Italdesign Giugiaro

Italdesign Automobili Speciali brought to the Geneva Auto Show a genuine four-seater grand tourer sporting an elegant yet aggressive line and massive butterfly doors. This is only the second bespoke Italdesign concept shown since the company set about building low-volume automobiles a couple of years back.

Italdesign has been, for the past four years, an enterprise no longer associated with legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro but you wouldn’t tell by looking at the DaVinci, the elegant 2+2 sports car the Italians brought to the Swiss show this year. You could argue that the front end is a bit too busy but, other than that, we’re looking at a cherry red beauty, one that we were very keen to see in the flesh.

A ’hyper SUV’ called GFG Style Kangaroo from Italy will be gracing the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. Although the company is relatively new and unknown, it does have a famous name behind it - Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio. The Kangaroo is billed as an SUV, although it seems pretty low slung to be classified as one. We will have more clarity on this all-wheel drive EV once it is officially launched at the Motor show.

Italdesign Giugiaro founder Georgette Giugiaro is back in the news with a new Geneva-bound concept called the GFG Style Kangaroo. Curious name notwithstanding, the Kangaroo is a futuristic interpretation of a jacked-up SUV with all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering. You can also describe it as a supercar with the ground clearance of an SUV. In a lot of ways, the Kangaroo is a multi-personality concept that can either be a performance car, an SUV, or a combination of the two. Confused? You’re not the only one. Fortunately, a little clarity is in order once the concept takes the stage at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show this week.

Although it has designed only one mainstream car over the last decade, the Audi Q2 in 2017, Italdesign penned the Nissan GT-R50 limited edition and a few impressive concept cars in recent years. At the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the Italian firm will unveil yet another concept, a sleek grand tourer that goes by the name DaVinci.

The Kangaroo is GFG Style’s second concept in less than 12 months after last year’s Sibylla that was first shown as drawings in Geneva before debuting at the Paris Auto Show. This time, the Giugiaro father and son duo has an electric SUV in store for us with supercar-like design cues, seating for two, and the ability to go 155 mph regardless of the surface it’s driving on.

The latest GFG Style concept is a hyper-SUV that traces some of its design roots back to the Parcour prototype from 2013 that was designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro, son of Giorgio and co-founder of GFG Style back in 2015. That model was presented under the ItalDesign Giugiaro brand.

Responsible for some of the greatest automotive designs, Giugiaro lost its place in the spotlight in recent years. But, even though it stopped working with the big automakers outside the Audi Q2 and some Chinese cars, Giugiaro rolled out a few spectacular concepts recently, including the Parcour and the Zerouno. The Italian firm introduced yet another in 2018. It’s called the GFG Sibylla, it’s fully electric, and it was developed in cooperation with Envision, a Chinese company specialized in wind turbines, energy management software, and energy technology services.

Created to celebrate Giorgetto Giugiaro’s 80th birthday, the GFG Sibylla uses Envision’s EnOS energy IoT platform, which allows the car to become intelligently integrated into the wider energy ecosystem. In short, it’s integrating EV charging into the electricity grid, a system that other automakers have been studying for quite a few years now. The Sibylla name was chosen accordingly, as it references a figure from Latin mythology endowed with the ability to provide answers and predict the future. It is also a tribute to Giorgetto’s mother, named Sibylla. Let’s find out more about the concept car in the review below.

Continue reading to learn more about the Giugiaro GFG Sibylla EV Concept.

At a certain point, simply charging a fortune for an automobile isn’t enough to impress. Indeed, once you get to the extreme tippety top shelf of the supercar segment, the price tag becomes irrelevant. Far more important is the exclusivity of the car in question, as evidenced by the debut of Italdesign’s already-sold-out Zerouno Duerta at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show.

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Electric cars are, without a doubt, the future of travel. Everybody has their own vision of what that future will look like, and that’s where you’re looking at this, the GFG Sibylla EV Concept. Designed around a glass dome of a greenhouse and four electric motors, the Sibylla has the performance credentials of a true-to-life sports car with the look of a futuristic sedan. It even has all-wheel drive and can deliver 279 miles of range on a fully charged 100 kWh battery. That’s not bad, but it’s not all about the range and power of the concept.

