Sofia is the latest concept 
					car project to be developed by the I.DE.A Institute, a 
					luxurious high performance sedan which follows on from the 
					ERA small sports car concept which the Turinese design 
					studio presented at the Geneva Motor Show last year.
					
					
					Following last year’s success, I.DE.A 
					Institute has returned to Geneva for the 80th International 
					Motor Show to present a 4-seater sedan designed to be 
					powered by a hybrid engine. This concept car is symbolic of 
					I.DE.A Institute’s continued drive to renew the company, 
					which began in 2007. The styling by the new Design Center 
					and the workmanship of the model makers and show car 
					builders have together created this new “all-Italian” model, 
					aptly named Sofia. The concept is a concentration of sportiness 
					and elegance. The curves are graceful, the lines smooth and 
					supple, the shape and profile are as enchanting and alluring 
					as a female figure. The front and rear light clusters convey 
					a captivating and inviting look. 
					
					“We are once 
					again present at the Geneva International Motor Show with a 
					model designed and built entirely by I.DE.A Institute,” 
					Chairman Pietro Lardini emphasisef. “We are again confirming 
					our own design philosophy and gearing ourselves to work even 
					more closely with our major customers in Europe, Asia and 
					South America,” he added. This latest concept car is Italian to the 
					core, says the I.DE.A Institute: its shape, its look, its 
					elegance and name are instantly recognised as being 
					synonymous with Italian styling and beauty.
					
					
					Last 
					spring, after a ten-year absence, the I.DE.A. Institute 
					returned to the Geneva Motor Show where it presented ERA, 
					its latest concept car, on a dedicated stand, a sports car 
					that was first previewed in Turin the previous summer, and 
					symbol of an invigorated I.DE.A Institute. The ERA, which 
					had been revised since its first showing and the Geneva 
					appearnce, featured gull-wing doors and an interior with 
					a simple, essential tubular structure and wraparound seats.
					
					
					With around 400 employees, since 2000 
					I.DE.A Institute has been part of the multinational Rieter 
					Group with its headquarters in Winterthur Switzerland and a 
					2009 sales figure of 1.95 billion CHF. Following 30 years of 
					activity and growth, I.DE.A. Institute now has branches in 
					Europe, Asia and South America.