DS E-Tense Performance has an enormous torque of 8,000 Nm!

Next EV The following is a future electric-powered sports coupe conceived by a French luxury car brand DS Automobiles, named DS E-Tense Performance. It looks like this electric car is a continuation of the DS E-Tense Concept car which was previously launched at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

DS E-Tense Performance is a dressed up Formula E race car, and it will become a benchmark for vehicle design that will be launched later. (Picture from: Carscoops)

Although what is currently available is still a prototype, it will become a benchmark for vehicle design that will be launched later. This electric sports car was developed by the company's special division that handles Formula E racing cars, namely DS Performance which can be said to be quite successful, because it managed to win the team and driver titles for two years competing in the event. 

The DS E-Tense Performance is built based on a carbon monocoque structure, which is supported by a 600 kW dual electric motor with a four-wheel drive system. Uniquely, according to the automaker, the chassis, power source and battery are packaged as one innovative solutions to drive future vehicles in the pure electric era.

DS Performance draped a lusciously styled body around an 806-hp electric race car powertrain and covered it in a radiant shade of green.. (Picture from: Carscoops)

"Our objective is to apply our experience in Formula E and proven capabilities in international championships as workpieces that can be used in future high-performance electric vehicles," said Thomas Chevaucher, DS Performance Director.

He added that the DS E-Tense Performance is a laboratory that is used to analyze various component functions and develop according to the production view in the future.

"The idea is also to get a solution that is low-cost, easy to manufacture and can be implemented in various product lines. The future of the E-Tense line depends on the development of this concept," he said further.

DS E-Tense Performance relies exclusively on regenerative braking technology to regulate its speed. (Picture from: Carscoops)

As mentioned above, this concept car is developed from the world of racing featuring with the suspension device has a special geometry that allows the car to tread well when asked to maneuvers on the roads. In addition, the car also has two electric motors have their own tasks, for the front should exerted of 250 kW or 335 hp, while for the rear-wheel drive electric motor capable to produce power of 350 kW or 469 hp.

Then, the DS E-Tense Performance's torque could be said very powerful, reaching of 8,000 Nm measured at the wheels (very far compared than the 2016 DS E-Tense Concept which was only 516 Nm). Then how does this car slow down its running speed? 

DS E-Tense Performance's highlight is the battery wrapped in a carbon-aluminum composite specially designed by DS Performance with placement in the middle of the back to get the best weight distribution. (Picture from: Carscoops)

Obviously the DS E-Tense Performance is capable of slowing down, but it does it without the conventional braking systems we all know and trust. Instead of a regular set of disc brakes, it relies exclusively on regenerative braking technology to regulate its speed.

The DS E-Tense Performance's highlight is the battery wrapped in a carbon-aluminum composite specially designed by DS Performance with placement in the middle of the back to get the best weight distribution. No wonder, if it claimed capable to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph just in 2 seconds.

DS E-Tense Performance is claimed capable to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph just in 2 seconds. (Picture from: Carscoops)

As quoted of Carscoops, the batteries were developed by the collaboration with TotalEnergies and its subsidiary Saft. It is a high-voltage energy source and the cooling system for each cell is anticipated in the form of a Quartz EV Fluid solution.

Well, what makes the DS E-Tense Performance pleasing to the eye is the shape of the LED circuit as a light on the road, it turns out that there are 800 light arrangements. In addition, the beetle-effect makes the color of the car look unique, depending on which direction you look, but still has a glossy black color, plus 21-inch special-designed rims are claimed to support aerodynamics.

When you look at the cabin, you got the impression of being in a high-performance car, while sits in the racing style bucket seats, holds a Formula E-inspired steering wheel, and surrounded with the special trim interior upholstered by black leather. 

Well, when you drive with it in dense traffic, don't worry, the car already equipped with an infotainment system with various features that are supported by Focal Utopia audio systems and a pair of exclusive Scala Utopia Evo speakers as a boredom repellent. *** [EKA [31082022] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DS AUTOMOBILES | CARSCOOPS | CARANDDRIVER ]

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Hyundai releases its latest futuristic retro inspirated sports car line ups

New Cars After successfully launching the Hyundai Ioniq 6 recently, the South Korean manufacturer has hit the automotive world again by launching its two new future concept cars that carries retro and futuristic styling for its sports car lineup.