Giorgetto Giugiaro, along with his son, Fabrizio Giugiaro, is debuting an all-new, fully electric luxury sedan at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show on March 6. The yet-named concept car will hail from GFG Style – a family company named after the father and son duo – and will showcase the marriage of beauty and technology.

The four-seater was jointly developed with Envision; a Chinese energy management company focused on cutting-edge technology. Together, the pair designed the car to operate autonomously using the Internet of Things, while also offering a fun driving experience when the driver wants to take the wheel.

In a statement about the car, Giorgetto Giugiaro said, “As my 80th birthday gets closer, I’m preparing a car to commemorate it. The prototype is a full four-seater electric salon, combining luxury, sportiness, space, and dynamism, along with a steering wheel, as I could not bring myself to eliminate it.”

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The Italdesign Zerouno Roadster will cost $2.4 million, $500,000 more than its coupe counterpart. That’s how much you’ll have to pay for the limited-run supercar, though, considering how fast the coupe version sold out with a $1.9 million price tag, Italdesign shouldn’t have any problems moving inventory once the Zerouno Roadster makes its debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

The Italdesign Zerouno first made waves at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. It caused a ruckus at the show as all five production models were gobbled up in record time. A year after the Zerouno’s dramatic unveiling, Italdesign is headed back to the dance with a convertible version of its niche supercar, called the Zerouno Roadster. Care to venture a guess how long it takes before Italdesign sells out its allocation of these drop-top beauties?

I think there’s little doubt that the Lamborghini Huracan is an incredible machine. First introduced in 2014 at the Geneva Auto Show, the Huracan hit the scene as a replacement for the hugely popular Lamborghini Gallardo, and despite the sizable shoes it had to fill, the Huracan has succeeded in becoming a smash hit across several markets. However, that popularity has left some well-heeled collectors wanting more – more style, more speed, and most importantly, more exclusivity. That’s where a company like Italdesign comes in. Based out of Torino, Italy, Italdesign employs some 1,000 employees in the production of limited-edition models of high-end OEM vehicles. The company’s latest effort is this – the Zerouno, a bespoke Huracan rocking new aero and a custom cabin appointment, all of which raises the mid-engine supercar to new heights of desirability.

Revealed during the 87th annual Geneva International Motor Show earlier in 2017, Italdesign later brought the Zerouno to the concept lawn at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. There in California, the Zerouno quickly drew a crowd of onlookers thanks to its aggressive and unique look. The Zerouno is the very first offering from the new Italdesign Automobili Speciali custom sub-brand, and is limited at just five units total, with pricing starting well into the seven-figure range. Read on for the specs on what makes this thing tick, and what makes it unique.

Continue reading to learn more about the Italdesign Zerouno.

Italdesign Automobili Speciali’s first foray into the niche supercar segment has turned out to be a big hit after the newly-minted automaker announced that all examples of the Zerouno supercar are all accounted for. That’s five units, each priced comfortably north of seven figures. All of them. Sold out.

Keep in mind that while the Zerouno does have the beating heart of the Lamborghini Huracán – a 5.2-liter V-10 engine that pumps out 610 horsepower – the car itself has an entirely original body, a design product from the genius designers over at Italdesign. So it’s not a car that’s masquerading as a different model by simply having a different badge on it. The Zerouno is an original work, the first to come out of Italdesign’s Automobili Speciali division that was created earlier this year for the specific purpose of developing its own performance models under the Volkswagen Group umbrella. To this point, the company has actually built just two of the five models of the Zerouno. The first model was introduced at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show to coincide with the brand’s launch. The second is expected to make its debut at Pebble Beach in a little under two weeks. The remaining three models will be built at a later date, each to its customer’s exact specifications.

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The newly created Italdesign Automobile Speciali brand isn’t wasting any time launching its first model to the (affluent) masses. From the roots of famed car styling house Italdesign, the new marque is presenting the Zerouno at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, an ultra-exclusive V-10 powered supercar that certainly looks and acts like one.

