Now They Can Be Shown, My ATS, GTC, and GW

The next issue of Automobile is on the newsstands now, so I can now post the three renderings I did for their June edition. My take on the new-for-2012, entry-level, rear-wheel drive Cadillac ATS sport sedan. I was given some spy shots to work from, so I'm fairly confident the "bones" of this car are very close to what GM will be introducing next year. It seems to be a bit "rounder" than the all-angles CTS. Perhaps GM is softening Cadillac's Art and Science design language just a bit. All three images enlarge nicely.

This is the next generation Bentley Continental GTC, or cabriolet. I used the brand new GT coupe as the base, and fashioned an interior, top boot and trunklid similar to the current GTC for continuity. I kept the original press photo's cool background for this rendering.

My Jeep Grand Wagoneer, a slightly larger 3-row version of the new Grand Cherokee. I was told that this larger Jeep would be competing with the Cadillac Escalade so I made it a bit bolder and "blingier" than the Cherokee. I lengthened the rear doors as well as the rear overhang, for a luxurious look and ride for 7 passengers. The chrome, cursive "Grand Wagoneer" nameplate on the front door is the same as used on the classic Wagoneers of the '80s and early '90s.  

For the ATS and Jeep renderings, I was asked to keep the background plain, for the best layout possibilities, and I also furnished them with "clipping paths" which is the way the background can be totally dropped out for cleaner layouts.

This was a really fun project—fast and furious, really, lol. I had about 2-3 days for each photoshopped rendering. I work best with hard and fast deadlines though, so it was all good, and, once again, I thank Eric Tingwall, Automobile's Associate Editor, for this opportunity

They All Come Around, Eventually. Bentley Working on its Own Four Door Coupe?

My Bentley Blue Train Coupe from last year. While a pillarless bodystyle such as I've created here has zero chances of entering production, I suspect that Bentley will choose the Continental platform, as I have, for its Panamera/Rapide competitor.

My Bentley Greenbrier 5 door hatch. Luxury and utility in a manageable size. 

My Bentley Excellence Saloon from almost five years ago.

A  U T O MO T I V E   N E W S — Once again, Autoblog.com is reporting that Bentley is indeed working on a Panamera/Rapide competitor. I remind my readers I was there first! : )

Autoblog's link to their story today.

Bentley Greenbrier: 5-Doors, AWD, V10TDi Hybrid

The Greenbrier is taller than the Continental on which it's based, with a 12" longer wheelbase despite the same overall length. Click image to see more closely the tailored details of this upper-crust British crossover sedan.

C H O P — A totally new niche is explored by Bentley with this new Greenbrier, a 5-door crossover sedan, with a V10 TDi Hybrid powerplant and AWD. The wheels are pushed to the corners for maximum interior room for its 4 well-heeled occupants, along with their fitted luggage. Aimed at those Sloan Rangers no longer comfortable driving their top-shelf SUVs in town, this new ruggedly handsome and upright Greenbrier Hybrid by Bentley will fit their needs like a bespoke Savile Row suit or Christian Louboutin footwear for M'Lady.

Chop based on the Flying Star Shooting Brake concept.

Early Chops Stand the Test of Time

One of my earliest chops, the Bentley Blue Train Coupe. I started editing photographs to create my own cars close to five years ago. I first read about 'chopping' while I was a member of the Autoweek Combustion Chamber, an out-of-control chaotic mess of an internet forum, lol. I had worked in Photoshop for years beforehand, for my day job to color correct photographs, add shadows to layouts etc, but had never thought about actually creating my own type of cars with the program. So for that, I'll be forever indebted to that rag-tag group of idiots, and I call them that with the utmost respect, lol.

This Blue Train Coupe is based on the Arnage sedan, and along with it's stablemate, the Excellence Saloon, would have been the flagship of the line. "Blue Train" was, of course, the nickname of the Bentley that famously raced a train from London to Paris in 1930 and driven by Bentley works driver, Woolf Barnato. I took the name Excellence from the historic French luxury car, Facel-Vega's flagship sedan, the Excellence. That early 1960s car was based on the chassis of the used the engines from the Chrysler Imperial, but used a stretched (by 20 inches) HK-500 chassis (not necessarily a great idea with the car's pillarless construction and suicide doors). I thought it was fitting for the top-of-the-line Bentley as well. I scanned one of my late grandmother's bracelets for its layout, as I've done for some of the books I've designed. For the wiki entry of the famous historic race, click here,

Click on each image to enlarge.

U P D A T E — I mentioned above that the Facel Vega Excellence used the Chrysler Imperial's chassis. While it's true it used Chrysler engines, the chassis was the company's own design. The large luxury car used a modified platform from its sportscar stablemate, the HK-500, stretched an additional 20 inches. A former Autoweek Combustion Chamber participant, Paul, corrected me, and after additional research  I confirmed my mistake. I also confirmed the fact that the Excellence used its own platform from my friend Nigel in the UK, a writer for several classic car magazines. A HUGE thank you to Paul and Nigel for this! Here is a bit more about this gorgeous French sedan, which if I could make it happen, would be in my driveway this morning. Additional Excellence info here.

Not Anytime Soon: Sporting, Elegant, Luxury Hatches

C H O P S — The Bentley Continental Mulsanne T3 is a sporting Grand Touring car, capable of high-speed transportation for 4 beautiful people, plus their luggage, for a weekend in Gstaad. Interestingly, I chopped this 5 door GT a couple of years ago, long before it was revealed the new Grand Bentley would be named Mulsanne. This chop is based on the current Continental/Flying Spur, not the huge new namesake.

Another über expensive hatch that won't be built, is this Aston Martin DBS Longroof. I can never remember if the term is Shooting Brake or Shooting Break, so I called this the Longroof, lol. Aston has a long history of sporting semi-wagons, and they just showed that Lagonda crossover recently, so maybe this isn't all that far-fetched. I would love to have a GT like this with a modicum of luggage space. I could get into driving my art around in the back of this—the ultimate Reliant Scimitar!