Breadvan_update_003: Acquiring the base car

High-end V12 base car from Italy

This grand tourer was built from 1996 to 2001. It marked the brands return to a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout for its 2-seater 12-cylinder models. This was 23 years after they replaced the last car featuring this layout by a mid-engined sportscar. An upgraded version did arrive in 2002. We deliberately did not not choose this car as a base vehicle for the coachbuilding project. The manual gearbox in the pre life cycle update was a must-have. The customer also did not like the style changes after the facelift. The front-engine, rear-wheel drive transaxle layout, with the 6-speed gearbox located at the rear axle together with the limited slip differential is a fantastic setup for our Breadvan Hommage. The tubular steel space frame chassis is a great base for this coachbuilding project. The manufacturer soldered aluminium body panels to this frame.

Carbon fibre optional extras

For the purpose of a great seating position and unique materials this client car features specific gems like the optional carbon fibre race bucket seats. A full black leather interior was the understated and sporty choice of the first owner of this car. Most important: the lovely H-pattern manual gearbox.

Soon the car will be disassembled and eventually stripped of its aluminium body by the coachbuilder. This will happen all the way down to the tubular steel space frame. We will first look at the hard points and possibilities this car brings to the project. This step is crucial in the coachbuilding process. It will show the design team, coachbuilding team and client what the possibilities are. Subsequently is tells which implication changes might have to the structure of the base vehicle. Eventually it shows which methodology to use for this one-off bespoke motorcar conversion.