From Render To Reality: Catching Up With Live To Offend

Just under a year ago, a fresh take on the BMW E30 debuted in Las Vegas ahead of the SEMA Show. The car took elements known to work on the E30 – box flares, aggressive side skirts and a lowered stance – and pushed them just that little bit further.

Instead of tucking straight back into the quarters the overfenders stopped short, and the gap between the body and flare was filled with horizontal slats. On the trunk lid an extra level was added to the spoiler before being topped off with a second aggressive Gurney flap. Window louvers borrowed straight from the ’80s adorned the back window, and the already aggressive lower front lip saw a splitter affixed to bring the car that much closer to the ground.

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-6948

Painted satin black with a unique cyber punk-inspired livery on top, the end result brought several different elements together without looking too busy. It’s certainly a bold look, and one that made total sense when the designer was revealed to be the one and only Khyzyl Saleem.

Second Coming
2019 Kyza LTO M4-26

Khyzyl’s digital work has been unavoidable the past half decade, and the E30 is actually the second of his many ideas to enter the physical realm. The first was an F82 BMW M4 that debuted at Racesim in 2018.

That car, as Khyzyl puts it, “was unofficially; the first official LTO car.” The similarities are readily apparent between the two, and the motto ‘Live To Offend’ actually snuck onto the M4 – an intentional bit of foreshadowing for what would eventually come.

2019 Kyza LTO M4-22

“It [the M4] set everything off; it gave me confidence that I could do this. Bringing my renders to life was always my ultimate goal,” Khyzyl explained via our WhatsApp conversation.

The Visionary Meets The Executor

Creating in the digital space has been an incredibly rewarding experience for Khyzyl, but as described, with passion, how the E30 came together it was clear nothing really compares to creating something drive-able.

However, LTO didn’t begin to truly transition from idea to reality until Eric Penelow entered the picture.

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-6916

“Like so many others, I knew of Khyzyl’s work and admired it,” said Eric, who brings to the partnership a wealth of both brand building and production experience. After his previous opportunity ran its course, he reached out to Khyzyl over Instagram. “He didn’t say ‘yes’ right away – he made me wait nearly a month,” Eric followed up with a laugh.

“For me the timing had to be right,” Khyzyl explained. First impressions are hard to top, but the last thing Khyzyl wanted to do was follow up a solid M4 jab with a weak E30 cross.

Trust The Process
LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-6933

The path from digital art to physical product is far from linear, and it’s in this space that Eric thrives. “Khyzyl is the visionary, where I come in is the execution.”

Neither partner admits to one being more important than the other, and both acknowledge that each of their individual strengths is what makes the partnership work. “Every company needs a good recipe and we’re lucky to have created an exceptional one together,” says Eric.

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7221

The E30 was chosen as the pair’s first subject because of each party’s love for the chassis and the car’s popularity in general. Both also felt that the E30 market needed something fresh after showing slight signs of stagnation in recent years. The prototype LTO kit went through several revisions before its debut.

“At the end of the day we had to make something people would be willing to put on their car,” mentioned Khyzyl. “We also had to make something people could actually install on their car; there was a lot of back and forth in that process,” Eric added.

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7013

I’m sure we’ve all struggled with aesthetic products that were a nightmare to install, and LTO would rather you not toss the product out of your garage in frustration attempting to line up the body lines.

“The kits should be a walk in the park for any body shop, and well within the reach of an ambitious do-it-yourself mechanic. We’re also working on installation videos,” says Eric, clearly thinking a few steps ahead of where they are currently.

The process from pixels to atoms starts with Khyzyl who works in 3D Studio Max and KeyShot. Once satisfied with his design, it’s handed over to a CAD artist where a scanned model of the base car helps recreate the kit design in a way that it can be both reproduced and installed.

LTO_V5Eric.765
LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7008

“A few things needed to be tweaked to make it work,” says Eric. “Side skirts pose a real challenge in how they intersect with the fender, and then you also have to think about overall length for shipping – it’s a lot to consider.”

