Automobiles Make.Haste.Corp are the Coachbuilders of our DreamsAsh Thorp and Carlos Pecino use CGI to build the automobiles of their dreams.

Words Adam Fitzgerald
Images Ash Thorp, & Carlos Pecino

adamfitzgerald ashthorp colorsponge

Ash Thorp and Carlos Pecino are two coachbuilders in the automotive world that you have never heard of. Their unique brand of customization and artistry is performed under the nomenclature Make.Haste.Corp. As M.H.C., Thorp and Pecino have already turned out six brutal customs this year alone. But there’s only one catch: these lust-worthy, one-off creations are being built without setting foot in a single garage. Thorp and Pecino are two of the top CG artists in the world, and M.H.C. is the digital incarnation of their dream garage.

Thorp is an award-winning illustrator and CG artist who has worked on multiple major motion pictures and is even the designer behind the new Batmobile for the upcoming film The Batman. Pecino, aka Colorsponge, is a self-taught 3D artist living in London, hailing from Spain. He has worked extensively in the advertising industry, including with the prolific Recom Farmhouse and INK.

As M.H.C., Thorp and Pecino have challenged themselves — and each other — to conceive, design, and render 24 one-of-a-kind automobiles in one year. “We are pushing one another to build and create our dream cars,” says Thorp, “and by doing so we are helping and teaching one another our trade and skills to further our development as creatives and foster a new way of building our creations.”

Inspired by the cars they grew up admiring, each is meticulously considered — from chassis modifications to aerodynamics, with as much purpose and care as would be applied to any physical build. Both Thorp and Pecino come from backgrounds in automotive customization and combine real-world mechanical knowledge with their digital tool chests through software such as Cinema 4D, 3D Studio Max, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and Corona Renderer.

“Honestly I have many personal goals with these,” says Thorp. “One of them is to show people that are not into cars, trucks, or automotive that it’s art, and one of the highest levels of art and expression. And second, to make people rethink what they thought about certain things.”

One such notion: is it as enjoyable to admire a purely digital automotive creation as it is to admire a real-world supercar one may only see in the pages of a magazine or on the internet? If you’ve never seen a Singer Porsche or a Bugatti Veyron, does that take away from what they inspire? With the lines of the digital and physical world blurring more every day, Make.Haste.Corp is one more step toward eviscerating the barrier between dreams and reality for the next generation of automotive enthusiasts.

M.H.C. 006 The Vanguard – International Scout II
Carlos Pecino

Since I knew Ash was sharing his passion for big trucks and passing me constant references, pictures, and crazy videos about those Baja machines, I couldn’t resist getting involved in this vast Baja universe. I’m super excited about this build, since I’m learning and adapting to a new mind frame. It’s the first time I’m doing something in the form of a pure racing/sports car. At first, I was close to doing a Ford Bronco, but in one of those brainstorming sessions between Ash and me, he showed me a super slick and elegant Scout II, and I knew immediately that it would be my next build: The Vanguard!

M.H.C 002 The Tera – DeTomaso Pantera
Ash Thorp

Before I got my NSX, I was very close to purchasing a DeTomaso Pantera, but was impatient and never ended up finding the right one in time. This is how I would build one in real life, and since I have more CGI skills than money, I made it digitally for now. Not much is needed to make this already beautiful classic even more awesome, so I just did a few things to elevate its appearance. I removed the rear spoiler and opted for a rear extension. I added some ITB velocity stacks on the massive V8 big block out back, along with a new exhaust that shoots out where the license plate went. I also swapped in one of my favorite rear diffusers from the impeccable Ford GT. Up front, I went with an external oil cooler inspired by many awesome builds from Japan. To finish things off, I replaced the stock shoes with some of my favorite wheels designed and created by Carlos.

M.H.C. 001 The Brawler – Ferrari 308 GTS
Carlos Pecino

“The Ferrari 308 GTS is one of my favorite cars from my childhood. It was always present in my drawings and a huge inspiration. It’s what I consider the perfect balance between brutality and elegance. I tried to keep the general essence of the original Pininfarina design with subtle changes here and there — no extra body kits, and no crazy spoilers — then combining that with big Hoosier race tires to be extra aggressive looking. Similar to the classic NASCAR race cars from the ’80s.”

M.H.C. 004 The Patriot – Dodge Viper ACR
Ash Thorp

I grew up adoring the Viper. It was one of the first supercars I saw in person and it just stuck with me. The styling and the power were just overwhelming. One of my favorite cars of all time is the original Cobra, and I feel that Dodge did a great job carrying that legacy over into the Viper. I particularly adore the last rendition of the Viper; the Gen 5 ACR. Instead of trying to modify it too much, I kept things relatively stock and added my favorite parts from the different Viper race cars over the years, and pulled off parts I thought would make it look more aggressive. I’m a big fan of time attack and that fuels many of my builds; the endless pursuit of speed and control as you battle time. So I figured, why not make this a time attack beast that is a work in progress, strapping two massive turbos to the already powerful V10 engine sitting right behind the front wheels? This build struck me instantly and I saw it clearly in my mind before it was made.

M.H.C. 005 The Zodiac – Lamborghini LM002
Ash Thorp

I first came across Lamborghini’s military concept truck, the Cheetah, and later discovered the LM002 which, of course, I fell in love with. I knew I always wanted to build something special with the LM002, so I put it on my list. When building these concepts I’m always looking for that spark or interest or through-line narrative that makes it fun to create and share. I started to get obsessed with Baja trucks and how incredible those machines are, and that’s when the idea came to me: a Baja-ready LM002. What better treatment to a legend than to make it wild and fast for the open country? Once I mocked up roughly how it would look and feel, I instantly knew there was something special here. This project took way longer than expected, but I couldn’t be more proud and happy with the final results.