Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 70: The Community Redesign Centre

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 70: The Community Redesign Centre

Recently, a new thread has attracted plenty of attention from Automationeers, including myself. It's called the Community Redesign Centre, and as its name suggests, it's where you get to redesign other people's cars and/or submit one of your own for others to re-imagine. The changes range from aesthetic makeovers (such as facelifts introduced later in the car's lifespan) to more comprehensive modifications such as trim changes (including retuned suspension, drivetrains, tires, brakes and aerodynamics), engine tuning, changes to the body and chassis, and/or replacement of the entire engine with one more suited to the recipient's design brief.

One of the vehicles I submitted on the thread was the 2018 Morton Gazelle. Derived from an unused entry for CSR 111, this mid-sized premium sedan was powered by a 3-litre turbocharged straight-six driving the rear wheels via an eight-speed advanced automatic transmission.

Above and top: The Morton Gazelle in 3.0 Sport trim as originally designed by me. This variant was subsequently submitted to the Community Redesign Centre.

There were two redesigns based on this car. The second of these was the work of the Chinese manufacturer Honghu, whose interpretation of my design incorporated their cutting-edge exterior design language but left the mechanicals and trim as they originally were before the redesign.

Above and top: The Honghu design proposal for the Morton Gazelle. Its appearance is much more futuristic and aggressive than before - a welcome improvement befitting its role as a sports sedan.

Unsurprisingly, I did not hesitate to approve of the redesign, since it lent a more menacing, avant-garde air to the car's overall appearance while also retaining its basic four-door shape.

In short, the Community Redesign Centre is a must-visit thread for any Automationeer. Not only does it give you the chance to redesign others' cars as you see fit, it allows others to do the same to yours according to your requests. The results are always worth seeing, and are testament to the design and engineering nous of the most respected Automationeers.