Nir Kahn 🎗
@Nir_Kahn
Followers
4,469
Following
198
Media
6,922
Statuses
53,372
Vehicle designer, motorsport fan, lover of music the way it used to be. Ex-Design Director for Plasan; now - Namiir Design
Israel
Joined May 2012
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Pinned Tweet
“We should be embracing this new palette of materials, start painting in textures and unpainted surfaces, and offering the public the luxury of authenticity. The age of the shiny metal car is coming to an end”
1
3
20
@Sara_Rose_G
There’s an Israeli girl’s name, Nofar, which is beautiful, but being that I’m Nir I couldn’t bring myself to call my daughter that
67
197
9K
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. Look what just showed up
69
276
3K
As a designer of military vehicles, the genius of the original Jeep from 75 yrs ago never ceases to amaze & surprise
33
892
1K
Wilder loaded up for testing. Central driver, 4 seats, mid-engined, NATO pallet sized flatbed, armour-piercing protection, and it’s smaller than a Wrangler and under 4t
53
173
1K
Why did we jump straight from Delta to Omicron? We bypassed the entire 90s Lancia range, that’s just pouring salt in the wound
47
106
1K
@Sara_Rose_G
My wife couldn’t understand my problem. I’m taking the response to this tweet as vindication
7
1
950
Military vehicle designer here. There isn’t anything remotely normal about using a commercial wireless gamepad for a safety-critical application. Military ones might look like this but they are wired, hardened, and make use of failsafe systems
reminder to journalists: the submarine's game controller is standard use for submarines, tanks, drones, etc. for the military. i know it sounds funny to you but it's actually one of the least remarkable things about the submarine
738
3K
42K
40
88
939
My boys just saw Gran Turismo. “It’s the best racing movie ever!”.
- Better than Le Mans?
“Haven’t seen that”.
- Better than Grand Prix?
“Haven’t seen that”.
- Better than Rush?
“Haven’t seen that”.
- What have you seen?
“Cars 1-3”
41
44
848
It’s always fun when a whole new group of people discover that no, that isn’t flames or a forked tongue, the serpent on the Alfa Romeo badge is eating a man
21
65
600
Called it nearly 2 years ago. This is great
15
28
550
Things that Americans think are great and normal but the rest of the world knows are weird and terrible ideas:
1. Arming everyone
2. Advertising prescription meds
3. Hershey’s chocolate
4. Top-loading washing machines
5. Labelling prices without VAT
6. Fahrenheit
82
38
550
I have had a massive influx of followers from Greece overnight. Something like 10% of my followers are now Greek. So especially for you, here’s some Greek content 🇬🇷
12
39
498
It’s hard to comprehend the scale of the Jewish tragedy that was the Holocaust because the numbers are so vast. But 6m people was 1/3 of the Jews in the world, all killed between 1939 and 1945. It is 9/11, every single day for 5.5 years. Every one a person
#HolocaustMemorialDay
7
173
483
Spent some time today sketching an idea for an urban runabout loosely inspired by the Bertone Runabout that evolved to become the Fiat X1/9. It’s a compact electric 2-seater as a fun way to get around town
95
26
488
Imagine being such an irredeemably awful person that the whole of car Twitter sides with Greta Thunberg against you
10
28
471
Someone is doing the Dakar in a Panda. Why is this not the *only* thing being covered on Eurosport?
17
32
454
I cut up an old tricycle today to make a device for locking my shelter from the inside, the northern border has been infiltrated, and I can hear distant booms. Meanwhile I’m still taking conference calls for work.
How’s your day going?
72
40
437
A gas barbecue isn’t a barbecue, it’s just cooking outside.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
34
28
421
@BriannaWu
@EinatWilf
Consistently supporting the underdog regardless of any actual moral/ethical standing as if the weaker party at any given moment is by definition in the right is an obvious recipe for eternal conflict and it’s always astounded me that this simple logic isn’t entirely self-evident
13
42
414
That’s my Humvee design, driving in a Greek Ohi Day parade today, the day they mark the Greek rejection of and resistance against fascism in WW2
13
21
358
Been sent this. They are JLTVs, the vehicle replacing the Humvee. There’s always a moment when I see a large production of something I’ve designed that I think “whoa, I was only joking”.
