Automotive

Italian-penned supercar design repurposes Bugatti power for off-road driving

Italian-penned supercar design repurposes Bugatti power for off-road driving
The Camal Ramusa is a new look at an all-terrain supercar
The Camal Ramusa is a new look at an all-terrain supercar
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Camal Ramusa sketch
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Camal Ramusa sketch
Camal Ramusa sketch
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Camal Ramusa sketch
Camal keeps the wheelbase short and dimensions compact
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Camal keeps the wheelbase short and dimensions compact
Camal Ramusa concept
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Camal Ramusa concept
Camal Ramusa concept
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Camal Ramusa concept
Camal Ramusa concept
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Camal Ramusa concept
Camal has designed the Ramusa around the Bugatti EB110 chassis and engine
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Camal has designed the Ramusa around the Bugatti EB110 chassis and engine
The Ramusa is designed with 9.8 in of ground clearance
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The Ramusa is designed with 9.8 in of ground clearance
Camal says the wheel arches are designed for an "aggressive and purposeful stance"
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Camal says the wheel arches are designed for an "aggressive and purposeful stance"
Camal Ramusa, a hypersuv concept
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Camal Ramusa, a hypersuv concept
Camal Ramusa
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Camal Ramusa
The Camal Ramusa is a new look at an all-terrain supercar
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The Camal Ramusa is a new look at an all-terrain supercar
View gallery - 12 images

Ever since the 2013 Italdesign Parcour and Audi Nanuk concepts, we've been waiting and hoping for a legitimate off-road supercar that blends Italian styling with burly drive-anywhere construction. We're not quite there yet, but Turin-based design studio Camal has given us its take on a "hypersuv" it calls the Ramusa.

This high-riding AWD sports car vision would see 800-hp (597-kW) worth of Bugatti V12 and electric power shooting its driver across road and dirt. Camal designed the Ramusa for a client, and says that there's been talk of a limited series release, but we're definitely not holding our breath for this oddball two-seater to make it onto the road, or off the road. It's an interesting design exercise, though.

The client chose the pre-Volkswagen-era Bugatti EB110 supercar as the basis of the build, and Camal designed an all-new high-riding concept around that car's carbon chassis and quad-turbo 3.5-liter V12 engine. It's a fairly nondescript sports car with a short, plain front, tucked-and-creased sides, muscular rear haunches, and air inlets and outlets cut into various parts of the 170 x 79.5 x 51.2-in (4,320 x 2,020 x 1,300-mm, L x W x H) body.

The Ramusa is designed with 9.8 in of ground clearance
The Ramusa is designed with 9.8 in of ground clearance

The Ramusa concept is no Jeep Wrangler fighter, but it earns a little all-terrain capability from its squarish, large tire-accommodating wheel arches, 9.8-in (250-mm) ground clearance and AWD powertrain. The rear wheel-powering V12 gets help from an electric motor hooked to the front wheels for a total system output of over 800 hp.

Beyond the quick mention of a limited series "in the near future," Camal doesn't say anything about when we might expect an actual car. And being that it's an off-road sports car developed around a decades-old platform by a young Italian design firm for an undisclosed client, we won't be spending time looking for it at upcoming auto shows.

Source: Camal

View gallery - 12 images
3 comments
3 comments
Mel Tisdale
What a complete waste of space. No matter how many geegees are pushed into the drivetrain, they will not make a scrap of difference if the thing is straddled on a small, nay, very small, hump with all wheels turning to no avail, other than as a source of amusement.
Even if for some reason you want to exploit those geegees on the black stuff you had better change the cross country tyres or you will likely find them shredded after a few miles with the pedal pushed to the metal. Not only that, those lovely alloy rims will also be a bit the worse for wear.
Catweazle
I wonder how it compares with a Lancia Stratos?
Bob Flint
Now that is a really wasted effort, as Mel says, no ground clearance, not going anywhere deeper than your sandals...