making an offroader, but it is the first time presenting one in a more sober and serious style. No outlandish wings, no crazy rollcages this time. This is perhaps a foundation for many more projects to come, and as such, I made sure to create a strong base and guidelines for it. A starting point which will serve quite a few projects to come, perhaps even with the participation of other artists.

I was drawn into this project by recent creations by three of the greatest 3D automotive artists: Khyzyl Saleem's Range Rover Prerunner, Ash Thorp's Raptor R, and Carlos Pecino's The ///Meta. These were all presented within a week or so, and with me wrapping up the 911 GT1, it felt like a no-brainer.

I can only hope this or any of my creations will also someday inspire others to go and carve out their own visions.