Part 2
Note: @randomtuner 's Lünnerden Design LMC Maladus was still from 1972 and thus wasn’t able to be considered for the 1968-1970 Maladus
@EnCR - Avantii PJ 1
The Avantii PJ 1 is a much more down to Earth Italian concept. Its another wedge shaped mid-engine concept that is more conventional in its looks. The front features a unique 3-part grille that smiles. The grille ends with foglights situated at the very edge of the front with indicators angled downward pointing toward the center grille. The center shape resembles a miniaturized version of a grille you might see on a luxury sedan from the past. The popups are small and angled outward while character lines lead from them all the way to the windshield. It is not ugly, but it doesn’t resemble anything from LMC’s design language or tread exiting new ground. The sides are relatively bare with the defining features being the vents near the rear wheel. They slope up nicely on one side but the other side facing the wheel well does not line up in a meaningful way. An interesting little detail is the fuel cap has a lock on it. Not something we would’ve expected to see on a supercar concept.
The rear has many horizontal lines going across the design with 3 layers of bumpers. One of the bumpers leads into an odd chrome vent. Like the front foglights, the taillights are situated near the edges of the rear with amber indicators and no reverse light. Compared to the rest of the car, it looks very busy. The red paint is always a safe bet for a Maladus and the red lip around the rims is a nice touch.
The Avantii PJ 1 looks to be more of driver’s car built for a sporty feel over luxury or outright performance numbers. It has the only V6 engine out of the design proposals making 189 hp. Under closer inspection, the underside of the car is partially covered in smooth panels to improve aerodynamics to make the most out of the reduced power output.
The Avantii PJ 1 is a more sensible approach to a mid-engine Maladus, but it fails to make the prospect of a completely new platform and design language worth the effort.
Score: 52
@Maxbombe – Maladus 366 Super Eagle Concept
What a spaceship! The white color is appropriate to put all of the Super Eagle’s lines and details on display. The first thing to stand out is the continuous flow from the windshield down to the angular side windows. This helps make the car looks long and low. The rear wheel is covered presumably for more slippery aerodynamics. The front has a large grille somewhat reminiscent of the current Maladus with a nice pointed center in the inlays and vertical indicators to frame the grille. It does seem a little too tall for the shape of the body and the application however. The popup headlights are closer together than most of the other designs but the shape and size is fitting. The lip and vents along the bottom suggest serious performance. The rear is a bit more futuristic with the lights under the bumper and the entire upper half dedicated to a rear vent. The front is a lot more heavy on the chrome than the rear.
There is a nice flowing character line that goes along the sides of the car like the current Maladus. The 3 vents towards the rear are a unique and clean way to break up some of the negative space. The rims are the same found on a ’56 Captain which fits the aesthetic well enough, but looks very dated compared to the concept.
The engineering of the Super Eagle is relatively straightforward with a 366 OHC V8 and a 3-speed manual transmission. The body is all steel rather than fiberglass and the interior is simpler than most other concepts. It would be one of the cheapest cars to make should it be released as is, but some of the quality doesn’t quite match the looks.
Overall, this is a very clean design that strikes a good balance between detail and letting the shape of the body do the work. The front may be a bit too aggressive and the rims are dated, but otherwise this one of the best concepts we’ve seen today.
Score: 79
@Rk38 - Maladus 5800 GT by Beneventi
Beneventi brings a gorgeous continuation of the Maladus with Italian flavor. It is a very detailed production-ready kind of design on a body that is slightly smaller than the current Maladus. It strikes a great balance between sporty and elegant with good proportions. Some details carry over like the partially covered dual headlights and the character line flowing down the side of the car to the style of the side vent. Other areas are completely new, like the eye-catching unique cabin design with angular windows. The front looks well composed with a nice shape for the headlight covers, a grille that recesses deeper on the outsides of the lights, and a bumper that subtly thickens inline with the headlights. The lip does its job without sticking out too much in the design. If there is one thing to nitpick about the front, its that the headlights being that close together makes the car look a bit narrow from the front. The rear looks more to the future. The tail flips up behind the cabin and the top of the rear is framed by plastic. Below the plastic is a recessed area like the Rigore concept where the blockier taillights are and the license plate would go. The bumper matches the style of the front save for the thicker sides. The plastic trim along the bottom of the car makes the car look leaner and guides the eye to the prominent exhausts.