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7097

Additions made in the CAD process involve crucial items like mounting flanges. At this point everyone involved also gets to see just how much the base car needs to be modified for the kit to be installed.

“I actually don’t want people to have to cut up half of their car to install our kits,” says Khyzyl.

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7286

In the end, the prototype E30 kit worked out to 16 pieces as ‘Stage 1′, and an additional eight totaling ‘Stage 2′ at 24 unique pieces. In comparison, most competitor kits work out to be about half that, but LTO kits include diffusers, Gurney flaps, splitters – everything needed to bring the complete vision to life.

Eric and Khyzyl are aware there’s a price ceiling for body kits, and doubled down on their challenge by commiting to offer a price-per-part ratio better than other options currently on the market.

In total, producing the E30 kit took six months. Two of those months were spent in CAD design and the rest on navigating production challenges.

After the renders were created, the molds to produce a consistent product in numbers needed to be created. To complicate matters even further, Eric and Khyzyl did the first kit entirely in carbon fiber.

Compared to FRP creating show quality carbon fiber is much more labor intensive. Good carbon fiber flows seamlessly from one panel to another, while a lesser job creates jarring transitions as weave collides from panel to panel.

The resin used to cover the weave is also important, if it’s not quite right the finish will be forever cloudy.

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7083

If you’re thinking at this point the pair are gluttons for punishment, I’d agree.

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7213

It’s here, in the production grind, where Eric’s previous experience developing body parts for the E36 chassis came into play. He didn’t describe the process as easy, but he did say it was somewhat familiar.

After half a year in the works, the car came together in a six-day thrash leading up to the 2018 SEMA Show. As with every SEMA crunch there were a few curve balls hiding in the dugout. One such curve ball involved Eric going on a mini road-trip for tires just so the car could make its deadline.

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7662

It’s safe to say that Khyzyl’s lead up to SEMA was also a little intense. Not only would he be experiencing American culture for the first time, he’d also be attending one of the largest shows in the world – again for the first time – and having a car of his own design there to boot.

“After landing in Vegas I was super-excited to see the car,” says Khyzyl. “I’d seen plenty of teasers along the way, but nothing compared to the final product. The feeling was surreal.”

What’s Next?
LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7098

If you can believe it, the E30 prototype is actually not nearly as wide as the original renders, so the production design has been tweaked again to better match the initial render art. The latest rendition of the kit will be on three different cars at 2019’s SEMA show. One built by Rebellion Forge Racing, another by e30sport member ‘mush’ and the third, pictured below, by Zach of Zwing films.

lto-zwing-e30-4

Eric and Khyzyl have also finalized their touring prototype for the e30 chassis.

LTO_Wagon.1672-Recovered-2

Touring owners are typically left to McGuyver kits onto their cars so this should be a welcomed addition to the market.

2019 Kyza LTO M4-14
2019 Kyza LTO M4-29

After that, the M4 kit will be further refined before it too is released officially to the public.

Function Forward
LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7118

One of the biggest criticisms about aftermarket body kits in general is the fact that they’re typically non-functional. Khyzyl and Eric are both very aware of this.

“The largest next step for the brand and myself is to make the designs more functional. They’re art currently, but I’d love for them to work,” says Khyzyl. Eric shares a similar sentiment: “We would love to get into aerodynamics, get some wind tunnel time, really do race-bred parts for the street. That’s the future.”

2019 Kyza LTO M4-32

If you follow Khyzyl on social media you may have noticed that recently he recently attended the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans race. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’m incredibly grateful for; it was extremely inspirational”.

After being exposed to some of the fastest race cars around, Khyzyl is excited to tackle the challenge of balancing function with form, without sacrificing his unique style.

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7352

While Khyzyl creates, Eric’s next challenge is continuing to scale the business and deciding which of Khyzyl’s extensive back catalog designs should be brought to life next.

Eric sees every failure he’s had so far as a stepping stone towards this company, and it’s not an opportunity he plans to squander. “With Live To Offend we want to invoke a reaction in people – hopefully one that inspires. To do that we will end up offending some along the way, and we accept that.”

LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7281

As our conversation came to an end, I couldn’t help but ask Khyzyl what might be in store for his FD3S, which is currently pretty subdued in the looks department. “I have something designed for the RX-7 that’s really special. However It’s my only car so I’m taking my time, but there are plans,” he said.

2019 Kyza LTO M4-3

My intent wasn’t to end this article on a cliffhanger, but currently the LTO team is holding the RX-7 plans close to their chest so we’ll all have to wait and see what the future holds.

However, I don’t think there’s any way it won’t be worth the wait.

Dave Thomas
Instagram: stanceiseverythingcom

Photos by Paddy McGrath
Instagram: pmcgphotos
Twitter: pmcgphotos
paddy@speedhunters.com

Photos by Keiron Berndt
Instagram: keiron_berndt

Cutting Room Floor
2019 Kyza LTO M4-2
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LTO E30 - Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - SEMA 2018 - 11 - 3 - 2018-7020
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42 comments

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1

I've been following Khyzyl's work for years now and I am so happy to finally see them coming to life. His journey is very, very inspiring - from lunchtime quick part mashups as concept artist to designing body kits for cover cars in NFS and this!

2

I'm impressed with the notion that the team will be headed to the wind tunnel, eventually. In the meantime, keep bringing us all the cyberpunk, all the time! I love it.

3

poor E30s.. :(

4

Ah. To be a car guy with no ambition. What a bummer

5

vibradores. that's hilarious.

6

How do you install wide fenders and wide wheels without chopping the original bodywork?
I'm not dumping on the cars at all, actually I think they're pretty rad.

Author7

You can't. But there's still a degree in which people are willing to commit. Ie cutting a fender or quarter for a bit more clearance seems to be ok.

Removing the entire quarter panel to replace it with another (ie seamlessly) is a bit of an ask.

8

It's good to see a render become a reality
It looks so unreal

9

Man I'm glad that Khyzyl's cars are going to be in NFS Heat
It's going to be so cool!

10

Khyzyl like the next generation Akira

11

A totally ruined E30 that body is almost the same as a max power project car from the early 90s with a hideous Reiger modified wide body.
Is the new norm? Because that style needs to stay well in the past I keep seeing 90s tat brought back maybe because their hoping people that didn't exist in those times will dig it and reignite that whole shambolic era.

12

I guess thats why the name is "Live to Offend". Its about taste I guess.

13

Very true

Author14

Did someone say Maxpower and Reiger? One of my favorite e30s ever was from that era ha.

Re: power, I mean this car isn't stock under the hood, and there's nothing to stop customers from going even further with their own kits.

decom_7efc394f2adc6dffaf6042256ac55063_5d764cc858e56.jpgdecom_7efc394f2adc6dffaf6042256ac55063_5d764cc858e56.jpg
15

“The largest next step for the brand and myself is to make the designs more functional. They’re art currently, but I’d love for them to work,” says Khyzyl. Eric shares a similar sentiment: “We would love to get into aerodynamics, get some wind tunnel time, really do race-bred parts for the street. That’s the future.”



This is not art. A Ferrari 250 and a Jag E type , among others, yeap they are art. This E30 is the equivalent of a kid drawing comics on his school notebook. Producing aerodynamic parts that actually work is not the future. It's the reason why this whole industry was created in the first place. Cars are meant to be driven and modified to drive better. You don't buy a hamburger because it comes inside a beautiful box.

16

With respect, I don't think one person gets to decide what art is.

17

Also with respect I guess you said the same thing when the creator of these BMWs claimed they are art.

Author18

Hey,

Paddy actually didn't say they were art. Khyzyl did. And I suppose I did too with the text. But it's funny that you mention comic books, because comics are a form of art.

Also aerodynamic parts that work have been around forever yes, in this context it's the future for LTO.

Finally I don't think the following is quite accurate `. It's the reason why this whole industry was created in the first place. Cars are meant to be driven and modified to drive better.`

I get your point, and if you are a function forward enthusiast then of course, but I'd say equal (maybe more?) modify for style.

