Torino
Design ATS Wildtwelve
This
year’s Parco Valentino Salone & Gran Premio, an outdoor car show that
featured 25 car makers, 12 designers, and two global debuts, hosted the
introduction of the Wild Twelve Concept, a supercar designed by Torino Design
and engineered by Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS).
Though
only a concept for now, the Wild Twelve is scheduled to go into production in
the near future, with ATS planning to build 30 examples. According to Torino
Design, production will take place at an old Bugatti factory in Campogalliano,
Italia.
Torino
Design describes the styling of the Wild Twelve as "harmonic" and
"avant-garde," and says it has been created as to "remain
timeless and to represent its Italian soul at its best."
Interestingly
enough, the car doesn't feature a rear wing. which makes me wonder what kind of
performance the Wild Twelve is capable of.
Dominated
by angular lines, the front fascia features a split design, with what appears
to be a massive air intake separated by a large horizontal piece that looks
like an old-school bumper. Details are rather minimalist above and below. The
headlamps are small and nearly hidden underneath the body, while the split
apron is complemented by a subdued splitter. Interestingly enough, the extra
lights on the "bumper" seem to dominate the landscape.
A
pair of thin orange lines on the canards adorning the apron add a touch of
elegance through a fine contrast with the blue paint.
The
simple lines continue onto the sides. The profile is defined by a mostly
straight line from the side mirrors toward the rear deck. The rear haunches are
quite bland for a modern supercar, which may very well be the result of Torino
Design’s attempt to optimize aerodynamics in a "highly distinctive"
manner. The race-inspired side skirts feature prominent fins behind the front
wheels, while the rear fenders are free of any cooling vents, as these are
positioned atop the wheel arches.
Around
back, things become a little wilder. The center of the fascia is a massive
opening that houses the exhaust pipe. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the
Wild Twelve has a jet engine and not a conventional powerplant. Much like the
headlamps, the taillights are also concealed under the rear deck, which puts
both the central element and the blade-like fins underneath in the spotlight.
Down below, the supercar features a massive two-piece diffuser that would put
any full-fledged race car to shame.
Interestingly
enough, the car doesn’t feature a rear wing. which makes me wonder what kind of
performance the Wild Twelve is capable of. On the other hand, the 1993 McLaren
F1 also lacked a rear wing and we all know how that went, and how many records
it smashed.
The
Wild Twelve’s cockpit will be more about comfort and luxury than racing. That’s
not to say it won’t feature a pair of bucket seats and a flat-bottom, multifunction
steering wheel.
Even
though most ATS Sport models have four-cylinder engines that displace less than
2.0 liters, the Wild Twelve sports a more exotic powerplant under the hood.
Torino Design’s choice is a hybrid drivetrain that combines the gas-fueled
power of a twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V-12 with with two electric motors.
The
company claims a combined output of 847 horsepower and 678 pound-feet of
torque, which isn’t far behind the Porsche 918’s 887-horsepower and
940-pound-feet rating. At least in terms of horsepower, as the Porsche is
obviously the more torquier supercar. For reference, the mighty LaFerrari, also
a hybrid, benefits from 963 horses and 663 pound-feet of twist.
The
Wild Twelve’s V-12 uses a nine-speed automatic to send its power to the rear
wheels, while the electric motors are used to spin the front axle.
The
Wild Twelve is expected to be a bit quicker in a straight line and return
higher top speeds. On paper, the Italian supercar needs only 2.6 seconds to hit
60 mph and 6.2 ticks to reach 124 mph, figures that rival those of the Bugatti
Veyron’s. Top speed is also impressive at 242 mph, significantly higher than
the LaFerrari’s 217 mph and the 918 Spyder’s 211 mph. What’s more, the Wild
Twelve’s projected top speed is only 25 mph away from the Veyron’s Guinness
World Record for the fastest street-legal production car in the world.
Performance
aside, the Wild Twelve can also run on electricity alone, albeit for only
around 19 miles. Still, that’s more than both the LaFerrari and the 918 Spyder
can run without gasoline (up to 14 and 12 miles, respectively).
Source
: topspeed