Power and performance numbers haven’t been announced, but in terms of the way it looks, the Zerouno is as good of a debut that Italdesign Automobili Speciali could have had. It’s got elements of the Lamborghini Huracán in it, particularly in the front and rear sections. The similarities to Lamborghini’s supercar extends deeper too since the Zerouno also makes use of a modular chassis with lightweight materials like carbon fiber and aluminum, just like the regular Huracán. Even the car’s powertrain is also identical to the Huracán’s – a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 that’s mounted behind the cabin – although power figures are expected to be different. And if those qualities aren’t enough, the Zerouno also features an accented aerodynamic layout, which the company says was done to ensure that the car performs on the track as well as it looks on the Geneva show floor.

Beyond all the design features and the promise of muscle-flexing power, the Zerouno also creates a high standard for Italdesign Automobile Speciali as it tries to embark on its own as a boutique auto brand.

The design house has come a long way since it was acquired by the Volkswagen Group in 2010. As far as debut offerings are concerned, the Italdesign Zerouno supercar is certainly making a good account of itself. All that’s left now is for the car to hit the road and prove it’s real worth.

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Lambo introduced us to its Huracan hurricane in 2014 as a replacement for the seemingly endlessly popular Lamborghini Gallardo. With the Gallardo’s successful past looming large, the Huracan had some mighty big shoes to fill, tasked with becoming the Italian automaker’s best-selling model in the lineup. So far, the Huracan has done well in that regard, thanks in no small part to a surprising number of special edition models and limited runs. Now, joining the list is this new special edition from Italdesign, an engineering and design company based out of Moncalieri that decided the Raging Bull just wasn’t angry enough from the factory. As such, Italdesign gave the Huracan this wild-looking all-composite exterior treatment, transforming the Lambo into something that looks like it was plucked from an arcade racing game frequented by Ritalin-toting ADD cases. Only five will be produced, with production slated to stop by the end of the year.

Coinciding with the release of the limited-run Huracan, Italdesign, which has worked closely with Lambo in the past, is also introducing the Italdesign Automobili Speciali brand, so it’s likely we’ll see similar treatments sometime in the near future.

Italdesign says its upgraded Huracan is “intended for collectors and visionary enthusiasts, [and] it combines racing car features and performance alongside type-approval for use on normal roads.”

Sure thing, Italdesign. Because after all, who wouldn’t wanna drive a race-ready Lambo down to the shops for a quart of milk?

This customized Lambo will make its debut at the Geneva International Motor Show alongside an exclusive Excalibur Spider timepiece from watchmaker Roger Dubuis, signaling a collaborative partnership between the two companies. No price has been announced for the car, but rest assured it’s firmly in the “if you have to ask” category. As reference, the “normal” Lamborghini Huracan retails for about $230,000, give or take.

Continue reading to learn more about the Lamborghini Huracan By Italdesign.

For years, Italdesign has treated us with some incredible concepts, from the Brivido to the Gea to the GTZero Concept. None of these cars ended up making production, but that could all change moving forward after the Italian design firm announced plans to launch a new sub-brand that will be dedicated solely to the production of “ultra low series production cars.”

The new boutique brand is called Italdesign Automobile Speciali, and a big part of its objective is to bring some of the design firm’s concepts to life, even if these cars will only run in limited numbers. It’s still unclear which of these concepts will find their way into production, but the firm’s showcase model for the 2017 Geneva Motor Show - a yet-to-be-named concept that’s only been seen through a handful of teasers - is a good bet to be Italdesign Automobile Specilai’s debut piece.

Unclear status aside, the new brand does have something to tout: a new logo that the company says was inspired by the emblem of the Italian city of Turin, which prominently features a bull. Filippo Perini, Italdesign’s head of innovation design, described it as such, saying that the design was inspired by the symbol of the City of Turin. “In this city, the history of Italian automobile was born, the most famous and prestigious carmakers were born, as well as the ’coachbuilders‘ who made the Italian car design famous worldwide,” Perini added. It comes as no surprise then that the new brand’s logo also highlights a bull’s head - or heads depending on how your eyes perceive - encased in a Superman-like crest with the words “Italdesign Automobile Speciali wrapped around it.

