Italdesign Structura with 420HP W12 Spotted in Monaco

Now here's a car you don't ever expect to see driving on the road among ordinary vehicles. As was the case with Italdesign's one-off Ferrari-based GG50 that we showed you in a previous article, the uniquely styled 1998 Structura concept minivan car was also 'scooped' on the streets of Monaco. While not everyone may like the vehicle's unconventional design, you have to admit that its styling has aged well if you consider that it was conceived 11 years ago, in 1998 on the occasion of the company's thirtieth anniversary.

Underneath its exposed aluminum space-frame structure -hence the concept's name- the 4,640mm or 181-inches long minivan features a Volkswagen-derived, front-mounted 5.6-liter W12 engine that cranks out an impressive 420HP that is sent to all four wheels.

If you happen to stumble upon any weird or unique vehicles like the Italdesign Structura, take a picture or two and send us an e-mail, we'll deeply appreciate it!

Body architecture: 5-door, 5-seat

Overall dimensions (mm): length 4640, width 1900, height 1730 mm

Wheelbase, front and rear track: 2880, 1680, 1620 mm

Front and rear overhang: 1000, 760 mm

Engine position and drive: front longitudinal engine, 4 WD

Engine: Volkswagen W12 cylinder, 5.6-liters, 420 HP

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Giugiaro's One-Off Ferrari GG50 Spotted in Monaco

It's simply amazing what you can discover around the streets of Monaco. But then again, where else would you imagine that a one-of-a-kind model such as the Ferrari GG50 would be parked on the road like any other plebian vehicle other than Monaco? For those with a week memory, the Ferrari GG50 that was spotted by the folks over at Autogespot was created by Italdesign's Giorgetto Giugiaro as a present for himself in celebration of his fifty years in the automobile design industry. From what we know, the vehicles still belongs to the Giugiaro family.

The GG50, which is based on the platform and mechanicals of the 612 Scaglietti, made its world premiere at the 2005 Tokyo Auto Show. While retaining the Scaglietti's wheelbase at 2,950mm, the Ferrari GG50 spans 4,810mm in length, meaning its 90mm or about four inches shorter than the model it is based upon. It can accommodate four passengers in a 2+2 seating layout in which case it offers a loading capacity of 270 liters. With the rear seatbacks folded down, it's loading capacity increases to 500 liters.

Power comes from the same V12 engine as the Scaglietti that produces an output of 540HP at 7,200 rpm from a displacement of 5,748cc (5.7-liters) and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

As for the design? Let's just say that we've seen better from Giugaro in his 50-year long career as a designer.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com