Hyundai revealed its latest sports car concepts, RN22e and N Vision 74 at the N 2022 World Premiere event held on July 15, 2022. (Picture from: id.Motor1)

It has been a long time since Hyundai has not offered a new-breakthrough for sedan models, but this time the South Korean manufacturer can be proud after introducing its two charming sports car concepts named of the Hyundai N Vision 74 and the Hyundai RN22e by carrying a futuristic style typical of Hyundai's latest design language.

The Hyundai RN22e Concept is said to carry the chassis and body of the recently released Hyundai Ioniq 6. (Picture from: OtomotifKompas)

When viewed from their looks, these two electric car concepts mentioned above look 'different but similar' because both of them made to bring the South Korean automaker into the realm of high-performance cars of the future. 

1. Hyundai RN22e Concept

The first concept car named Hyundai RN22e which is said to carry the chassis and body of the recently released Hyundai Ioniq 6. The sleek design is made sportier than the Ioniq 6. Interestingly, Hyundai does not refer to this sports car concept as the Ioniq 6 N, as an actually initial code should be pinned for a performance model taken from the standard variant. Instead, they refer to the RN22e as "the design of the upcoming EV N car".

The Hyundai RN22e Concept is capable of producing a maximum power of 577 hp, a performance figure equivalent to the KIA EV6 GT. (Picture from: OtomotifKompas)

The Hyundai RN22e sports car concept is capable of producing a maximum power of 577 hp, a performance figure equivalent to the KIA EV6 GT. In addition, Hyundai also confirmed that the RN22e is the first high-performance car built on the E-GMP platform which is said to be the chassis of the new Hyundai electric car.

The Hyundai RN22e Concept became the first car that can rightfully be called a high-performance test bed for the E-GMP platform. (Picture from: DailyCarNews)

As You could be seen that this Hyundai concept car using four-piston calipers and an aerodynamic design, technological improvements include a large rear wing. So it's clear the RN22e explores torque vectoring and power distribution as well as reducing vehicle weight.

2. Hyundai N Vision 74 Concept

The next sports car concept is the Hyundai N Vision 74 which offers a combination of retro style with a futuristic Cyberpunk look. According to the maker, this car concept got its design inspiration from an old-school Hyundai concept car called the Hyundai Pony which was launched for the first time to the public in the 1974, and designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro.

The Hyundai N Vision 74 Concept offers a combination of retro style with a futuristic Cyberpunk look and is fueled by combining of the battery power with hydrogen fuel cells. (Picture from: OtomotifKompas)

Hyundai claims that the concept car is an advanced hybrid vehicle. But instead of using the powers of a petrol engine, Hyundai combines battery power with hydrogen fuel cells previously used in the Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo which was introduced earlier in 2015.

The Hyundai N Vision 74 Concept design's inspirated by an old-school Hyundai concept car called the Hyundai Pony which was launched for the first time to the public in the 1974. (Picture from: MotorTrend)

The combination of the two is said to be able to provide better cooling efficiency and also allows shorter recharging times than standard electric cars. Like its sibling RN22e concept car, this N Vision 74 also uses precise torque vectoring to help for better cornering.

The Hyundai N Vision 74 Concept's drive system delivers over 671 horsepower and 900 Nm of peak torque to the rear wheels. (Picture from: OtomotifKompas)

For performance, the Hyundai N Vision 74 sports car concept's drive system delivers over 671 horsepower and 900 Nm of peak torque to the rear wheels, without mentioning other performance details. It's just that the South Korean manufacturer claims that N Vision 74 has a range of more than 600 kilometers in a single charge.

