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The future of beauty: concept cars at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este Three world premieres at Lake Como +++ BMW sends GINA Light as guest of honour on the Concorso's 80th anniversary.

This year the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este once again invites contemporary concept cars and prototypes to compete alongside the historic models traditionally on display. BMW will be dispatching the sensational GINA Light study to Lake Como - hors concours - as a birthday guest.

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Munich/Milan. This year the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este once again
invites contemporary concept cars and prototypes to compete alongside
the historic models traditionally on display. To qualify for entry,
concepts have to be driveable and no older than three years. As
announced at the Concorso d' Eleganza Villa d'Este's second press
conference in Milan, eight such vehicles will attend the event at the
end of April in a bid to be crowned the most beautiful contemporary
concept car. The winner will be chosen not by the jury but by the
public. In this, the Concorso perpetuates a tradition going back 80
years: as long ago as 1929 the public was already ranking the showcased
models according to their looks. For ten years now, this beauty contest
of worldwide acclaim has been held under the patronage of the BMW
Group. Three world premieres and a further five sensational concept
cars form the worthy framework for this anniversary Concorso. GINA
Light as guest of honour BMW will be dispatching the sensational GINA
Light study to Lake Como - hors concours - as a birthday guest.
Ordinarily the GINA Light can only be viewed by visitors to the BMW
Museum at the end of the special "BMW Concept Cars"
exhibition. At the Concorso the design study will make its debut outdoor
appearance and provide a first opportunity to view a number of concrete
manifestations of the multifaceted GINA philosophy. With the GINA Light,
the limits of contemporary materials and production processes are
pushed far into the future. For all the innovations embodied in this
vehicle, the focus is on the adaptability of forms and functions that
are geared to the individual and situational needs of the driver as
well as the relevant driving conditions. That is the reason why both
the exterior and the interior feature numerous components that are
strikingly different from conventional solutions not just visually but
also in terms of their basic conceptual attributes. For example, the
GINA Light visionary model has a practically seamless outer skin made of
an elastic textile material that is stretched over a moveable frame.
Functions are only activated as and when required. Thanks to this
utterly novel interpretation of familiar functionality and structure,
the driver enjoys a very different experience behind the wheel of the
car. The reduction to the essentials and adaptation to the needs of the
driver enhance the emotional impact of the vehicle, fulfilling a key
goal of the GINA philosophy. World premieres: Stile Bertone, Morgan
and Zagato In recent years, world premieres have regularly been a key
component of the Concorso d'Eleganza. Now the 80th anniversary occasion
is about to set a record: for the first time three concepts will be
unveiled before the eyes of the world at Lake Como. Automobiles by
Stile Bertone have always been very special, and that has naturally
stoked the Concorso's happy anticipation of the world premiere from the
Italian styling house. Powered by a V8 engine, the car's outer skin
observes the laws of aerodynamics while the choice of carbon fibre sets
benchmarks in lightweight construction. Morgan will also be presenting a
two-seater at the Concorso. This study, built on the Morgan Aeromax
platform, marks the centenary of the tradition-steeped British marque.
Celebrating the 90th anniversary of a family tradition, meanwhile, is
Andrea Zagato - likewise calling for a Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este
premiere hailing from his exclusive design studio. No less
spectacular than these world premieres are the five exceptional design
studies heading for Lake Como following their official unveiling before
the public: Infiniti Essence With its Essence model, presented as a
concept at the 79th Geneva Motor Show, Infiniti celebrates its first 20
years as a manufacturer of premium automobiles while at the same time
offering an exciting glimpse of what customers can expect from this
luxury brand in the future. A 600 hp coupé with a
petrol/electric hybrid engine and rear-wheel drive, the Essence fuses
superior design, technology and performance. An eloquent embodiment of
the core attributes of the Infiniti marque, it spans an arc from the
past to the automotive future. Test bed and design study in one, the
Essence points to the future of the Infiniti brand in terms of
technology and style. Moreover, this concept for the first time
showcases Infiniti's guiding principle of "Inspired
Performance" as applied to the exclusive segment of luxury
super-coupés. mindset Not a city car, not an SUV, not a sports
car. mindset is as unique as it is self-explanatory: a lightweight,
powerful and efficient commuter for everyday use. Its "high
heels" - meaning its large, slim wheels - raise the aerodynamic
coupé body to the same level as other traffic. One, two or more
passengers, bags and baggage, animals or kids in tow - entry and exit
are easy, the interior provides a good view of the road, and progress
is pacy and pleasant. A composed appearance exuding power but without
