M346 Homage: A Supercar Inspired by Fighter Aircraft

Robson Marques de Pontes Unveils a Masterpiece in Automotive Design

The M346 Homage stands out with its all-carbon fiber body, developed to dress a lightweight, aerospace-inspired, all-electric or mid-engine multipurpose automotive platform. The design process, from the first sketch to virtual reality reviews, CFD simulations, and generative design, was integrated and bold, reflecting a unique design taste.

Offered with either a V8 internal combustion engine or an electric powertrain, the M346 Homage was designed using traditional sketching skills and computer-aided styling, augmented reality, and other computer simulations. The final platform and bodywork, inspired by the aerospace world, use light materials such as high-strength aerospace aluminum alloy and carbon fiber composites, striking a perfect balance between craftsmanship and high-tech solutions.

With more than 700 hp (in its internal combustion engine configuration), the mid-engine, two-seater M346 Homage has a total length of 4778 mm and a wheelbase of 1.193 mm. It stands at 1.193 mm from the ground and has a total width (discounting side mirrors) of 2.066 mm. The design features automotive fluid lines that elegantly morph into clever details that carry functions such as vehicular active aerodynamics and downforce for improvement in cornering and breaking assistance.

The exterior design of the M346 Homage project was initiated in January of 2022 in Germany and Italy and completed, only 3 months later, in March of the same year. During the research phase, a deep analysis of both the formal design language and the functional elements of the Aermacchi M-346 fighter aircraft was carried out. The result is a car that resembles the aircraft in its looks while reverse-engineering its aerodynamic solutions and preserving all the sharpness and sexiness of a sports car of such a nature.

The biggest challenge in the design process of the M346 Homage was transforming and adapting the more brutal and technical formal styling language of a fighter aircraft into that of a fluid and elegant supercar and enhancing active and passive aerodynamics with unique design solutions. Despite this, the design team, led by Robson Marques de Pontes and Luciano Maffini, managed to complete the whole design research, create a design story theme, sketch ideas, computer-aided styling modeling, and computer generative imagery rendering in only two months.

The M346 Homage is a bespoke track and road, 2-seater, super sportive car design project proposal that looks for inspiration in the Aermacchi M-346, the fastest Italian fighter aircraft ever built to date. It brings together lightweight composites and aerospace aluminum construction in addition to advanced aerodynamic concepts in an elegant silhouette with very sleek automotive proportions and quite unique design features and solutions.