Desenhos feitos de 1988 à 1999
The Project
The car, a Volkswagen Cross UP! with various adornments and parts painted silver, like most pickup trucks, vehicles of this category, or off-road style. That's when the idea came to me to "upgrade" a car I already owned instead of replacing it with a new one, especially at a time when car prices were skyrocketing. Wait! An opportunity to create a sporty UP! that VW never produced!
The idea, then, was to completely modify not only the aesthetics but also the mechanics, such as adding a turbocharger, exhaust, suspension, and wheels. For this, I chose a place whose family is a reference in the automotive world, taking care of both the visual and functional aspects of the car: BTS Performance.
I immersed myself in visual research (benchmarks), created the concept inspired by the colors of "Trovão Azul," a TV series from the '80s, and after several exchanges of ideas with Fernando Batistinha (BTS Performance), I started creating simulations in Photoshop to achieve an aesthetic result even before the transformation of the car began.
Cores Palette
The harmony of colors is one of the most important and, in my opinion, most difficult aspects to define in any design project because colors set the tone for the identity. On the other hand, a poor choice of any color can ruin the visual appeal of the project.
Blue is the main color, so the challenge was to choose a set of colors that would “neutralize” the lighter tones that were part of the car's original palette. These colors were graphite gray, matte black, and glossy black (Black piano). At the same time, there was a need for a tone that would highlight certain parts of the car, and the chosen color was yellow.
I created a palette to use in the Photoshop simulations and also as a guide for those who would develop the painting work. Since I communicated a lot via WhatsApp, I also provided a mobile version of the palette to make it easier for them to view.
The Accomplishment
Bringing a dream to life is something surreal. Not only the dream of having a car my way but also the dream of having completed the project with people I admire, having it “packaged” and delivered in a special place, having it photographed by an amazing photographer, and of course, having participated, designed (just like I used to do when I was a kid), and followed everything closely!
The simulation I did earlier was essential for me to get an idea, but seeing the real thing and the full package that was planned really amazed me. My reaction can be seen later in the video of the car delivery at the Interlagos racetrack.
Interior
The leather seats, filled with eyelets, are an exclusive trademark of BTS and bring a sporty characteristic found in some cars from the 70s, such as the Ford GT. Pedal pads and painted internal handles were also installed, maintaining the sportiness and visual consistency with the rest of the car.
To document this part, I called Filipe Pandolfi, a renowned photographer specializing in sports car photography, who immortalized this dream.
To document this part, I called Filipe Pandolfi, a renowned photographer specializing in sports car photography, who immortalized this dream.
Identity
Based on the name "Trovão" adopted for the car, I also created an identity composed of yellow and white (or black), present in some project elements, using a mix of the cloud/lightning element with the letter "T".
Social Media
I created an Instagram channel to interact with the enthusiast community, exchange ideas, stay updated on meetups, participate in events, and also create content by curating the “TOP 9” VW UP! and other cars from the network, driving engagement for the channel and the Trovão brand.
The eyes
The front end makes its grand entrance when the car arrives at events. The front appears in the rearview mirrors of cars on the street, on avenues, and on highways. Therefore, for a project like this, that "look" couldn’t be overlooked.
That’s when I found Dri Custom, an “artist” specialized in headlight customizations. The creation process here was no different from the car project. We sat down and designed together the shape that best suited the already designed aesthetics of the car, including the sandblasting customization of the logo I created. To ensure the optical alignment was perfect, I drew up the measurements and sent them to him along with the logo artwork.
Sound project
I chose to create a high-quality, mono-brand, minimalist sound system project that wouldn’t interfere with the car's original structure. Since the UP! doesn't have a large trunk, I placed a removable Plug and Play amplified box so that it can be taken out whenever necessary.
Delivery at the Interlagos Racetrack!
The largest and most important part of the project took about 2 months to complete, so the car delivery couldn’t have been in a more special place than... the Interlagos Racetrack!
To document this moment, the production team that makes the Batistinha YouTube channel videos filmed a video about my story and passion for cars, the project concept, showing the lap at Interlagos, the car delivery, and my reaction on that day. Watch it!
To document this moment, the production team that makes the Batistinha YouTube channel videos filmed a video about my story and passion for cars, the project concept, showing the lap at Interlagos, the car delivery, and my reaction on that day. Watch it!
Podcast
In an interview given to the Papo de UX Podcast, I talk about Design beyond digital, and in one part of the conversation, I also discuss my involvement in the customization of the car project. Listen!
