“Being original and standing out from the crowd is our motto; in the present case, however, diversity is not so much stylistic as conceptual and functional.
In other words, to make a contribution to broadening the Grande Punto range with a project that could be industrialised with minimal investment and
in a limited timescale”, says Leonardo Fioravanti, describing the Skill project presented at the last Geneva Show. We are talking about a “fun pick-up spider” based on the formal, functional transformation of Fiat’s segment C car.
“The choice of the pick-up formula”, he continues, “appeared the most suitable to a young, dynamic lifestyle which often demands the transport of bikes, mountain equipment, minibikes, quads, surfboards, airboards and gokarts”. Everything is emphasised by the removable hard-top which offers even
more freedom, and the two-seater cabin, which does, however, also provide two rearward facing seats in the load tub.
The Grande Punto based 4 seater coupé-spider has also been developed with affordability in mind, and a future in the marketplace. “As on the pick-up”, explains Fioravanti, “the roof mechanism involves a rotational movement but there are other elements too. When you press the button, in 20 seconds
the roof slides under the boot, taking up very little space, then the screen and side sections rotate downwards.
The screen rests against the area behind the seats, whereas the two side sections and their respective linkages slot into the side panels. The car thus takes on the appearance of an authentic barchetta, but with a four-seater
cabin, a boot holding fully 700 litres and well-centred weight distribution”.
The article continues in Auto & Design no. 158
