ItalDesign’s Nazca Reborn in Sabino Leerentveld Homage

Ever since the demise of BMW’s M1 in 1981, designers and illustrators alike have speculated on the look of a possible successor to the Bavarian automaker’s only mass produced, mid-engined vehicle. Some – like industry stalwart ItalDesign – have gone so far to build full scale, drivable mock-ups.

One such speculative mock-up was ItalDesign’s Nazca M12 of 1991 featuring a mid-mounted V12 and BMW’s ubiquitous rear wheel drive. The Italian design house also presented a race-spec version of the car called the Nazca C2 at the 1992 Tokyo Motor Show, followed by a Spyder model in 1993.

Now, twenty years later, Dutch designer Sabino Leerentveld has resurrected the Nazca C2 in the form of this rather slick homage.

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Lotus CEO Says Concept City Car will Enter Production in "October 2013"

It appears that Aston Martin won't be the only British sports car maker to have a controversial small city car in its range. Lotus chief executive Dany Bahar told Car magazine that the Concept City Car, which was previewed at the recent Paris Motor Show alongside five sports car studies, has been approved for production. The comapny's CEO said the car will be manufactured in cooperation with Lotus parent company Proton and an undisclosed third party.

"Our city car has been confirmed and will be launched in October 2013," Mr. Bahar told the British magazine. "We are doing this together with Proton and another OEM [original equipment manufacturer, or car maker]. We will build three versions: one for the Asian market, one for Europe and a sportier one."

The Lotus flavored Concept City Car is based on one of the three Giugiaro-penned Proton EMAS design studies, which were first shown in Geneva earlier this year.

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Italdesign Giugiaro Performance Carwale Wallpapers

Italdesign Giugiaro

Italdesign Giugiaro

Italdesign Giugiaro

Italdesign Giugiaro

Italdesign Giugiaro has been releasing teaser images of its Quaranta concept at an agonizingly slow pace for weeks now, but has finally dropped all its got on the car just days before it will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. The Quaranta is actually inspired by the 1968 Bizzarrini Manta concept, and the two take the wedge shape to an extreme. The Quaranta's claim to fame is that it houses a mid-mounted hybrid powertrain supplied by a Toyota. The 3.3L V6 combined with Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive produces a combined 268 horsepower and 212 pound feet of torque, which Italdesign claims is good for a 4.05 second run to 62 mph in the lightweight and perfectly balanced Quaranta. At the same time, its pair of fuel tanks integrated into the frame can hold nearly 16 gallons of fuel, good for a 621-mile range. The entire opaque roof is also comprised of solar panels, which run the interior electronics and charge the batteries. The concept can employ two- or all-wheel-drive depending on the conditions, and can also raise its ride height up to a maximum of 9.17 inches. The cockpit of the Quaranta is also a study in far out design, with a 1+3 seating arrangement that places the driver front and center, with two more seats on either side and further back, and a small child seat directly behind the driver.

The Quaranta is a well thought out concept with every aspect of its design backed by a reason and a function. From its shape to its powertrain to its interior ambiance, it will debut in Geneva as a rolling resume for Italdesign's services. And after reading through the lengthy press release that describes every complex system contained in the Quaranta's wedgy shape, we'd be happy to be listed as a reference.

Italdesign Structura with 420HP W12 Spotted in Monaco

Now here's a car you don't ever expect to see driving on the road among ordinary vehicles. As was the case with Italdesign's one-off Ferrari-based GG50 that we showed you in a previous article, the uniquely styled 1998 Structura concept minivan car was also 'scooped' on the streets of Monaco. While not everyone may like the vehicle's unconventional design, you have to admit that its styling has aged well if you consider that it was conceived 11 years ago, in 1998 on the occasion of the company's thirtieth anniversary.

Underneath its exposed aluminum space-frame structure -hence the concept's name- the 4,640mm or 181-inches long minivan features a Volkswagen-derived, front-mounted 5.6-liter W12 engine that cranks out an impressive 420HP that is sent to all four wheels.