aggression: for mindset that is the visual manifestation of a
contemporary hybrid vehicle. The specifications state that, as a
two-seater high-powered electric car, the mindset can accelerate to 100
km/h in 7 seconds, its lithium-ion battery giving it a range of 180
kilometres. Top speed is governed at 140 km/h. A supplementary petrol
engine is to be offered as a range extender. This generates electric
power and boosts the range to 800 kilometres. Moreover, a second
battery can be used or additional power generated by solar panels.
Running purely on electric power, the mindset is emission-free. When
using the range extender, CO2 emissions are just 79g/km. Rinspeed
iChange With the iChange, the pioneering, out-of-the-box Swiss thinkers
at Rinspeed present the first car in the world with a body that adapts
to passenger space requirements. In a matter of seconds a streamlined
sports car with room for just the driver can be transformed into a
comfortable three-seater: at the touch of a button the rear end of the
teardrop-shaped car pops up as if by magic. The underlying concept of
the iChange is that a vehicle's energy requirements are largely
dictated by weight, type of engine and aerodynamics. The upshot is an
extremely lightweight car tipping the scales at just 1,050 kilograms.
For the drive system, the Swiss company opted for an electric motor
drawing its power from lithium-ion batteries that are available in two
different battery packs for short- and long-distance journeys. The
fact that aerodynamics also plays a key role in energy consumption
prompted the idea of the rising rear. While other cars have to carry
their inflated bodies around in order to accommodate up to seven people
if necessary, even if the driver is the sole occupant most of the time,
the iChange boasts an adaptable body. The unaccompanied driver gets
around wrapped snugly in a teardrop-shaped body and on less power,
thanks to this streamlined shape. If passengers wish to come on board,
the pop-up rear provides room for two companions. The resulting weight
increase and less than optimal aerodynamics push up energy consumption
- but only while the passengers are on board. Aston Martin One-77 The
Aston Martin One-77 first broke cover at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show as a
non-driveable concept. The driveable prototype of this super-sports car
will be unveiled at the Concorso for the first time. It unites
future-oriented technology with traditional craftsmanship and combines
beauty with power. For Aston Martin, the One-77 is the quintessence of
the brand's engineering and design experience and is seen as the
ultimate sports car from the Aston Martin fold. Underpinning the body
is an extremely lightweight and rigid carbon-fibre chassis. The engine
is based on the 12-cylinder unit with six litres' displacement. The
stated objective is to extract 700 hp from a displacement of 7.3
litres. The body allows for full power delivery: all wheels have double
wishbones, and horizontally mounted shock absorbers permit a flatter
profile. In a first for road cars, the dampers are adjusted by means of
control valves. At delivery the suspension of the One-77 can be
adjusted to the owner's individual requirements, with a choice of
comfortable GT or race car fit for the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.
The car will weigh in at around 1,500 kilograms and cover the 0 to 100
km/h sprint in approx. 3.5 seconds, continuing on to a top speed of
around 320 km/h. Fisker Karma S Fisker Automotive, Inc. took the
wraps off its first production car, the Fisker Karma, at the North
American International Auto Show 2009 in Detroit. The four-door
four-seater Karma S combines the traditional, timeless styling of car
designer and Fisker Automotive CEO, Henrik Fisker, with the plug-in
hybrid drive concept Q-DRIVE® by Quantum Technologies to create the
world's first plug-in hybrid luxury car. On a full charge from any
standard 110-, 220- or 240-volt outlet, the Fisker Karma S manages up
to 50 zero-emission miles. In Sport Mode the range extends to an
estimated 300 miles thanks to the economical Ecotec® petrol engine
driving a generator which in turn supplies the two electric motors on
the rear differential. The Karma S is good for an annual average of
more than 100 miles per gallon and a top speed of 125 mph. Zero to 60
mph acceleration is accomplished in 5.8 seconds. The Concorso
d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2009 On the weekend of 24 - 26 April 2009 the
glorious grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este and Villa Erba in
Cernobbio on Lake Como will once more turn into a unique platform for
the most beautiful automobiles from the past and the boldest concept
cars of the present. First held in 1929 at the same location, today the
Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este ranks as the world's most
tradition-rich event of its kind. After Saturday's opening event for
invited guests, on Sunday the Concorso once again offers all auto fans
the opportunity to see these dreams on wheels close up in the adjacent
parkland of Villa Erba. In addition to the cars presented on Saturday,
special exhibitions will showcase many more high-profile classics.
Admission to Villa Erba in Cernobbio on Lake Como is 12.50 euros
(concessions 8 euros). The main sponsor of this year's Concorso
d'Eleganza is Girard-Perregaux. Media representatives and visitors can
find further information and pictures at
www.concorsodeleganzavilladeste.com and the press pages of the manufacturers.

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