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First Drive: Italdesign Giugiaro Parcour Concept

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini, Design/Style, Luxury, Off-Road

Coachbuilt Italian Finery Rides High In The Mediterranean

Italdesign Giugiaro Parcour Concept

Apparently, the appropriate gift to give for the 45th anniversary of almost anything is a blue sapphire stone. I cannot imagine Autoblog readers craving a story about that, so I’m glad that Italdesign Giugiaro spared me that gig and instead created this truly interesting Parcour concept to mark its 45th anniversary.

Parcour is named after the generally urban activity of French origin (spelled “parkour”), of throwing one’s (presumably) agile body off walls and railings in an anti-gravity freestyle momentum ballet. This sometimes ends up being broadcast on YouTube, particularly to show a parkour session gone horribly wrong, with the star taking a metal banister in the cojones or receiving a fetching bouquet of twisted fingers. Clearly design boss at Giugiaro, Fabrizio Giugiaro (son of legend Giorgetto), and his squad had more coordinated good parkour-ing in mind when they let me drive their cool creation on the island of Sardinia. (I live not far away, so it’s a one-hour flight with the herds on a low-cost airline.)

It’s been a while since a traditional Turin house created a million-dollar running prototype or showcar that it felt like entrusting to a journalist or two. Recent years have been distracting, to say the least, for the likes of Bertone, Pininfarina and Giugiaro, as the global crisis threatened to suck them under for good. Italdesign-Giugiaro did a very wise thing in May 2010 and allowed longtime partner Volkswagen Group to buy a majority stake, thus securing the future of Giorgetto Giugiaro’s dream factory. But all of these dealings have put drives like this on hold for a bit while all t’s were crossed and i’s dotted.

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Italdesign Giugiaro Parcour Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: Volkswagen Giugiaro Go! Concept is a sharply designed, futuristic MPV

Filed under: Concept Cars, Minivan/Van, Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen, Design/Style

Volkswagen Giugiaro Go Concept

Volkswagen Giugiaro Go Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Now that Italdesign Giugiaro is part of the larger Volkswagen Group, the famed design house has worked up a pair of VW-badged concepts for the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. In addition to the smaller Tex hatchback, Giugiaro has created the Go! MPV, giving us a glimpse at what a people-mover for The People could look like in the future.

Like the Tex, the Go! rides on Volkswagen’s new modular transverse architecture which could accommodate a wide range of powertrain options. Here, the Go! is powered by the automaker’s Blue-e-motion EV technology, and according to Volkswagen, the concept can travel about 150 miles on electric power alone.

The Go! is full of interesting design quirks, such as rear doors that push backwards before sliding back parallel to the vehicle, a large glass greenhouse and a high seating position. See for yourself in our gallery of high-resolution live shots below.

Gallery: Volkswagen Giugiaro Go Concept: Geneva 2011

Volkswagen Giugiaro Go Concept: Geneva 2011

Geneva 2011: Volkswagen Giugiaro Go! Concept is a sharply designed, futuristic MPV originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen Giugiaro Go! Concept previews MPV of the future in Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Minivan/Van, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Electric

Volkswagen Giugiaro Go! concept

Volkswagen Giugiaro Go! concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Says Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of Volkswagen Group, “Italdesign is a figurehead of Italian design and engineering creativity. We have been working together closely in a spirit of partnership for many decades.” In reality, that may be an understatement. After all, Giorgetto Giugiaro is credited with penning the original Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit and Scirocco – two classic shapes that went on to define the VW brand for the last few decades.

After a research study to determine what Volkswagen vehicles of the future may look like, Giugiaro (now owned by the Volkswagen Group) focused on two distinct concepts, one of which is the Go! that you see here (the other is the Tex, which we’ve already shown you). The design firm thinks of the Go! as a multi-purpose vehicle for urban areas, and as such, it measures just four-meters in length and runs solely on electricity using VW’s proprietary Blue-e-motion EV technology. According to the automaker, the Go! is capable of traveling about 150 miles on electric power alone.

