Giugiaro Builds the World's Ugliest Prius, But Boy Is It Quick


After teasing us for days with tightly cropped photos of the Quaranta solar-assisted hybrid supercar concept it's bringing to the Geneva Motor Show, Italdesign Giugiaro has given the first good look at it. All we can say is cover it back up, please. We never thought it could happen, but an Italian designer - one that penned the Bugatti EB118 and Lamborghini Cala concepts, no less - has built a a car as cold as it is futuristic. Giugiaro calls it "an extreme product," an understatement to be sure.

Get past the bodywork, though, and you'll find an impressive sports car that is as quick as it is soulless. Giugiaro says the all-wheel-drive, mid-engined car accelerates from zero to 62 mph (100 kph) in 4.05 seconds and tops out at 155 mph.


That's Tesla Roadster and Porsche 911 GT3 kind of acceleration, from a variation of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system Toyota uses in the Prius.

So what's the story on the doorstop design?

The Quaranta marks Italdesign Giugiaro's 40th anniversary and pays homage to the Bizzarrini Manta concept of 1968. We also see a bit of the Lancia Stratos HF concept and Honda FCX Clarity in there as well. Giugiaro says the rounded wedge provides "maximum possible efficiency and penetration."

The wide black roof is a solar panel that charges the batteries and provides energy for the climate control system. The car features cameras on the sides and rear, which is good because the Quaranta looks like it's got blind spots only slightly smaller than New Jersey.

Giugiaro cribbed the steering wheel design from the 1980 Lancia Medusa concept. All of the vehicle controls are contained on the spokes of the wheel, eliminated the stalks that flank the wheel in most cars. There's enough room inside for three adults and a child in that funky one front seat, three back seat.

The Quaranta uses a 3.3 liter V6 engine and two electric motors - Giugiara didn't provide any specs on them - that it says provides the power of a V8 and the fuel economy of a four-banger. It features Toyota's electronic continuously variable transmission and something Giugiara calls "E-Four" automatically switches between two-wheel and all-wheel drive to maximize efficiency and handling.

There's loads more information in Giugiara's seven-page press release and photo archive.

UPDATE: More info, courtesy of Matthew Phenix:

The Quaranta borrows its hybrid powertrain from the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Lexus RX400h: a 3.3-liter V-6 and the Hybrid Synergy Drive system with a combined output of 268 horsepower and 213 pound-feet of torque. Italdesign claims the car will return a city/highway average of 33 mpg, and a pair of fuel tanks that together hold about sixteen gallons of gasoline provide a 620-mile range. "E-Four" is, in fact, a fancy name for Toyota's part-time all-wheel drive system (called "4WD-i" in the Highlander Hybrid), which uses a separate, 68-horsepower electric motor at the rear wheels that kicks in during acceleration or when slippage is detected.