The designers claim to have been inspired by the Lamborghini Countach, though it is evident that the edgy styling of the limited production Reventon special also played a role in the design of the Cnossus Concept. You can check out the rest of the pictures and share your thoughts on the design of the Lamborghini concept in the comments sections right after the jump.
Even though the similarities are far less obvious than the tuner would like us to believe, nevertheless, the newly styled protruding front bumper and 'busy' side skirts offer the Gallardo what we'd describe as a more Reventon-ish look.
His goal is to create a one-of-a-kind Mazda RX-8 Coupe (yes, the stock model's rear-hinged suicide doors are gone) with inspiration coming predominantly from two Lamborghini models, the limited production Reventon and the conceptual Estoque sports saloon.
Shawnz will send more photos and details over our way as the development progresses, but for now, you can follow the jump to read his story and check out the full gallery.
PS: Our friend from Singapore is working his way through school, so as you can imagine, it's not easy to keep up with the expenses involved in such a project.
That said, Shawnz would appreciate any kind of support or sponsoring from companies engaged in the tuning industry. If you're willing to help out, send us an email and we'll bring you in direct contact with Shawnz.
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The Story as told to us by 'Shawnz':
My goal is to create a completely unique RX-8 Coupe with a sleek design that will stand out from the crowd.
The company associated with the project is called J's Artworks. They initially turned me down when I could not settle with their asking price but the company's boss liked my idea and so we finally agreed on a fair amount.
Starting with the side skirts, I did not like the usual aftermarkets parts that were readily available. In most cases, side skirts simply make the car look lower without adding to the design of the car.
I really liked the Lamborghini Reventon's side skirts so I decided that was the way to go.
Next up the front bumpers that were a real challenge. For the RX-8, I found the Nakamura Racing Factory front bumpers truly eye-catching. So from there on, took some styling cues from other Lamborghini models and voila!!!
The rear-end of the car was a big question mark. There was no design to my liking. However, after going through all sorts of supercar exotics and hot rods for ideas, I came up with something I liked. The back won't be finished until September 2010. It is to surprise the public at the upcoming Super Import Nights here in Singapore.
So with the Lamborghini Reventon-style skirts, J's Artworks suggested that I widen the body. That did not sit very well with me because I still wanted the use the car on the race track.
I wanted the car not only to look good, but also to be reliable. Lots of planning, trials and errors, and setbacks were encountered along the way. First of all, I wanted to make sure that the FRP, putty, etc used was the right amount so that no unnecessary weight would be added.
Second, I didn't want to make the body too wide so I could still be able to use my own 245/35 R19 tires. However, we did have to use spacers at the back. And that took quite a bit of time to find a suitable pcm so that I could use the thinnest spacer required. We ended up using a pcm from a BMW.
Due to the known heat issues with the RX-8, we had to be careful with the bonnet. I really wanted to go with a vented hood, but having the sleek design in mind, I decided to create an inverted vented bonnet. The heat will escape through an opening we created at the back of the hood.
The large vents on the front bumper also help by directing plenty of air to the oil coolers and engine bay.
Color wise, the obvious choice was to go black. But the boss at J's Artwork told me that with this finish, the sharp lines and contours of the car would not stand out therefore defeating the purpose.
Going glossy was a no no. Matte was the answer. Since I could not get glossy black, and yet wanted it to look cool and stealthy, I chose the F-22 color.
Something grayish and dark but not too much. The Reventon looked similar and I found out that it had a pinch of special green in it. So we ended up using this combo.
I think that's about it. Interior wise, I have no plans yet except to have lightweight materials installed.
Follow the jump to check out the rest of the pictures that were sent to us by the owner of the vehicle and to give your answers in the comment section. And of course, stay tuned for a follow up post with details and more photos on the ongoing project.
If you ever had any doubts that, rare exotic supercars like the Lamborghini Murcielago Reventon spend most -if not all- of their life parked in showrooms or private garages, then take a look at this example that has been listed for sale on eBay with a 'Buy it Now Price' of US$1,495 million.This Reventon is said to be car number 3 of the 20 that Sant' Agata churned out, and just one of ten that came to the U.S.
The 650HP Italian rocket that's capable of speeds in excess of 340km/h or 211mph has clocked a mere 78 miles on the odo since it arrived in the States in 2008 and only 5 miles since it changed hands for the second time in September of last year!
True, the Reventon is a one-of-a-kind supercar / collectible and its owners should be extremely cautious when it comes to using the vehicle, but being a car guy and all, I can't help but think that's it's a real shame that most of these cars will never be driven as they were meant...
Link: eBay
In cooperation with the Munich University of Applied Sciences, Lamborghini sponsored the 'Raw Material' project tasking students from the German institution to create a series of design concepts for a future 'Raging Bull' supercar. The five students that answered to the call displayed their conceptual proposals at the Munich University's annual college degree show. Source: Carbodydesign
Lamborghini RatÛn by Niels Steinhoff
The Lamborghini RatÛn is an aggressively styled concept for a flagship supercar designed to compete against the Bugatti Veyron. Like the Reventon, Steinhoff's project is inspired by modern stealth fighters such as the F22 Raptor.
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Lamborghini Ankonian by Slavche Tanevski
The mid-engined Ankonian is a proposal for a more compact sized Lamborghini supercar employing both 'soft' and angular surfaces in the design. Needless to say, it could also form the basis for a future Batmobile.
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Lamborghini Timador by Johannes Brandsch
The main objective of this design was to create a lighter supercar through the use of overlapping shells, the biggest one of which forms the shoulders of the car separating the air inlets from the passenger compartment.
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Lamborghini Muleta by Dalibor Vidojkovic
Design student Vidojkovic took a different approach with the Muleta ditching the stealth-fighter inspired styling of most modern Lamborghinis for more fluent lines that span across larger surfaces.
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Lamborghini New Espada by Fabian Weinert
Said to have been conceived before the Estoque sport sedan concept car, the Fabia Weinert's New Espada is a study for a modern four-door Lamborghini saloon designed to challenge cars like the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera. As its name suggests, the sports saloon's styling was inspired by the original Espada.
