Photo: v.r.design / Instagram
The Chinese automakers are trying to take over the rest of the world's main regional markets like Europe and America. Naturally, to do so, they have hired local talent to aid in their quest.
For example, Changan Europa Design – which is the styling center of the state-owned Chinese automaker headquartered in Jiangbei, Chongqing, is, of course, located in Turin, Italy. There, it employs Westerners like Valentino Rajan, who recently came across our radar because he also has a personal stint called Valentino Rajan Design (aka 'v.r.design' on social media), where he posts hypothetical design projects.
Aside from a recent Peugeot 'Oblique' concept, which took him months to design as a potential supercar rival for the likes of Lamborghini's Revuelto, this pixel master also worked on something that bodes well for both America and Europe – the Shelby Cobra. However, unlike the original from AC Cars and Caroll Shelby, his modern reinterpretation is not a two-door roadster but a regular coupe like the Shelby Daytona.
As such, the CGI expert pays homage to both of them, making his take on the "beautiful classic" design a bit more contemporary by modernizing it with "elements from both modern and classic Mustangs to build on the classic Cobra's DNA." It's something that may not bode well for diehard Cobra enthusiasts, even though the author keeps some of the traditional elements like the round headlights and massive side exhaust setup – but it would surely worry Porsche 911 fans if it ever turned real.
That's because the designer sends out mixed signals – the burbling exhaust should be connected to the front end of the car where there's also a bulging hood element, but the author also demonstrates an intricate pattern in the rear of the car with lots of carbon fiber that makes us wonder if, by chance, he's changed the powertrain setup to a mid-rear-engine one like in the C8 Chevy Corvette, for example.
Anyway, the modern elements are also abundant – check out those full carbon fiber Shelby wheels, the aerodynamic setup, the intricate rear design with a ducktail spoiler, full-width LED taillights, and a lit Shelby emblem, for example. Unfortunately, we also don't get to see the interior – it would have been quite interesting to see what the virtual designer had in mind for the retro-modern cockpit reinterpretation.
We also don't know anything about the potential powertrain. Although, in that case, we can easily speculate – Shelby American has the all-new S650 Mustang Super Snake with more than 830 hp on tap, and even Ford builds the OEM Mustang GTD with more than 800 horsepower and thoughts on bringing home a sub-seven-minute lap time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Meanwhile, Hennessey tops everyone with its H850 Mustang Dark Horse build, so there would be many options to choose from if this revival wasn't merely wishful thinking.
Aside from a recent Peugeot 'Oblique' concept, which took him months to design as a potential supercar rival for the likes of Lamborghini's Revuelto, this pixel master also worked on something that bodes well for both America and Europe – the Shelby Cobra. However, unlike the original from AC Cars and Caroll Shelby, his modern reinterpretation is not a two-door roadster but a regular coupe like the Shelby Daytona.
As such, the CGI expert pays homage to both of them, making his take on the "beautiful classic" design a bit more contemporary by modernizing it with "elements from both modern and classic Mustangs to build on the classic Cobra's DNA." It's something that may not bode well for diehard Cobra enthusiasts, even though the author keeps some of the traditional elements like the round headlights and massive side exhaust setup – but it would surely worry Porsche 911 fans if it ever turned real.
That's because the designer sends out mixed signals – the burbling exhaust should be connected to the front end of the car where there's also a bulging hood element, but the author also demonstrates an intricate pattern in the rear of the car with lots of carbon fiber that makes us wonder if, by chance, he's changed the powertrain setup to a mid-rear-engine one like in the C8 Chevy Corvette, for example.
Anyway, the modern elements are also abundant – check out those full carbon fiber Shelby wheels, the aerodynamic setup, the intricate rear design with a ducktail spoiler, full-width LED taillights, and a lit Shelby emblem, for example. Unfortunately, we also don't get to see the interior – it would have been quite interesting to see what the virtual designer had in mind for the retro-modern cockpit reinterpretation.
We also don't know anything about the potential powertrain. Although, in that case, we can easily speculate – Shelby American has the all-new S650 Mustang Super Snake with more than 830 hp on tap, and even Ford builds the OEM Mustang GTD with more than 800 horsepower and thoughts on bringing home a sub-seven-minute lap time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Meanwhile, Hennessey tops everyone with its H850 Mustang Dark Horse build, so there would be many options to choose from if this revival wasn't merely wishful thinking.
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