A very exciting electric kitcar project could still reach production if a partner can be found. It comes from the talented British-based, Polish designer, Zbigniew Dubiel and is called the Navrot, named after a famous Polish car designer called Cezary Nawrot who designed the Syrena Sport back in the late fifties.

Zbigniew takes up the story: “While creating this design, the biggest challenge for me was to visually connect the new electric powertrain technology with the kitcar community without creating an overly futuristic, or extravagant/extreme design.

“The whole idea to design and build this car came from the Polish investment company JJ Invest in the city of Lodz. The owner of the company is very passionate about cars and simply wanted to create something new, something fresh.

“As I had worked on another project for JJ Invest before, they decided to invite me to work on the Navrot project as well. Although I professionally design mainly commercial vehicles; buses, small trucks, and rail vehicles, I love cars, and if there is an opportunity, I do it with love and passion.

That’s what happened with the Navrot car. I was very hyped about this project from the very beginning.

The idea of a sportscar that many can afford, build themselves and then have fun driving it without polluting the air. Amazing!

From the beginning Zbigniew wanted the car to have similar proportions and an overall feel to the very iconic Lotus Seven. “I am big admirer of the Lotus Seven, so naturally the iconic shape was a great source of inspiration for this project,” he tells me.

Zbigniew continued: “I wanted this car to have clean and smooth exterior surfaces and at the same time, I wanted it to look dynamic and fast. However, I wanted it to be very simple, with a little bit of elegance. My intention was for it to look good on the track as well. Another important aspect was to create styling that will attract a younger generation of driving enthusiasts. I didn’t want it to feel too retro, I wanted it to give off a modern vibe.”

From the beginning, the Navrot was designed to be available in kit form based around Mazda RX-8 (much like the new MEV RX).

Zbigniew told me: “It was designed in a way, that it is intended to be a platform, which buyers can further use, to assemble in their very own and unique way. The idea was to let the buyer choose the electric motor, which will suit them most. We wanted it to be a starting base for future buyers. A very important part is the battery pack, which is located in the middle of the car for greater balance and handling.

“I finished the design in 2019. We had a solid idea for the exterior and interior. At the same time, the guys from JJ Invest hired a design engineer who created the entire platform including a tubular frame. As the work was slowly progressing, the Covid19 pandemic abruptly halted the project at the beginning of 2020.”

Unfortunately, the project was never resumed and the intended prototype was never built. According to Zbigniew, the owners of the project would like to see the project available in kit form.

“Hopefully, they can find a partner, who will help them build the car. As the designer of the car, I would love to see Navrot bringing joy to future drivers.”

Find out more via www.dubieldesign.com ENDS.