Ferrari F12 Berlinetta 2013

After weeks of whispers, teasing, and leaked images, Ferrari has finally unwrapped its latest 12-cylinder gran turismo. The new 2013 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta effectively replaces the aging 599 GTB Fiorano, and will make its first public debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Styling/ Construction
While the F12 Berlinetta's general profile roughly resembles that of its predecessor, there's not a single bit of sheetmetal shared between the two cars. Styled by longtime design partner Pininfarina, the F12 Berlinetta is an interesting amalgamation of strong, flowing surfaces and existing design cues.

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Up front, the F12 Berlinetta's long headlamps bear a resemblance to those of the 458 Italia, while a large egg crate grille -- much like that used on the four-wheel-drive FF -- dominates the lower half of the fascia. The F12's front fenders quickly taper to a narrow point, allowing the hood surfaces to wrap down and around the side of the car, terminating in a large V-shaped swage that curves upward into the rear fenders.

While the F12's rear quarters are rather conservative, they're not without some dramatic flair. The lower edges of the rear valence curve downward, forming a surface that intersects the rear diffuser and neatly wraps beneath the bumper.

The F12's look will undoubtedly inspire heated debate among Ferrari aficionados and purists, but the automaker says the form is actually functional. Active shutters on the brake cooling ducts help reduce drag, while the so-called "Aero Bridge" scoops, located between the front-wheel arches and the cowl, channel air from the front of the car to its sides. Ferrari says the F12 Berlinetta boasts a 76-percent increase in downforce, along with a surprisingly slippery drag coefficient of 0.299.

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If you think the F12 Berlinetta appears a little smaller than the outgoing 599, your eyes aren't deceiving you. Preliminary specifications indicate the F12 is about 2 inches shorter, 7/10 of an inch narrower, and 2.5 inches lower than its predecessor. The F12's body is also lighter than the 599's, thanks in part to a new aluminum-intensive spaceframe. An estimated curb weight of 3363 pounds means the F12 is not only 360 pounds lighter than the 599 GTB, but it's also about 176 pounds lighter than the hard-core, performance-tuned 599 GTO. As was the case on the 599, the use of a transaxle -- a seven-speed dual-clutch unit, in this instance -- allows the F12 to shift 54 percent of its curb weight to its tail end.

Performance
Although Ferrari has previously dabbled with hybrid systems and forced induction, the F12 Berlinetta sticks to a time-tested tradition: a big, normally aspirated 12-cylinder engine.

The new F12 uses the same basic 6.3-liter V-12 as the FF wagon, but the engine appears to be much more powerful in F12 guise. According to Ferrari, it provides the FF with an incredible 730 horsepower at 8000 rpm, along with 508 lb-ft of torque at 6000 rpm. Early claims of the F12 Berlinetta becoming the most powerful (road-legal) Ferrari appear to be accurate. Not only does this mean the F12 Berlinetta eclipses the 599 GTB (600 hp/448 lb-ft) and the 599 GTO (660 hp/494 lb-ft), it also surpasses the original 599xx racer (720 hp/506 lb-ft) and comes close to the track-focused 599xx Evoluzione (750 hp/516 lb-ft).

Coupled with the lightning-quick seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, Ferrari claims the 6.3-liter V-12 is capable of launching the F12 Berlinetta from 0-62 mph in a scant 3.1 seconds, and suggests a top speed just over the 211-mph mark. Ferrari is equally proud of two other performance metrics: When packaged with an optional start/stop system, the F12 can deliver a 30-percent increase in fuel economy, along with a 16-percent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.

As is expected of such a machine, the F12 Berlinetta is equipped with Ferrari's full suite of performance-enhancing features, including E-Diff, ESP Premium, F1-Trac, and high-performance ABS algorithms. Carbon ceramic brakes are standard, as are Ferrari's revised adaptive magnetorheological dampers.