Like the Tex, the Go! concept uses VW’s modular transverse architecture, which was designed to accomade a diverse range of powertrain options, including plug-ins, internal combustion engines and even hydrogen fuel cells. Despite the Go!’s relatively dimunitive exterior dimensions, its 106-inch wheelbase matches that of the larger Passat. The battery pack sits beneath the passenger compartment, covering the areas of both the front and rear-seat passengers.

VW and Giugiaro are keen to highlight the large glass area of the Go! concept. Such a configuration allows for plenty of natural light and offers maximum visibility. Interestingly, though, only the lower part of the glass is actually electrically lowered (have a look at the image gallery below to see what we mean), and the concept relies on video cameras to give the driver a view of his or her surroundings.

Other interesting design details include rear doors that push outwards and pull back parallel to the vehicle, a high seating position that caters to drivers who prefer the visibility of an SUV and the control panel that is placed at the base of the windshield, well back from its normal location behind the steering wheel. Want to know more? Feel free to click past the break to read VW’s rather exhaustive press release, and be sure to peruse our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: Volkswagen Giugiaro Go Concept

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen Giugiaro Go! Concept previews MPV of the future in Geneva

Volkswagen Giugiaro Go! Concept previews MPV of the future in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex Concept brings Italdesign to the people

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen, Design/Style

$Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex Concept$

Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Earlier this year, famed design house Italdesign Giugiaro became part of the Volkswagen Group, and the longtime collaborators are are presenting their first joint concepts at the Geneva Motor Show this week.

The Italian design firm calls the Tex an “interpretation of tomorrow’s sporty Volkswagen,” incorporating coupe-like lines into a hatchback shape. In execution, it looks a bit like the current Euro-spec Honda Civic hatch to our eyes – especially up front. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if we’re honest, we expected something a little bolder from the company that has penned some of the most gorgeous designs of all time.

The Tex Concept is powered by Volkswagen’s Twin Drive plug-in hybrid system, which we’re told has a range of 35 kilometers (about 21 miles) with just the battery driving the wheels.

Inside, the Tex uses a driver-focused cockpit, and unlike the vast majority of concept cars that we’ll be seeing in Geneva, the Giugiaro interior looks nearly production-ready. We like the implementation of the flat-bottomed steering wheel, supportive seats and funky new shift knob.

While the Tex is merely a concept right now, there’s no telling if Volkswagen will use this as a basis for a future sports car, perhaps even a Golf or GTI far along down the road. Hit the jump to read the full details in Volkswagen’s press release, and see the Italdesign Giugiaro Tex Concept for yourself in both of our high-res image galleries below.

Gallery: Geneva 2011: Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex Concept

Gallery: Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex Concept

[Source: Volkswagen]

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Geneva 2011: Volkswagen Giugiaro Tex Concept brings Italdesign to the people originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen closes purchase of 90.1% of Italdesign Giugiaro

Filed under: Volkswagen, Design/Style

1974 Volkswagen Scirocco designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro

The Volkswagen Group has completed its takeover of Italdesign Giugiaro (IDG) with the purchase of a 90.1 percent stake in the design studio. The shares in the company were purchased by Lamborghini – “owned” by VW Group member Audi – and the remaining 9.9 stake is still in the hands of the Giugiaro family. The buyout was originally reported back in May of this year and the studio/small volume manufacturer are now part of the ever-expanding auto conglomerate. The top management of the company, including founder/chairman Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son and vice-president Fabrizio, remain in place.

Volkswagen and IDG have a relationship going back decades, when the elder Giugiaro penned the 1970 Volkswagen Porsche Tapiro Concept as well as the first generation Golf and Scirocco. It’s unclear if IDG will continue working with outside clients or will now dedicate itself to VW Group projects.

Gallery: Italdesign Volkswagen Concepts

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen closes purchase of 90.1% of Italdesign Giugiaro

Volkswagen closes purchase of 90.1% of Italdesign Giugiaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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