Διαβασε ολόκληρο το δελτίο τύπου από την Niels van Roij Design

The Niels van Roij Design Breadvan Hommage is based on an Italian V12 gran turismo coupe. Niels van Roij Design has styled the interior and exterior of the coachbuilt motorcar and has also overseen the construction process.

Breadvan Hommage

When a true admirer of an Italian car manufacturer reported to Niels van Roij Design with the request to design a Breadvan Hommage, the car design studio saw it as an honourable task to translate the iconic race car into a modern piece of car design.

"We see it as a great privilege that we can celebrate the ’62 Breadvan through this Hommage commission," says Niels van Roij. "It was a complex task to translate the essence of the legendary car into a contemporary design. We intended to be inspired by the original, but ensured we were not limited by it in our creativity. The Breadvan Hommage is a new original."

Ideation sketches and design renderings

As is the case with all Niels van Roij Design coachbuilding projects, the Breadvan Hommage started with ideation sketches: quick drawings made by hand. These ideation sketches are crucial for every automotive design project and one of many iterative stages of the car design process.

“Automotive design is about the search and the experiment” according to Van Roij “Which is only truly achievable in a handmade sketch. In the ideation sketches differences can not only be seen in proportions and surfacing, the skin of the car, but also in the application of graphics and other details. Such as the bespoke exhausts and unique headlights. Eventually this process produces a so-called key sketch: the one sketch chosen to be developed into more elaborated, rendered ideas.”

The next step, after selecting one of the ideation sketches, was fitting the design precisely over the technical layout of the base car and presenting it in a more refined way. All the surfacing and volumes were developed into a large variety of high resolution images. These renderings make the shapes easier to read and again a selection is made. This selection was developed into the clay model.  

Clay model

A framework was installed on the base car, to which the clay was applied. To make the full size clay model, the team needed detailed visual information. Think of surface transitions from side to top and the design of air intakes, rear lights and the opening in the bonnet. All this visual data was provided by renderings, showing the details from different angles. Design work was ongoing during the highly labour intensive clay modelling process. The car was further refined and all challenges, such as the integration of a bevel around the roof and the new headlights, were ironed out.

Van Roij: “A car is a complex, three dimensional sculpture, which has to look right from all angles and under different light circumstances. Like sketching, the clay modelling process is iterative and the Breadvan Hommage was reshaped many times, to get it spot on. After establishing the correct proportions the search for sophistication in the surfacing, or skin, started: finding the right subtleties for transitions from one element to another. It includes the exterior graphics like the richly sculpted air vents on the front fenders.

Coachbuilding the body

The body of the Breadvan Hommage was hand beaten by coachbuilder Bas van Roomen. He works on behalf of collectors and high-end restoration companies. He is one of only a few in the Netherlands that builds modern coachbuilt cars, such as the Breadvan Hommage, Adventum Coupe and the 612 shooting brake. Bas also worked on the clay model of the Breadvan Hommage. Only the windscreen of that car remained OEM and it was painted in one of the eight specially designed reds.

Bespoke interior

The Breadvan Hommage features a handmade interior. The iconic outline of the exterior design has been embroidered into the blue Alcantara carbon fibre backed seats. The monogram can also be found on the dials, all 7 boasting pure silver inlays. The clock says: ‘che importa’. Italian for ‘who cares!’ All switchgear is made out of milled aluminium, linking to the gated shifter, which is set on a raised block. The driver is surrounded by quilted black leather: it can be found on the centre console, the lower door cards and the headliner. The door panels feature an unpainted, hand beaten aluminium element, which links to the custom body, made in the exact same way. A small embroidered Italian flag in the corner of the aluminium insert is highlighting the roots of the vehicle. The door is opened through pulling a lightweight red cord, whilst a blue Alcantara insert functions as a grab handle to close it.

Suspension by KONI

The ‘60s Breadvan was born to be successful on the racetrack. It’s unique styling, powerful engine, vehicle lay-out and suspension system were all designed for one purpose: being a race winner. Therefore the 1962 Breadvan was equipped with KONI single adjustable shock absorbers. At the time already the state-of-the-art technology. Designed and built by the inventor of the adjustable shock absorbers. Niels van Roij was determined in his vision; as a true celebration to the ’62 Breadvan, the Breadvan Hommage again had to use the best products available. Therefore KONI was asked to design and build one unique set of shock absorbers for the Breadvan Hommage. To celebrate the many successes in motor racing, KONI decided to use the technology of the double adjustable 8211-series as a basis for the Breadvan Hommage. This technology has been used many years in Formula 1 and contributed to the 16 world titles KONI has won in Formula 1.  The result is a Breadvan Hommage that is relatively comfortable around town, but a true “performer” on the racetrack.

Tyres by Vredestein

Another key aspect of performance – and also the finishing touch for any supercar – are the tyres. Leveraging again on Vredestein’s long experience with styling, the Ultrac Vorti+ is making its debut appearance on the Breadvan Hommage. This ultra-high-performance summer tyre, which was originally developed in 2013, is fully dedicated to supercars and designed in close collaboration with ItalDesign Giugiaro.

An extraordinary vehicle like the Breadvan Hommage should not only look great, it should also offer an unrivalled driving experience. The tyre of choice, the Ultrac Vorti+, is the latest incarnation of this premium tyre which has won many European tyre tests since its introduction in 2013. Now, in 2021, it has faced several technical improvements to even better comply with the highest standards of a modern high-performance summer tyre. Its carefully composed tread compound can handle an extensive range of temperatures, facilitating a high level of control, even at fast speeds. Due to the dedicated front- and rear axle designs, the driver of the Breadvan Hommage will enjoy precise and responsive steering, superior wet & dry braking and an extended tyre life. De Ultrac Vorti+ offers a perfect blend between remarkable Dutch tyre technology and the famous Italian design flair.