Geneva Show-Goers Get Charge Out of New Volta
Could there be two more unlikely partners? Generally speaking the Japanese are known for methodical, meticulous, detail-oriented perfection in product development and execution, where the Italians build sexy, curvaceous cars that make grown men weak at the knees in unbridled passion - Fiat's Multipla aside.
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| Japanese-based Toyota has teamed up with the Italian design house Italdesign to produce the stunning Volta concept. (Photo: Italdesign) |
In reality such a union could be a marriage made in heaven. After all Italdesign, the design house behind the exotic Volta concept that debuted in Geneva last month, is well respected for its work with Korean brands Daewoo and Hyundai. Why not Toyota?
For the most part Toyota is not particularly known for breakthrough styling. It has become one of the world's top selling carmakers primarily based on quality engineering. What would happen if the number one Japanese brand put as much energy into making its award-winning cars look as good as they go?
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| The Volta is an example of what Toyota is capable of if it paid as much attention to styling as earnestly as it currently focuses on quality engineering. (Photo: Italdesign) |
That's a question recently answered by Italdesign's Fabrizio Giugiaro, son of famed automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Italian design house joined together with Toyota to launch the Volta in Geneva earlier this month, a car named in honor of physicist Alessandro Volta who invented the battery.
Fitting that Toyota has incorporated its latest hybrid powertrain into the new concept, a version of the RX400h that made its official debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last January.