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Aircraft

The Italian designer blending the past and future

By Rich Haridy
December 12, 2017
The Italian designer blending the past and future
The Hover Coupè concept turns a classic early 20th century icon into a futuristic flying car
The Hover Coupè concept turns a classic early 20th century icon into a futuristic flying car
View 42 Images
A look at the underside of the Hover Coupè concept
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A look at the underside of the Hover Coupè concept
The design of the Hover Coupè concept is inspired by the famous Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8
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The design of the Hover Coupè concept is inspired by the famous Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8
The Hover Coupè concept turns a classic early 20th century icon into a futuristic flying car
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The Hover Coupè concept turns a classic early 20th century icon into a futuristic flying car
Three color schemes for the Hover Coupè concept
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Three color schemes for the Hover Coupè concept
The Hover Coupè concept
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The Hover Coupè concept
The Hover Coupè concept is a fascinating blend of the past and future
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The Hover Coupè concept is a fascinating blend of the past and future
The IFO – Identified Flying Object
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The IFO – Identified Flying Object
The IFO is a personal transport quadcopter concept
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The IFO is a personal transport quadcopter concept
The IFO is a reasonably large and bulky design
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The IFO is a reasonably large and bulky design
The UFO 2.0 is one of Lazzarini Design Studio's most interesting designs
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The UFO 2.0 is one of Lazzarini Design Studio's most interesting designs
The UFO 2.0 is a floating UFO shaped house
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The UFO 2.0 is a floating UFO shaped house
A portion of the UFO 2.0's habitat sits underwater allowing for amazing sea views
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A portion of the UFO 2.0's habitat sits underwater allowing for amazing sea views
The UFO 2.0 is like a combination between a luxury yacht and house
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The UFO 2.0 is like a combination between a luxury yacht and house
The UFO 2.0 concept can be adapted to the needs of its rich owner
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The UFO 2.0 concept can be adapted to the needs of its rich owner
The Seajet Capsule is a modular unit that can operate on land or water
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The Seajet Capsule is a modular unit that can operate on land or water
The Seajet Capsule is a modular unit that can operate on land or water
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The Seajet Capsule is a modular unit that can operate on land or water
The Seajet Capsule is a modular unit that can operate on land or water
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The Seajet Capsule is a modular unit that can operate on land or water
The Seajet Capsule is a modular unit that can operate on land or water
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The Seajet Capsule is a modular unit that can operate on land or water
The Jet Capsule is the company's first major fully realized product – a luxury mini-yacht
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The Jet Capsule is the company's first major fully realized product – a luxury mini-yacht
The Jet Capsule is the company's first major fully realized product – a luxury mini-yacht
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The Jet Capsule is the company's first major fully realized product – a luxury mini-yacht
The Jet Capsule is the company's first major fully realized product – a luxury mini-yacht
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The Jet Capsule is the company's first major fully realized product – a luxury mini-yacht
The Jet Capsule is the company's first major fully realized product – a luxury mini-yacht - seen here on a not realized superyacht concept
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The Jet Capsule is the company's first major fully realized product – a luxury mini-yacht - seen here on a not realized superyacht concept
This is a tilt-wheeled design called Nemo
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This is a tilt-wheeled design called Nemo
This is a tilt-wheeled design called Nemo
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This is a tilt-wheeled design called Nemo
This is a tilt-wheeled design called Nemo
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This is a tilt-wheeled design called Nemo
Futuro is an electric, pod-like vehicle capable of carrying four passengers
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Futuro is an electric, pod-like vehicle capable of carrying four passengers
Futuro is an electric, pod-like vehicle capable of carrying four passengers
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Futuro is an electric, pod-like vehicle capable of carrying four passengers
Icarus – a stylish car concept
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Icarus – a stylish car concept
Icarus – a stylish car concept
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Icarus – a stylish car concept
A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
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A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
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A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
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A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
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A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
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A closer look at the Jet Capsule, which is in production now with an unlisted price but presumably in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
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A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
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A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
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A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
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A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
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A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
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A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
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A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
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A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
View gallery - 42 images

Italian designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini has delivered some compellingly strange concepts over the years and his latest flying car design is no exception. The Hover Coupè is a gorgeous looking blend of retro-style with future-tech.

The Lazzarini Design Studio motto is, "Think about the future, never forget the past," and the Hover Coupè is a perfect encapsulation of that idea. The design is inspired by the iconic Italian car brand Isotta Fraschini, most specifically the early 20th century Tipo 8, a legendary automobile that exemplifies luxury.

