A car made of passion and dreams, created to bring the world of racing closer. An inexpensive race car authorised to be used in road traffic.

Hello everyone,

Let me present you the story of a kit-car assembled entirely according to my own design.

The first idea of assembling my own car came into my mind on 9^th December 2005. From the beginning it was supposed to be a kit-car with a closed body and weight not exceeding 550 kg (due to Polish regulations in force at the time allowing such cars to be driven from the age of 16) based on Fiat Seicento car parts.

Low mass, series-produced mechanical components and architecture typical for a race car were to result in an extremely effective, but at the same time rather inexpensive sports car. It would be the first modern sports car competing with the world class sport cars without any inferiority complex. Nobody expected that in a few years a prototype equipped with an engine with the lowest power possible (55 km) would beat Subaru Impreza GT on the race track…

“Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.”

                                                       – Colin Chapman, F1 driver, founder of Lotus Cars

In the prototype I used a 1100 ccm engine, but ultimately I plan to use a 1400 ccm T-Jet engine with an increased power of 200–230 hp ;-).

The concept is based on a few basic premises:

1. Architecture typical for race cars (space frame),
2. Inexpensive and easily accessible mechanical components from popular models of Fiat / Alfa Romeo,
3. Equipment allowing the car to be authorised to be used in road traffic.

Currently, Kozmo’s competitors in the sports car market are:

Compared to its competitors, Kozmo is much more uncompromising and more prepared for the real sport competition, while still adjusted to everyday use on the road. It will be fitted with a roll cage that is a standard component of the car’s structure, so the chassis doesn’t have to be modified in order to allow safe track racing. A smaller engine and a simplified structure result in a reduced length and mass of the car, which has a positive effect on its performance and steering.

Ultimately, it will be possible to order Kozmo as a finished product constructed in line with a previously determined specification or as a kit-car to be assembled by the customer. Within the framework of series production several dozens of cars are planned to be manufactured in the first year. A more long-term forecast is harder to provide due to the unique nature of the project.

STAGE 1.

Everything started with sketches on an A4 sheet of paper.

I have always dreamed of a small, two-man sports car with a rear engine – inexpensive, with a simple structure and as effective as possible in high-speed driving, while at the same time always ready to be used at a race track or a special stage of a rally.

_{STAGE 2.}

Designing a digital version of the framework and the body.

STAGE 3. 

Constructing the space frame.

Finally, the long-awaited day came when the engine was started for the first time.

STAGE 4.

Then the car was tested on the Rakietowa race track.

On 28^th December 2008, the first drive with a prototype chassis took place.

In April, we took several test drives on a race track in Wroclaw. The main test driver was my youngest brother, who is a rally driver and who was able to adjust the suspension and test the prototype to its fullest potential.

STAGE 5.

Body model.

After successful tests of the framework, I started working on the body model.

The model has to mirror the shape of a real car body. It will be the basis for future moulds (negatives) to be used for production of the actual body components. Such models are often created from clay or Styrofoam with a plaster finish. I chose Styrofoam, because in our case the model was to be mounted on the actual prototype framework. Due to the fact that at the time when we begun works 3D CNC machines were very expensive, the project planned to use digitally cut 5 cm thick Styrofoam boards of increased density glued together.

After precisely matching and gluing together the cut and meticulously numbered puzzle pieces, the edges and uneven spots were to be smoothed out, plastered and polished. At each stage, the symmetry of both sides of the body has to be carefully watched. Keeping it requires measuring the body, marking it in the measuring grid and carefully comparing every point using a profile gauge.

After achieving the body shape in line with the design, the model has to be cut into body components (i.e. doors and flaps have to be separated etc.) and carefully finished, including technical profiles. When each part has the final shape it should be primed by spray so that the surface is prepared for creating a mould.

Windows frames use elements from Fiat Seicento and Alfa Romeo GTV.

In mid-2008 the project was transferred from Wrocław to Warsaw.

The basic tool used for symmetrical modelling the body – a profile gauge.

Before/after polishing.

Having modelled the body in line with the design, I cut it into separate parts.

Doors only required a great deal of work:

This is how the car looked at the final stage of polishing, before being primed.

Here you can see KOZMO wrapped in foil:

STAGE 6.

Priming.

Currently, the body model is primed and prepared for creating the mould that will be used for series production of the final body components.

In the meantime, first glass fibre body parts were created. These include interior elements of doors manufactured by carbonbike.pl company that specialises in production of the world’s lightest handbikes and various types of car body parts made of carbon fibre. Below you can see the photos of the moulds and the first prototype body component:

Currently, I have reached this stage. The prototype looks like this:

And that is how Kozmo is going to look after completion. These renders take into account all the stylistic changes I introduced in the course of works on the actual body model.

In order to finish the prototype I need your support!

Many thanks to those of you who managed to read up to this point ;-)

Kind regards,

Tomasz Ferdek

Bonus: