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Design Development: Kumho Epoch concept
by Eric Gallina   
 
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Sketching is Dolton's ultimate inspiration. "After defining the brief and the goals of the project the first thing that I do is sketch. This can be a process that takes over everyday life, at every moment that I have the opportunity I'll draw - on the phone, in a bar, at meetings! The most important part of any project is to get the first inspirations on paper."

Photoshop tape drawing and renderings were then used to illustrate the concept. "When I have the vehicle architecture, stance and feel that I want, I like to create a Photoshop tape drawing. This process allows me to make sure I'm happy with the most fundamental part of vehicle design, the proportions. I will also create fairly tight Photoshop renderings. These allow less design-literate members of staff to understand where the project is visually. It's important to remember that not everybody can read a sketch."

The concept's dimensions are Dolton's favorite part of the process. "3D is where a design comes to life and where the real designing begins," he says. "I have experience of both clay and 3D development, but at Kumho we use purely digital media.

"I use Alias because I find it the best tool for good-quality, relatively fast surfacing work. At this stage in the project I'll continue sketching parts of the vehicle that I am reworking to help my understanding of the surfacing and where I need to change surface breaks and rework highlights."

The final imagery for the concept was produced using Alias Imagestudio. "When the model has been completed and signed off I use Alias Imagestudio as a final render tool. I find that it's easy to use and doesn't have the cost or complexity of programs such as Maya. I may also add a little Photoshop to breathe a bit of 'life' into the renderings.

The Epoch concept is set to pave the way for future green racing cars and sustainable technologies in motorsport. "There's an environmental impact to everything we do. We believe in motorsport but also in environmental responsibility, said Dolton. "While delighted at winning the LMP2 class at Le Mans this year, we accept that environmental pressures will not allow motorsport to carry on in its current form indefinitely. However, rather than viewing it as an increasingly antisocial pastime, we regard it as a perfect platform for developing green technology solutions. The Epoch is an example of just how exciting the future could be."