Regarding the launch of its two future concept vehicles, Hyundai said through Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai's Customer Experience Division that the Hyundai RN22e and Hyundai N Vision 74 played an important role in the company's strategic development of their entire product range, especially high-performance electric vehicles. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | HYUNDAI N | CAREXPERT.COM.AU | ID.MOTOR1 | HYPERBEAST ]

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This Porsche 928 was another controversial cars ever made by Strosek

Rare ONES The journey of a well-known brand such as Porsche cannot be separated from the brilliance of the company founder to set strong company foundation which continues to be passed down and continued by his successors who are very astute and cold-handed in managing an automaker company, therefore it is always able to produce various classy-reliable cars, so it is not surprising that the brand's prestige is maintained until now.

The Strosek Auto's program for the Porsche 928 (in pictured the Porsche Strosek 928S Version I) consisted of a series of spoilers, bumpers and other cosmetics divided into three stages, the Version I, II and III. (Picture from: Carscoops)

Despite the historical facts as mentioned above, and how famous this Stuttgart-based car manufacturer often produces the best cars that are tough on the streets and on the racetrack, such as the famous Porsche 911 model with all its derivatives or many other models. And many of these famous models, it turns out that there are also unique models that are specially made by third parties and maybe not too many people know about their existence like the following;

The Porsche Strosek 928 is adorned by a shade of blue paint, it looks like it has a number of distinctive Strosek parts including widened front and rear wheel arches, as well as reshaped doors with three locks on either side. (Picture from: Carscoops)

The model in question is a unique Porsche 928 Strosek, as we all know, if the Porsche 928 model is arguably one of the lesser-known iconic cars made by the German manufacturer, was launched in 1977, and ever voted as the car of the year of 1978. However, things are different regarding a third-party company that modifies this lesser-known Porsche 928 model.

The Porsche Strosek 928S Version I wears a set of BBS wheels that fit cars from this era perfectly. (Picture from: Carscoops)

For those that don’t know, previuosly We have also discussed Strosek Auto Design regarding to the controversial Lamborghini Diablo VT/R model sometime ago. The German coachbuilder company has made a name for itself modifying 911 models over the decades and back in the day, also tried its hand at customizing the 928. It is unclear just how many 928s received the Strosek treatment, though it is known that the German coachbuilder also made a number of kits for the Porsche 928 in both Coupe and Roadster styles from 1984 to the early 1990s. 

The interior of Porsche Strosek 928 Version I looks quite striking which is mostly clad in brown colored genuine-leather that spreads throughout the dashboard, door panels, center console, pillars, headliner, and seat bolsters, while the center of the seats and door panels have a checkered finish. (Picture from: Carscoops)

As qouted of 1000Sel, the German coachbuilder company's program for the Porsche 928 consisted of a series of spoilers, bumpers and other cosmetics divided into three stages, the Version I, II and III. And this particular example in pictured is thought to be the only one with this specification known as the Porsche Strosek 928S Version I marked with absence additional large spoiler at rear.

The Porsche Strosek 928 is powered by V8 engine, but it's unknown whether the mentioned engine gets a performance upgrade from the coachbuilder. (Picture from: Carscoops)

Well, when we've looked at the exterior appearance of the modified Porsche 928 Strosek, which adorned by a shade of blue paint, it looks like it has a number of distinctive Strosek parts. These include widened front and rear wheel arches, as well as reshaped doors with three locks on either side. Meanwhile on the legs, this modified Porsche 928 Strosek wears a set of BBS wheels that fit cars from this era perfectly. This makes the car look even more aggressive than the standard 928 model which in our opinion is very well deserved, but probably for some Porsche fanatics wouldn't like it. 

The Porsche Strosek 928S Version I marked with absence additional large spoiler at rear. (Picture from: Carscoops)

The Porsche Strosek 928 is powered by a large, state-of-the-art V8 engine, but it's unknown whether the mentioned engine gets a performance upgrade from the coachbuilder. Under standard conditions the 928's engine is capable of spewing power around 240 break horsepower. While the interior of the 928 looks quite striking which is mostly clad in brown colored genuine-leather that spreads throughout the dashboard, door panels, center console, pillars, headliner, and seat bolsters, while the center of the seats and door panels have a checkered finish.

