When it comes to making one-off exotic cars, the Giugiaro family takes the proverbial cake. In 1972, legendary car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro unveiled the Maserati Boomerang – a one-of-a-kind wedge-shaped spaceship on wheels destined for the Geneva Motor Show.
Built on a Maserati Bora chassis, the Boomerang punched out 310 horsepower (231 kW) from its throaty 4.7-L V8. Sadly, only one was ever made, but it lives on at the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari collection in Modena, Italy.
Surprisingly, building incredibly odd, angular, wedge-shaped, "futuristic" cars like the Boomerang wasn't all that uncommon in the early 1970s. All the "cool kids" were doing it like they knew Blade Runner (1982) would be released soon.
For example, take the 1970 Ferrari Modulo that looks like it was designed as a pancaked NASA rover. Or the Lancia Stratos HF Zero, with a roofline 7-inches shorter than the GT40 and sharp enough to never be road legal.
Or maybe the most iconic example of all time: the Lamborghini Countach, which made its debut in 1974. Nearly every little boy born in the 80s had a Countach poster above their bed. Personally, I had the 1985 Lamborghini Countach LP5000 Quattrovalvole on my wall ... Random fun fact: they really did destroy a pristine 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition in the movie Wolf of Wall Street.
But skip forward to happier times and to the actual future 50-something years later and Giorgetto's son, Fabrizio Giugiaro – a second-generation car designer who's worked on brands like Subaru, Volkswagen, Lamborghini and more – has built something new to pay a special homage to the half-century-old Maserati Boomerang: The Peralta S.
Commissioned by Carlos Peralta, the Peralta S is built on a Maserati MC20 chassis. It keeps the 621-hp, 3-L twin-turbo V6 mid-engine and tail-happy RWD layout as the MC20 ... but that's where the similarities do an abrupt about-face.
The bodywork is made from hand-formed polished aluminum, sculpted flawlessly from the front to the rear where it's met on either end with aggressive-looking carbon fiber splitters and diffusers. The canopy – yes, it's a canopy, not doors – is hinged at the front, lifting up and open more like a sci-fi cab-over truck than a luxury "retro" sports car.
Fabrizio says the car is a tribute to his dad as a modern take on the Boomerang.
Though only one will ever be built, the good news is that it's making its US debut. If you find yourself heading to the Monterey Motorsports Festival in California on August 16th, 2025, this is your one shot to see the Peralta S in person.
This is the only confirmed Car Week appearance of the beautiful and odd-looking vehicle as of now.
Just don't touch it. Fingerprints are really difficult to get out of polished aluminum.
The other good news is that it's being shown at the same time as the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which runs from August 13–16, just up the road at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, which means there will be a whole lot of horsepower to check out all weekend.
I hear there might even be an ultra-exclusive Lamborghini Fenomeno there.
Source: Monterey Motorsports Festival