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Still Sumptuous Within
The F12 Berlinetta may be quick, but as Ferrari's premiere gran turismo, it can't skimp on interior amenities. Subsequently, we're not surprised to learn the cabin is covered in liberal amounts of Frau leather and carbon-fiber trim. Photos show an attractive saddle-hued interior, but as always, interior schemes are left to the customer's discretion (and budget).

The F12's dashboard largely resembles that of the FF, but there is one significant difference: It no longer packs a large, clunky-looking navigation unit into the center stack. Instead, the F12 displays all infotainment-related screens through the digital Human Machine Interface gauge cluster, controlled by a small bank of switches located to the right of the steering column.

The Fastest Ferrari -- For Now
Ferrari holds the F12 Berlinetta is the fastest, most powerful road car it's ever built. That's certainly true at this point in time, but it may not be for long. We hear the automaker is already preparing an 800-hp (or higher) variant of this engine for use in a successor to the fabled Enzo supercar, perhaps in time to debut by the end of this year. If so, the F12 may lose that crown, but it will remain one of the most powerful and desirable front-engine sports cars available on this planet.

2013 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

On Sale: Late 2012

Powertrain
Engine: 6.3-liter V-12
Power: 730 hp @
Torque: 508 @ 6000 rpm

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Drive: rear-wheel

Dimensions
Length x Width x Height: 181.8 in x 76.5 in x 50.1 in
Curb Weight: 3363 lbs

Performance
0-62 mph: 3.1 seconds
Top speed: >211 mph (est)

Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/1202_2013_ferrari_f12_berlinetta_first_look/index.html#ixzz1ocaSILo7

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First Drive: 2013 Porsche Boxster

The second you sit down low into the firm sport seat, legs stick-ing out ahead of you, thumbs slotting into the perfectly proportioned steering-wheel rim where it tapers at quarter-to-three, everything feels familiar. Then you turn the ignition key located to the left of the wheel -- echoing the days when Le Mans racers twisted the key with their left hand and selected a gear with the right to save time -- and wuuum! Rev the mid-mounted flat six, and again it's deja vu as a slightly loose and raspy metallic roar trembles through the seatback and reverberates in your eardrums. No doubt about it, this is the Porsche Boxster we remember.

It's not, though. Despite the familiarity, this third-generation Boxster is basically all-new: a new engine, new platform, new dimensions, new technology, and, perhaps the most controversial, new electric power steering. More on that later. It's the Boxster's biggest-ever evolutionary leap. Just as with the 911, an all-new body structure -- a mix of aluminum and steel -- replaces its all-steel predecessor, helping trim about seventy pounds from the curb weight despite an injection of growth hormones. Width is essentially unchanged and there's an extra 2.4 inches between the axles, but the car is only 1.3 inches longer overall due to shorter overhangs.

Inside, there is a little extra room thanks to the longer wheelbase and also because the pedals have been moved slightly farther back, a neat trick that provides additional legroom. The seating position is now fractionally lower, and the rising center console places the gear lever closer to the driver's right hand. It's a very sporty, poised driving position. Our car's fully leather-lined interior looks great, with crisp instruments and easy ergonomics, but it's a pity that some of the highly visible plastics look decidedly downmarket.

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In spite of the continuing commonality between the 911 and the Boxster under the skin, the styling of the two cars is now much more strongly differentiated. It all starts with the doors. Previous Boxsters got 911 hand-me-downs to cut costs, and as a result the styling had to mesh with the 911 doors. Not anymore. Substantial extra investment from Stuttgart means the new Boxster gets bespoke doors, which are much flatter than the 911's, and the character lines that are etched into them flow into and bear influence on the rest of the body. Up close, you'll see crisp edges ironed into the top of the front fenders that lead toward the new, more vertically stacked headlights. The same kind of crisp lines flow along the top of the more muscled rear fenders. The new design looks taut and sinuous, pointy and dynamic, low and aggressive. It's a fantastic-looking car.

