Paying homage to the Arabian Gazelle and based on Mercedes G-Wagon running gear, this is the Gazal 1 Concept. An ambitious near year-long project by students from the Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with Magna Steyr Italy and Studiotorino for design.
The first project of the university’s Automotive Engineering Degree Course was run by 50 students who submitted over 50 sketches and proposals. The course covered styling, engineering feasibility studies as well construction of the concept and running the prototype.
Students worked alongside Australian designer, Peter Arcadipane, at Studiotorino, but the name and colour was chosen by staff at the university.
There’s more than a hint of oversized FJ Cruiser about the final prototype, and the green colour probably isn’t the most flattering, but there are styling cues clearly derived from local favourites such as the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser, with quite a classical and rather bluff front end. The Ghazal styling certainly has a cohesive and tough desert-thrashing quality.
Could this be the first regionally built and sold off-roader – stick an AMG V8 under the bonnet and we could be in business!
What do you reckon, could this sell? Let us know your thoughts below?