But this is a big one…
20
40
350
I’m stunned, I have 600 new followers from Greece since yesterday. That’s a big demographic shift. Warm welcome to all of you. I’ll ask my established followers, what is the one thing all of these friendly new Greek people need to know about me?!
(I’m going to regret this…)
24
14
345
Last week a Sierra Cosworth went for over £600k. Can someone explain how an RS200 isn’t worth more than £140k?
Perhaps the star of the show, this 1988 Ford RS200 - 1 of just 49 LHD road going cars built, and guided at £180,000-£220,000 doesn’t sell for a high bid of £140,000
What a machine.
Is there a more exotic car from a mainstream manufacturer you could buy in that price bracket?
46
17
292
60
13
347
The most irritating part of watching The Crown is constantly getting distracted by questions like “did the Ford Transit have that grille in 1991?”.
Spoiler alert - no, it didn’t
22
9
344
Collected my new car today. One of the very last BRZs off the line. Looks great in blue and of course if it’s not red it’s not a midlife crisis car, right?
49
3
278
@Natt
@Sara_Rose_G
Absolutely brilliant. Unless of course the book wasn’t Lord of the Flies, in which case I’d change the locks while she’s at school
0
2
277
Alfa Romeo’s new compact car, the Tonale. But wait, what’s that hiding behind it? Oh, it’s just a Renault Espace
26
22
269
If you’ve seen a military system making use of an off-the-shelf X-box controller or something similar then what you saw was a prototype, a proof-of-concept mock-up. It certainly wasn’t a final, approved, and deployed system, or anything safety or mission-critical
11
5
256
A software update is increasing the I-Pace range by 20km based entirely on lessons learned directly from their Formula E support race series. Now that’s trickle down technology
Jaguar has boosted the I-Pace's range thanks to things learned from its one-make racing series
1
5
37
4
44
260
Whenever I’m at a motor race I always thank the marshals. They invariably look at me with a bemused look, unused to hearing a simple thank you. Tonight following the tragedy at Brands Hatch I’m thanking the marshals again. Get into the habit of thanking the marshals
4
21
254
This Fiat 127 Sport is like new. Totally original, 30k km. Imported from Sicily where it had spent its easy life
#KarmielClassic
8
5
224
Little afternoon project sticking black vinyl on the Dacia’s B-pillars. Makes quite a difference to how it looks. I mean I know this, it’s my profession, but such a simple thing makes it look lower and longer and less cheap
24
5
219
One of the true greats of car design, Marcello Gandini has died. He was an inspiration to me from a very young age, one of the first car designers whose name I knew and who showed me that this was something I could do. I am happy to have had one of his classic designs. Grazie
16
25
217
I can now zoom out my new profile picture. This is the revised Wilder design, one step closer to production.
Mid-engined, compact and light, but well armoured for its 4 occupants
21
24
208
Some people post Lamborghinis for retweets, but I know what my followers really like to see
19
16
194
Sad abandoned BetterPlace battery swap station. Like an archeological relic of a future that never was
17
47
194
Really nice article about Tom Karen, who fled the Nazis and designed everything from the Reliant Scimitar to the Raleigh Chopper and Luke Skywalker’s Land Speeder. Didn’t know he designed the marble run toy too. Such a wonderful diverse portfolio
13
34
181
I can finally show you the new StormRider design. This is basically a SandCat turned up to 11. Independent suspension, monocoque hull, 10-seat, and with the sort of protection you used to need an 18t vehicle for, all at well under 12t. Photos by
@RonenTopelberg
13
22
177
At the end of an unbelievably distressing week, and with the fear and worry for the future far from resolved, I want to thank each and every one of you who’ve sent messages, liked & shared, and shown support to Israel and the Jewish people. We see you, we appreciate it 💔🇮🇱
21
4
176
This new Sasha Baron Cohen show really is something, isn’t it. Exposed to this level of stupidity and prejudice, do you laugh or cry?
