Pininfarina Sintesi concept
Design Director Lowie Vermeersch said to us: “We like cars that are long and low”. And the Sintesi is just that. At 4800mm long, it is slightly shorter than a Mercedes-Benz E-class, but at 1280mm it is slightly lower than a Porsche 911. The reason for this is not simply that the Pininfarina design team love long low cars, but because the design is based on ‘liquid packaging’ – which essentially means that the core technical elements may be separated and positioned all over the car.
The Sintesi has a central fuel cell spine whose shape helps create a long diffuser under most of the car, and an electric motor powering each wheel. This technical configuration allows passengers to sprawl out over the long cabin which is Chief Designer Fuiseppe Randazzo’s take on modern luxury.
The core design innovations inside the car include black leather covers to the tops of the seat squabs which are otherwise made from ‘Veltec’, a material first seen on the Nido that allows items with Velcro fixings to attach securely. The seat backs are in white leather and unusually sweep forwards to connect to the center spine. The IP, which organically pushes out through the center of the bulkhead, has been rapid prototyped, and is the center piece to the interior. With its internal illumination it creates an ethereal feel to the whole interior.
The exterior form is curvaceous and has a hint of Pininfarina designs of the past, particularly in the air outlet vent atop of the front fender – similar to that of some Ferrari side air intake vents from over 30 years ago. And the side glazing that curves up into the roof and inset small window apertures also hint at classic Italian concept cars. But the overall form, in particular at the front and rear, is fresh and full of innovative details. This was undoubtedly one of the stars of the show.