We collect our Boxster S in Rome and head toward Bridge-stone's test track, an hour or so away near Aprilia. The roads, especially the autoroute on-ramps, are a mess, with fractured, crumbling asphalt that looks ready to swallow Fiat 500s whole. As soon as we set off, we're grateful for the stretched wheelbase and retuned PASM adjustable dampers, all of which helps to take a little of the edge off the ride compared with the previous Boxster, a machine that was still admirably compliant for such a sporting car. The ride is perhaps even more impressive in light of our car's optional twenty-inch wheels, the largest ever fitted to a Boxster.

The all-new fabric roof helps the refinement, too, with an extra layer that quiets the interior. The new top goes a long way toward tackling the sometimes-excessive noise that swilled around the cabin in the previous Boxster, and it's quicker to retract as well: the old car's already-rapid twelve seconds has been slashed to just nine. In real terms it's even faster, because its predecessor required you to unclip a latch on the header rail manually before the electrics could do their thing. This iteration is fully automatic at the press of a button. With the roof open, both driver and passenger are well cocooned from the elements, wind tickling the scalp at typical cruising speeds and swirling into a bluster only at much higher velocities.

But here's what's really great about this roof: folding-hard-top rivals such as the BMW Z4 and the Mercedes-Benz SLK insist that you come to a stop before the roof can be lowered, whereas the Boxster will bound along at speeds of more than 30 mph and still bare all. Have you ever lowered a convertible top at 30 mph? It feels insane; the roof whips away from the header rail like a toupee being ripped off by a tornado. And, when it stows, it doesn't stow in the same place that you keep your luggage, as it does in those other roadsters. So, top up or down, there's always a decent chunk of storage space in the trunk -- and, as before, there's another luggage compartment where most cars have their engine. It's a shame, though, that the new Boxster ditches the flush-fitting metal cover that once sat snugly atop part of the folded roof. The uppermost section of the roof is now fully on display, and the gaps between it and the bodywork are large and ungainly.

There are no complaints with the optional seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission that's fitted to our test car. The old unit was quick but slurred its shifts, adding a fuzziness that simply didn't fit with the sharp responses streaming back to the driver from everywhere else. The improved gearbox shifts more quickly, but there's also a crisper thunk as the next gear engages. It makes the experience more interactive yet no less refined. And, unlike so many automatics, it doesn't balk at multiple downshifts; pull the paddle four times in quick succession in seventh and, as long as you've got revs to spare, you'll nail third every time. It's by no means the soft option that the old Tiptronic once was. Still, there's no doubt that the standard six-speed manual will be the only choice for Porsche purists. It's an evolution of the unit in the previous car, meaning that the 911 maintains its seven-speed novelty.

The Boxster again launches with two engines and -- mirroring the 911 -- the base unit shrinks by almost 200 cubic centimeters, to 2.7 liters, while the engine in the Boxster S remains at 3.4 liters. The 3.4-liter unit sees an increase in both performance and economy: an extra 5 hp (now 315 hp) and an unchanged 266 lb-ft of torque combine with what should amount to a 2- or 3-mpg gain when official EPA figures are released. There's all sorts of clever stuff at work to achieve that improvement, including rapid heating of the powertrain components to reduce friction when the car is cold and a "sailing" mode that decouples the engine and gearbox when you gently back off the accelerator. And if you're driving hard and want engine braking when you back off the gas? The car knows, sensing that throttle control is more incisive and keeping the drivetrain connected. We tried -- and failed -- to trick it, but you can manually disable the system if you really don't like the idea.

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With so many rivals switching to turbochargers in a bid to slash emissions and maximize mileage, it's become increasingly rare to drive a new car that's normally aspirated. So it's a treat when the 3.4-liter flat six's throttle response is absolutely in sync with your right foot, every fraction of extra accelerator travel yielding a symmetrical response, the revs crackling and zinging and spinning freely as you wind them beyond 6000 rpm. There might be more lethargy in the way it hauls itself from lower rpm than you'd experience with a 911 Carrera S, but, really, it's still intoxicating.