19

Paddy said one person (guess that's me) can't decide what art is. So I think it's only reasonable to ask if he also disagrees when that one person is Khyzyl.

I will accept that it was a simple misunderstanding that it's just the future of LTO. I will insist though that everything that we nowadays call style started as a necessity when hunting more speed or to be more specific enhanced car performance. I do disagree with style only modification , even though I (try to) understand.

Thanks for the reply anyway.

20

Sorry for the slow reply, John.

It's a hugely subjective topic, but it's a fair (and quite a good) question to ask. If someone has created something and wants to call it art, I would generally agree with them, regardless of whether I like the end result or not.

I think to dismiss something as not being art just because you just don't like it, is wrong. Although when you then try to distinguish the lines between art and not art, the argument goes down a rabbit hole that I don't think either of us have the time to debate!

21

The good thing about free enterprise is the market will dictate if what they’ve done is good or not. It’s not like they’ve promised it to be something it isn’t. Obviously they’re in their infancy with coming to market. You gotta start somewhere. Moving forward they’ll either get better, worse or disappear. Good luck to them. It’s so easy to be critical.

Author22

Hey John,

Sorry not trying to make it seem as though we're piling on.

I imagine you're right a lot of basic styling did start from performance lower COG resulting in hey that looks better closer to the ground, but it's now certainly splintered off.

23

Hey Dave I actually like that reiger kit you've put always have done too, its the sides I can't agree on they just make it look ott same as the corrado kit the sides ruin it but the bumpers looked ok ,that's the way the game works though otherwise itd be boring if everyone loved the same shiz.
I'm still never going to be able to look at a studpidly wide car without shivering and hearing happy hardcore from the 90s torturing the last remaining remnants of my soul maybe im getting too old and maybe when I think about my current garage selection would confirm it!

Author24

Hey Wayne that Kit is a bit of a hodge podge, Reiger front rear, MTECH II sides (door) and Civic SI sideskirts. It was superchaged S52. It was a local build (Ontario), sadly got stolen.

90s tuning was a... time. But people were creative at least? Though it's a shame so many EF moldings got filled with bondo...

25

I remember an advertisement from back in time an E30 convertible in calypso with the reiger GTS full kit but it had arch flares similar to the Mercedes 190 Evo 2 looked awesome (to me at least) that was one of the only kits I liked back then on euro cars been trying to find a pic of it but failed miserably.

26

This e30 is hardly offensive, if that's what this is all about. There's an entire hillclimb racing culture that has very similar aero and stance to many of their cars, theres the DTM racing of the 90's that was very similar as well. This e30 has very modest camber and tire stretch to boot. Anyone complaining should just knock it off really.

27

Seriously now comparing DTM and hillclimb cars that people have put enormous amount of effort in designing something that works to an E30 built for facebook likes and car shows is actually a pure blasphemy

28

Not an hill climb car or a DTM car though is it, it's bodywork for the point of bodywork if anything it's going to slow it down a lot plus like you've mentioned it's got tyre stretch so definitely not a racer.
I mean really what is it supposed to be? it's like a four wheeled version of Bruce Jenner bulges were there shouldn't be and a whole lot more wrongness!

29
Engineering perspective

Racing aerodynamics for the street are an oxy moron.

Literally--if you understand aerodynamics it is an oxy moron. I doubt anything designed by this guy will create any real down force without incurring significant drag because...wait for it...

...he's not a race engineer.

30

I don't think anyone is under the impression that these kits are going to generate effective downforce. Maybe using the term 'aero' for aftermarket kits (I'm certainly guilty of this) is where the real issue lies?

31

Love how this kind of article brings out the worst in everyone lol. From me, cool concepts and great to see work imagined brought to life, that must be a fun journey for Khyzyl. Now to some bashing...

@ john (one of the hundred on here...) please don't complain about him calling it "art", for goodness sake even by definition art is just an "expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form..." etc. It is his imagination and his popularity has already proven that his work has caught other people's imagination too. If you don't like it.. good for you? You will be okay, don't worry.