As quoted of ClassicDriver, the Porsche Strosek 928 could be said as a controversial car, especially for those German brand fanatic fans, but it does tell a compelling story of 1970’s and 1980’s car tuning. It is becoming a sign of the times and although it may be deemed tacky by some, its value as a rarity styled by a legendary Porsche tuner is likely to grow as time goes by. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARSCOOPS | CLASSICDRIVER | 1000SEL ]

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When rappers collaborate with automakers, then the unique Will.I.AMG is born

Wild ONES There have been many collaborations between artists and car makers and it is certain that the result of this collaboration is something unique and special. As we could be seen recently, there's a quirky looks Mercedes-AMG GT four-door custom named Will.I.AMG which is the result of a collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and the famous American artist and musician, Will.I.Am. Maybe you still remember, in the past one of the custom VW Beetle based cars of this American musician had also made a stir in the automotive world due to its uniqueness.

This quirky looks Mercedes-AMG GT four-door custom named Will.I.AMG which is the result of a collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and the famous American artist and musician, Will.I.Am. (Picture from: OtoLoka)

To realize this unique Will.I.AMG custom car, the famous American musician brought a 4-door Mercedes-AMG GT to the famous West Coast Custom modification house, which was famous through one of the MTV's shows in the 1990s titled Pimp My Ride. According to the musician, this project's aim is to encourage young people to dare to come up with new ideas, while at the same time doing the impossible.

This project's aim is to encourage young people to dare to come up with new ideas, while at the same time doing the impossible. (Picture from: OtoLoka)

  

 "I grew up in the ghetto. I grew up with hip-hop. I watched legendary hip-hop rap artists and knew about Mercedes from them. It's always been a dream to be a Mercedes owner. Well, for many kids in the city, owning a Mercedes is a fortune symbol and progress of the struggle," explained the man whose real name is William James Adam Jr.

To realize this unique Will.I.AMG custom car, the famous American musician brought a 4-door Mercedes-AMG GT to the famous West Coast Custom modification house. (Picture from: id.Motor1)

“Now I've gained my goals and pushed even higher by re-imagining and creating my own vision of the AMG model. But I didn't touch the engine, because AMG really makes the best engine," added the man who was born and raised with an American hip hop group, the Black Eyed Peas.

So, if you look at the appearance of the AMG GT 4-door modified model, which should have four doors, it has been changed to only two doors combined in a suicide door style with an opening facing the front. While the front fascia, which was originally aggressive, has changed drastically because it uses the Mercedes-Benz G-Class fascia.

While the front fascia, which was originally aggressive, has changed drastically because it uses the Mercedes-Benz G-Class fascia. (Picture from: OtoLoka)

Indeed, the car that was the result of a collaboration between Will.I.Am and Mercedes-AMG was inspired by two legendary Mercedes-Benz models, namely the SLS Gullwing and the G-Class. Besides that, the Will.I.AMG modified car still uses the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door's engine, which is a 3.0 liter turbo intercooler capable of producing a peak power of 362 horsepower, with a torque of 369 Nm, and transfered to all wheels.  

Even so, in addition to the quirky front fascia and large front opening doors, the roof of this unique custom sedan is also partially made of glass. While the Mercedes-Benz emblem, was replaced by a cute bear logo named “Bear Witness” (although at first glance the Mercedes emblem can still be seen) on the front grille and rim cover.

if you look at the appearance of the Will.I.AMG, which should have four doors, it has been changed to only two doors combined in a suicide door style with an opening facing the front. (Picture from: MerahPutih)

Associated with the use of this unique emblem, reportedly to promote a limited collection of clothing and accessories under the brand of "Bear Witness". Therefore, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Bear Witness Drop 1 - Limited Edition collection will be donated to the artist's i.am/Angel Foundation.

The Will.I.AMG custom car also featured with the roof of this unique custom sedan is also partially made of glass. (Picture from: MerahPutih)

Regarding this collaborative project, the German manufacturer through Philipp Schiemer, the Chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. said, "Our collaboration with Will.I.Am has reached new heights with 'The Flip'. We have inspired and motivated each other in realize this holistic concept, which is so much more than just a great car. We take our responsibility to society seriously."

