Having finished the prototype of the Original around 1994 Nick concluded that the space frame would be much too labor- intensive to make, too expensive, too much of a niche product to warrant the effort. So he turned to another technology that held the promise of a cheaper/ less convoluted manufacturing process for the frame than the traditional welded/ brazed all-steel one: carbon- fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP). That's the theory. Little did he know at the time, that it would turn out to be a bit of a cul-de-sac, and stretch the design and prototyping process well into the next century. Next millenium actually!	Compare the silhuettes of the two  stages in the evolution of the GNAT  concept: how the later Carbonal  stacks up against earlier Original.

photo Ian Feldman 1998