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Global Concepts (Part 1)
I.D.E.A. IDEAone
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For the Italian I.D.E.A. Institute, angles are out and curves are in. At the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, it presented its concept for a large, luxury, four-door sedan-a design which it says could be transferred "easily" to a mid-range size. Called the IDEAone, the concept was the first in I.D.E.A.'s 20-year existence that it presented at the Show as an independently developed project, but it is said to be production-oriented. The car has a V8 engine, sequential gearbox, all-aluminum spaceframe chassis, aerodynamic styling without the influence of any particular marque, and interior accommodation with the accent on space. I.D.E.A. says that by making use of "new transparent shock-resistant materials" the front lamp clusters are embedded in the fenders. I.D.E.A. says it has several patents pending on designs used in the concept including the retractable headrests located in the seat backrests; an instrument panel with adjustable telescopic lens to suit the driver's eyesight; pressurized weather strips on the doors; electrically controlled door handles; a rear window with integrated LED system, and the front headlamp cluster in the fenders. The car's V8 engine is the result of a partnership between I.D.E.A. and AVL. Called the AVL Spectros, it is a 3.3-L bi-turbo producing 261 kW (355 hp). It has a starter-generator; auxiliaries are driven without belts, and the cooling system is said to be "largely hoseless."
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