As it is known, that the Will.I.AMG is one of the six collaborative projects between Will.I.Am and Mercedes-AMG called "The Flip-Innovation for Purpose," which has the aim of providing access to education and skills for students and disadvantaged communities, through a fundraiser event featured at the United States Grand Prix 2022 - F1 Race, in Miami. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | ID.MOTOR1 | ]

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Suzuki in collaboration with SkyDrive will soon launched an air taxi service in the next 2025

Ready to FLY Today's flying vehicle technological advances seem to not only bring people closer to their old obsession to fly like birds, but also create a promising business niche in the future. This then invites many parties to compete in developing flying vehicle technology, either independently or in cooperation.

Suzuki Motor Corporation is making its first-ever flying car in collaboration with SkyDrive Inc. (Picture from: ProPakistani)

One of them is Suzuki Motor Corporation, one of Japanese automotive giants which also sees those promising prospects. Suzuki's interest and seriousness in participating to develop such flying car technology has been seen for a long time. But in its development, it seems that the company do not do it independently, but in cooperation with other parties.

This can be seen in earlier this year, the Japanese auto company announced that had entered into a partnership agreement with SkyDrive Inc. and reportedly through the agreement they will start production of flying cars and conduct flight demonstrations for air taxis during the 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka.

Suzuki announced in March 2022, that the company had signed a deal with SkyDrive to jointly research, develop, and market electric VTOLs in the near future. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

As previously SkyDrive has received approval for commercial manufacturing of the vehicle called SkyDrive SD-05 from the Japanese government through the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). The tech company said that Suzuki will aid in the development of future flying car technology.

Through this partnership between Suzuki and SkyDrive, both hope to launch a functioning air taxi service during the 2025 World Exhibition in Osaka. (Picture from: ProPakistani)

Furthermore, the Japan's authority has granted base type certification to the manufacturer, which implies that the flying car is closer to commercial production.. However, getting to the fly test stage still takes a long time, it is hoped that it will be operational as soon as possible after the year of 2025.

A SkyDrive Inc. developed prototype one-passenger flying vehicle named SkyDrive SD-03 while on display at the CES 2022 in Las Vegas. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

The flying car that will be developed by Suzuki and SkyDrive will apply Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) technology, as well as using electric power. However, there is no more detailed information about the investment and schedule for the development or production of flying cars developed by the two Japanese companies.

The SkyDrive Inc. developed prototype one-passenger flying vehicle named SkyDrive SD-03 parked at Toyota Test Field. (Picture from: VOI.id)

As quoted from Carscoops, Suzuki's flying car development partner is a Tokyo-based flying car technology company and founded in 2018 with its shareholders consisted of Japanese industrial giants such as Itochu Corp, NEC Corp. and Eneos Holding Inc. Currently SkyDrive is concentrating on developing a compact size electric flying car with a capacity of two passengers which is planned to be mass produced soon.

SkyDrive Inc. successfully carried out a flight test of a full-size manned flying car prototype called the SkyDrive SD-03 with one man inside its cabin last August 2020 at Toyota Test Field. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

Previously, it was also reported that in 2020, this Japanese flying car company successfully carried out a flight test of a full-size manned flying car prototype called the SkyDrive SD-03 with one man inside its cabin as seen in a video, the mentioned above prototype hovered for approximately four minutes carried one man in it.

Responding to the successful flight test of the flying car prototype, SkyDrive CEO, Tomohiro Fukuzawa, said there were more than 100 flying car projects in the world, and only a handful were successful with one person on board. “I hope many people will want to ride it and feel safe,” said Tomohiro.

However, it seems that the collaboration between Suzuki and SkyDrive were not run easy and will face stiff competition from a number of other big names, who also share the same desire to create a new form of urban transportation. We'll see and let time tell... Or you can see to the JetPack Speeder. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SUZUKI | SKYDRIVE | CARSCOOPS | RIDEAPART | PROPAKISTANI.PK ]

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Knew more about the legendary Kellison car kits

Man with a Great TALENT As we already have discussed to this day in many articles of unique classic cars that have ever circulated in the world's automotive. Well this time we will discuss about one brand of kit cars that was quite famous in the 1950s to 1960s, and lots of cars applying the brand's outfits were appeared in various styles in cyberspace to this day.

