Det bästa jag har kunnat hitta är designen Richard Taylors out-of-universe-tänkande.
I tried to give it a very art deco feel; for example, I added the parallel lines along the edge of the saucer. I spent weeks drawing and redrawing the nacelles. The front end of them is almost a 1940 Ford grill. (Star Trek: Creating the Enterprise, 1st ed, pp. 103-104)
och
In regard to the nacelles, Taylor has added, "The Nacelles were the most difficult part of the design of the Enterprise. I spent more time on their design than any other part of the Enterprise. I felt they needed to be linear and streamlined. I wanted them to look more powerful and complex, like something Nikola Tesla might have designed. Being the engines of the ship they needed an anti-matter effect around them when in warp drive. I wanted them to look like they might be heat exchangers. Finally, I gave them a deco feel and made them much more rectilinear than the cylindrical designs of the television model." (Star Trek: Creating the Enterprise, 1st ed, pp. 103-104)
Inget riktigt ord på varför de inte lyser, förutom att han försökte få en helt annan känsla från den ursprungliga modellen.