The design of the Hover Coupè concept is inspired by the famous Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8
The design of the Hover Coupè concept is inspired by the famous Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8

The concept takes the classic styling of this iconic car and launches it into the 21st century, removing the wheels and reimagining it as a flying automobile. Lazzarini tells us that this concept, "maintains the soft lines of the 40's yet is powered by 4 turbine engine, similar to the ones in use in commercial planes, but smaller in diameter."

Lazzarini's futurist concepts often lean into the unrealizable, but the company did make its mini-yacht Jet Capsule a reality recently, so it isn't all pie-in-the-sky dreaming.

A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept
A closer look at the UFO 2.0 concept

Take a look through our gallery for a look at more of Lazzarini's eye-popping ideas, from a floating UFO house to a quadcopter taxi dubbed the Identified Flying Object (IFO).

Source: Lazzarini Design Studio

View gallery - 42 images

Tags

AircraftConcept BoatFlying CarsConcept ArchitectureMini YachtJet Capsule
11 comments
Rich Haridy
Rich Haridy
Rich has written for a number of online and print publications over the last decade while also acting as film critic for several radio broadcasters and podcasts. His interests focus on psychedelic science, new media, and science oddities. Rich completed his Masters degree in the Arts back in 2013 before joining New Atlas in 2016.

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11 comments
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is both cool and weird.
I think it is called retro; combining old style with new technology. I don't believe it is a new idea.
Gizmowiz
Stunningly beautiful but inside it's junk--it's gas and not electric.
The Creator
VincentWolf, being "gas" rather than electric does not make it junk. This design would actually use Jet fuel (kerosene) as it uses turbine engines. The FACT is that batteries and/or alternative energy storage methods have a LONG way to go before they can even come close to the energy density of liquid fuel.
We are just now starting to see fully electric aircraft and most are severely lacking in range. There are some with decent range buy they are typical fixed wing aircraft with the advantage of aerodynamic lift, ALL the fully electric aircraft in a "quadcoptor" format have horrible range because they rely almost 100% on thrust to stay in the air.
Bottom line, a design such as this would be useless to the average person if it were fully electric because it would probably only be able to fly for about 5-10 minutes before needing a recharge.
ikarus342000
TypicalI Italian design. To call it semi retro is a gag. But gys busy with quad-multi rotor copters, with the props open. Look at this, use the idea. Ducted rotors are more effective anyway.
Gizmowiz
Creator: Not true. 300 miles range on Tesla is already adequate. 500 miles on their semi truck. 30 minutes charge on their semi truck and 250 miles on model 3 in 45 minutes is fine for trips. Your an ICE lover and stuck in the past. Batteries prices are dropping 40% a year now.
Gizmowiz
Creator. New technology soon will triple battery ranges with new electroclyte discovery. So many battery technologies about to emerge commercially in next 5 years. Desigining anything that's not 100% electric is fool hardy and a waste of time today. Ships are going electric, Semi trucks, buses, dump trucks, waste trucks, planes, copters, etc. Makes me laugh at all you naysayers sticking with Koch Brothers mentalities.
ei3io
With both electric batteries mechanically chopping air and fuel burning plus mechanically chopping air we will always see dangerous and inefficient heavy travel. When Atmospheric Ion Propulsion arrives we will we see truly efficient light weight no moving parts propulsion that is silent, safe and pollution free using solar hydrogen fuel cells.
Douglas Bennett Rogers
There is an actual vehicle in this format. It is the AV-8/B Harrier jet.
Sisko
Vincent Wolf, when those new battery and electric technologies become commercially available then and only then, will people have those options to choose from. But till then, it's just another futuristic but as yet, unfulfilled promise, kind of like how electricity from fusion, is always "only 30 years away". And it takes a lot of pollution to create and eventually dispose of all those batteries as well as the pkastick and other toxic materials. And plenty of powerplants from which the power to recharge those batteries, use fossil fuels. It makes me laugh at all you with the George Soros mentality who roboticly repeat the mantra "electricity good, gasoline bad" without any actual critical thought as to all the parameters involved in each.
Dan Lewis
VincentWolf should reread what Creator typed. It is exactly as Creator said. This Lazzarini design relies on continuous downward THRUST to lift the vehicle up off the ground. That requires lots of energy which today's batteries cannot yet provide and that doesn't even touch on forward or backward propulsion. Creator is NOT an 'ICE lover'. He/she mere states the truth of today's circumstances. Wake up, VincentWolf. Don't go making unnecessary enemies.
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