This, however, makes for something of a confusing juxtaposition with the steering. After all, Porsche could have gone with turbochargers to save fuel and lower emissions, but it didn't. Instead, it has carefully developed its stellar, normally aspirated flat six, because normally aspirated engines are crisper, more responsive, and more precise, and people who love driving love driving them. But then Porsche dropped its hydraulically assisted steering -- an equally important part of the Porsche DNA, we'd argue -- for a fully electric setup in a bid to save what amounts to a thimbleful of fuel.

Before driving this Boxster, I hadn't realized that the fizz of the normally aspirated flat six is, for me, cerebrally inseparable from the crackly feedback of Stuttgart's brilliant steering. But it is, and as much as I respect what the engineers have done with the new system -- it's accurate and quick and all that stuff -- the emotional connection is gone.

Porsche insiders defend the electric steering by saying there's no longer any need to run hydraulic lines from the engine to the steering, which saves weight and cost and complexity, plus it saves fuel. There's also enhanced safety, in that sensors moderate the forces acting on the steering during, for instance, an emergency stop, actively reducing the stopping distance. I don't care. The rack feels mute, and that's just not right.

The neutered steering feel is a negative, but it doesn't stop the new Boxster from being a truly sensational sports car. At the track, surface still wet after a violent hailstorm, the Boxster attacks a slalom with the adaptive dampers firmed up. As the car darts from side to side, it feels incredibly rigid and its body control is excellent, the nose flicking immediately and obediently in tune with every twirl of the wheel. It feels almost hyperactively alert, but in a good way. Push hard and overstep the mark a little, and there's a very different response from what you'd feel driving a last-generation 911, which typically slips slightly into understeer. Instead, the back end of the Boxster starts to slide a bit and the weight in the rear begins to come into play, gently tucking the nose of the car back into the apex. It feels graceful and progressive, a sensation you'll want to feel some more.

But if you really want to exploit this excellent balance, you'll need the optional Porsche Torque Vectoring system and its mechanical limited-slip differential. Our car has it, which gives a real precision to the way you can steer the car from the rear, and, on this damp track at least, it's easy to carve huge drifts through even the larger corners.

The Boxster is still a very connected, very visceral drive, no matter what all the improvements to ride quality and refinement might lead you to expect. We're left unsupervised on the track for a couple of hours and, frankly, it's gut-wrenching to hand back the keys.

For some, only a 911 cabriolet would be enough, but, for most of us -- and for almost half the price -- the new Boxster is a damn good substitute.

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PORSCHE BOXSTER S

PRICE $65,050 (with PDK automatic)
ENGINE 3.4L flat-6, 315 hp @ 6700 rpm, 266 lb-ft @ 4500-5800 rpm
TRANSMISSION 7-speed automatic 
DRIVE Rear-wheel 
L x W x H 172.2 x 70.9 x 50.4 in (European-spec)
WHEELBASE 97.4 in
WEIGHT 2976 lb
0-60 MPH 4.7 sec 
TOP SPEED 172 mph

Source: Automagazine.com

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Hyundai ix20, nice car

As with many cars in the Hyundai/Kia family, the new ix20 shares much with the supermini MPV equivalent in the Kia line-up.