All historical evidence indicates that the Kellison GT cars (in pictured Kellison J-5 Coupe), which first appeared in 1957, is an original design, in as much as anything is. (Picture from: Kellison Cars)

At the time, many kit car companies have been making incredible fiberglass bodyworks over the years, only a minority of them built more than a handful of cars before leaving into oblivion. Well one of the few companies to leave a mark on the industry was Kellison Engineering. The Folsom, California based company was founded in 1958 by Jim Kellison, a former US Air Force pilot who fought in the Korean War. It is well known that he also was a fanatic sports car fan and even thought of designing and building his own sports car body. 

The Kellison J-1 is a small coupe designed to fit on Austin-Healey Sprite and Crosley chassis realesed first in 1957, and also featured with a Zagato's typical double-bubble roof line. (Picture from: KellisonCars)

It could be said that this Jim Kellison-owned company may had produced the greatest number of fiberglass bodies than any other company, and estimated to date its list consisting 1,000 Kellison and about 1,000 other bodies by Kellison. Then are those purely Kellison's design? Mostly not, because every design is influenced by vehicles and designers respectily of their time and years in the past. The real Kellison's works are known always started with a 'J' prefix followed by a number indicating the order of production.

A beautifully detailed and refurbished J car roadster (in pictured Kellison J-2 Roadster). (Picture from: KellisonClassicCars)

And if judging from Kellison's early works, clearly seems those applied Zagato's double bubble. The Zagato's trademark style refers to the two bulges in the car's roof to give the driver and passenger more headroom, and today many modern exotic cars use such roof style. How's could it be? As quoted of Undiscovered Classic that Jim Kellisson known greatly admired the Zagato works, since seen personally 1957 Ferrari 250 Zagato and 1958 Fiat-Abarth 750.

Here's the Kellison J-2 Coupe, one of 15 to 20 units ever made featured with a 'double-bubble' top like some Fiat-Abarth models and Zagato-bodied Ferrari's. (Picture from: ConceptCarz)

As we all knew that the famous Italian design firm  which specializes in car designing for various world's top brands such Ferrari, Fiat, Abarth, and others. It's just that in our opinion, Kellison's double bubble style seems better than the original ones. Not only that, Kellison's designs have also been adapted by many other automotive companies such Pininfarina, another major Italian auto design company that does a lot of design work for Ferrari, and others has used a bit of Kellison design in their cars.

Kellison J-3 is roadster is visually similar to the J-2 roadster sibling, but shorter with 98-inches of wheelbase. (Picture from: KellisonCars)

During the production period, Kellison Engineering produced many car kits. Its first fiberglass bodies known as Kellison J-1 were offered to the public in 1957. It's a small coupe designed to fit on Austin-Healey Sprite and Crosley chassis, and featured with Zagato's typical double-bubble top like some Fiat-Abarth models and Zagato-bodied Ferrari's. Unfortunately there is no information on how many J-1s has ever made by this company. 

Never assembled Kellison J3 competition body roadster on a TR6 chassis with a 5.0 Ford and five speed. (Picture from: ClassicMotorsports)

The next model is Kellison J-2 was an attractive 1950s roadster released in 1959 with 102 inches wheelbase, and 169 inches long, there's no information related to number for the roadster style made by the company. As quoted of KellisonCars, in addition the company also made the coupe styles as many as 15 to 20 units.

This Kellison J-4 Coupe which is the Kellison Engineering's first production launched in the end of 1950s and was sold in kit and turnkey form. (Picture from: PistoNudos)

Then the company produced its next model of Kellison J-3 roadster is visually similar to the J-2 roadster sibling, but shorter with 98-inches of wheelbase. These bodies were also used on a small number of racing cars in the '50s. Same to its sibling J-2, as quoted of KellisonCars, this bodies also made in coupe style as many as 10 to 15 units, meanwhile roadster kits produced as many as 50 to 60 units.

