Disco Volante 2012 ‘flying saucer’

An Italian coachbuilder will celebrate the 60th anniversary of a classic Alfa Romeo with the unveiling of a radical 21st century recreation.

Geneva Motor Show 2012 preview

Milan-based Touring Superleggera will show the Disco Volante 2012 at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show – a modern interpretation of the 1952 Alfa Romeo C 52.

The Alfa Romeo C 52 was one of the most aerodynamic cars ever at the time of its launch, with a drag coefficient of just 0.25. This led to it being nicknamed ‘disco volante’, or ‘flying saucer’.

As such, the new Disco Volante 2012 is also suitably space age, portraying the streamlined shape of the original with a modern twist around the front profile and bulging rear wings.

The initial teaser image makes this quite clear, by depicting what appears to be a flying car! Be in no doubt, this will be one of the Geneva Motor Show’s most dramatic exhibits.

The Disco Volante 2012 is part of Touring’s plan to continue the historic tradition of taking Alfa Romeo chassis and developing groundbreaking new shapes.

As such, it has an added surprise beneath: it is based on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione supercar, so boasts a 450hp 4.7-litre V8 Maserati engine beneath its hand-beaten aluminium panels and carbon fibre details.

Don’t get too excited though: Touring Superleggera has confirmed the Disco Volante 2012 is, for now, just a static style model…

However, the company HAS confirmed plans to put it into limited-series production, for ‘customers in search of an exclusive, sporty ground tourer’.

See more of the radical Disco Volante 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show next month.