italdesign Archives

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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Online Find of the Day: 1988 Italdesign Aztec

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Convertible, Auctions, Europe, Design/Style

1988 Italdesign Aztec

Before Pontiac unleashed the vile Aztek on the world, there was another, weirder car that bore the name. In 1988, Italdesign introduced the Aztec, a two-seat roadster that made extremely limited production and carried a $750,000 price tag when new.

Sporting a twin-pod cockpit-style interior and slab-sided, angular design, this thing looks ready for intergalactic travel. Despite looking like it should be parked outside the Mos Eisley cantina, it sports a relatively pedestrian Audi turbo five-cylinder powerplant. The car’s 220 horses meet the road via a Lancia Delta Integrale-derived four-wheel-drive system.

The Aztec was built as Italdesign’s 20th anniversary present to itself, and broke cover at the 1988 Turin Auto Show. Depending on who you ask, Italdesign built either 18 or 50 of the cars. Either way, you don’t see these things very often. The seller is mum on the car’s price tag, but thanks to its rarity, blue-chip nameplate, and stratospheric original MSRP, its a cinch this thing will break six figures.

Online Find of the Day: 1988 Italdesign Aztec originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 May 2011 19:17:00 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]

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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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