Beyond the launch of the new logo, the immediate future of Italdesign Automobile Speciali could have some clarity in it when its latest concept hits the showroom floor in Geneva this coming March. Don’t be surprised if said concept even comes wearing the new company’s new badge. That’s at least one way for the new sub-brand to make a splash as it embarks on a future that’s now beaming with possibilities.

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Giorgetto Giugiaro, one of Italy’s most famous automobile designers, will help design a supercar for startup Chinese company Techrules. The new project, which aims to create a production version of the GT96 concept shown at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, also includes designer Fabrizio Giugiaro and engineering and production specialist L.M. Gianetti.

Techrules’ first production model is set to debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show next March. "Techrules and its partners will be finalizing the supercar’s development and fine-tuning its manufacturing processes" by then, the company said in a statement.

"The level of interest in our technology and our next-generation electric cars proves that we have a formula that can make a major impact," Techrules chairman William Jin added, without providing details as to when the supercar will hit the marked and how many will be built.

The GT96 concept features a turbine-recharging powertrain that uses a micro-turbine to generate electricity to charge a battery pack. The latter powers the six motors that send 1,030 horsepower and an incredible 6,300 pound-feet of torque to the wheels. The technology is highly efficient and reduces the number of batteries needed in the car, which saves both weight and space. A prototype tested at the Silverstone track revealed a 0-to-62 mph sprint of only 2.5 seconds, identical to that of the Ferrari LaFerrari and Tesla Model S with the new 100-kWh battery pack and Ludicrous Mode.

The GT96 is also Giugiaro’s biggest project since leaving Italdesign Giugaro, a company he’s been leading since 1968. Both Giorgetto and Fabrizio left Italdesign in 2015, after the selling the remaining part of his company to Audi. Giorgetto and Fabrizio have since set up a new firm called GFG Progetti. While working at Bertone, Ghia, and Italdesign, Giugiaro has designed several iconic cars, including the Aston Martin DB4 GT, BMW M1, DeLorean DMC-12, Ferrari 250 GT SWD, Lotus Esprit, Maserati Ghibli, and the first-generation Volkswagen Golf.

As for L.M. Gianetti, it was founded in 1966 and has engineered several vehicles for Fiat, Abarth, and Alfa Romeo. The company has the capacity to produce up to 25 vehicles a year.

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Design house Italdesign is looking to broaden its horizons by launching partnerships with new automakers and technological giants in an attempt to reduce its reliance on the Volkswagen Group, of which it is a part of. Company CEO Joerg Astalosch made the proclamation to Auto News, hinting that the company would be open to working with the likes of Tesla, Google, or Apple in the event any of these companies are looking to partner with an automotive design firm.

The company’s goal is clear: it wants to expand its customer base after becoming too reliant on working with automakers that are a part of the Volkswagen umbrella. That has been the case since 2010 when the company was bought and placed under Lamborghini to keep VW’s Italian holdings bundled together. Since that time, a majority of the company’s concept models have been based off of the Volkswagen Group’s 12 brands, including Lamborghini and Audi.

It’s a sound business methodology for a time, but it also doesn’t foster the kind of growth that the company is after. So now Italdesign is prepared to do business with automakers outside of the Volkswagen Group. It’s unlikely that it will go as far as working with rivals of some of the companies under the VW Group like Ferrari, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz. But other than that, the company is now open to working with “major players in all relevant markets” in order to diversity its own offerings. It’s a smart, low-risk, high-reward business strategy that gives Italdesign more options to work with as it attempts to increase its own business portfolio.

There’s no word yet on what company Italdesign has already teamed up with, but with this new direction, it’s exciting to see what the design house is capable of if, say, Apple jumps on board and asks Italdesign to develop the look of its future autonomous vehicle.

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