Alfa Visconti

[coco]

prime imagini del salone 2004 Ginevra

[coco]

prime imagini del salone 2004 Ginevra

[F . P i ë c h]

prime imagini del salone 2004 Ginevra

mamma mia se è Seat davanti e anonima dietro!!!

[Guest T a u r u s]

E' bella ma la soluzione del cabforward su un Alfa lascia a desiderare....il frontale ed alcuni tagli visti dal vivo hanno molto di Alfa 158 ed anche un po di Maserati GTWagon....anche se segue il concetto cabforward a differenza della nuova media del biscione...

Comunque sarebbe impossibile essere industrializzato senza modifiche visto che lo stile non sarebbe adatto alla meccanica che sviluppa Alfa per il segmento F e lo stile poi e' piu' consonno ad una Alfa del 2005 che ad una che debuttera' nel lontano 2007...

[Guest fabvio]

gli interni non ci sono????

io aspettavo di vedere solo quelli!!!!

[Zarathustra]

Meglio le standiste...però non è così malvagia.

[Guest T a u r u s]

[Guest T a u r u s]

Visconti usa il pianale della 158 e nonostante la sua lunghezza di ben 496cm lo usa allungato di soli 2 cm....cioe' di 282,5cm mentre nella versione in uso dalla 158 dei 466cm il passo e' di 280,5cm....

Il motore che usa e' il nuovo 3.2V6 JTS Biturbo da ben 405cv e 680nm di coppia

Ecco il comunicato stampa completo in inglese..

Alfa Romeo Visconti

Giugiaro’s vision for an Alfa Romeo sports flagship

“An Alfa Romeo flagship that moves beyond the conventional”. That’s how

Giorgetto Giugiaro photographs the Visconti, the concept car he created in

sheer freedom, just like he did two years ago with the Brera coupe.

“The Alfa Romeo is a Marque that made a strong impression on my Designer

career. The first series-produced car I designed was the Alfa 2000 Sprint.

Italdesign itself was created to give life to the Alfasud project.

Over now what must be almost a career span of fifty years, I found myself

designing cars on more than one occasion for the “Biscione” Carmaker,

sometimes by way of contract, and sometimes in sheer freedom”.

“For the 2004 Geneva Motor Show, I thus decided to give the shape that I felt

more fitting for an Alfa flagship. Not a traditional 4-door three-volume sedan,

but an almost two-volume great sports car, with a downward sloping shaped

tail-end”.

The ultimate outcome is known as Visconti, a name chosen in honor of a Milan

family ancestry, the coat of arms of which represents the Alfa Romeo marque.

An almost coupe almost 5 meters long

At a first glance, the Visconti appears almost a 4-door coupe, albeit the

dimensions, which touch upon five meters in terms of length, are those typical

of a flagship.

The front is extremely plastic and very balanced in its modeling. In the plan

view the front-end, weaving from an important wheel-arch, rounds towards the

Alfa Romeo grille thereby becoming a characterizing element embedded in a

single curve. The front optic units are designed with flowing movement and

elegance. The rear fenders are a key element, placing in evidence the modeled

upper section which narrows significantly thereby highlighting these majestic

fenders.

However, this architecture never before seen in the panorama of contemporary

production is not entirely new to Giugiaro who, back in 1993 with the Bugatti

EB 112, had theorized a great two-volume sports sedan.

As explained by Giugiaro: “The EB 112 was a true source of inspiration for the

tail-end shape. However, as time passed, the design became so intermeshed

with Alfa Romeo suggestiveness that any train of thought to the Bugatti

disappeared, thus becoming a coherent evolution of the lines and spirit of the

Brera”.

“The proportions of the Visconti are indeed substantially diverse, as is the

mechanical arrangement, a V6 rather than a V12 engine. Placed clearly in

evidence is a more advanced interior compartment than on the Bugatti, with

the windshield base becoming almost level with the center of the wheel. The

downward sloping tail-end becomes one to itself, all-embracing and

underscored by the powerful strength of the mighty rear fenders”.

