The study created by the IED in partnership with Italdesign can be adapted to use internal combustion, hybrids or fully electric motorcycle groups
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- Rapida vision is the latest concept of the IED, produced in collaboration with Italdesign.
- The goal was to create an affordable and versatile sports fastback for the new generation.
- The design can be adapted to any car manufacturer and supports different types of powertrain.
Each year, the ISITUTO Europeo Di Design (IED) design in Turin gives its students in transport design a chance of something that most hopes for the design of cars only dream of: Building a large -scale concept in collaboration with a real car manufacturer. For the academic year 2023-2024, this car manufacturer is Italdesign, and the result is quick vision, a compact and affordable sports car with a quick silhouette and a 2 + 2 arrangement targeting younger drivers.
First impressions? Rapida looks like something Jaguar’s current design team could cook if they restarted the F type for the EV era, but accidentally pulled a little too much from the type 00 concept. Or maybe it’s just us.
The design brief called for a vehicle that lives in what IED calls the “segment of compact poorly served sports car”, specifically targeted on generation Z. According to the school, “the pleasure of driving a sports car should not be an inaccessible privilege for a younger audience”, which explains the accent on accessibility and affordability compared to raw power or luxury claims.
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Rapida vision has conventional front and rear traction proportions. At the front, there are aggressively style headlights and a carved bumper that gives the car a planted and planted look. At the rear, the quick tail is clean and functional, with an integrated spoiler that adds a little visual drama. While IED says that the style is inspired by “icons of the past”, the final product is shamelessly modern and avoids looking too hard on retro reminders.
The IED itself indicates that the concept does not follow the design language of a particular car manufacturer, but it could be “adopted and adapted by any automotive brand”. This complies with the tradition of independent design companies like Italdesign that has worked for many customers in the past. In addition, Rapida could adapt to different motorcycle groups, including ice, hybrid and entirely electric.
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There is not yet an official rendering or photos of the interior, but IED says that the cabin is supposed to embody “sportiness and simplicity” in a 2 + 2. arrangement. Think of the enveloping seats, tactile materials and some subtle design indices inspired by streetwear. It is an interesting mixture, but not a completely external movement during the design for generation Z, a more comfortable generation with crossed pollinal cultural references than anyone before it.
The concept measures 4,510 mm (177.6 inches) long, 1,860 mm (73.2 inch) wide and 1,280 mm (50.4 inch) in height, with a wheelbase of 2,800 mm (110.2 inches). The hat makes it longer than the Toyota Gr supra and the Nissan Z, but always more compact than a Nissan R34 GT-R.
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Dario Lauriola, designer outside Italdesign, explained that students wanted to create a car that reflected the values and aspirations of their generation. “With Rapida,” he said, “they wanted to respond to the absence of these small sports cars which offered young people with fun and affordable driving experiences in the 1990s.”
Andrea Porta, head of the business development of Italdesign, added: “Rapida captures the essence of JDM and remembers cars and cultural products loved by generation Z. Like manga, video games, movies and television series that help young people from today to find themselves and create links between different origins and generations, Rapid is ready to unite parents and children cars ”.
The development of the Rapida vision took place during the academic year 2023-2024. Students worked for six months with the help of their Italdesign teachers and mentors. After design development, a large -scale static static prototype was built in Italy by Italindesign and Scuderia Torino technical partners, with the help of Pirelli, Oz Racing and Lechler technical sponsors.
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The IED is used to revealing its concepts at the Geneva Automobile Fair, but with this event now out of the image, it changes speed. Rapida will make its first public appearance at La Fuorisalone in Milan from April 7 to 13, before moving to the Nazional Museo Dell’Automobile in Turin, where it will be exhibited from April 15 to May 4.
