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Alfa Romeo and IED ready Gloria concept for Geneva

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Alfa Romeo, Design/Style, Luxury

It just wouldn't be right for the Geneva Motor Show not to be stocked with exotic concept cars, so this new one from Alfa Romeo and design studio IED should fit right in. Known as the Gloria Concept, the sleek four-door is the result of twenty Master in Transportation Design students at IED, with guidance from Alfa's own Style Center.

Purely a design exercise, the Gloria Concept carries strong historical Alfa Romeo styling cues, neatly packaged within a slick, athletic body shape. The Italian company's traditional shield-shaped grille has been set prominently apart from the rest of the front end, and the leather straps near the windscreen are mean to evoke "memorable leather straps for the luggage compartments of the brand's historic cars." While chances are good that no actual engine will live under that shapely bonnet come show time, the designers have supposedly made room for a turbocharged V6 or V8 of some capacity.

We anticipate that the taut, curvaceous surfacing will look even more impressive in person, when we report in from the Geneva show next month. Until then, you can click on the image above for an expanded view of the Gloria Concept, or follow on below to browse the Alfa press release.

Continue reading Alfa Romeo and IED ready Gloria concept for Geneva

Alfa Romeo and IED ready Gloria concept for Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IED Torino students fail to impress with Cisitalia 202 E concept

Noah Joseph — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:33:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Design/Style

Obscure as it may have been (and remains still) to most motorheads on the western shores of the Atlantic, the original Cisitalia 202 was (and endures as) an icon in automotive design. It was fluid, harmonious, and looked as though it were carved by wind from a single bar of soap. The modern interpretation you see here, however, is a far cry.

Designed by the students in transportation design at the IED in Turin, Italy, the Cisitalia 202 E concept was unveiled here on the floor of the Geneva Motor Show to a largely indifferent audience. You can't fault the students or their school for that, because there's just so much going on here. But then it doesn't do much to stand out, either.

Suffice it to say that some of the projects - namely the 2008 Maserati Chicane - undertaken by previous graduating classes caught our attention in a better way. See what we mean in the gallery of live images above.

IED Torino students fail to impress with Cisitalia 202 E concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IED Torino students revisit Cisitalia 202 with Geneva-bound concept

Noah Joseph — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Design/Style

Back in the mid-40s, Pininfarina designed a car for Cisitalia called (simply enough) the 202. The auto marque has long since died, but the 202 lives on as a hallmark of harmonious design. Now the students at the IED in Turin are paying homage with a new design study slated for unveiling at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Something of a collective thesis project by the masters students of the school's transportation design program, the Cisitalia 202 E Concept was penned by Chin-Hsuan Chen of Taiwan and implemented under the watchful eyes of Pininfarina and Maserati head designers. More of a 1:1 model than a rolling show car, the 202 E (for Evoluzione) would (theoretically) be powered by a V8 driving 450 horsepower to the rear set of 19-inch wheels and follows such recent designs as Scorp-ION of 2011 and the Maserati Chicane of 2008.

IED Torino students revisit Cisitalia 202 with Geneva-bound concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: IED Scorp-Ion design study electrifies Abarth's future

Noah Joseph — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Fiat, Electric

IED Abarth Scorp-Ion - Click above for high-res image gallery

Every division in the sprawling Fiat empire had something new to unveil at the Geneva Motor Show this year. Starting at the top, Ferrari presented the new FF. Maserati had the GranCabrio Sport, Alfa Romeo wowed with the 4C Concept, Lancia debuted the new Ypsilon and the Fiat brand itself presented two new variations on the 500 theme with the Gucci edition and the stunning Zagato coupe. Even its transatlantic partners in Auburn Hills were represented. The only one that was left out, really, was the Abarth sub-brand. Or was it?

The marque's own show stand showcased the existing range (plus a new junior formula racing program), but there was a new Abarth on display across the hall at the IED booth. Previously, the students at the Istituto Europeo di Design gave us the dramatic Maserati Chicane concept, and this year they teamed up with Abarth for the Scorp-Ion. Emphasizing the "ion" in the name, the design study calls for an all-electric drivetrain, decentralized to each wheel and leaving extra space for baggage and two seats. The styling, meanwhile, is pure F-Zero from our childhood Super Nintendo days.

Check it out for yourself in our gallery of live shots from the show floor below and find the full details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: IED Abarth Scorp-ion: Geneva 2011

Continue reading Geneva 2011: IED Scorp-Ion design study electrifies Abarth's future

Geneva 2011: IED Scorp-Ion design study electrifies Abarth's future originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren crosses over to the future with IED student concepts [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Performance, Europe, Crossover, Design/Style

IED McLaren Torok concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

A McLaren crossover? You can't be serious? Well, no more serious than Lamborghini or Porsche. Both of these have done sport-utes, and word has it that Maserati will be joining them soon.

