PAOLO MARTIN in CAR STYLING MAGAZINE

Aerodynamics, Automotive Design, Concept cars, Concourse D'Elegance, De Tomaso, Designers, Experimental Vehicles, Ferrari, Flamboyant Cars, Fuoriserie, Italian Cars, Italian Coachbuilders, Paolo Martin, Pininfarina, Show cars, Sports Cars, Supercars, Tuned for the road 3 Comments »

.Paolo Martin works

Combining creativity with complete know-how and modern technology.Paolo Martin works


I would like to share with you this report recently published in Japan by Car Styling magazine. A special issue dedicated to the Italian Designers and “Carrozzeria”.

Paolo Martin works

Within the territories of one-man-design-show, resisting in and around Torino, Paolo Martin keeps his creativity and design work running in many directions. As usual.  His hairs are whiter than ever but his genius is evergreen, just as it is the case for secluded Marcelo Gandini and public-persona Giorgetto Giugiaro.

He is one of the very few talents left that has a complete understanding of car design and body construction. One of the few men who can tackle any aspect of the process. As such he is a very precious heritage of the traditional art of coach building.

Paolo Martin works

It is for this reason that he regrets that he receives less commission from the car, yacht and motorcycle industry these days of decline. He still has plenty of good ideas that could be turned into a successful project. Even more relevant he regrets he has few chances of passing over to the young generations his past experience, just as Maestro Giovanni Michelotti did with him when he was 16 years old.

On the other side, he is happy to take commissions from private investors and enthusiasts. He loves the human relations with them and the exchange of cultural input, be it from the Arabian Peninsula, the Far East or the Americas.

On the projects he develops for private customers he must keep the secret, unless authorized by his patron.

Recently, he was allowed to release some interesting design works he developed in the past couple of years.

Three projects he had a lot of fun to work with.

Paolo Martin works

One for a multifunctional “Desert Running Suite” that combines a carry-on tent of some 100 square meters blossoming from a sort of very large 6×6 all-road heavy-duty vehicle carrying a small living room with all comfort and all the most sophisticated equipment that tycoons, VIP, government officials may want or need to take with them in the desert for a mission, a week-end excursion or a party.

One derivative also considers a sort of moving “ceremony hall on wheels for the desert”.

Paolo Martin works

A sophisticated mechanism develops the huge tent in minutes and displays solar cell panels providing plenty of energy for the satellite communication centre and other amenities. The execution of the vehicle has been put on hold after the recent turmoil in Nord Africa.

The second project is a typical “coachbuilder” sportcar that is clearly inspired to the popular De Tomaso mid-engined V8 two-seater that the new “De Tomaso” company is to unveil at the Los Angeles auto show later this year. His project has not been commissioned by the company but by a private collector who was eager to see what could done at this time to revive the myth of the affordable supercar and have one built for himself.

Paolo Martin works

The layout, dimensions and proportions are very modern and yet there is the de Tomaso DNA in this car.

This second project shows how Paolo Martin has kept up with the CAD and virtual modelling technologies and indeed he has developed the “2 Posti Sportiva 2012” in few weeks on his PC with all the technicalities integrated into the project and the basic data for quick and economical milling.

Paolo Martin works

Probably Paolo Martin is the only star designer who emerged in the great old times (the 60ies and 70ies) of Italian coachbuilding and has developed his skill to confirm and visualize his design ideas through contemeporary virtual technology.

See his renderings for self-speaking evidence. Obviously we need not to comment on his own, very elegant and dynamic design for a modern mid-engined sport car.

Paolo Martin works

We would simply add that we would love to see it in the real world.

We can show also a third project that Paolo Martin has developed on his own after the instigation of a journalist who asked him how he would design the Modulo of the third millennium.

Paolo Martin works

Paolo Martin works

In no time Martin penned what he calls the “Modulo Enzo”. A design that is absolutely up to the mythical name of “Modulo” and of Ferrari. Again, the project is not just a beautiful rendering created on a PC but a realistic vision (though futuristic, like he Modulo) of a super Ferrari. The car is feasible, with few concessions, and recently a famous connoisseur and collector has shown interest in having one built for himself.

Paolo Martin works

That would certainly be a dream of millions enthusiasts coming true and a fantastic promotional vehicle for a high-tech company.

End of this report by Giancarlo Perini ©.

BMW UNVEIL OFFICIAL 2011 M3 PICK-UP.