The launching pad: the Alfa Romeo Premium Platform.

The launching pad for the Visconti was the Premium Platform, developed by

Alfa Romeo as the basis for the next-generation 156 Sedan, Sportwagon,

Coupe and Spider, a quartet of cars all drawing life from the pencil of Giugiaro

as evolution of the Brera concept car.

Given the flagship characteristics with which the Visconti takes the scene,

Giugiaro lengthened the wheelbase of the Premium Platform by 20 millimeters,

stretching it out to 2,825 mm, with two almost identical overhangs, 1,064 mm

to the front and 1,066 mm to the rear, thereby attaining a total length of

4,955 mm.

The width has been harnessed to just under one meter and 90, whilst the

height stretches to 1,474 mm, the right compromise between flowing line and

flagship ease of accommodation.

Innovative, yet feasible.

As always, albeit waging a provocation from a styling point of view, Giugiaro

has not wandered from his personal tradition underpinned by creating concept

cars that can be also manufactured in series.

Also at the level of concept cars, research into proper functionality even

imposed compromises which the Designer regrets.

“I would have preferred to accentuate more the V at the rear window base, but

this aesthetic preciosity would have reduced slightly in size the boot flap, thus

making it more difficult to load bulky luggage or packages.”

A new approach to the Alfa grille

The front of a modern Alfa cannot but commence from the ninth power

evolution of the Marque’s grille.

In the Visconti, it grows bolder in size and dominates, even more than in the

past, the front end, whether due to the size of the vehicle or its flagship role.

In this interpretation, the powerful outline of the Alfa brand identity is crossed,

as on the more recent Alfa series, by small chromed strips, which here,

however, are more thick and farther away from one to the other.

The circular brand log is surmounted by a chromed eyelid that stretches across

the engine bonnet pushing through a slender trimming – chromed as well –

that runs up to the windshield base.

There are six air intakes on the front-end, two at the fender base, two in

proximity to the lower part of the grille (which also house the fog lights), plus

two on headlight inside rims.

However, more than just a question of aesthetics, these seemingly in excess

air intakes are the result of the expertise gained during the industrial

development of the Brera, which, in its preliminary definition, did not ensure

enough airflow for a turbo-engine car.

Unlike the traditional 4-door three-volume sedans featuring a tapering engine

bonnet, the Visconti has a short and compact front grille, which, rather than

transuding grandeur, attempts to transmit a sense of power lying in wait to

leap.

Also pushing through this front volume layout was compliance with pedestrianimpact

new standards, scheduled for enactment part way 2005, which call for

more vertical fronts and more raised engine bonnets.

Fresh and simple body side, with an elaborated tail-end full of surprise

The body side is incredibly fresh. The traditional outline that connects ideally

the two wheelhouses is merely a sheet metal pleat, barely noticeable.

The roof seeks to maintain the most harmonious route possible, making almost

imperceptible the “elbow” needed to allow the back window to be rolled down.

Without doubt, the low-lying and spinning tail-end is the more unusual aspect

of the Visconti.

Indeed, from a three-quarter front view, the car looks just like a two-volume.

Moving to view from the side, starting however to emerge – between the

powerful relief of the high wide shoulder of the rear wheel-arches – is a real

and proper boot, albeit presenting a downward curved line.

Accordingly, it is from the rear three-quarter view that the boot shows itself

not just to be a hint of shadow, but a generous volume of space, allowing 458

liters of carrying capacity.

From a historic matrix standpoint, the shaping of the low, muscular and cut-off

tail-end reflecting a dash of the “Fifties” is not so much an absolute novelty as

the recapture and modernization of the solutions that made certain Alfa

models, like the Pescara 6C, so famous.

Dominating the full view from rear are the mighty all-embracing optic units,

which, with a circular motive designed inside, weave their way from the body

side.

