Introducing the Takata Time Attack STi!
The story of community painter Andre Guerrieri and his Forza 2 livery turned into a real-world dream come true.
By: Landin Williams, Community Moderator
Forza Motorsport 2 is a racing game that means something different for everyone, and as we explored during our First Anniversary week, many players live within our world to express their creativity with the game's robust car painting tool. And due to the body of output from Forza's artistic community over the past year, much attention has been garnered for a handful of really standout artists here at Forzamotorsport.net. In fact, a couple months ago, the Forza painting community attracted the interest of amateur racer (and Forza player) James Elterman, who decided to harness the creative energy of the community and call upon these very artists to help create a real-life livery for his Team Takata Time Attack Subaru STi.
So here's the deal: A few weeks ago I was approached by James Elterman with details regarding a contest like no other we have seen here at Forzamotorsport.net. Elterman had just secured Takata as a his primary sponsor for the 2008 racing season, and was in need of a sexy new livery design for his Time Attack-tuned 2004 Subaru STi. Being a Forza enthusiast and long time racing game veteran, he decided to enlist the help of our artistic community here at FM.net to design the livery that will adorn his monster STi as it tears up the competition this season.
Presenting the all new 2008 Takata Time Attack Subaru STi, designed by Forza 2 community veteran Andre "dRizZe" Guerrieri!
Now what's most impressive is the fact that Elterman came here to FM.net to find a livery for his Time Attack STi, a job that is usually done by professional designers. Having this sort of confidence in our community to design a car that will be competing on a national stage is a testament to the abilities and overall quality of work that is released here daily in our forums. Not only does Forza 2 allow Elterman and Takata to preview the design on an accurate model of the car, it also gives users the tools to create professional quality livery designs, where you are only limited by your imagination. Of course it also helps to be able to choose from a large selection of submissions; something there was no shortage of in this contest.
After weeks of filtering through high quality designs, and much anticipation, James and Takata have finally revealed the winning submission from this contest as seen in our Weekly Pitpass Report last Friday. It is with great excitement that I present to you the winner of the Takata Livery Design contest, Andre “dRizZe” Guerrieri, who will finally get to see one of his virtual creations transformed into reality!
Check out the brand new STi and it's big brother the 2005 #18 Takata Dome NSX
So what criteria was used to help Elterman and Takata find the winning design? How does Andre Guerrieri feel, knowing that his car is going to be racing in Time Attack events across North America? In order to answer some of these questions I took some time to talk to both Elterman and Guerrieri about one of the most innovative and interesting competitions the Forza 2 community has ever seen.
“I am crazy about the new design. It is perfect because it clearly identifies Takata and their product, it will be relatively easy to transfer to the car, and it looks fantastic. I am confident that it will be the best looking car on the Time Attack circuit."--James Elterman, Amateur Race Driver and Forza Enthusiast
Now it’s pretty easy to see how selecting one winning design out of over 60 submissions is no easy task, and the difficulty only increases when you are dealing with this community. A large number of high quality liveries were submitted to this contest, and although Elterman is not shocked by the participation, he is impressed with the overall submissions. “The potential for an artist to have their design translated onto a real race car was enough to get the attention of some of Forza’s top artists” says Elterman, “so I wasn’t surprised with the community’s willingness to help with the project. I was however surprised with how many artists got involved, and the overall quality of the submissions."
Elterman and a few friends remove all the old vinyl from his 2008 STi. Once they have all been removed it's off to P+L Motorsports for a few upgrades...
Indeed, numerous artists got involved with this contest, and many incredible designs were created and submitted for review, however it is not always about the look of the car. In the world of racing having a car that stands out can be considered less important than having a car that communicates the correct information quickly and easily -- especially when the car is flying past you at 100mph. Much of the decision-making process for Takata and Elterman revolved around the need to show off the Takata brand in relation to their products. “Simply stated, we were looking for a design that in just a moment’s notice, a viewer could easily identify the Takata name and associate it with their quality harness systems,” Elterman explains. “By having a graphic of the product, the viewer can make the association very quickly. This goes a long way to improve Takata’s visibility in the market,” he says.
Bare and ready for paint, Elterman's STi is delivered to P+L Motorsports for a few upgrades before being sent off to Leyden Auto Body for a fresh coat of white paint.
Along with the effectiveness of the design, the feasibility is a major factor according to Elterman -- a wise choice when you consider the differences between creating a car with FM2’s livery editor and replicating that same design in real life. “We have to keep in mind that this is a race car and not a show car. We don’t have the budget to airbrush a fancy design, so one that can be applied with vinyl decals is ideal” he explains. This also makes it much easier to replicate the design if body panels become damaged when Elterman pushes his ride too far past its limits.
As you can see, a livery that is feasible, yet sexy and efficient was required to make it on to Elterman’s STi, and Guerrieri’s design fits those criteria perfectly. “I am crazy about the new design,” says Elterman. “It is perfect because it clearly identifies Takata and their product, it will be relatively easy to transfer to the car, and it looks fantastic. I am confident that it will be the best looking car on the Time Attack circuit.”
The soon to be Takata Time Attack STi receives some upgrades at P+L Motorsports. If you look closely you can see a printout of Guerrieri's winning design!
And just when will this Forza 2 inspired beauty hit the track? Well as with anything there is a lot of prep work to be done before the new and improved Takata STi is put to the test at the July 19th NASA Time Trial event at the Autobahn Country Club. For now Elterman’s ride has been delivered to the folks at P+L Motorsports in Chicago, to receive the final touches before it heads off to the paint booth. With a brand new rollcage, a new front mount intercooler, and a few less pounds courtesy of the now-removed air conditioning, Elterman’s STi will be sent over to Leyden Auto Body within the next few weeks to receive a fresh coat of pearlescent white paint and of course a carbon copy of Guerrieri’s stunning design.