Aerodynamics, American Cars, BMW, Concept cars, Concourse D'Elegance, Crossover, Experimental Vehicles, Flamboyant Cars, Fuoriserie, German Cars, Motor Shows, Show cars, Sports Cars, Supercars, Tuned for the road, off-road No Comments »

Exclusive.

BMW 2011 Official fish M3 pick-up

Just 21 days ahead of the Auto Shanghai 2011 show, BMW has officially released the news concerning the very unique and amazingly fast M3 Pick-up developed by a task force in a very short period of time.

Considering the speed of the entire development, today I prefer to let the press-office tell you the entire story by reproducing here the full press release, issued just few hours ago.

Read the rest of this entry »

THE ZAGATO ALFA ROMEO TZ 3 STRADALE BUILT ON DODGE VIPER.

Alfa Romeo, American Cars, Automotive Design, Car Design, Car Styling, Chrysler, Concourse D'Elegance, Dodge, Italian Cars, Italian Coachbuilders, Supercars, Viper, Zagato, coupé 4 Comments »

Zagato 2010 AR TZ 3 Corsa vde

According to Turin and Detroit insiders, the famous Italian coachbuilder Zagato has just completed the new (and rather unusual) Alfa Romeo TZ 3 “Stradale” that was expected to be unveiled in May this year at the Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este but instead it will be seen in public for the first time at Pebble Beach in August. And that is for a good reason and a good cause, as we shall see in a moment. Read the rest of this entry »

FERRARI 2011 CALENDARS

Cabrio, Concourse D'Elegance, F 1, Ferrari, Fuoriserie, RACING CARS, Supercars, Tuned for the road, coupé 3 Comments »

The new Ferrari calendars for 2011 are out. Published for the 27th year by photographer and Ferrari enthusiast Günther Raupp they are approved by Ferrari as “Official Licensed Product”. There are two calendars you may choose from, unless you want to have both. One is dedicated to the F1 car that have raced in the current season, the other one is dedicated to Gran Turismo by Ferrari of all time.

For quotations and to order your copy(ies) go to www.calendari-ufficiali-ferrari.it

Here is a preview for you to enjoy.

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

Ferrari 2011 Calendar

BERTONE RETURNS TO BERTONE (LILLI)

Aerodynamics, Automotive Design, Bertone, Car Design, Car Styling, Concourse D'Elegance, Corvette, Designers, Flamboyant Cars, Fuoriserie, Italian Coachbuilders, Sports Cars, Stile Bertone, Supercars, Tuned for the road, Villa d'Este 1 Comment »

LILLI BERTONE HAS FULL CONTROL OF “STILE BERTONE”.

Lilli Bertone, the strongly minded widow of the late Nuccio Bertone, is reportedly the only owner of the Stile Bertone design think tank as of July 28th. After the Turin Court ruled that Mrs. Bertone has the right to a minimal majority stake in the company, with the remaining 49.9periodical in the hands of her two sisters, the Bertone matriarch has succeeded in buying them out and ensure herself 100% of the stakes into Stile Bertone. Read the rest of this entry »

Streamlining for Aerodynamics and Speed.

Aerodynamics, Automotive Design, BMW, Car Design, Car Museums, Concourse D'Elegance, German Cars, Lightweight cars, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Villa d'Este, Volkswagen 5 Comments »

Within the frame of the Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este, the organisers arranged a very special exhibition at nearby Villa Erba dedicate to a special category of car design (and engineering).

With the simple title of “Streamlining” the exhibition presented by the Prototype Museum in Hamburg shows the development of car with extreme streamlined bodywork designed to minimize air resistance and maximize performance (and fuel consumption in relation to performance). Read the rest of this entry »

EVERYTHING (ALMOST) YOU WANT TO SEE OF THE 2009 CONCORSO D’ELEGANZA DI VILLA D’ESTE.

Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Automotive Design, BMW, Bentley, Bertone, British Cars, Bugatti, Cabriolet, Car Design, Car Styling, Concept cars, Concourse D'Elegance, Corvette, Designers, Electric Cars, Ferrari, Fiat, Frua, Fuoriserie, Italian Cars, Italian Coachbuilders, Lamborghini, Lancia, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Mindset, Perana Performance, Pininfarina, Porsche, RACING CARS, Rinspeed, Rolls-Royce, Sports Cars, Stile Bertone, Touring, Tuned for the road, Villa d'Este, Zagato 2 Comments »

The Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este this years has been as good as the weather. That is to say that half of it was very good, with peaks of excellence, and the remaining half was bad, raining and boring, with touches of ugliness.

