The Auto Channel-Sports Car International Magazine

Beware of Scighera
The Latest ItalDesign Showcar

The latest ItalDesign showcar to display cutting-edge style and innovation comes from the hand of Giugiaro Jr.

As indicated by the books title, Paul Fussell's "Speak, That I May See Thee" infers that by listening to one talk, any number of items can be understood about the speaker. But when it comes to the people involved in car design, those sensitive to the subtleties of automotive form ould perhaps say, "Create, that I may know thee."

Designing a product, particularly a quality product, is one of the few avenues to posterity left in a world where most fame is no more than fleeting. Traditional ways of leaving one's mark for future generations to appreciate - stage performance, authorship, architecture, and even journalism - seem to be temporal and so inextricably connected to their context as to render them nearly meaningless to later generations. But good design lives far beyond the usefulness of the product it graces. Its aesthetic value is apparent to all, regardless of age or time, and adds a value that only increases with age.

Take Giorgetto Giugiaro. Automotive enthusiasts have almost come to know the man through his designs. The names of the cars that Giorgetto has given us, both from his ItalDesign firm and previously while at Bertone and Ghia, are a roll call of both style and utility: Bora, Esprit, Scirocco, Quattroporte, M1, Delta, GS300 and Golf, just to name a few. Keep going and there are nearly one hundred names in all.

These days, there is one more name within the house of Giugiaro that may be unfamiliar to Americans - Fabrizio. This is Giorgetto's son, who joined ItalDesign fulltime in 1994. His second independent design, the Alfa Romeo Scighera prototype, has been added to the distinguished list of cars that wear the badge proclaiming "Designed by Giugiaro."

Few are given an opportunity to design a prototype in the name of an old and respected sports car manufacturer, much less as one of their first efforts. But the car itself is what really matters, not just the accomplishment it represents.

The Scighera debuted at the 1998 Geneva Auto Show, and it came to the West Coast last summer where it made its North American introduction at the Pebble Beach Concours. Alongside it, but separated in age by seven years, was Fabrizio's first independent creation, the BMW Nazca, which served as an excellent reference to contrast the pair's differing approaches to the ever-present design issues of space utilization, aerodynamics and ergonomics.

Upon first glance, the Scighera has bulk. It doesn't look heavy, but it does fill its allotted space fully. Its dominant lines are convex, in direct contrast to the Nazca, which seems concave and restrained by comparison. It forsakes the recent ItalDesign trend towards refined, but ultimately conventional single-box, semi-wedge designs, and seems an almost two-box shape - the larger comprising the mid and rear section. Unique details abound, with the one nod to convention being the traditional Alfa shield-shaped center grill, a requisite on any car bearing the serpent and cross.

The striking headlights are 70mm Hella poly-ellipsoid lamps incorporated into vertical units containing the parking and turn signals, themselves innovative gas-discharge units. In a typical flight of whimsy, Fabrizio has christened the lamps occhio di clown, or "the clown's eye." The lighting carries the vertical theme to the rear, which is dominated by a number of subtly integrated vents and a retractable rear wing. After becoming familiar with the shape, the multitude of moveable panels become apparent. Some exist for aerodynamics, others for cooling the inner mechanisms and, of course, simply to allow ingress and egress.

In the relaxed setting of Carmel Valley's Quail Lodge, Fabrizio Giugiaro explained the function and reasoning behind the Scighera's costly articulated carapace. That the Scighera was designed from the outset as a possible production car is a point Fabrizio wants to be very clear about, and as such, cost has been a concern from the beginning.

Fabrizio feels that the Scighera's solution to feeding and cooling a mid-mounted engine - discreet panels, unobtrusive when closed, and only opening as needed - is a distinct improvement over the alternative bulging, gaping scoops and NACA ducts that adorn the flanks of many other exotics. Ditto for aerodynamic aides - the Scighera is devoid of boy-racer add-one, though it certainly has the goods to compete on the track and highways.

