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Nov 28, 2003 - Following our profile of IED Milan it is only natural that Part 2 takes place in Turin where the Transportation Design students showed off their "Next Maserati" proposals in the school Open Day in July. The brief was pretty simple: Propose a new kind of vehicle with which Maserati can expand its offerings to an ever more sophisticated consumer base.
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Each student was to develop new elements of design for vehicles that could be on the road by 2010. Maintaining the elegance of the brand and of its quintessential Italian style, a symbol of great passion, the students were to suggest new car models Maserati could explore. Currently Maserati cars exist only in a Coupe or Spider but with the unveiling of the Quattroporte it is clear that they are looking for an alternative future and, perhaps, younger consumers.
In stark contrast to the IAAD 'New Luxury' show held a few days earlier, where the exhibit hall was hot and dark, the IED presentation was held at a very airy and luminous salone on Via San Quintino in Turin, Italy. The eleven models placed elegantly on podiums in front of elaborate presentation boards clearly expressed the countless possible solutions for a brief such as that requested by Maserati.
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From small compact city crawlers to super ego extensions it seemed that the project was more of an opportunity for personal expression rather than an answer to a specific request from a car company. In fact, speaking individually with most of the students I discovered that each of them had originally envisioned an advanced concept car. However, in continuing discussions with Maserati's coordinators, Fulvio Fantolino and Frank Stephenson, the students became more aware of the fact that the final projects needed to be more production oriented.
Following Maserati's agenda to the letter was Marco Gallo and Davide Gabbi's Maserati 'Gemini'. Fusing a coupe with a sportswagon they considered this genre the most practical and appealing car segment for Maserati to pursue in the near future. Its double personality is not only evident in 'Gemini's' name but also in it's styling with classic elements such as iconic headlights to subtle unexpected details such as the lightly folded surfaces near the front wheel arches.
Another team effort between Kilian Ganassi and Pietri Brignacca brought the concept Maseraati 'Bisa' to life. More like a Smart concept car than a Maserati, Ganassi and Brignacca's 'Bisa' was one of two proposals on the small side of Maserati. Though the brand is not naturally born into this kind of role another student, Francesco Cundari thought that a small vehicle alone would not satisfy the customer but perhaps a 'collection' of vehicles could. Cundari's 'Saiph' was conceived as one of a series of collectible transportation units, such as a helicopter or boat, to create and enhance a total Maserati lifestyle!
The third paired team of designers, Alessandro Fini and Simona Carnino, use the human spirit as inspiration for their 'Ónerion'. Although they only had a mirrored model the 'fun' factor was evident all over their presentation. Fini and Carnino's th
eory is that Maserati can appeal to a younger select market and with the off roader 'Ónerion' they seeked to alight the enthusiasm, curiosity, and innocence within us all.
Contrasting the liquid lines of 'Ónerion' was Arnaldo Titterelli's 'Chinook' quietly sophisticated sitting across the salone. Titterelli, an Argentinian student, approached the Maserati challenge from a very different point of view. He believes that a Maserati, a somewhat uncomfortable car, could become more elegant on the outside and roomier on the inside. 'Chinook's' 2+2 configuration offers equal comfort and riding pleasure for both front and rear passengers, while being stylistically refined and sophisticated.
On the contrary, Luca Melis was willing to sacrifice comfort and space for a super aggressive sporty solution code-named 'Tarik'. Based on the Spider platform his 2-seater convertible is aimed at driving pleasure and living life on the edge night and day. In fact there are lots of detailing such as chromed squares on the hood that evoke jewelry pieces such as one would wear on a hot date out on a moonlit night!
Melis's neighbor, Claudio Carbone, had a different vision of what Maserati could offer their customers in 2010. His 'Emo' is a 2+1 coupe where the rear passenger sits in the center of the vehicle thus creating the swooping rear-end effect. Carbone argues that as an entry car into the Maserati world the car should be sporty and unique laden with alternative materials such as the ceramic he uses for the roof and belly of the car.