 

 

 By the end of the elegant week-end on the Lake of Como, one would say it was not one the best edition ever but still offered enough interesting cars to look at, people to greet and talk to, and subjects to discuss.

 

 

 

As such it was one not to be missed. Those who did not attend it missed the extremely rare chance of hearing the sibilo and smelling the pollution of its turbine engine, not to mention seeing this extraordinary visualisation of the dreams about the cars of the future they were dreaming in the fifties and sixties.

BERTONE SPICUP - BMW 2800, 1969

  Read the rest of this entry »

My favourite car at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2009?

Aston Martin, Automotive Design, Concourse D'Elegance, Corvette, Electric Cars, Fuoriserie, Italian Coachbuilders, Lightweight cars, Mindset, Stile Bertone, Tuned for the road, Villa d'Este No Comments »

One of you has asked me which was your favourite car at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2009?

Now I am in a hurry to catch a flight out of town but I can try to post a quick reply. Difficult question. Here the first answers. Considering this is a Concorso D’Eleganza and not a competition about the most attractive (for overall qualities such as rarety, power, brand, performance, style, etc.) among the classics my first choice would probably be the 1954 Aston Martin DB 2/4 built by Bertone.

Aston Martin DB 2_4, 1954

Second choice would be the 1952 Lancia Aurelia B52 built by Vignale.

Lancia Aurelia B52, 1952

Among the “concept” I would say that none win my points for elegance but if I have to choose one among them as the most interesting I would say the Mindset (with its very elegant interior)

and the Stile Bertone Mantide for its dynamic proportions and style.

I shall come back to this in a week time, though.

FIRST LIGHT OF THE DAY FOR STILE BERTONE MANTIDE SUPER CAR.

Automotive Design, Bertone, Car Design, Car Styling, Concourse D'Elegance, Corvette, Fuoriserie, GM, Italian Coachbuilders, Sports Cars, Stile Bertone, Supercars, Villa d'Este 10 Comments »

 Eventually, the big day for Jason Castiota with Stile Bertone came yesterday. Its Stile Bertone Corvette ZR1 Mantide was presented to a small number of friends, colleagues, suppliers and friends, at the superlative Fiat Group Automobiles proving ground in Balocco just a couple of hours after the latest details were fixed in Caprie. Faithful to the coachbuilder tradition the one-off came late to the meeting, as if that had been orchestrated to further tease those eager to see it and get a first hand impression. Well, my first impression is that the Mantide look fine in pictures and a lot better in reality. Some fussy detail in the back are much less obvious, the roof profile looks very dynamic and express a clear message of high speed, the design is structured and occasionally complex but the main surfaces are perfectly mastered. It is at the front that Castriota’s team has left room for improvement. Obviously organising in a harmonius composition the never-ending surface of the front bonnet is not easy, especially when you want to make a strong impression. The many facets of the front seem to be inspired to a diamond but the outcome is not so brillant. In action, at very reasonable speeds (no problem was the imperative), the silhouette look very exciting and by the end of the day I might end up liking this design better than that of the Pininfarina P4/5 Ferrari Enzo. According to Jason Castriota, the Mantide might be sold to a Chinese enthusiast. The price is now at 1.5 million Euros, but those who are ready to pay some 650,000 euros for one the five units (one per continent?) might get one to their own specifications. Bertone  would love to build if as many orders are placed after the car is presented, tomorrow, at the Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este.   

Interiors, details, people and more in the photo gallery:   STILE BERTONE 2009 MANTIDE @ BALOCCO

STILE BERTONE SPECIAL CORVETTE IS CALLED MANTIDE.

Automotive Design, Bertone, Car Design, Car Styling, Concourse D'Elegance, Corvette, Fuoriserie, Italian Coachbuilders, Motor Shows, Show cars, Sports Cars, Stile Bertone, Supercars, Tuned for the road, Villa d'Este 10 Comments »

Here eventually an image that reflects a bit of the latest Supercar designed by Jason Castriota for Stile Bertone. The ultimate fuoriserie from the famous Italian coachbuilder is called Mantide and will make its first public appearance at the famous “Balocco” Fiat Group Automobile’ proving ground. I think the car is going to look gorgeous, its sound will be intimidating and the speed really high, if the goads of cutting 250 pounds (some 115 kg) off the original weight and the low aerodynamics Cx have actually been achieved.

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