Roads of Pleasure

The Scighera is very impressively equipped for serious driving, and we were more than happy to have this demonstrated. For the first few orientation miles through Carmel Valley, Franco Mazzon, ItalDesign's chief chassis and engine builder, as well as test driver, took the wheel and let 400 the horses rip. The engine's music matches the Scighera's appearance perfectly; refined, highly mechanical, and understated - yet it still calls notice to itself. The engine is the now familiar and, dare it be said, traditional Alfa Romeo 3.0-liter V6. But with over 400 hp available below its 7500 rpm redline, this is not quite the same one found in various Alfa production cars. Four cams, four valves per cylinder and two intercooled turbochargers send the Scighera down the road extremely quickly. There's no sense of hesitation or protest that is often found in other, poorly-sorted prototypes.

Distributing the power to all four wheels is a centrally mounted Hewland gearbox. This is certainly a gearbox, not a transmission, because transmission is too refined a word for this massive device. And did I mention it was loud? Very loud. A six-speed sequential competition unit, mounted longitudinally ahead of the engine and between the driver and passenger, it is clearly more at home in a race car, but must sufffice in the Scighera prototype, because, well, it's a prototype, and there was no other box available to do the job readily. The younger Giugiaro emphasized that a proprietary housing would have to be cast up, perhaps using off-theshelf internals, if the Scighera goes into production. Fabrizio also cautioned me about the Formula One clutch. It proved to be an inadequate warning, as the clutch was the biggest disappointment - not in respect to the car, but in that it dashed many of my dreams.

Gone are any of my aspirations of winning at Monza - I'd still be sitting on the grid, starting and stalling, while the field sweeps by after the first lap. I will confess to stalling the Scighera when I first got behind the wheel, but I refuse to divulge how many times. I have to maintain a modicum of dignity here.

Once rolling, the Scighera seemed docile at first. One could even forget the car's formidable capabilities, were it not for the view ahead through the retro-style wraparound front windscreen and the razor-like fenders, not to mention the fact that it sits at less than half the height of the surrounding vehicles. And then I realized that I had only pushed the throttle to about one quarter of its travel. In fact, I seldom reached the stop, as things started to get exciting long before then.

Open the throttle a bit, then more, then almost all the way, and the turbines whine behind you, finally crescendoing in a rushing sound with each gear change; the race-issue pop-off valves opening produce this wonderful noise, almost like waves crashing on the beach. From docile to wailing like a scalded cat, the transformation is remarkable. It all starts again in the next gear, and before this felonious rush of speed can really be enjoyed, it's time to brake for whatever obstacle seemed safely in the distance scant moments earlier. Zero to 100 kph flashes by in a retina detaching 3.8 seconds. In a court of law, the Scighera's top speed would normally fall under attorney-client privilege and could not be compelled by the prosecutor to be used against you, but let's just say that it's over 300 kph, or 186 mph.

All that speed would result in nothing but an embarrassing episode were it not for the ability of the brakes and suspension. The Scighera's suspension is the genuine article - as close to an F1 car as is practical. The front A-arms actuate a push-rod system that acts upon a single coil-over unit, mounted longitudinally behind the centerline of the wheel axis, and visible in the foremost part of the dashboard. The rear is very similar, but with two coil-over units. The entire effect of this sophisticated arrangement is one of effortlessness. At speed, several current exotics feel as if the suspension is two steps behind the rest of the car, just coping with any corners and irregularities. But in the Scighera, it feels as if the suspension is receiving early warning about the road ahead. The chassis seems to intuitively absorb any irregularities, while never allowing the car to wallow or become unsettled. Dampening is just about right, and wheel travel is surprisingly ample.

When instructed by Franco to leave the road and pull into a dirt lot, I had visions of a high-centered Scighera, with its unseen but costly composite materials and alloy gizmos gouged and crushed. The dampener in the center of the dashboard made the usual squishy sounds that dampeners do, but the car negotiated the small berm with no contact and negligible torsional flex; remarkable not for just a prototype, but for nearly any open car. I don't even think my own car would have cleared.

The Bosch ABS-equipped brakes are equally impressive, and perform all tasks required without protest or surprise. Interestingly, the brakes and clutch are actuated by a Tilton competition pedal set, lifted directly out of the paddock. Wheels and tires are sensible 18-inch Pirellis mounted on special Sparco road wheels, known and respected for their quality and performance, and would easily lend themselves to a production car. The rear wheels are an impressive 11x18-in., accommodating 295/35ZR18 P-Zeros, while the front wheels are two inches narrower, carrying 235/40ZR18s.

