Alfa Romeo Disco Volante by Touring
The international stage of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show will witness yet another world premiere from Touring Superleggera. The Milan-based coachbuilder celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 1952 Alfa Romeo C 52 “Disco Volante” with a tribute to its sporting heritage, the Disco Volante 2012.
The 2012 Disco Volante is a static style model based on the space-frame chassis of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. As in the recent tradition of Touring, it will be coach-built in a very limited run for customers in search of an exclusive, sporty grand tourer.
Historically Touring was often prompted by the dynamic properties of the finest Alfa Romeo chassis to develop groundbreaking shapes. The C52 is one of the best examples. Destined for a racing career, it was based upon extreme aerodynamic research, achieving an impressive 0.25 drag coefficient. It was nicknamed “Disco Volante”, or Flying Saucer, for its futuristic shape right in the beginning of the space age, and influenced the automotive design for decades.
The design conveys the spirit of the streamlining, sporty and essential shape of the 1952 ancestor, adding elements of drama, such as the unusual front width and the powerful rear wings, to the typical Touring paradigm of timeless design.
The new body dresses the 8C space frame chassis with hand-beaten aluminium panels and carbon fibre elements, assembled by the artisans of the Milanese atelier to the customary world class quality standards.
The Disco Volante 2012 maintains the mechanical package of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, with its longitudinally mounted, 4.7 litres V8 engine delivering 450PS and 480Nm peak torque. The 6-speed transaxle gearbox with paddle-shift control, limited-slip differential, double-wishbone suspension and large diameter, ventilated brakes ensure precision, agility and thrilling performance.
The Disco Volante 2012 will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday, 6th March 2012 at 14:00 on the booth of Touring Superleggera (Hall 1, booth 1251).