The 5800 GT is an update to the Maladus rather than a complete rewrite like most of the concepts. It’s the only car to use the original engine as a base, now making 295 hp. Besides the smaller stature, the biggest change is the use of MacPherson struts over double wishbone in the front.
It’s not as adventurous as some of the other proposals, but the Maladus 5800 GT sure hits the mark in what it tries to accomplish.
Score:88
@mart1n2005 – Maladus Concept
This aluminum 2+2 coupe is a concept that envisions the Maladus as more of a GT car. The car is very boxy overall and doesn’t have flowing lines like the current Maladus has. Despite the radically different shape, there are elements that hint to it being a Maladus. The hood scoop resembles the old one and it does have partially covered lights. The front is all boxy shapes and although it has generally good proportions. It looks too tired and there is no movement to the design (is this where designs are heading in the future?). The side is relatively bare but the vent with the logo on one of the inlays is a real nice touch. The rear is as blocky as the front with a huge LMC badge on one side and a smaller “V12” on the other. A curved shape is carved out of the bottom to break up some of the square design. There is a sunroof, but not much else is special about the cabin. We found the matel flake in the paint to be a little too extreme, but light blue is a good color for an LMC
The engine is a small 48v OHC V12 and it has a manual 5-speed. It has a semi-clad undertray like some of the supercar concepts which was unexpected. A Maladus like this would be spacious and smooth, but it also tries to be faster than the previous Maladus, sacrificing what comfort and driveability it could have have with the choice of body style.
Overall, this car falls into the same trap of trying to do too much like the Propeller proposal, and the styling may be too futuristic for its own good.
Score: 48
@Supermini555 - Maladus Premium Sport
Finally we’re down to the last concept, a steel supercar called the Maladus Premium Sport. Immediately noticeable is the many shades of grey happening here, making the design feel a bit more busy than it is. The bonnet is darker than the body with a chrome outline around a smaller scoop. The popup headlight shape has nice curves to it. In addition to the headlights is a pair of dual headlights that reach far out from the inside of the vents, but the lights themselves have a deep chrome rim to them. There are good elements, but the front feels claustrophobic as a whole. The side has a thicker trim line that follows from the rear of the front fender around to the back of the car. There is an assortment of differently shaped vents along the side. Curious most of the concepts with a similar body shape all had three stacked vents in front of the rear wheel, and this one falls in the middle as far as how effectively it was used. The rear is similar to the front in how dense the design is, but we think it works a little better here. The extreme angle gives the general shape movement even though as a production car it may not be the best idea. The relatively big wheels and the cutaway from the rear and sides make the car high off the ground. A different paint job and a little refining could make a big difference for this concept. There are some good ideas going, but it hasn’t quite come together yet.
The engine is a smaller V8 making 240hp allowing for an easier driving experience. The interior is full of luxury materials, and although the floor is high, it looks relatively comfortable for a mid-engine supercar. It wouldn’t be a very fast Maladus, but it would surely stand out as of the more comfortable and affordable supercars.
This Maladus Premium Sport is a supercar with balanced performance and comfort, but the design is busy and not very representative of LMC.
Edit: Somehow I missed that this was front and not mid-engine, sorry about that
Score: 59
And the winner is...
Congratulations to @Rk38 and Beneventi for submitting the best proposal for the new Maladus. While there were a few great concepts worthy of continuing the Maladus name, none were the complete package the 5800 GT was.
1st - @Rk38
2nd - @Maxbombe
3rd - @MrChips
4th - @titleguy1
5th - @Mikonp7
6th - @Supermini555
7th - @EnCR
8th - @mart1n2005
9th - @Rise_Comics
Thank you all for participating!!
