Hyundai Passo Corto

 

THE PASSOCORTO PROJECT STARTED OFF AS A BRIEF DRAWN UP BY HYUNDAI’S EUROPEAN R&D CENTRE IN GERMANY TO 16 STUDENTS OF THE TRANSPORTATION DESIGN MASTERS’ COURSE AT THE FAMOUS ISTITUTO EUROPEO DI DESIGN (IED) IN ITALY. 

THE RESULT, AS SHOWN IN THESE PICTURES, IS A DRAMATIC, COMPACT AND ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT SPORTSCAR CONCEPT THAT ALSO HAS THE NAME OF ‘PASSOCORTO’ (ITALIAN FOR SHORT WHEELBASE). THE COMPACT TWO-SEATER WEIGHS JUST 840 KGS, THANKS TO ITS CARBONFIBRE CHASSIS AND HAS A REAR MID-MOUNTED 4-CYLINDER 1.6-LITRE BI-TURBO ENGINE. APPROPRIATELY FOR A CAR DESIGNED IN ITALY, THE FLOWING LINES OF PASSOCORTO ARE FINISHED IN A FIERY ORANGE – A TRIBUTE TO THE BRIGHT COLOURS THAT CLOTHED MANY OF THE 1970S CREATIONS THAT HAVE HELPED TO MAKE ITALIAN SPORTS CAR DESIGN SO FAMOUS.

HERITAGE ALSO INSPIRED THE ORIGINAL BRIEF FROM HYUNDAI, WHICH INSISTED ON RETURNING TO MORE TRADITIONAL METHODS, GIVING GREAT IMPORTANCE TO MANUAL DESIGN AND CLAY MODELLING. MODERN-DAY 3D DIGITAL MODELLING WAS USED ONLY IN THE FINAL STAGES. THE CAR’S MECHANICAL AND TECHNICAL FEATURES ARE VERY MUCH CONTEMPORARY, HOWEVER, AND INCLUDE A VIDEO CAMERA THAT NOT ONLY ACTS AS A REAR VIEW MIRROR, BUT ALSO RECORDS HIGH-RESOLUTION VIDEOS TO BE SHARED WITH FRIENDS ON THE WEB – A PASSION OF GENERATION Y.