90s-inspired Special Edition Hatchbacks

Peugeot 108 Rallye is a 

Renault Clio Williams

VW Golf Harlequin

Made these in 2017 but never published

2023 smart fortwo

 

RAM Ramcharger

 

The original Ramcharger was a 2-door SUV sold in the Americas from 1974 to 2001 and based on a shortened version of the Dodge Ram chassis. The new RAM Ramcharger resurrects this formula to take fight to the new Ford Bronco as well as the potential future 2-door Chevy 4x4.

I've removed a chunk from the wheelbase and replaced the truckbed with a huge rear passenger and luggage area. The Ramcharger is made with outdoorsy people in mind, so why not bring the outside in with the huge rear side-window, which lets in the light and gives the cabin a lovely airy feel. The tailgate splits in the middle and there's plenty of space out back to transport your surfboards or skiing gear depending on the season.

Tesla Compact

 

Although it appears that Tesla won't be launching any new models this year due to the chip shortage, I thought I'd try my hand at designing an entry-level Tesla car for 2022 regardless. The Tesla Compact is both smaller and more affordable than the Model 3 and true to its name is designed to be a compact and zippy little runabout perfect for the modern city environment.

The Compact has a hatchback bodystyle and it saves space by not having a cumbersome ICE in the front, so despite its small footprint it can easily cope with 4 adults and their shopping. The rear-hinged "suicide" doors add a touch of glamour as the passengers enter and exit the capacious rear cabinspace.

There are no wing mirrors: instead, the Tesla Compact has rear-view cameras which stay hidden when parked and pop out once the car is driving.

 

The two-tone bodywork combines lime green with a matte black finish for the rear and lower edges of the car.

 

Do you like the design or do you hate it? Is the Compact name bad: should it be called the Model 2 instead? Let me know what you think below: Always look forward to hearing your views 

Toyota Corolla Trueno

While this segment of the market may have gone extinct in the real world, I'm thankfully not bound by the realities of the commercial landscape. The Corolla Trueno is a coupé in a class of its own, offering buyers a combination of stylish looks and agile handling.

I've given it a centre-opening door system like the Mazda RX-8 in order to achieve the style of a 3-door with the practicality of a 5-door.

SEAT Leon Coupé

 

The svelte lines of the SEAT Leon make it the perfect candidate for an elegant coupé version. In my fictional world, it would compete with models such as the Ford Capri, Honda Integra, Peugeot RCZ, and VW Scirocco.

Proportionally, it's lower and lengthier than the standard SEAT Leon. I've lopped off the rear doors, and given it a fastback roofline — low drag and high fashion.

Range Rover SV Coupé

 

The Range Rover SV Coupé is a super-luxury three-door SUV and the crown of the Range Rover genus. Shown here in an optional two-tone colourway, the RR SV Coupé is designed for customers who want the comfort and grandeur of a luxury SUV combined with the drama and poise of a GT car.

The interior would feature the very best of traditional British craftsmanship along with space-age technology and gadgets aplenty. Production of the SV Coupé would be strictly limited and no two SV Coupés would be specced exactly alike, so drivers can rest assured that their car is truly one-of-a-kind.

Subaru BRAT

 

The new 2022 Subaru BRAT is a modern take on the classic light-duty pickup. Mechanically, the truck would be identical to the Outback, but a truckbed would replace the rear seats and boot. As with the original, the BRAT acronym stands for "Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter".

Cosmetically, the BRAT takes influence from other models in the Subaru range, including the muscular rear fenders of the BRZ and the C-pillar shape of the Solterra.

The BRAT would be sold in the Americas and Australia as an alternative to other small pickups in those markets.

2023 Dodge Challenger

 

The current Challenger's design is now 15 years old so it's time for an update. I like the current Challenger, so I've kept the same proportions and general look-and-feel of the car. but modernised it in a number of ways.

Starting with the roof, I've given it a rounder more streamlined shape, closer to it's Ford and Chevrolet rivals. The black roof is optional and evocative of the vinyl roof of the classic Challenger. Other retro touches include the squared-off wheelarches and the letterspaced DODGE emblem at the front.

