01 Mar 06
Postgraduate students from IED Turin - the Institute of European Design, which runs a prestigious car design course - are showing the Haizea ('wind') concept car at the Geneva Motor Show.
Haizea is 'The result of a research into the identity of the Lancia brand' and, while it might not seem to have much in common with the likes of the Stratos, Integrale, Fulvia, Aurelia et al, it does have shades of some of the company's late 70s offerings such as the Gamma.
A full-scale model, the Haizea is a kind of Vel Satis-style sports coupe-cum-MPV crossover with a one-box shape. It is mid-engined, however, and rear-wheel-drive, with an additional pair of electric motors providing power to the front wheels in a hybrid system. It is built around a central backbone-style chassis, designed for optimum safety with its seats and instrument panel anchored onto the chassis to provide a sophisticated impact-absorbing structure in the event of a front-end collision. Elements of the chassis structure are visible from the outside.
It's all very postmodern, but is unlikely to bear much resemblance to a future production vehicle.
