Axio

Grew up in the 80s loving these. A friend in high school had a 240Z, and I never got over it. Aftermarket support for these is wide now. Way more than it used to be. Sung Kang's had a lot to do with that. His Fugu Z with GReddy won Best Import at SEMA and Best in Show at the Gran Turismo Awards, and he's still building on 240Zs today, still driving one daily from Malibu to the track. So the question stuck with me: if I built one, how would I do it?

Aluminum body. Like a DeLorean, like a Cybertruck. The material does some of the talking on its own. Wide, trackable, a real presence. But I didn't want it loud. I wanted it Singer-level refined.

Chip Foose has a line he's said for years: he likes to design things so that when you look at it, it looks like that's how it should've come from the factory. That's the target here. Not a slapped-on wide-body kit. Hand-sculpted, the way RÜNGE Cars does it. Over a wooden buck, panel by panel, the old coachbuilder way. My design's wide, maybe crazy wide, but I wanted it tasteful. No extreme wing. No exaggerated scoops. Every line earns its spot.

Roof humps inspired by the Lotus Exige and the Viper GTS double-bubble roof. They match the muscle in the wide fenders instead of just sitting on top of it. Custom LEDs replace the headlights. One light bar runs the full width of the rear, edge to edge, for a modern read. Carbon fiber parts because, well, it's carbon fiber. Rectangular dual exhaust, because the rear fascia is rectangular too. It matches the taillights instead of fighting them. Side vents pull from the Ferrari Testarossa strakes. I want this thing to look elegant enough to valet at dinner and mean enough to be aggressive on track.

Interior's brown leather with race harnesses. Diamond stitching on the seats brings some luxury into it, the kind of detail that turns a build into something bespoke instead of just modified.

The name's AXIO. Same root as Axiomata: axios, worthy, foundational. Not an accident. This one's tied to the same idea the whole brand runs on.

Call it OEM+ on steroids, with a slight touch of class — for whenever James Bond finally becomes a car enthusiast.

Words and images by: Axiom Otto