#WhoIsAmerica
15
32
155
We’re always very quick on this site to dump on car designs we don’t like, so Porsche, listen up, this is absolutely fantastic
14
18
169
“I don’t care how well trained they are, just send me some fuel truck drivers”
6
28
171
Greek evening at the kid’s school, posted especially for my many Greek followers. I’ve not forgotten you 🇬🇷
5
20
166
It’s 30yrs since a man with a clipboard in a Vauxhall Nova said “congratulations Mr Kahn” and gave me a pink and green certificate of freedom. That evening, with 15 hours driving experience under my belt I was 7 up in a Matra Rancho ferrying friends around. Can’t quite believe it
17
1
162
Still a brilliant piece of design. Has any car ever served the 2+4 family better? It’s really not that rare to have 4 kids and a 3rd row of seats that takes up the boot is not an adequate solution
49
6
163
Elisa Artioli, after whom the Lotus Elise is named, is being very sweet on Instagram about her car coming to the end of its life. It’s lovely to see that she appreciates her place in automotive history and carries it with pride
5
20
164
I love Alfa Romeo, had nothing but Alfas for 20 years, most of them bought new. They now have a 3 car range with nothing in a category that appeals to me. I don’t like SUVs, don’t need a big saloon. Make a hatch, make a coupé, make something I would buy from you
The new 2022 Alfa Romeo Tonale kick starts the brand's bold new era
13
18
132
28
9
155
Can we stop describing every single Alfa Romeo as a make or break car? I honestly think that this weight of expectation has been imposed on every new Alfa since the 166. So that’s at least 30 years of Alfas that have failed to break the company. 3 decades of perfectly good cars
The Alfa Romeo Tonale is the firm's latest make-or-break model. Does it live up to high expectations? We traveled to Italy to find out
3
6
44
31
7
154
People getting very excited about 2.2.22. If you’re going to get excited about arbitrary date systems then at least wait 3 weeks for the much more aesthetic symmetrical 22.2.22
16
8
157
Mia Schem, one of the released Israeli hostages, has just said that her first moment of relief was when she saw the IDF vehicle that brought her out of Gaza. It was a SandCat. After 8 weeks of horrific captivity, that was the sight that let her know that she was finally safe
18
18
153
New reg day. I still remember the excitement on 1st August 1983 when my dad got his A-plate Mazda 626 Coupé. 40 years ago today.
(The bodykit was fitted later)
23
4
154
@ddale8
@156Sharknose
If you knew anything about North Korea you'd know that "Rocket Man" is a hereditary title
7
16
144
@hahussain
Also, that is Tel Aviv, a city built by the Jews. I can immediately recognise exactly where on Herbert Samuel Boulevard it was taken, it’s changed surprisingly little since then, despite Iraqi Scuds, and Hamas bus/café bombs and missiles. The Zionists have looked after it well
1
2
147
This thing is nuts. Imported 5yrs ago as a regular Alfa 75. Integrale engine with nitrous and everything throwing out 500bhp. That vent in the rear side window is for the air-conditioning. Totally insane build
7
10
140
All the talk about the new electric Ford F-150 Lightning, and no one has pointed out the most revolutionary thing about it. The tailgate has a handy built-in measure - and it’s METRIC. How are you supposed to cut 3ft of 2x4 with that?!
AMERICA HAS GONE METRIC is the headline
21
15
148
A bit of an announcement. After over 22 years, I’m leaving Plasan. There’s no short way to say everything that I need to say about this so here’s a screenshot. The main thing is to thank Plasan and the people there for everything that they enabled me to do
37
0
148
Dear FCA, if you’re going to take the Alfa 4c tub, drop a V6 in it, and rebrand it upmarket where it can turn a profit, then make it a Lancia Stratos you fools
Our European editor Georg Kacher spills the beans on the 2020
#Maserati
Supersportiva, a new mid-engined supercar to give the Trident some range-topping muscle - and it goes on sale this year 👀
19
30
244
14
11
144
I lived in Tel Aviv when every week a bus or café blew up.
