August 26th, 2009
Maserati has taken the wraps off its highly anticipated new convertible, the GranCabrio. It is the first four-seat convertible in the company’s history
The GranCabrio was designed by Pininfarina, the Italian firm responsible for the other two cars in the Maserati lineup: the Quattroporte and the Gran Turismo.
The GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7-litre V8 with 440bhp and is the convertible with the longest wheelbase on the market.
April 17th, 2009
Eurostar has selected Italian consultancy Pininfarina to undertake design work for the mid-life refurbishment of the 28 high-speed trains used on services from London to Paris and Brussels.
Pininfarina will be responsible for the full interior design including styling and engineering, as well as new exterior livery.
The Italian designers responsible for styling some the world’s most exotic cars - including Ferraris and Maseratis - has also designed buses, trains and electric vehicles.
July 3rd, 2008
Automotive News reports that Pininfarina is working on a new privately-commissioned one-off based on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe.
Coachbuilding for individual clients is becoming an important part of Pininfarina’s business, as automakers worldwide are outsourcing to independent carrozzerias less than they used to
Ordered by an as-yet unnamed collector, the vehicle will bear the name Hyperion from ancient Greek mythology. Built from a Phantom Drophead Coupé, the Hyperion seems to be much shorter than the production model. Although the front fascia seems to be similar to the Phantom, the car sports a host of new character lines aft of the A-pillars.
Pininfarina claims the Hyperion is inspired by pre-war Rolls-Royces; while the lines do help connect the car to its history, many of the same lines recall more modern vehicles. The kink just below the window line, rising up as it hits the rear fender, evokes memories of the Silver Wraith and Silver Cloud, both products of the 1950s.
Other details on the Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe special haven’t yet emerged, but expect to see the Hyperion in full at the Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance that opens on August 17.
March 10th, 2008
The annual Geneva Motor Show scheduled for 4-16 March in the Swiss city of Geneva is looking like it is not going to falter in its tradition of introducing exotic production and concept supercars.
After an agonizingly slow revelation of parts of the design in a week-by-week campaign, Pininfarina’s concept Sintesi design is unwrapped in Geneva. The steeply angled front windshield and low streamlined body is a strikingly futuristic, if not super-exotic, design.
The scissor doors swing up like a Lamborghini, with the front doors hinged at the front and the back doors hinged at the back to give a double door swinging effect, only on a vertical plane.
The concept car design sticks to Pininfarina’s distinct designs of flowing forms, making it both visually arresting and ultra desirable.