The front end is dominated by a full-width lightbar. In normal driving, it's a stylish and mysterious strip of piano black, but at night it illuminates with LED technology to imitate the look of the familiar Dodge Challenger front end.

Lights on:

Lights off:

Nissan Juke NX

 

The original Nissan NX was a small two-seater sports-coupé marketed in the 80s and 90s to a young clientele looking for fun handling and stylish looks at an affordable price point. My Nissan Juke NX takes this formula and updates it for a 2020s context.

I began with a Juke, slashed off the rear doors and gave it a more rakish design. The silver strake above the side windows is inspired by the 400Z.

My customer is someone in their 20s or 30s. They don't have kids and therefore they don't need the practicality of a five-door, but they place a huge premium on curbside-appeal and chic styling.

This is actually my second-generation of Juke NX. I did the version below back when the OG Juke came out. The floating roof design proved prophetic, as it was adopted across the Nissan range a few years later: at the time I was trying to mimic the quasi-C-pillar of the Murano CrossCabriolet.

Aston Martin Vaquero

The Aston Martin Vaquero is my idea of what an Aston Martin flagship SUV could look like. It would sit above the DBX in the Aston range and compete with the Lamborghini Urus and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

The standard engine would be the 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged V12 unit generating 715 hp, but buyers can opt for a hybrid version generating upwards of 1000hp.

Peugeot RCZ 2019

The Peugeot RCZ was a compact coupé sold by the French manufacturer from 2010 to 2015. Based on the last-gen 308, it offered supercar looks for a family car price tag. My new version would continue in this tradition. It would go head-to-head with rivals like the Nissan Z and Audi TT, as well as some of my own creations; the VW Scirocco, Ford Capri, Honda Integra, and Hyundai Coupé.

Like the last model, the new RCZ's exterior design is dominated by its striking cab-forward stance and its Zagato-inspired "double bubble" roof. This generation of RCZ introduces sharper edges into the mix, with an angular front end and a razor-sharp rising waistline. The shiny 20" alloys and patriotic emblem on the front-wing vent are both optional extras.

Ferrari F8berlina

The F8berlina is my concept for a Ferrari super-saloon. The name follows the same naming scheme as the F12berlinetta. In this case the "F" stands for Ferrari, "8" is the number of cylinders, and the "berlina" suffix signifies that it is a four-door saloon. Ferrari have previously stated that they would never build such a car, but fortunately in the virtual world of TheSwageLine I'm not restricted by what the suits at Ferrari say - so a four-door Ferrari it is!

The F8berlina shares its 3.9l twin-turbo V8 with the 488 GTB supercar, although here it would be positioned at the front of the car, powering the rear wheels. This FR layout is observable in the proportions of the car, which are classic Ferrari GT. However, the F8berlina is far from retro, and the styling of the car is unmistakably 2010s. The front is low and shark-like, the rear taut and muscular. The blacked-out A-pillar creates a floating roof effect, and the brightwork which snakes along the bottom of the windows adds further interest to the car's appearance.

2018 Hyundai Tiburon / Coupé / Tuscani

For this post I'm sharing my idea of what a 2018 Hyundai Tiburon would look like. The Tiburon was a budget 2+2 sports-coupé sold from 1996 to 2009. The name comes from the Spanish for 'shark'. The images show the Euro-spec 'Coupé'-badged version, but like its predecessors it would be badged 'Tiburon', 'Coupé', or 'Tuscani', depending on the market. 

Also in keeping with its predecessors, it would be based on the contemporary Elantra/Avante's front-wheel drive platform. It would be positioned as the bigger brother to the Veloster in the Korean manufacturer's lineup.

The styling adheres to Hyundai's latest 'Fluidic Sculpture 2.0' design language, and offers extensive customisation options - including two-tone paint with contrasting roof. The photograph above shows the car in Olympian Blue, but some other colour options can be seen below.

