Photo: Artem Popkov on Instagram
A lot of things happened behind the Iron Curtain during the second half of the last century that people on the other side had no idea about, and while that might have been for the better in most cases, it wasn't all bad.
For instance, take the KD 900-Sport. You've likely never heard this name in your entire life, let alone see the car that goes by it. But knowing this gorgeous piece of machinery you see in the pictures was created as an homage has probably picked your curiosity a little, so do stick around.
The '900-Sport' project started back in 1963 in Moscow, Russia. A hodge-podge of designers, engineers, chemists, and artists started working on creating a new sports car. It wasn't state commissioned in any way, which meant there was no official backing.
That definitely made things more difficult and it could have even ended the project early if it weren't for Kuzma Durnov, the director of the MZAK components factory at the time. He was the one who supported the development of the sports car which, in turn, got him his initials associated with the project. 900-Sport became KD 900-Sport, later to be referred to simply as 'KD'.
The two-seats coupe had an aerodynamic fiberglass body and pretty diminutive dimensions. With 146 inches (3.72 meters) in length, 57 inches (1.45 meters) in width, 46 inches (1.17 meters) in height, and a weight of just 1,100 pounds (500 kg), the KD was indeed a strange concoction even for those times.
Power came from a 55 ci (900 cc) engine plucked out of a ZAZ-965 and placed at the rear of the vehicle. It developed 30 horsepower for a top speed of 74 mph (120 kph). Despite the underwhelming figures, it proved enough to earn it the nickname 'Soviet Porsche'. Granted, we don't know who called the car that, so it could very have been a pet-name given by the very men who created it.
Only six were ever made with one or two reportedly still in one piece today. But however short-lived the KD 900-Sport project proved to be, it was enough to inspire a young Russian designer currently plying his trade with Mercedes-Benz to conjure up a modern take on the weird vehicle. And aren't we glad he did.
Part muscle car, part swoopy European coupe, the modern KD Artem Popkov imagined is one of the most stunning digital creations we've seen in a while. The simplicity of it, the strange but true to the original proportions, and the overall quality of the execution all come together to make this something you instantly fall in love with.
The '900-Sport' project started back in 1963 in Moscow, Russia. A hodge-podge of designers, engineers, chemists, and artists started working on creating a new sports car. It wasn't state commissioned in any way, which meant there was no official backing.
That definitely made things more difficult and it could have even ended the project early if it weren't for Kuzma Durnov, the director of the MZAK components factory at the time. He was the one who supported the development of the sports car which, in turn, got him his initials associated with the project. 900-Sport became KD 900-Sport, later to be referred to simply as 'KD'.
The two-seats coupe had an aerodynamic fiberglass body and pretty diminutive dimensions. With 146 inches (3.72 meters) in length, 57 inches (1.45 meters) in width, 46 inches (1.17 meters) in height, and a weight of just 1,100 pounds (500 kg), the KD was indeed a strange concoction even for those times.
Power came from a 55 ci (900 cc) engine plucked out of a ZAZ-965 and placed at the rear of the vehicle. It developed 30 horsepower for a top speed of 74 mph (120 kph). Despite the underwhelming figures, it proved enough to earn it the nickname 'Soviet Porsche'. Granted, we don't know who called the car that, so it could very have been a pet-name given by the very men who created it.
Only six were ever made with one or two reportedly still in one piece today. But however short-lived the KD 900-Sport project proved to be, it was enough to inspire a young Russian designer currently plying his trade with Mercedes-Benz to conjure up a modern take on the weird vehicle. And aren't we glad he did.
Part muscle car, part swoopy European coupe, the modern KD Artem Popkov imagined is one of the most stunning digital creations we've seen in a while. The simplicity of it, the strange but true to the original proportions, and the overall quality of the execution all come together to make this something you instantly fall in love with.
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