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To celebrate
the city of Turin's current status as World Design
Capital 2008, Studiotorino has presented a styling
study for a one-off car which reinterprets the Mercedes
SL theme, turning the German luxury car into a distinct
coupé. The bold project, dubbed Coupetorino, has been
directed by Studiotorino, the Turinese design company
headed by famous automotive craftsman Alfredo Stola,
working in collaboration with the reputable l’Istituto
di Arte Applicata e Design (IAAD), also located in
Turin, and with further support from Peter Pfeiffer of
Centro Stile Mercedes, in Como.
The project
called for an initiative to search for 'bespoke coachwork,
while the new, unique, custom-built car proposal has been
christened Coupetorino. It is an off-shoot of the Mercedes
SL, a historical and very well known sports car that in this
application has been transformed into a coupé. As part of
World Design Capital 2008, a model of the car, in 1:4
scale, will be presented as an expression of the sculptural
aspect of the surfaces. An exhibition, which gets underway
this weekend at the Turin Gallery (Via Maria Vittoria
6) will
illustrate all the research that led to the development of
the project and the phases of its realisation.
Studiotorino has carried out a string of automotive projects
since being set up by Alfredo Stola, most recently in
September it unveiled a limited-edition Fiat 500 devised by Maria Paola Stola and called Diabolika, that sought to recreate the famous
comic strips by applying eye-catching decals, other artistic
effects and a bespoke interior to the Car of the Year
2008 award winner. The studio has also created styling
upgrades for Porsche models.
The new project
is part of the many initiatives to promote Turin's status as
the global focus of design this year. This started back on
September 30, 2005, when the ICSID (International Council of
Societies of Industrial Design) officially named the city as
the first World Design Capital in recognition of the
crucial role Turin and the Piemonte region play on an
international level. The area is perfectly characterised by
numerous excellences in the field of design.
Today, this
elevated status, along with the hosting of the XX Winter
Olympic Games just under three years ago, is helping to
change Turin’s perceived image from that of an industrial
city to one of a European city, in which development is
based on a combination of innovation and creativity,
starting with a solid tradition of entrepreneurship and
planning. In accepting this challenge, the city is a
“beta-tester” of the World Design Capital project,
which is promoted by the International Design Alliance (IDA)
and conducted by ICSID. This unprecedented title is thus
welcomed as an important opportunity to design new ways to
develop the territory.
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