Maroon Red with Black roof option

Storm Grey with Velvet Red roof option

Porsche 518 Kaplan

Porsche 518 Kaplan is a new two-seater sports car positioned as a rival to the Mazda MX-5 and Toyota GT86. The 518 nomenclature places the Kaplan firmly below the 718 Boxster and 918 Spyder in the Porsche hierarchy. The 'Kaplan' suffix comes from the Turkish for 'tiger', just as 'Macan' is the Indonesian word for tiger. The name ends with an 'an' sound, just like the Macan and the Cayman.

Aesthetically, it's more square than the Boxster, and draws visual comparisons with the 914. Like the 914, the Kaplan features a targa-top, in this case one with an electric folding roof mechanism. The wheels are pushed to the corners of the car, with short overhangs at both ends. The vents sculpted into the sides of the car feed a naturally-aspirated flat-four, which sits just ahead of the rear wheels.

Peugeot 108 GTi

Taking inspiration from the beloved 205 GTi of the 1980s, the Peugeot 108 GTi is a pocket rocket and material proof that fun comes in small sizes. It's not the only car in its class — with Renault, VW and Fiat each fielding their own competitors in the micro-hot hatch category — but it hopes to be the best. 

Compared to the standard 108, the GTi version boasts wider tyres, beefier brakes, and stiffer springs all round. Power is boosted to 115bhp, which, in a car weighing only a tonne, is more than sufficient to have a bit of fun with. 

Visual upgrades include the sporty black alloys, rear spoiler, check-patterned front grills and, of course, the racy new bodykit. The car pictured sports the optional ‘Coupe Franche’ two-tone paint job. La subtilité est très passé.

Tesla Model R

This is my vision for a Tesla Model R. It would be the first Tesla sports car since the Roadster, and fill much the same space in the Tesla lineup. Instead of the Roadster's targa top, however, the Model R would have a standard hard-top.

The front end of the car features an evolution of the new Tesla face which made its debut on the Model C prototype. The Model R features slippery aerodynamic bodywork and a low kerbweight, which each benefit the Model R in a couple of different ways - by making the car more energy efficient, and by improving straight-line speed.

And if straight-line speed is what you're after, the R's 'Ludicrous Mode' will surely appeal. First made available in the Model S saloon, Ludicrous Mode enables the Model R to reach 60mph from standstill in 2.4 seconds, a figure unmatched by any other production car.

Mercedes CLC

 Version 1:

Version 2:

The CLC is a four-door coupé based on the Mercedes C-Class - a sort of halfway house between the C-Class saloon and the C-Class Coupé. The name follows Merc's new naming scheme - a 'CL' prefix signifies a four-door coupé, and the 'C' suffix represents the size class of the car.

Couldn't decide which window-line I preferred so I thought I'd post both versions and let you decide.

Honda Integra Type-S

The successor to the cult-classic Honda Integra is finally here in its 5th generation after a decade's absence. The Integra is a sports-coupé designed to appeal to keen drivers and imbue some youthful energy into the soulless Honda line-up.

Like previous Integras, the latest generation of the car will be based on the front-engine, front-drive platform of the contemporary Honda Civic. As well as the standard car, there is a sportier Type-S model (shown), and a range-topping Type-R model.

The styling of the car is uniquely Japanese. The front end is low and dominated by a large V-shaped grill. The side of the car is angular and futuristic, with a rising waistline leading up to NSX-style flying buttresses for the C-pillars and a floating roof.

Swagger Jaguar

The J-Type Jag would be the big brother to the F-Type, and rival to the Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG GT, and Audi R8. It would be positioned as a sports/muscle car rather than a GT car like the discontinued XK.

Design-wise, the J-Type is roughly halfway between classic Jaguar and modern Jaguar - long and low, with a three-box shape, but also detailed with contemporary Jag design cues. There are no rear seats, so unlike many in its class the J-Type is a strict two-seater and doesn't pretend to have room for four.

The car would receive a ∼500bhp V8 shared with the next-gen Jag XJ, which would power the rear wheels.