If you happen to stumble upon any weird or unique vehicles like the Italdesign Structura, take a picture or two and send us an e-mail, we'll deeply appreciate it!

Body architecture: 5-door, 5-seat

Overall dimensions (mm): length 4640, width 1900, height 1730 mm

Wheelbase, front and rear track: 2880, 1680, 1620 mm

Front and rear overhang: 1000, 760 mm

Engine position and drive: front longitudinal engine, 4 WD

Engine: Volkswagen W12 cylinder, 5.6-liters, 420 HP

Via: Autogespot

Giugiaro's One-Off Ferrari GG50 Spotted in Monaco

It's simply amazing what you can discover around the streets of Monaco. But then again, where else would you imagine that a one-of-a-kind model such as the Ferrari GG50 would be parked on the road like any other plebian vehicle other than Monaco? For those with a week memory, the Ferrari GG50 that was spotted by the folks over at Autogespot was created by Italdesign's Giorgetto Giugiaro as a present for himself in celebration of his fifty years in the automobile design industry. From what we know, the vehicles still belongs to the Giugiaro family.

The GG50, which is based on the platform and mechanicals of the 612 Scaglietti, made its world premiere at the 2005 Tokyo Auto Show. While retaining the Scaglietti's wheelbase at 2,950mm, the Ferrari GG50 spans 4,810mm in length, meaning its 90mm or about four inches shorter than the model it is based upon. It can accommodate four passengers in a 2+2 seating layout in which case it offers a loading capacity of 270 liters. With the rear seatbacks folded down, it's loading capacity increases to 500 liters.

Power comes from the same V12 engine as the Scaglietti that produces an output of 540HP at 7,200 rpm from a displacement of 5,748cc (5.7-liters) and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

As for the design? Let's just say that we've seen better from Giugaro in his 50-year long career as a designer.

Via: Autogespot

Video: Giugaro Ford Mustang Concept

Italdesign’s controversially styled Mustang Concept is more than your usual static concept as you’ll discover in Motortrend’s video when editor Arthur St.Antoine takes the Italian “stud” for a spin. Designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro and unveiled at the 2006 LA Show in December, the Mustang Concept is equipped with a supercharged version of the Mustang's stock 4.6-liter V8 delivering 500Hp. -Continued: Click “Read More…” below to see Italdesign’s Mustang Concept Promo Video

Technorati: Ford+Mustang, Giugiaro+Mustang, LA+Show, Video, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs

Italdesign Giugiaro Vadho: BMW powered Geneva Concept

Along with their L.A. Show stopper, the Mustang Concept that’ll make its Euro debut, Italdesign and Giugiaro will premier a brand new sports car concept that goes by the name, Vadho at next week’s Geneva Show. This tandem two-seater has borrowed BMW Hydrogen 7’s dual powered V12 (it runs on gasoline and hydrogen) that has an output of 260Hp. The V12 is positioned on the center right of the car next to the passengers.

I know this is a bit off topic but the Vadho brought to my mind another Italedesign BMW-powered concept, the 1991 Nazca C2 and its 1993 Spyder sibling. And you know something; 16 years after, the Nazca still makes my heart beat like a Bavarian V10. What a shame that BMW never considered putting this exquisite piece of art into production… Via: Autoblog.com -Continued: Click “Read More…” below to see more pics

Nazca

Body architecture: 2-seat
Overall dimensions (mm): length 4395, width 2085, height 1105
Wheelbase, front and rear track: 2600, 1745, 1718
Front and rear overhang: 1056, 740
Engine position and drive: mid longitudinal engine, rear drive
Engine: BMW V12, 5660 cc/cm3, 380 HP at 5300 rpm


Technorati: Italdesign+, Giugiaro+Vadho, BMW, Geneva+Motor+Show, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007, pictures, images