Maserati Birdcage
At just over a metre high, the star of the Geneva motor show for many was this, Pininfarina's beautiful Birdcage 75th. In Pininfarina's words, it's a 'dream car' that evokes 'images and sentiments of a utopian future'; for the rest of us it's a return to concept car principles of old - totally impractical and absolutely wonderful.
The concept was built to celebrate Pininfarina's 75th anniversary and was named in honour of the original 1960s Tipo 63 Maserati Birdcage. It's based on the chassis of the MC12 and has the same 6-litre V12, albeit with power pushed up to 700bhp. The exterior design is said to have been created around two fundamental aerodynamic forms; a teardrop, which envelopes the passenger cell and mechanicals, and an inverted wing in which the central section is suspended. The slim LED headlights are the first of their kind to be homologated and their casings are made from solid blocks of aluminium. The Birdcage 75th weighs a surprisingly hefty 1500kg and the trident wheels are 20in at the front and a massive 22in at the rear. To access the cockpit the entire front section rises skyward, while inside, the transparent dashboard is supported by a triangulated tubular structure in a nod to the original.