This project, however, comes a couple of steps short of that. Collaborating with McLaren, the students at Turin's Instituto Europeo di Design (IED) were assigned to create their vision of what a McLaren crossover could look like, circa 2020. The assignment called for hybrid drivetrains, mid-engine layouts, two-seat cabins and four-wheel drive. Thirty-three designs resulted, which were whittled down to 11 finalists and three winners.

The Holon, Torok and Bio Renovatio are what the winners were called, each to be made into a 1:4 scale model. Like 'em or hate 'em, that's as far as they're likely to go, but for the students who created them the sky is the proverbial limit. Check 'em out in the gallery below and the trio of videos after the jump.

Gallery: IED McLaren 2020 crossover designs

[Source: CarScoop]

Continue reading McLaren crosses over to the future with IED student concepts [w/video]

McLaren crosses over to the future with IED student concepts [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European design students team up to dream up future Aston Martins [w/VIDEO]

Noah Joseph — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Europe, Videos, Aston Martin, Design/Style

Aston Martin 2025 Libido: Amore e Psiche design study - Click above for high-res image gallery

Were you impressed by the Aston Martin Volare design study? Then you should get a load of this: Turin's European Design Institute (known by its Italian initials IED) tasked its third-year graduate design students with imagining what Astons will look like in the year 2025. The students went to Aston's headquarters in Gaydon, England, met with the company's designers, then headed back to Turin where they came up with eight original concepts.

The only restriction the instructors gave their students in their brief was that they had to use technologies that would be emerging onto the scene in the next five years. Otherwise, the sky was the limit, and the students came up with some intriguing and captivating designs. The IED pupils named their projects Luxury Cocoon Concept, Libido: Amore e Psiche, Gotha Concept, Pt220609, Symbiosis, Aston Martin Vestige, Aston Martin Sattva and Elate, and you can check them all out in the gallery below and in the videos posted after the jump.

Gallery: IED Turin Aston Martin 2025 Project

[Source: IED via eurocarblog]

Continue reading European design students team up to dream up future Aston Martins [w/VIDEO]

European design students team up to dream up future Aston Martins [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IED students imagine a pod-shaped BMW in 2015

Michael Harley — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, BMW

Click above image for more IED concepts in high-res

While we certainly don't expect BMW to make such drastic design changes to its lineup within this decade, third-year students at the Turin-based IED (istituto Europeo di Design) were asked to interpret what the German automaker's automobiles would look like in 2015. Although they worked from a clean slate, inspiration was to come from natural elements such as the sea, wind, or the earth. Thirty-five students were divided into eighteen teams for the task. Those teams conjured up, and approved, twelve proposals. Of those, eight were developed into 1:4 scale models. To ensure the quality standards of their trademark, each of the stages of development were supervised under the watchful eye of BMW execs Thomas Plath, Anders Warming, and the controversial Mr. Bangle-butt himself...Chris Bangle. Check the gallery below for high-res images of the fruits of their labor.

Gallery: IED BMW Concepts

[Source: Car Body Design]

IED students imagine a pod-shaped BMW in 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat may be planning Abarth-only models

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Fiat

Ever since the Fiat 500 showed up in concept car form, there was inevitable talk of resurrecting the Abarth version for the sports-minded motorist. When we saw THAT concept, we offered up our first-born children. But there is some doubt that the U.S. will ever get these Fiats, let alone the Abarth editions. Bad news for us, but there is actually even better news for those in Europe. It seems Abarth might be established as its own marque within the FIAT kingdom, with sport models of the 500 and Grande Punto an almost certainty. But according to this piece in Caradisiac, the Abarth brand might even get unique vehicles unto itself.

In a conversation with Director of FIAT, Luca De Meo, it came out that besides making Abarth a separate division, they would also get exclusive models, maybe even something along the lines of the Abarth roadster seen here. It could easily be built off of the 500 Abarth platform and give the brand a halo car of sorts to visually represent what the marque is all about. The Abarth SS Concept seen here was designed by IED, and although just a styling exercise, could realistically reach the market as a production vehicle. Rumors of 185-hp versions of the T-Jet have swirled, but even the 145-155 hp mills would make this tiny barchetta fly. Just one more reason to move to Italy.

[Source: Caradisiac]

Gallery: Abarth SS Concept by IED

Fiat may be planning Abarth-only models originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Road rage" may be result of mental illness

Eric Bryant — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

A recently-released study by the National Institute for Mental Health claims that five to seven percent of the population - perhaps up to 16 million Americans - suffers from Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), or what could be colloquially referred to as "road rage syndrome".

Symptoms of IED include multiple bouts of anger that are out of proportion to the situation and which include a threat of violence or actual aggressive action towards a person or property. Said to be related to improper functioning of serotonin in the brain, the average age of onset is 14, with an average of 43 outbursts over one's lifetime. For what it's worth, we suffered from at least that many violent episodes while changing the head gasket on a GM Quad 4, but we're pretty sure that could have been addressed by dropping the car off at a junkyard instead of visiting a psychiatrist.

[Source: Yahoo!]

"Road rage" may be result of mental illness originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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