Today we’ll zero in on an up-and-coming automotive
design crackerjack from Italy. His name is Gianfranco Spano and according to
his LinkedIn profile, the young fellow just got himself a degree in Vehicle
Engineering at the Universita degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia. To
graduate from university, you need a thesis. Mr. Spano prepared one in the form
of a design study.
The 1:5 scale model in the adjacent photo gallery is
the concept in question. Designed and fabricated with the aid of Modelleria
Modenese and Carrozzeria Zanasi, the Alfa Romeo 6C is a design study for a
road-going GT car.
Carrozzeria Zanasi is in cahoots with Ferrari since
1964, the year old man Enzo was looking for a shop to repair damaged cars.
These days, Carrozzeria Zanasi can prepare your Ferrari for Ferrari Classiche
certification, provided that your car is over 20 years old. It’s rather clear
then why Gianfranco’s 1:5 scale study looks so Ferrari-like, yet the badge
reads Alfa Romeo.
What caught our attention the most, is the
so-called Active Hidden Roof. The curiously called roof prides itself on no
less than three possible configurations: Coupe, Targa, and Spider. Its still
a work in progress, mind you. However, Mr. Spano intends to patent this system
in the near future.
Behind the driver’s seat, this magnificent concept
theoretically hides the 510 PS 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 from the Alfa Romeo
Giulia Quadrifoglio. That’s essentially the 3.9-liter V8 engine from the
Ferrari California T, with two cylinders lopped off for good measure. The Alfa Romeo 6C by Gianfranco Spano is said to ride on the backbone of the
458 Italia, sharing the same wheelbase and the front/rear tracks with the
Prancing Horse.
