The fellas at GTSpirit spent some time at the facility of the famous German tuner AC Schnitzer. AC Schnitzer Automobile Technik is based in Aachen, Germany and specializes in offering aero and power packages for BMW and MINI cars, as well as BMW bikes.
As part of the tour, GT Spirit was introduced to the AC Schnitzer development process of the new BMW 1 Series M Coupe. Head designer Michele Viandante is responsible for the visual upgrades to the car.
Here is a quick description of the design process:
“The AC Schnitzer design philosophy, easily visible in the current phase of the development process, has a basic principle of combining aesthetic and technical characteristics. All AC Schnitzer design concepts are created by one Italian designer, who we interviewed in his personal office close to the workshop.
Michele discussed his complete work flow, which starts with a computer design, followed by a clay model created using hand modeling at a temperature of 50 degrees and remodeling after cooling down. The third phase is molding a negative model using a polydur process. During the process a glass fiber textile impregnated with liquid gypsum is applied to the clay model. In negative form, a glass fiber matting and epoxy resin are then laminated into a GRP positive model, which finally receives surface finishing and painting. The last step is creating the series part. Digitalization and mirroring of the GRP positive model are performed. The final form is structured on the basis of the GRP positive model and digital data. The result is a body part made from carbon fiber or PU-Rim, a rigid material easy to paint in any possible body color.”
For a full article and more behind the scenes photos, head over to GT Spirit.
