I made it to that jet reception last night by the skin of my teeth. I was fashionably late. The venue was hard to find. I think most of the cars had left. Which was okay, because the sun had started casting all these long shadows.
Immediately this car above caught my eye. I didn't know what is was.
When I asked the owner about it, he told me it was a kit car based on an Altima. Mr S. was taking shots of other things and didn't seem that interested in this car at the time.
When we got home that night Mr S. and I talked about the car. I'd recounted what the owner had told me. Mr S. seemed skeptical and uninterested because it was a kit car. It is a little like getting socks for Christmas. Even I remember feeling disappointed by it's status.
Today however we got to see the car again at the Concours. The owner had the doors and boot popped up. Where Mr S. exclaimed - oooooooh. It's an Ultima. Not an Altima. What's that - I asked? He didn't know.
Luckily later we ran into the owner. He was talking with a few guys. Until he mentioned that he'd printed some of the inside components with a 3D printer. This is where I kind of edged the guys out. I like cars, but I'm not going to do car talk. I will however talk 3D printing. You know I am all about the 3D printing.
You can see these vents don't look perfectly smooth. Because they were printed with a 3D printer. Mr S. and I have had many debates about which sector is going to embrace 3D printing first. We always felt car guys will push the technology first. There are tons of little parts they can just print.
Turns out this is a "component" kit car. Which is a very distinct difference. Your average 'kit' car is just some new body panels you put over an existing car. Like a ferraribird. But a component kit car is just a bag of parts -- You really have to assemble it all yourself. They ship you everything in separate, assembled boxes, (frame, body panels, windshield, seats, ...), You supply the motor, and put it all together.
Ultima Sports Wiki.
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