But the Hyundai, arriving in the UK 18 months after its Kia Venga sibling, has several major differences, and all of them are for the better. While the Kia struggled with the demands of the bumps and potholes of inner-city driving, Hyundai has worked hard on the ix20's ride and suspension setup, even going so far as to build a section of UK road at its Korean factory that mimics our shoddy tarmac conditions.
The benefits are clear. The ix20 that will be coming to the UK is firm, but has shed the crashing ride and vague feel of the Venga. Instead it copes well with the worst that our poorly-maintained roads can throw at it. There is no need for the suspension experts to make the ix20 too engaging though as its principle job is to be a compact but practical little car, and it does an admirable job in many senses.
The leg and head room is admirable in all four seats, especially in the rear when the seats are slid back as far as they will go. The rear seats are split in a 60/40 ratio and are on a set of runners which allow you to independently move them back and forward to increase the space in the boot or the rear foot well as required.
While it is beneficial to have the option of where you maximise your space, the gap that appears between the seats and the parcel shelf when the passengers are fully forward means that you can't keep luggage out of sight when the boot is at its largest. That said, the boot space is very impressive - certainly bigger than the larger i30 at a huge 1,486 litres with the seats folded flat.
Sadly the amount of storage around the cabin is not quite as voluminous, with not many covered compartments on offer, despite a generous glovebox.
Of the engines available at launch, the 1.4-litre petrol is the best bet for all round ability. All options come with Hyundai's Intelligent Stop Go technology and a gearshift indicator that keep the emissions rating low and the efficiency high. However, if tax bills are important, it is best to avoid the automatic 1.6-litre model, which heads above 150g/km of CO2.
Source: fwd.channel5.com

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Tested: 2011 Toyota Venza AWD

Toyota has endured some tough knocks lately, with a series of recalls over the past year, as well as constantly being lambasted by critics for having "boring" cars. The Venza crossover breaks out of Toyota's safe and conventional mold, at least from a styling standpoint.

Granted, there's not much edgy or daring about crossovers anymore, contrary to what the marketing departments want you to think. The unibody, car-based tall wagon is about as ubiquitous now as the mid-sized, truck-based SUV was in the early to mid-90s. The Venza is a relative latecomer to the scene, with the trail blazed by the pre-Facebook era Nissan Murano way back in 2002 as a 2003 model. Ford followed with the Edge for the 2007 model year, and Honda with its oddly proportioned Accord Crosstour in 2009, around the same time the Venza debuted.

Much like the more upscale Acura ZDX and BMW X6, it's best to think of the Venza as a highly stylized version of a more pedestrian model. In this case, that model is the Highlander SUV. Sharing near the same wheelbase and basic dimensions as its more reserved sibling, as is usually the case, the more comely Venza makes some sacrifices for its beauty. Simply put, the Highlander is more practical and capable.

In total passenger volume, the Highlander trounces the Venza by more than 37 cubic feet. In cargo capacity, the Venza's Celtic-themed kin bests it by more than 10 cubic feet with the rear seats up, and by a substantial 25 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Max towing capacity on the Highlander is also 1500 pounds greater than on the Venza, with a nearly identical powertrain. The key difference? The V-6 Highlander still soldiers on with a five-speed automatic, while the V-6 Venza gets a six-speed.

The one, and increasingly important, area in which the Venza bests its larger sibling is fuel economy. The all-wheel-drive V-6 Highlander rates 17/22 on the EPA cycle, with the sleeker, 400-pound lighter Venza AWD returning 18/25. For those seeking even greater fuel economy, the Venza is also available with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder shared with the base Highlander that returns 21 city and 27 highway mpg on the front driver, and 20/25 on the all-wheel-drive model. Considering the minimal fuel economy penalty with the V-6, and the fact it offers 86 more horsepower, go with the six.

Speaking of the engine, it's Toyota's familiar 3.5-liter mill, found in everything from the RAV4 to the Highlander, Sienna Minivan, Camry, and Avalon, as well as the Lexus RX 350. As expected from a Toyota six-cylinder, noise, vibration, and harshness are well-subdued, and power output is sufficient for the vehicle's weight. However, with a curb weight of slightly more than two tons on the AWD model, the sensation of 268 horsepower isn't quite as stirring as it would be in a 500-pound lighter Camry or RAV4.

