Menu
Aug
12
Opel Rekord C Delivery Van
It is not often that I use an old black and white picture as a base for a photoshop chop. But sometimes I stumble upon a picture and immediately know what to do with it. Subtle, clean and simple, but with great impact was the idea this time around. The Opel Rekord C delivery van (Lieferwagen) has been lowered, the rear fenders have been widened and the grille has been modified. This gives it a muscle-car-like look and certainly more presence, doesn’t it? Just the right amount of lowering to give it a proper stance adds to the presence. Larger diameter and wider steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps go well with the classic overall look and keep the retro vibes.
Jan
19
Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Interim
The Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Interim is a super rare car and nobody in his right mind would modify this Pininfarina styled beauty. Mind you – I wouldn’t do this to a real vehicle either, but pixels never complain.
Read More»
Jan
01
BMW Isetta Dragster
It was a successful year for my photoshop blog VirtualModels: I created 44 photoshop chops in 2018. Many thanks to everybody for your support, encouraging words and great ideas for improvements.
I wish all of you a Happy New Year 2019!
Es war ein erfolgreiches Jahr für meinen Photoshop Blog VirtualModels: ich habe in 2018 44 Photoshop Chops angefertigt. Herzlichen Dank an alle für Eure Unterstützung, ermunternde Worte und großartige Verbesserungsvorschläge.
Ich wünsche Euch allen ein Frohes Neues Jahr 2019!
Herzliche Grüße and yours sincerely – Sebastian Motsch
Happy New Year to everybody! Frohes Neues!
Dec
15
Most articles ever written about the NSU Ro 80 focused on the technical side, mainly the futuristic rotary engine designed by Felix Wankel. The design pinned by Claus Luthe was also praised for being ahead of the game, too – back in the time when the car was new. When I was a young boy, frequently riding shotgun in our neighbors’ lime green metallic Ro 80 in the 1980’s, it was just an old and somewhat anachronistic car. Always maintained by the (ex-) NSU dealership, the car was in great shape and absolutely spotless, but in my eyes it lacked something I could never really pinpoint back then. Now, three decades later, I know what it was: presence – or rather the lack thereof. The upright greenhouse with the slim pillars and chrome trim, the narrow track and the huge ground clearance made the still modern looking shape of the body feel aged.
In this photoshop chop, I adressed the above points and as a result the car has a lot more presence. Most obviously the ride height has been altered and the track widened. Apart from that I fixed the greenhouse by performing a top chop and modifying the rake of all pillars. To tie in the design of the pre-facelift taillights with the widened track, they have been modified as well instead of opting for the ugly facelift parts.
Jun
24
This is another one of those “I’ll just take a few minutes to see what the idea will look like” photoshop chops. The AMC Gremlin X undoubtedly has odd proportions, so why shouldn’t somebody want to add an extra front axle, similar to the Tyrell Formula 1 car? Totally understandable, isn’t it?
Nov
22
Imagine living in the 1970’s. It was a decade with plenty of grassroots motorsport events, e.g. hill climbs. Tuning shops popped up in sheds and small garages everywhere and catered to the individual needs. If you drove an Opel Kadett C, a Ford Escort Mk1 or even a VW Beetle you had plenty of choice when it came to car modification. But where would owners of the innovative, rotary-powered NSU R0 80 go to ask for tuning parts? Apart from the factory-option Fuchs wheels, there was a very limited selection. Maybe a few chrome-plated dress-up parts or a set of mudflaps. Fast forward 40 years and the magic of Adobe Photoshop easily makes it possible to modify the mighty NSU Ro 80 during a 45 minute lunch break.
I always thought the lines of the classic NSU have at least a little bit of potential and to prove the point that the design of every vehicle can be improved, I dug into it. As usual I started with a set of larger diameter wheels and lowered the car. To get the stance right and to avoid a rather stupid looking rake, I relocated and reshaped the rear fender. Surprisingly it makes the lines of the body look more elegant. To accentuate this, I also shaved the rear door handle and changed the side skirt from black to body color. All these modifications would have been possible when the car was in production, but the low profile tires are a more contemporary touch. Let’s call it artistic freedom, shall we?
Jan
09
Recently I found this picture of a SAAB 96 towing a vintage Scandinavian caravan trailer. Even though the combination is rather cute as is, I thought it might look better with a healthy dose of lowering and a few tweaks here and there. Removing the turn signal lights and adding mesh to the air intakes below the headlights helps the front to look cleaner. Now – what do you think about going on a vacation in style? 😉
Nov
11
This is my first attempt at what I call vintage chops. Taking an old photograph and customizing the featured vehicle like the guys might have done back in those days. This time it’s the Fordson ET6. It has been top chopped, cleaned, lowered and some period correct details have been added. Creating this has been a lot of fun, so expect to see more of those vintage chops here at VirtualModels.org.