Italdesign Giugiaro Brivido Concept
Geneva 2012
THE GIUGIARO-DESIGNED BRIVIDO IS UNVEILED AT GENEVA
Extensive research has gone into increasing the on-board comfort of this GT, designed and produced entirely in the company's Moncalieri factories. The vehicle offers supercar performance, respect for the environment and the most advanced technology and innovative solutions for a working prototype which is ready to make its on-road debut.
For its 42nd appearance at the Geneva International Motor Show, Italdesign Giugiaro makes the world premiere of a functional, hybrid, four-seat prototype developed on a mechanics of the Volkswagen Group. Capable of reaching 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds, with a maximum speed of 275 km/h without compromising on-board comfort or space, and inspired by technological innovation, the name of the car—Brivido (“Thrill”)—sums up its soul.
"For the last few big appearances at the Geneva Motor Show," explains Giorgetto Giugiaro, "I focused my research on cars that offered great roominess with compact dimensions, and proposing concrete solutions to concrete problems.
2012 will be an important year for us and for the Group, and with this car we want to continue to allow people to dream and to imagine the future. This is an exercise to show a vehicle that delivers awesome sports car performance in an eco-friendly manner, to show great technological content, and above all to have superb comfort. Today true luxury is all about travelling in comfort. Following the research into city cars, this year I wanted to test myself with a GT which is 4.98 metres long and capable of reaching speeds of up to 275 km/h. I would not say the Brivido is a dream car—after all, this is not an object which is destined to remain an unachievable dream. My intention has always been to design something which is close to industrial reality and can easily be released into the market".
Brivido was designed, engineered and manufactured in the Italdesign Giugiaro plant at Moncalieri (Turin).
Exterior: lines of light designed by air
Aluminium, carbon fibre, and glass are the materials that define the Brivido's exterior. The lines of the body, painted in Xirallic pearl lustre red, are sinuous and aerodynamic and accentuate the sporty, elegant character of this latest Gran Turismo from Giugiaro.
The windscreen, roof, rear window, and large door windows form a glass dome that lets natural light pour into the passenger compartment. There the occupants are surrounded by an exclusive level of finish and high-technology, whilst they enjoy the surrounding scenery and urban landscapes as they travel.
"This is a quest for a genuine four seater," continues Giugiaro, "to offer comfort and visibility, especially for the rear passengers, which is usually sacrificed in this type of vehicle. As always, I've tried to offer solutions which can be achieved practically. The inclusion of a pair of wide doors that rise like gull wings is the only "exotic" concession which makes the Brivido a show car. The rest of the solutions are perfectly applicable for vehicles destined for the market. The rear passengers, specifically, can access their seats without having to duck down or lower the front backrests. Instead they can enter the vehicle easily and naturally".
The side view is dominated by the specially designed single door which uses glass as a genuine structural element This allows all occupants to access the passenger compartment at the same time.
The waistline hugs the curve of the wheel arch and is interrupted by the door's side window, which in turn continues below the waistline to significantly increase the transparent surface. As on the Structura prototype, this feature offers the driver increased visibility when manoeuvring as s/he can easily see the pavement to the side of the car. At the same time this allows the rear occupants to enjoy great outside visibility. To facilitate window-down interactions such as toll payments, a small portion of the glass can be lowered electronically while the rest remains fixed.