As with many current Toyotas, the driving experience isn't especially engaging. However, considering the vehicle's intended mission, canyon-carving probably wasn't a high priority on the suspension engineers' checklist. Getting back to the theme of sacrificing function for beauty, however, the 20-inch wheels deliver a ride firmness that hints at handling prowess that the suspension simply can't deliver. Taking a corner at anything more than a moderate pace elicits screeches and and howls from the tires. Appreciate the dubs for their style, but don't expect dramatic performance.

Although the Venza cuts an unmistakably dashing profile on the outside, the interior is a mixed bag. There's nothing exceptionally objectionable about the styling or materials, but the interior does not have the same cohesiveness and elegance as the exterior. There's an odd, indeterminate texture applied across much of the interior plastic that is an attempt at a woodgrain or faux leather, but succeeds at neither. A similar and more subdued texture is applied on the leather seats, and it works a little better, but still comes across as a bit contrived.

Ergonomically, the Venza is somewhat of an adjustment. When I first sat down and oriented myself with the controls, I looked around for a display readout for the air conditioning controls. Somewhat counterintuitively, the temperature and fan settings are displayed on a 3-inch-square LCD display in the middle of the dashboard, up high in a central unibrow area. It's not that jarring once you get used to it, but the placement seems like an afterthought.

Compared to its most logical peers, the Honda Crosstour, Nissan Murano, and Ford Edge, the Venza offers similar capabilities. Comparably equipped, the prices are pretty close, too. So what is there to recommend the Venza over its rivals? Well, if you're predisposed to think favorably of Toyota products, it has that going in its favor. It's the best-looking of the bunch, especially from a rear three-quarter angle. However, the interior has the oddest layout and materials.

Toyota often has mixed results when it tries to be too edgy, and the Venza is a rolling example. While the exterior is stylish and eye-catching, the interior is an odd mishmash of unique and parts-bin, premium and low-rent. If I were in the focus group for a mid-cycle refresh, I would suggest a revamp of the interior, using soft-touch, conventionally textured plastics, quality leathers, and contrast stitching. And perhaps some memory functions for the steering wheel adjustment and driver's seat.

The danger in moving too upscale with the Venza is that it would quickly start stepping on the toes of its more patrician cousin, the Lexus RX, in both price and market positioning. Such is the peril when you also have a luxury brand in your portfolio.

As it stands, the Venza is a stylish alternative to the conventional midsize SUV, and would likely fit the needs of small (two or fewer children) families looking for day-to-day family transport. With some fine-tuning to the interior trim, it could be a great crossover instead of a good one.

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11 Strangest Cars at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show

China is home to an estimated 180 automobile manufacturers. In a market that caters to 1.5 billion people, there's plenty of room for weird.

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2011 Edo Competition Mercedes-Benz SLR Black Arrow

It’s a Mercedes. It’s a McLaren. What more can you ask from the mobile gods? Thanks to Edo Competition we are now graced by the existence of this magnificent supercar. It’s got style, power and speed. It will surely etch a mark not just on racing tracks, but in car history as well.

The 2011 Edo Competition Mercedes-Benz SLR Black Arrow was modeled after the McLaren SLR Coupe and the 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 Edition. The components are coated with durable carbon fiber. The seats and steering wheel are covered with Alcantara skins. The interior is further decorated with with a custom info-tainment system complete with GPS, phone, iPod dock, mini-TV and camera. The car also comes with a new high-performance exhaust system made from stainless steel.

The car’s engine is as wicked awesome as its black-on-black appearance. The supercharged V8 engine installed on the 2011 Edo Competition Mercedes-Benz SLR Black Arrow gives it a staggering 722 horsepower. With this baby, the car can accelerate from 0 km/h to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds. Its maximum speed is limited to 345 km/h.

The car has yet to be officially launched in the market. But with hype surrounding its predecessor, the 2011 Edo Competition Mercedes-Benz SLR Black Arrow is another sure fire hit waiting to happen.

