The Iso Rivolta Chronicles has released its latest episode which takes a closer look at the Iso Grifo 90.
Originally conceived by Piero Rivolta in the late 1980’s, the Iso Grifo 90 was unveiled in 1991. The car was designed by Marcello Gandini and the engine and chassis were slated to be developed by Dallara.
Rivolta had planned to launch the car in 1994 but the project stopped before the model was built. The Iso Grifo 90 was largely forgotten until Federico Bonomelli discovered the original wooden prototype and decided to put it into production.
After getting the go-ahead for Rivolta, Bonomelli stated developing a new prototype which remained faithful to the original concept. The car was based on a C5 Corvette Z06 and powered by a 490 hp (365 kW) V8 engine that was tuned by Callaway. This reportedly enabled the car to accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.6 seconds before hitting at top speed of around 300 km/h (186 mph).
The impressive performance was due in part to an extremely lightweight multi-material body which allowed the car to tip the scales at just 1,200 kg (2,645 lbs).
The prototype was finished in 2010 but the economic crisis was in full swing and Bonomelli decided not to produce the 12 production models he had originally planned on making.
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