Reinterpreting a model that was created in another part of the world implies a not always easy blending of different cultures. With the Karma GT, created by Pininfarina on the basis of the Revero electric saloon, however, fusion was almost going to be instinctive. This is partly because Karma, the young Californian brand, and the Turin styling studio, which have been working together for some years, have similar points of view on themes such as brand value, and partly because the two cultures share a feeling of mutual admiration.
“For Californians, the European “dolce vita” is identified with Italy, for Italians the American dream is California“, says Carlo Bonzanigo, Design Vice President of Pininfarina and supervisor of the project. “It was a question of Italianising the car by merging the two spirits. The result is a Pininfarina with an American flavour, with long wheelbase and bonnet but balanced volumes and an upfront personality”.
A majestic saloon (5 metres long, with a wheelbase of 3.15), the Revero was nevertheless well suited to wearing the sober elegance provided by the people at Cambiano. Nazzareno Epifani, Head of Exterior Design, adds his confirmation: “The original car is muscular but has very soft sections that we have retained because fluidly “warm” surfaces are also part of our own Dna. Mixing them with sharp features, to diversify the language”.
One necessity underlies the project: “Karma is a new brand that is looking for a brand identity and it is in this sense that the GT can also represent a proposal. We have opted for a very strong front that maintains the motif of the two lobes, even if they have been lowered and remodelled”.
The interior also has a very different impact, while maintaining the layout of the original car, which for Matteo Piguzzi, Head of Interior Design, was not a limitation. “The dashboard retains Revero elements, we worked on the trim to create an airy atmosphere. On climbing in you are first overwhelmed by the sense of roominess and lightness, then details emerge such as the headrests showing the Pininfarina logo, exclusivity that is not branded but expressed through quality”.
It was Florence Raspail, head of Colour and Trim, who thought of giving value to simplicity: “The original dark blue interior created a closed environment, so we decided to do something light and open, opting for a non-white white, with a touch of grey, and patterns that lent some movement so as not to make it seem too flat. There’s also a barely hinted at touch of red, GT-style.”
(Full article in A&D no. 238)
