Prepare yourself: ItalDesign-Giugiaro to unveil a Maserati-fighting limo in Geneva

By Trevor Dermody Published February 28, 2014

sure im prepared italdesign giugiaro unveil — Image used with permission by copyright holder

ItalDesign-Giugiaro is a car design brand that doesn’t just make cars; it makes cars that are works of art.

The brand’s upcoming new dream car, scheduled for unveil at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show is making me slightly nervous, however, because I have no idea what it is going to be … and it sounds more exciting with every detail.

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As reported by Wards Auto, the car is rumored to be the work of the sage-sounding Giorgetto “The Maestro” Giugiaro. The car has been said to be “an essay of superlative efficiency for comfort and interior roominess in an elegant, contemporary design”.

I don’t know about anyone else, but to me that sounds simply delightful.

The design studio has released an image of the concept that reveals very little but has led to wild speculation. The vehicle is rumored to either be an answer to the BMW Gran Lusso Concept or a competitor aimed at Maserati.

The Maestro has produced several classics over the years, including the Delorean DMC-12, Maserati Spyder, and original Lotus Espirit. So I would say that his concept should be pretty stellar.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

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Mini’s infotainment system is very charming, but still needs work

Main screen of the Mini infotainment system

When you think Mini, you probably don’t think of infotainment. Personally, I think of the British flag taillights, the distinct exterior, and the surprising room on the inside. But after driving the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman over the past week, infotainment might well be something I think of more often when it comes to Mini. It’s charming.

It also, however, suffers from all the traps that other legacy automakers fall into when it comes to software design. Mini has something on its hands here — but it still needs some work.
Bringing the charm
The first thing that stood out to me about the system when I got in the car was how fun it was. That all starts with the display. It’s round! No, it’s not curved — the screen is a big, round display sits in at 9.4 inches, and I found it plenty large enough for day-to-day use.

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There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

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Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.