First Sketch: ItalDesign Concept

Six months ago, we were blown away by the performance of the Italdesign Quaranta Concept Car when our very own executive editor Matt Stone took an exclusive first drive. Now, the Geneva 2008 show-stopper is about to be one-upped by Italdesign itself in the form of a new unnamed concept that will bow at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in two weeks.
"The fastest hybrid concept car in the world" Italdesign's press release boasts. We were impressed when the Quaranta topped 125 mph at the test track last year and hit 60 mph in under six seconds, but that was nothing compared to what this new car will do. Italdesign says the unnamed car, co-developed with Brit Frazer Nash, will hit 62 mph in under four seconds on its way to a top speed of 186 mph. And you remember how the Quaranta got about 37.5 mpg? That's kid's stuff. This car will travel 31 miles on a quarter of a gallon of gas. Do the math and that works out to 124 mpg. To top it all off, it emits just 0.18 lbs of CO2 per mile. To put that in perspective, the current generation Toyota Prius emits twice as much CO2, 0.37 lb per mile.The question, of course, is: how do they do it? Careful management of weight appears to be the key here. The body is made of aluminum and carbon, while the chassis itself is made of carbon-fiber. No specific figures have been given, but it will likely weigh in under the Quaranta's 3,100-lb curb weight. As for the power source, Italdesign will only say that the car uses an electric-drive system mated to a "medium-powered" engine. In the Quaranta, it was Toyota's 3.3L V-6 and Hybrid Synergy Drive lifted from the Lexus RX 400h, so another Toyota-derived powertrain is a possibility.In the cockpit, Italdesign promises you'll find "exquisitely tailored upholstery" and some very comfy seats. In fact, Italdesign boasts that the seat ergonomics were specially researched and engineered by their in-house Italdesign Design Center. On the outside, the provided sketch shows a car reminiscent of contemporary Lamborghinis, some of which designer Fabrizio Giugiaro had a hand in designing.