Italian design studios still have that magic wand when it comes to creating impressive-looking cars, no matter the ethnicity of the people they employ. I mean, just look at this new Hyundai concept for an Alfa Romeo 4C competitor from the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) of Turin and tell me you wouldn’t want to take it for a spin…
The study is called the PassoCorto and it was commissioned by the Hyundai Design Center Europe “as a tribute to the Made in Italy design that is studied at the IED“.
The two-seater sports car with the rear-mid-engine and rear drive layout will be presented in the flesh at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It’s the tenth full scale model to be created by IED Turin and displayed at the Swiss auto event since it started doing so back in 2004.
The PassoCorto is not only similar in philosophy to the 4C, but in size as well, measuring 4,100mm long, 1,880mm wide and 1,160mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,450mm.
The study is static, but it was designed to be built around a lightweight carbon fiber monocoque chassis and a target weight of just 840kg (1,852 pounds), with power coming from a Hyundai 1.6-liter bi-turbocharged four producing around 270-horsepower.
According to IED, the interior “was designed to have two cockpits with integrated instruments clearly divided by passenger and driver; the seat is optically connected to the dashboard and the backrest is cut directly out of special niches in the frame”.
Thomas Bürkle, Chief Designer at the Hyundai Europe Design Center, commented:
“I would like to express my gratitude to the director Riccardo Balbo, the management of IED and especially to the students of the Master Course. The cooperation between our Design Center and IED was very inspiring and fruitful. The PassoCorto is a dream coming true and fulfills the high expectations we had at the beginning of the project. The result is of such a high standard that I can say that the Hyundai badge sits proudly on the bonnet of this exciting sports car!”
So, what do you think; should Hyundai at least ponder about bringing this car to production?
By John Halas
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