Here's the Fioravanti vision about the Alfa Romeo sports car in future

Forgotten ONES Among the many models ever made by Alfa Romeo, the Italian automotive manufacturer there are many models that have become famous and legends, such as the Alfa Romeo BAT Series, Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, and many others. 

The Fioravanti Vola is designed by Leonardo Fioravanti as his vision of what a sporting Alfa Romeo of the future could look like. (Picture from: CarStyling.ru)

However, there are also many models made by third parties intended to be a design study of the brand's future cars, as we will discuss below. The mentioned car was built in the 2000s by Fioravanti, a Turin-based automotive coachbuilder company founded in 1987 by renowned Italian car designer, Leonardo Fioravanti.

The first Fioravanti Vola prototype debuted at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show in black with red interior. (Picture from: Alfisti.ru)

As we all know that the designer before establishing his studio, it turned out that he had a career of more than 24 years at the Pininfarina design studio and was involved in many Prancing Horse beautiful car projects carried out by the design studio, such as the Ferrari 388 GTO, Ferrari 250 P5 Berlinetta Speciale, Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, the original Ferrari Dino, and more.

The first Fioravanti Vola prototype debuted at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show in black with red interior. (Picture from: CarStyling.ru)

It became something unusual when the designer suddenly in the 2000s designed a car which was later named the Fioravanti Vola, which at almost the same time the Moncalieri-based coachbuilder also built the Fioravanti F100 which was specially made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Il Commendatore, Enzo Ferrari. So do not be surprised if on the front of both cars look similar especially on the headlights section.

The Fioravanti Vola featured with a unique rotating glass roof, thanks to the deck lid hinges are concentric with the top, so the trunk access is freely available, as the open roof sits on top of the trunk lid. (Picture from: CarStyling.ru)

We don't want to argue further how about that could be happened and what is certain is that the Vola was the design house’s vision of what a sporting Alfa Romeo of the future could look like.

The Vola sportscar presented for the first time at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show with one of the most notable features such a unique rotating glass roof, thanks to the deck lid hinges are concentric with the top, so the trunk access is freely available, as the open roof sits on top of the trunk lid.

The Fioravanti Vola is powered by a transverse DOHC V6 engine with a capacity of 2,959cc capable churn out 192 hp of power and is combined with a 5-speed manual gearbox to drive its front wheels. (Picture from: CarStyling.ru)

Originally, the Fioravanti Vola livered in black with red interior, and changed while it shown 4 years later at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show with a red paint and brown upholstery. While for the drivetrain, the Fioravanti Vola is powered by a transverse DOHC V6 engine with a capacity of 2,959cc capable churn out 192 hp of power and is combined with a 5-speed manual gearbox to drive its front wheels. 

Leonardo Fioravanti posed along with two of his car creations such 2001 Alfa Romeo Vola (far-above) and 2005 Ferrari Superamerica (bottom). (Picture from: DannataVintage)

The same idea was later used in the Ferrari Superamerica of 2005, also designed by Fioravanti and patented as a Revocromico roof. In 2008 the rear buttresses of the Vola were remodelled similar to the Superamerica. The great topical subject for sports cars, the removable solid roof, has had very interesting but a little complex solutions recently. Fioravanti has made its suggestion by applying a new concept of rotating roof with an innovative and extremely simple solution.

2001 Fioravanti Alfa Romeo Vola (left) posed along with 2000 Ferrari F100 (right). (Picture from: DannataVintage)

While the well-known mechanisms power the roof down into the trunk,  'LF' emblem is placed on the top of the trunk with obvious advantages both practical and of weight and more room for the luggages. Another interesting aspect is that whether the roof is open or closed there is a very slight variation in the barycenter of the car.

The second appearence of the Fioravanti Vola at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show with a red paint and brown upholstery. (Picture from: UltimateCarPage)

The aesthetic solution chosen for Alfa Romeo shows, in a very 'graphic' way, the basic priciple of the patent: …the rotation axis of the roof is the same as the one of the trunk axis. There can be alternative lay-outs which look very different, but keep the same geometric conditions. The roof, supported by a carbon fibre frame, is made of a variable transparent plastic for protection against sun rays and for rear visibility.

Leonardo Fioravanti posed along with his creation, Fioravanti Alfa Romeo Vola at the 'Rosso Fioravanti' exhibition held in Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Turin back in 2018. (Picture from: MotorAge.it)

It can be manual or automatic. In opening position the rear window area, rotating on itself, becomes an anti-turbolence device. The typical 'Alfa trilobation' features a new kind of fog lamps which are very long and thin and become indicator lights and emergency lights on the side. Day lights, night lights and high beam lights are all joined in one single transparent element which is also used to let air out of the engine and as support for the rearview video cameras.

Day lights, night lights and high beam lights are all joined in one single transparent element which is also used to let air out of the engine and as support for the rearview video cameras. (Picture from: Alfisti.ru)

Another innovative design element is the rear/indicator lights which emerge from the rotation element of the roof. The rear-end of the of the car features typical Alfa Romeo elements such as the high, thin and separate tail lights.

The Fioravanti Vola's interior design features with two identical 'canoes' in which are situated the seat, instruments, new kind of pedals and steering wheel on driver side, the seat and airbag-glove box on passenger side. (Picture from: Facebook)

The rear gear light is situated on top of the license plate which is lit from behind. For what concerns the interior design the same criteria of semplicity and components reduction has been followed, always looking for symmetry.

The Fioravanti Vola's rear-end features typical Alfa Romeo elements such as the high, thin and separate tail lights. (Picture from: Alfisti.ru)

Basic element: two identical 'canoes' in which are situated the seat, instruments, new kind of pedals and steering wheel on driver side, the seat and airbag-glove box on passenger side. The symmetrical door panels feature a unique armrest also used as support and opening handle and air outlet. The main instruments which are highly three-dimensional and very original lighted are side by side the rearview display.

The steering wheel, with F1 gear shifts, is in carbon fibre and partially leather wrapped. The central element between the two “canoes” includes a multi-functional display for GPS, telephone, climate controls, minor controls, the button to operate the roof and the control keyboard for other functions. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | FIORAVANTI | CARROZZIERI-ITALIANI | MOTORAGE.IT | DANNATAVINTAGE | BELOWTHERADAR ]

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