Source:  thesupercars.org

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FEATURES: The Last Italian Design House

From the March, 2011 issue of Automobile Magazine

By Robert Cumberford

Photography by Andrew Yeadon

The Italian coachbuilding industry has been diminishing in importance and influence for a long time now, with disastrous consequences for the few well-known firms that have not simply disappeared. One might expect that prospects for the oldest of them all, Carrozzeria Bertone (founded in 1912), would be as precarious as for the others. And Bertone was indeed teetering on the edge a few years ago.

Production contracts had dried up as manufacturers took niche models into their own production schemes, design contracts were fewer as carmakers established their own internal design departments, and some brave efforts, such as BMW's semi-enclosed C1 motorcycles that Bertone assembled, simply didn't sell.

Folk wisdom in Europe holds that when an inspired, dedicated leader creates a family enterprise, the second generation often is able to perpetuate, even expand, the business, building on the solid base established by the founder, only to have the third generation, coddled from birth and never having had to work really hard, dissipate all that had been built up over the decades.

When Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone, son of founder Giovanni, died in 1997 at 82, his succession followed the classic European family business pattern: direction should stay in the family, and it should be male. Except the shrewd Nuccio and his charming wife, Lilli, had only two offspring, Barbara and Marie-Jeanne, both pleasant young women not particularly qualified for or interested in manufacturing, so it fell to the daughters and their husbands, the sons-in-law, to take on the almost inevitable task of slow destruction. Through mismanagement andmisappreciation of the industry and business climate, they came quite close to succeeding. Carrozzeria Bertone, the series-production factory, was lost, and some of the subsidiary businesses that the farsighted Nuccio had created were in difficulty. Italian newspapers followed the ugly drama attentively, and it was widely expected that it would all collapse.

Various vultures and scoundrels wanted to "save Bertone," if one were to give credence to articles appearing in Automotive News, but things were declining desperately. Press-release battles among different factions took place, and there was the sad spectacle of Bertone's not taking its traditional stand at the Geneva motor show in 2008, instead exhibiting a trumped-up and unconvincing BAT 11 concept at an off-site venue in the Swiss city. It seemed hopeless, and those of us who consider Bertone to be the finest and most innovative of all the Italian design houses feared the worst. Many of the best people moved on, concerned that the turmoil would end not just the fabled firm but also their own careers.

What ultimately counted, though, was the steely determination of Lilli Bertone. She had promised her beloved husband before he died that she would see the firm through to its one-hundredth anniversary. As a woman in her sixties, she had naturally called on her daughters, but when she saw disaster looming, she fought like a tigress to wrest control from the feckless, unqualified men who didn't understand what Nuccio had always told her: that the money in the bank he had so carefully saved did not belong to them personally but to the firm and its safe future.

So, at the 2010 Geneva show, Bertone was back with an absolutely astonishing concept car, one that in the tradition of the glory years was a complete running vehicle. The Pandion, executed as an homage to the 100 years of Alfa Romeo, was a perfect symbol of the resurgence of Bertone. In 2009, after years of squabbles and skirmishes, Lilli Bertone gained complete control of five companies carrying her late husband's name: Stile Bertone, Bertone Glass, Bertone Engineering, Bertone Energia, and Bertone ITC, the latter involved with the integration of electronics and communications technologies in the automobile.

She has also created the nonprofit Bertone Foundation, dedicated to the heritage of the firm and to supporting the work of young creative people, which had been the hallmark of Nuccio's career. He found and developed the abilities of Franco Scaglione, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Marcello Gandini, Marc Deschamps, and many other less-renowned designers, always giving them due credit. That each of these men, viewed retrospectively, did his best work under Bertone's direction says a great deal about his own taste and prescience.

Bear in mind that Bertone had collaborated with Alfa Romeo for seventy-five years, during that time having created thirteen fabulous Alfa concept cars and ten production models, several of which were series-built in Carrozzeria Bertone's own shops. The timeless Giulietta coupe (featured in my By Design column in January 2008) that put Bertone into full-scale manufacturing in the 1950s was the first of these.

