One of the first sportscars to attract attention of visitors to this year’s Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza was the new Bizzarinni Ghepardo, a car which was first unveiled in its preliminary specification earlier last year at the 75th Geneva Salon. Finished in a glossy metallic dark blue, the car’s muscular shape immediately stood out, the seductive lines of its all-aluminium coachwork clearly inspired by the Bizzarrini GTs from the past, of which one, a 5300 GT Strada, could be found parked next to the new Ghepardo. Certain details on the front end of the Ghepardo can also be traced to the 1993 Bizzarrini GT study designed by Giotto Bizzarrini and his son Beppe Bizzarrini. The Aluminium bodywork material is typical of Bizzarrini cars, and is the distinctive characteristic which separates the Bertone built Iso-Grifo and Bizzarrini Strada, the former cars bearing all-steel bodywork.

Although Bizzarrini cars have from a historical perspective typically  been true competition models, particularly when compared to the original Iso-Grifo A3C which had more luxurious fittings, the new Ghepardo interior is padded out in style, with comfortable cream leather trim and polished metal details. In typical fashion, the finishing touches to the Ghepardo were completed the evening before presentation at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza. Intense development work has been carried out on the prototype ever since its original unveiling in 2005. Not only the engine, but also the suspension layout is now entirely new.
 

The Ghepardo's engine, a 4.1 litre block derived from the Renault designed engine used in the GP2 single-seater motor racing series, is set as far back in the engine bay as one could imagine, resulting in an ideal weight distribution, and also providing useful space for the highly effective new front suspension layout. The high-revving engine, “capable of 10,000 ‘giri’” confirmed the interior designer with a grin on his face, incidentally sounds unlike any other V8 engine found in a road car. When fired up, its roots become clear, with a high idle speed matched with the finely-timed acoustics of extraordinarily light-weight moving parts, the latter resulting in an instantaneous throttle response. The 32-valve engine delivers 550bhp at the red-line, and 470 nm of torque at 7,500 rpm.    

Classic Bizzarrinis always had an enormous amount of power, and encountered problems with the delivery of the power to the ground through their skinny 15" tires. On the new Bizzarinni Ghepardo, this attribute has been eradicated by a unique set of custom built extra wide Pirelli PZero Rosso tyres, measuring 335-385/30 ZR 20 at the rear. Power is delivered through a 6-speed manual gearbox with central gear stick.

The name “Ghepardo”, is Italian for Leopard, a member of the cat family which relies on stealth, attacking its prey by stalking it, followed by a short rush of speed. Under a burst of full power, the Bizzarrini Ghepardo is capable of completing the 0-100 km/h sprint in less than 3.8 seconds, whilst the top speed is over 360 km/h.

Lake Como was the ideal setting for the presentation of the Bizzarrini Ghepardo, with the rich mountainous surroundings reflecting elegantly in the gleaming bodywork of this thoroughbred. The Ghepardo is an interesting and exciting alternative for those who seek a distinctive performance sportscar.

by Paddy Granger