This Kellison J-4 Coupe certainly has such a dramatic and low slung, completed with its very low stance and small frontal area made it appealing to both road-legal and racer versions. (Picture from: CurbsideClassic)

The next model is the Kellison J-4 Gran Turismo which is the Kellison Engineering's first production kit and was launched in the end of 1950s. There are 300 units of the J-4 Coupe made by the company and 20 to 25 units for the roadster version. As you see, this model carries a handsome coupe style with a 98 inch wheelbase and was sold in kit and turnkey form.

This Kellison J-4 Experimental Car was one of four cars that was built by Kellison for the 1959 Motorama Fair in Detroit. (Picture from: KellisonClassicCars)

At the time in 1960s, the J-4 kits was sold start at $365, while the completed car was $6,700, and is built over a tubular steel frame and was powered by a Chevy 283 cubic-inches V-8 with a four-speed transmission system. Besides that it has a fully decked-out interior, and also came with a three-piece set of fitted luggage. Meanwhile the J-4 body was also used on many road racers, dragsters, show cars, and special-purposed Bonneville cars.

This Frank Collingwood's J-4 'ASTRA' show car known as the most successful show car competing in the 1966 International Show Car Association (ISCA) against some 4000 entries. (Picture from: John's Rod&Custom)

And the most famous of them is a customized version was used on a show car built by Frank Collingwood, which won the International Show Car Association Championship in 1966. Although J-4 normal car had inner panels, firewalls and extra reinforcement. It turns out Kellison Engineering also made its lightweight competition bodies with no inner structure. It can be said that these models (included both coupe and roadster versions) are the most common Kellisons found today.

As you can see, this Kellison J-5 Coupe was a version of the J-4 with quad headlights (built in coupe and roadster styles). (Picture from: KellisonClassicCars)

After that was born the next model known as the Kellison J-5 which is a version of the J-4 with quad headlights (built in coupe style only as many as just 350 to 400 units). The car featured wheelbase of 102 inches, (for coupe version) its roof was raised 1 inch to provide more space coupled with extended doors. Then the Kellison J-6 Panther was launched as the latest version of the J-4 with angular grille, a more pointed tail, trunk lid, higher roofline, and other detailed differences. It could easily be mounted onto 1953-1962 Corvette chassis, and made by the company over 500 units in coupe style only.

The Kellison J-5 Coupe featured wheelbase of 102 inches, (for coupe version) its roof was raised 1 inch to provide more space coupled with extended doors. (Picture from: RoadandTrack)

Besides all the 'J' series models mentioned above, during Jim Kellison-owned company production period also made bodywork for other company. And the most noticed were being sold by Allied Fiberglass under the name of Astra X-300GT. In fact the car was a J-4 variant featuring a higher roof line to gain head room in the interior and also had an oval grille, while many J-series bodies had squared-off grilles and produced over 500 units.

This Kellison J-6 Panther (in pictured was 1968 model) based off the J-4 design, which was more or less a full-size custom GT car designed for V8 engines. (Picture from: RareCarNetwork)

Not only the road-legal sports car models, Jim Kellison-owned company also makes many cars for racing purposes, even the replica of famous Cobras and Ford GT-40s during its production periods. The ups and downs in this industrial world have led the company to produce a wide range of car kit products until its closing in 1969.

The Astra X-300GT (in pictured was 1967 model) was a Kellison J-4 variant sold by Allied Fiberglass featuring a higher roof line to gain head room in the interior and also had an oval grille. (Picture from: CurbsideClassic)

After he shut down his auto company, and opened a successful book store. But he couldn't stay away from the aroma of curing fiberglass, so in 1976 he started building the Stallion, one of the first-generation of Cobra replicas, before trading in the kit car industry for the jewelry business in 1980.

Jim Kellison passed away in 2004, leaving behind hundreds maybe thousands of wonderful kit cars to carry on his name.😢 Over the years, the cars were sold by Kellison Engineering, Kellison Inc., Allied Fiberglass (under the Astra name), and Lincoln Industries. Keep your eyes open and check out the excellent Kellison's web site. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | KELLISON CARS | PISTONUDOS | MOTORTREND | ROADANDTRACK | UNDISCOVEREDCLASSIC ]

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