Russian designer works with Zagato on ZR1-based Iso Rivolta Marella concept
Iso Rivolta Marella design study – Click above for high-res image gallery
Front-engine rear-drive aluminum chassis, 640-horsepower supercharged V8 engine, high bang:buck ratio... Chevrolet's Corvette ZR1 has got it all. No wonder it's proving to be such a compelling choice for coachbuilders. Reviving the time-honored tradition in re-cloaking Vettes with Italian sheetmetal, the resurgent Stile Bertone used the ZR1 as the basis for the Mantide. And now, a Russian design student has teamed up with rival design house Zagato for another coachbuilt supercar concept based on the ZR1.
The Marella design study revives the Iso Rivolta nameplate, as imagined by one Fedor Stetskevich of the Moscow State University of Industrial and Applied Arts. Commonly known as the Stroganov (yes, you sophisticate, like the beef dish) the university was founded in 1825 and stands as one of Russia's oldest design schools. As you can see, Steskevich collaborated directly with Zagato on the project – which currently exists only as a model – and you can see a lot of resemblance to the Perana Z-One. Beyond that, we'll let the work speak for itself, so have a look in the extensive high-resolution image gallery below and you can leave your thoughts in the Comments below that.
[Source: CarDesign.ru via CarScoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eidolon 1:05PM (10/08/2009)
"So you call it the Revolta?"
"Yes."
"I can see why..."
Reply
Rob 1:36PM (10/08/2009)
It's actually insanely reminiscent of a recent Ferrari 575 that a wealthy Japanese guy had Zagato rebody, I think called the 575 GTZ. So, in that regard, he definitely nailed the Zagato design lineage. In its own right, there is plenty to like about this concept. Good rear end, good arches, nice almond shaped side windows. Like others are thinking, some of it is Alfa 8Cish, but I think anything inspired from the Alfa can only be a good thing. Really the only unsavory bit is it's gaping fish snout. But, hey, I can respect a designer for being bold.
James Sonne 1:36PM (10/08/2009)
I don't know how they fit an LS V8 engine into a 3 inch long chassis.
Protzenegger 3:08PM (10/10/2009)
My problem with Zagato is that pretty much all their latest designs resemble each other. There's the 575, Vanquish, Diatto, and - among the mid-engined crowd - the Spyker and Raptor. They all share styling elements and feature similar roof designs, with generally the same identity throughout. This Rivolta concept looks just like the rest of them.
The Mantide might be strange, but at least it's unique among Bertone cars.
Drew 1:06PM (10/08/2009)
Just stick a Maserati nose on an Alfa 8C body and out pops a revolting russian ravioli concept.
Reply
TonyInMI 1:06PM (10/08/2009)
That's hot.
Reply
Venom 1:11PM (10/08/2009)
Never has the name of a car been so fitting.
Awful.
Reply
HotShoeStudios 1:16PM (10/08/2009)
I don't think it's that ugly but I don't care for it. It is very derivative of any sketch you can see a million times in every school program. I think we have all drawn something similar at one time or another.
I think if you are going to resurrect coachbuilding you have to be more original and creative. Take a chance and push the boundaries a little. Simply slapping a so so design on a Vette platform makes it look like just another kit car.
Reply
Yaroukh 1:18PM (10/08/2009)
if this was a girl i would say "hopefully she can cook"
Reply
GFish 11:46PM (10/08/2009)
Well since it's based off the ZR-1, I'd say yes...she can cook.
FThorn 1:18PM (10/08/2009)
I could never be a car designer. I would continually over-analyze and tweak it to death. So, I guess this is a good designer. Because I would have changed some things. And I am a bad designer. :)
Reply
Mont2099 1:25PM (10/08/2009)
Pontiac Solstice with a body kit and ZR1 motor yes it can be done...
Reply
416Hammy 1:25PM (10/08/2009)
Interesting pix... Russian designers build Hot Wheels-sized concept models?
Odd... and hardly credible.
Reply
colin 1:31PM (10/08/2009)
looks like a crappy solstice
Reply
kevinbtoner 1:38PM (10/08/2009)
599 got in a tussle with a Pontiac Solstice, and both came out looking uglier.
Reply
adamscott 2:13PM (10/08/2009)
Rocking
Reply
adrenalnjunky 2:26PM (10/08/2009)
their photog needs to use a reallly long telephoto, zoomed all the way in to try and fix that perspective issue, that or some tilt-shift trickery.
Reply
Joe 7:46PM (10/08/2009)
Or maybe simply that's just a scale model and not a real car?
adrenalnjunky 7:49PM (10/08/2009)
That's exactly what I was getting at. Long lens from a distance, zoomed all the way in would make the scale model look more realistic - which is obviously what they were going for here.
Tilt-shift photography can make a real scene look like scale models, but could be tweaked to make this look more realistic.