@Hugo, who gives two turds if Paddy races or not? For goodness sake even by saying that it seems like you built a pedal stool for yourself to pat yourself on the back and say "but I race! I am racer!" How would you even define that? Go to the track a few times a year? a dozen? be part of a series? what level? what group? or wait you have to be in F1 to REALLY race right? Also, tell me if I am wrong, but SH is a company that needs to make money to survive? What a surprise! Things that "work" are "high art"? HAHAHAhaha... wait you are serious. Well thanks for the laugh anyways.

@Engineering perspective
You might have a bit of a point with it being an oxymoron, maybe "race inspired" would make you happier? Besides if you think about it there are enough races that happen on roads. Oh and if they are going to a wind tunnel...wait for it...

..... they will probably hire help. Crazy isn't it?

32
Engineering Perspective

Only I can show you case studies where top level indy guys got it wrong by designing only in a tunnel or on CFD and not track testing.

So it's hilarious you will sit here and take little shots at me while you get up voted when in reality real racers who win championships understand it's way beyond "wind tunnel testing."

How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go? The problem is now everyone is an expert. Hiring help doesn't mean shit if the help sucks, but you see money so you see validity. Stupid as hell. It's an epidemic how dumb people are becoming. Not just in cars, in terms of the basic scientific method. FFS....

33

So according to your googled definition of art anyone can call almost anything art. And you expect that everyone else will agree. Right? And if someone's popularity adds to what art is I know a few girls whose boobs are art based on their instagram followers numbers, even though their boobs don't fit to your definition of art.
Sure SH is a business . They choose to promote people that design things that look cool when there are people out there designing things that both look cool and actually make your car go faster. I choose to complain about this.
Finally I got a big surprise for you. If they do hire someone that actually knows aerodynamics there is no way their bodykits will look anything close to the ones we can see on the pictures above. Wait it gets better. There are already companies selling such stuff. And they sell them not because they are popular on the internet. But because they race cars.

34

There's a lot of people in these comments who are upset because people choose to do something with cars which makes them happy. There are others who seemingly consider themselves Colin Chapman re-incarnate, but fail to overlook some of the most simplest things in their assessments i.e. intended usage.

Nearly all of these people probably still drive their mother's Honda.

35
Engineering Perspective

And there are moderators feeling like their jobs are in jeopardy so they are trying to hold onto whatever foot hold they can without understanding the first thing about their subject matter. If you're so good at all of this Paddy, why don't you write an article about laminar flow on race car and I'll write an article to counter your point of view.

We can compare notes and whoever has more points keeps a job at Speed Hunters. Willing to bet or just talk some more bullshit?

36

Speedhunters is not a technical site. It never has been and in all likelihood never will be. There are great sites and resources out there if that's what you're looking for (MotoIQ, Racecar Engineering etc.) but to come here and throw tantrums (under several different usernames) is completely pointless. It's a waste of your time and everyone else's too.

If there's something you want to add and feel that people might be interested, then please do so in a constructive and civilised manner. You'll receive a much more positive reaction and actually contribute something to the community here in the process. You'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar and all that.

Otherwise, we'll just delete any further non-constructive posts from you.

37

Well said Paddy. The negativity is so exhausting. If you don’t like it, do something better and let that be your statement of disapproval.

38

Not sure if it's the choice of paint or photography, but it's difficult to appreciate the lines and elements of the body kit here.
Maybe a polarizer would help (also appropriate for the effect these cars have in the comments)...?

39

That Boss sponsored car is gorgeous! this kit makes me think about starting a build with this platform, I always wanted an E21 based widebody but the E30 is easier to find and probably has improvements to make engine swaps better and easier. For those debating about art (maybe they had their own car at SEMA)... check the Roy Lichtenstein and Alexander Calder BMW Art Cars (have been displayed at the finest art museums all over the world); that is largely what this kit is based on.

40

It looks cool? YUP..is it functional in any way? We don't know! Will it be? Possible. That should be enough to just follow this thread of actions and see where it goes. Too early to comment, not too early to let the eyes enjoy some new design.

41

What shift knob is that in the E30?

42

Pouring one up for the purists who just popped a blood vessel.

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