Providing a foundation for the unique suspension is the body and structure of the Scighera, an unusual blend of hand-beaten aluminum panels over an aluminum and carbon composite load-bearing structure. Doors are often a design problem for exotics, and the Scighera offers a simple solution in keeping with other ItalDesign prototypes. The lower half of the door, constructed in carbon fiber, is hinged at the front and swings forward in the traditional manner, but the upper half, comprised mostly of glass, is hinged in the center of the roof and swings in that direction. This also allows the upper glass portion of each door to be removed, in effect creating a targa or T-top.

The Scighera interior is an apparent dichotomy of luxury and simplicity, yet these two qualities balance and complement each other. Connolly hides, deeply grained, and in a color best described as British Tan, cover most surfaces. Another retro note is struck by the inside of the doors, which are hollow to a large degree, and allow an abundance of storage. Leather flaps cover each door storage area, and are secured by matching straps with machined aluminum buckles, each delicately inscribed with the ItalDesign logo. To maintain the maximum amount of distance between the occupants and the dashboard/windscreen surround in the name of safety, the seats are in a fixed longitudinal position. But the pedals and steering wheel are adjustable to accommodate various sized drivers.

Information is relayed to the driver via a Futaba LCD instrument cluster, which thankfully displays the vitals in traditional analog style and can be adjusted for format, as well as brightness and contrast. The Sparco steering wheel in trimmed in matching leather, and neatly incorporates an airbag.

Showing a remarkable amount of machined billet aluminum is the sequential gear selector and its gate, whose finish contrasts nicely with the dark tan leather. Seats, also by Sparco, perform so well as to go completely unnoticed in a very short time. The rear bulkhead, which contains extra stiffening for roll-over protection, is joined to the front windshield by a small structural member running forward that incorporates the mounts for the hinged and removable glass upper doors, as well as various switches for the aerodynamic aides. With the door glass installed and shut, the panels are automatically locked down and sealed to the lower doors by an electro-magnetic sealing system, which activates as the Scighera reaches anything above walking speed and is disabled at anything less for safety's sake. Lastly, the Scighera is equipped with a JVC satellite navigation system for those too absorbed by the thrill of over 400 horsepower to be concerned with such trivial issues as road signs and destinations.

So what does the privileged public get out of all this? Will we ever become jaded at the sight of Scigheras plying the roads of Pacific Palisades or climbing the heights of Nob Hill? Or is the Scighera, like the ItalDesign Nazca, destined to exert its influence on the world of design as a singular example?

The potential is certainly there for serial production and the public interest is there, too. If my experience in the Scighera is any indication, perhaps there is too much interest. While we were enjoying the back roads of Carmel Valley, watching the bucolic scenery unfold, Fabrizio Giugiaro and I had the archetypal American Sports Car Experience. Apparently, while being followed by the Nazca, our remarkable caravan passed a local sheriff pulled off the road (no donut jokes here). Though this was just a few days after the Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance and the Monterey Historics, he was fairly dumbstruck by the singular appearance of two such unique automobiles. In fact, he was impressed to the point that he called his watch supervisor, who also came out to see the machines, which they correctly guessed would be returning via the same route. Now, our luck here was extraordinary, as these were possibly the only two times that our speed was within the posted limits. Regardless, the officers fell in behind the Nazca, and, with all lights flashing, pulled it over. Fabrizio and I, sitting in the front car some distance ahead, felt no obligation to stop and continued on to our lunch. We waited several tense minutes until the Nazca arrived - with the officers following. Like any good California kid worth his Hot Wheels collection, they just wanted a closer look.

Though the officers never heard of ItalDesign or Fabrizio Giugiaro, they recognized the designs as something totally unique. Perhaps by way of metaphor, that's how the Scighera will remain; unique, singular, archetypal. But given the choice, I would prefer to see the Scighera go into production, and would even look forward to becoming jaded from the sight of them.

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