I’ve woken to nails from a bomb flying through my window, to missiles whooshing over my home, grabbed my kids from their beds when sirens wailed, fled my home for the month of the ‘06 war.
I’ve never felt this broken 💔🇮🇱
27
10
142
If you’re interested in the back story of how this vehicle came to be then you can read it here
2
9
138
Many people didn’t like the Multipla. But when Fiat diluted the design to make it more “normal” even fewer people liked it. We can learn a lot from this common mistake of hiding who we are and pretending to be just like everyone else. It never works
23
16
141
How did they not call this the Driveman?
Sony announced an electric car at CES 2020: Meet the Sony Vision S
1
9
8
17
11
139
Sister’s neighbour at her new house has a very tidy Volvo that will excite a few of you
20
7
141
Apparently Avigail and the other hostages released yesterday were driven out of Gaza in SandCats. When we designed this I never imagined that one would ever be used to safely rescue a 4 year old girl, orphaned by terrorists
Avigail Idan, 4, reunited with her aunt and uncle after being released.
Her parents were murdered on 7.10, her brother and sister survived. She fled from her home covered in her father’s blood. She went to her neighbour’s house where she was abducted. Now, she’s finally home.
12
100
534
5
9
137
Yes. This is exactly the fatal flaw of AI. It cannot move us forwards, all it can do is make ever more perfectly average versions of things that creative humans before have already done. It can be a time-saving tool in the right hands but not an engine of progress for humanity
Lovely point made by my brother tonight; feed every shape ever created before this one in to an AI model…it would never have come up with this. Shine on Marcello
#gandini
9
52
332
11
15
140
Been waiting a while to be able to share this but it’s finally out in the open. All-composite armoured body, more protection than anything this light has ever offered. And it still shifts off-road. Mostly for border patrols, combating smuggling and trafficking etc
#Yagu
35
31
133
Worth bringing this observation over here where people will actually see it. The FD Mazda RX-7 is 31 years old. As old as the E-type was back then.
The Mazda aged better
@AntonyWrites
@Herr_Joy
16
12
139
A/C tip from someone in a hot country to Brits about to get into their baked cars. Switch on the A/C and open all the windows. Drive like that for a minute then close only the front windows. One more minute, only then close the rears. This pulls the hot stale air out faster ☀️❄️
18
31
136
One of these cars is the new autonomous Volkswagen concept. The other was on sale from 1921-1925.
Have they said anything about where they got their inspiration or were they hoping that no one would notice?
16
20
136
Apparently the latest issue of
@autotypos
(Quattroruote Greece) has a drive of the M1114GR Humvee that I designed for the Hellenic Army over 20 years ago. This design still means a lot to me, it effectively launched my career.
To my Greek friends and followers, go get a copy
8
17
136
When was the last time you saw one of these just parked up. Looked pretty tidy, it’s loved
15
10
132
Armoured pick-up truck. Not “bulletproof” because it will stop an awful lot more than a 9mm bullet at unspecified speed, it’s protected against armour-piercing AK47 rounds according to military standards.
It’s the Plasan Wilder. Mid-engined, 4-seat, central driver
11
14
133
@TeletubbiesHQ
@2Fast2Finkel
This seems pretty irresponsible, has the vaccine actually been tested on Teletubbies?
2
10
127
It’s Black Friday, the day that we celebrate all of the black cars we’ve owned. Let’s see yours
#BlackFriday
117
8
133
@oliveyches
@cavernousdeep
@Carpervert
A crash between two 2t vehicles has twice the energy of a crash between two 1t vehicles. It’s a more dangerous crash and it makes it harder, not easier, to protect the occupants, so weight spirals out of control. Make cars lighter, reverse the trend, they won’t be less safe
7
10
133