Control finally achieved, Lilli Bertone put in place a new management team headed by CEO Marco Filippa, the respected management consultant brought in to "clean up the mess." She installed American expatriate Michael Robinson as head of design and recently made Sandro Colella, former marketing and sales director, managing director. Then she set out to make an unforgettable statement of intent and capability with the Pandion, which has no more production potential than did the dramatic Scaglione BAT cars in the '50s, but like those classics, it demonstrates imagination and capabilities. That it was conceived in October and shown at Geneva early in March is indicative of Bertone tradition and Lilli Bertone's determination to bring the house back into worldwide significance.

Talking about her plans for the company last summer at Pebble Beach, the elegantly presented Signora Bertone was alternately gently humorous -- "I don't worry about the future. I plan to live to 150!" -- and ferociously severe -- "My daughters have nothing to do with the company. Nothing!" She talked about her devotion to what Nuccio had created and her determination to see the firm continue and prosper in an industrial climate that is far different from that of the '50s, when Nuccio guided the firm from a small workshop making bodies one at a time to a full-scale manufacturer of complete automobiles. One thing that has never changed, she says, is that Bertone has no debt.

Fiat now owns the former carrozzeria factory buildings, but Lille Bertone holds the creative parts that matter, the aspects of the business that will continue to appeal to mainstream manufacturers: design, engineering, and prototyping. Having the ability to offer turnkey projects for all -- or any discrete part -- of a new-car development program on time and on budget is invaluable to car companies. They may well have all those functions in-house, but there will always be times when they are overwhelmed, and a safe, certain, and reliable partner will save months and millions during those programs.

As design and brand director Michael Robinson says, success is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Clients that were left adrift when Italdesign-Giugiaro was swept up by Volkswagen were delighted to find that Bertone was back at full capability just as they needed its services. With clients all over the globe, Bertone now seems to be assured of not only achieving its centennial but also continuing far into the future.

Bertone's Greatest Hits Blazing Beauty and Bizarre Brilliance.

1952: The Abarth 1500 was the first design by Franco Scaglione for Bertone. Bought by Packard, its divided backlight inspired the 1956 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket and the 1963 "split window" Corvette.

1953: The Alfa Romeo 1900 BAT 5 was the first of the spectacular Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica series that was completed only a couple years ago with the unlovely BAT 11. This first BAT established Bertone's reputation for audacity.

1954: The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint coupe was meant to exist in a series of only 1000. This car put Bertone on the map as a serious production carrozzeria; 34,000 were made over twelve years.

1957: The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale prototype aerodynamic coupe led to limited production in 1959. Before it was canceled in 1965, 2652 were built.

1961: The BMW 3200CS -- of which only 597 coupes were built, along with the one-off convertible pictured here-showed stylist Giugiaro's work to great advantage and added to Bertone's luster.

1964: The Alfa Romeo Giulia Canguro one-off concept was beloved by almost all the world's car designers. It was perhaps the very best Bertone-Giugiaro collaboration.

1966: The Lamborghini Miura was one of Marcello Gandini's first projects at Bertone. It was the first of many almost-incredible Lamborghini production and concept models.

1968: The Alfa Romeo 33/2 Stradale Carabo concept car was only 39 inches high. A startling iridescent green, it remains one of the most striking concept cars of the past fifty years.

1970: The Lancia Stratos Zero was even lower than the Carabo, at 33 inches. Nuccio Bertone used it as a road car from time to time, believe it or not.

1971: A peak of exotica for Bertone, with both the Lambo Countach shown at Geneva and the rationalized Lancia Stratos put into production.

1972: The Fiat X1/9 was a Bertone tour de force, carried through to production despite enormous resistance from Fiat engineers, who did not have Nuccio's dedicated enthusiasm.

1994: The Bertone ZER (zero emission record) used lead-acid batteries and took a number of records, including the flying kilometer at 189 mph. It was another example of Bertone being ahead of the curve.

Source: issue of Automobile Magazine

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