small has unveiled the Superleggera Vision at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza vacation home d’Este on the shores of Lake Como. This sports automobile concept was produced in conjunction with Italian coachbuilders, Touring Superleggera, and adds weight to our exclusive story that small is planning to ditch the Coupe and Roadster models in favour of a sports automobile with distinct styling.
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The Superleggera clearly features a design inspired by the most recent small hatch, including the LED-ringed headlights, gaping grille and short overhangs. even the bonnet stripes are present and accounted for – though here they’re subtly embossed in to the metal, flowing in to polished aluminium on the nose.
But there are plenty of sports automobile flourishes to distinguish this as a model that’s separate from the rest of the small line-up, such as the raked windscreen, the low-slung body and the flowing ‘Touring’ line that runs from ahead of the front wheels all the way to the rears. The body was handcrafted from sheets of aluminium by stylists at Touring Superleggera, allowing for crisp lines that small says would be practically impossible using machines.
At the rear, the stylish fin is a sports automobile throwback, while the Union Jack-inspired rear lights have the air of classic small quirkiness about them. despite the retro styling cues the side sills and rear diffuser are built from the same hi-tech carbon fibre-reinforced plastic used in BMW’s all-electric and hybrid i3 and i8 models.
There’s a certain link to those futuristic BMWs, too, thanks to the Superleggera’s all-electric powertrain. small has already experimented with battery power, in the small E prototype and its return in this concept reveals it’s still on the table for future models. The UKL1 platform that will underpin all members of the small family can certainly take plug-in hybrid technology and small believes that all-electric tech is also a terrific fit for the brand.
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