Along with the styling, beyond dream mechanics

From a mechanics stand point, the Visconti theorizes the use of a V6 3.2 liter

JTS direct injection biturbo petrol engine, with 405 horsepower capability and

680 Nm pairing.

The 6-gear automatic gearbox provides for permanent all-wheel drive with rear

wheel steering as well, whilst vehicle stability is ensured – other than by the

VDC, an Alfa Romeo interpretation of the ESP – by use of stabilizer rod active

control.

Comfort is assured by the suspension pneumatic springs, which also enable the

electronic control of the height from the ground, whilst Brembo CCM ceramic

composite plates pave the way towards exceptional braking performance.

Why the Visconti name.

For an upper lineage Alfa Romeo, Giugiaro wanted to reflect in the name a

symbol of the Milan marque: the “biscione” that characterizes the marque.

In fact, the Visconti ducal coat of arms is represented by a shield bearing a

serpent with a babe in its mouth, surmounted by a crown.

The Visconti family recollects that – back in year 800 – one of their ancestors

had killed in the vicinity of Milan a serpent that poisoned infants just by

breathing on them.

The other half of the Alfa Romeo logo, the red cross set against a white

background, stems on the other hand from the banner of the city of Milan.

Technical data

Length 4,955 mm

Width 1,896 mm

Height 1,474 mm

Wheelbase 2,825 mm

Front track 1,595 mm

Rear track 1,615 mm

Front overhang 1,064 mm

Rear overhang 1,066 mm

Boot volume 458 dm3

Engine V6 3.2 Twin Turbo – JTS - VCPh –

hp 405/6000 rpm – Nm 680/2000 rpm

Chassis Premium Platform, Alfa ARC suspension,

AWS, AirMod.

Drive VDC – Torsen C all wheel drive

Gearbox 6-speed automatic with hydraulic converter

Brakes Brembo CCM

Monolithic caliper 8 titanium pumping

elements

Tyres Front/Rear Asymmetric Red PZero 255/50/ZR19 Pirelli

Rims BBS

9.5”x19” front / 10”x19” rear

Ricordo che la vera "168" avra' una versione del premium con motore longitudinale TP transaxle e passo allungato di circa 20cm.La causa dello sproporzionamento della Visconti a parer mio e' il passo troppo corto rispetto alla lunghezza...se pensiamo che la 158 dei 466cm ha un passo di 280,5cm....e la Visconti dei 496cm un passo di 282,5cm...si capisce facilmente cosa intendo.....comunque Italdesign sempre lavora su meccaniche esistenti per cui la scelta di usare la meccanica della prossima Alfa 158 GTA....e non su una attualmente in fase di definizione come quella di "168"

[Guest fabvio]

ora ti voglio dire la mia opinione-previsione

premetto che come al solito non ho elementi di valutazione ma solamente qualche presentimento.... magari infondato

ebbene:

io credo che su questa vettura..... che di certo non vedremo mai in produzione .... ci saino due caratteri che forse arriveranno sulle prossime ed imminenti novità

io credo che alla fine questa vettura anticipi il frontale della 158.... come in parte confermato da taurus

ma credo pure che la coda anticipi quella della coupè 2006 derivata dalla 158 che tutti noi qui chiamiamo brera...

ovviamente i due concetti sono inseriti in un contesto ed in un concetto di auto completamente differente

[Guest T a u r u s]

ora ti voglio dire la mia opinione-previsione

premetto che come al solito non ho elementi di valutazione ma solamente qualche presentimento.... magari infondato

ebbene:

io credo che su questa vettura..... che di certo non vedremo mai in produzione .... ci saino due caratteri che forse arriveranno sulle prossime ed imminenti novità

io credo che alla fine questa vettura anticipi il frontale della 158.... come in parte confermato da taurus

ma credo pure che la coda anticipi quella della coupè 2006 derivata dalla 158 che tutti noi qui chiamiamo brera...

ovviamente i due concetti sono inseriti in un contesto ed in un concetto di auto completamente differente