Bertone
Mantide
The
Jason Castriota designed Bertone Mantide was one of the vehicles displayed at
the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show. Before its unveiling the Mantide concept had been
teased for several weeks under the codename "Project M" and a series
of images, videos and vague press releases had been circulated by Stile Bertone
in order to whip up interest in the concept.
The
Bertone Mantide is based on the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 - an outstanding car to
begin with, and features the same 638 horsepower, supercharged, 6.2 litre V8
driving the rear wheels. However thanks to the the lightweight carbon fibre
body panels and wheels which help shave 100 kgs (220 lbs) off the weight and a
more aerodynamic profile the Mantide can sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just
3.2 seconds and carry on to a top speed of 217 mph (351 km/h).
The
futuristic and angular styling of the Stile Bertone Mantide was inspired by
modern aerospace technology and the world of Formula One racing. These
influences are apparent in the way the teardrop-like fuselage tightly wraps
around the drivetrain, and the prominent aerodynamic wings which intersect the
cabin and fold down into the rear wheel arches.
The
Mantide's aerospace and racing inspired styling is further underlined by the
low-slung nose, jet fighter style canopy and butterfly opening doors, as well
as the numerous air intakes and outlets. However the radical exterior design of
the Mantide is not just cosmetic. By using an advanced full scale wind tunnel
to fine tune the profile, and thanks to a race-car derived flat floor plan the
Mantide features an impressive drag coefficient of Cd 0.298, and also a 30%
improvement in downforce over the ZR1. This means that not only is the Mantide
more stable at speed, it is also more aerodynamically - and therefore fuel -
efficient.
The
strictly two-seat interior of the Stile Bertone Mantide features an FIA
compliant triangulated roll cage, lightweight carbon fibre racing seats and
four-point racing harnesses.
