In honor of the 500th anniversary of Leonardo DaVinci's death, Italdesign is showcasing a new car named after the great master. A battery-electric Gran Turismo that seats four, the "project for the future" conceptual is nearly production-ready.
Italdesign is a long-running Italian design firm that's worked with nearly every major automotive nameplate on the globe. Its DaVinci project definitely catches the eye and demands attention.
The car is 100 percent electric and made to be sporty in the Gran Turismo tradition, as a premium segment vehicle. It's wide and low, as a GT should be, with aerodynamic flair and beautiful bodywork to match its namesake. Curvature and light-catching lines on the DaVinci concept are very well done, reminiscent of past Italdesign projects for BMW and Lotus.
Many of the motifs were inspired by previous Italdesign projects from recent times. The car's Y Duct element was used in a 2017 Zerouno concept while a hexagonal front diffuser theme comes from a 2016 GTZero project. The rear of the Italdesign DaVinci is a direct homage to the whole Italian GT tradition.
The gullwing doors of the DaVinci concept open to reveal a premium four-seat cabin with an asymmetrical dashboard layout, turned towards the driver. Three screens in the dashboard replace instruments, act as infotainment, and offer passenger-centric entertainment options. Most buttons and switchgear are replaced by on-screen controls to simplify the layout.
Because the Italdesign DaVinci is designed to be all-electric, some elements of the underpinnings of the car can be rudimentary. The battery and motors can be replaced with a 4.0-liter V8 engine and transmission in a modular approach, extending the potential of the DaVinci design thanks to an already-integrated central tunnel and front engine compartment sizing.
Pirelli provided special tires for the Italdesign DaVinci concept, featuring P Zero Effect rubber made specifically for electrified vehicles. These offer low rolling resistance and lower rolling noise, in order to improve economy and reduce interior noise levels in an already-quiet vehicle.
The Italdesign DaVinci concept is being showcased at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.
Source: Italdesign