Italdesign’s latest creation blends a sleek GT car with a pickup truck to create a vehicle tailer-made for looking up at the stars. It’s up for debate as to whether the Quintessenza succeeds at being either body style, as it’s just a concept, but the EV’s sleek design hides some wild styling features that should excite the stargazer in all of us.
The Quintessenza is big. It’s longer than the shortest Ford F-150, with a lengthier 127.6-inch wheelbase. All that space helps accommodate four seats with a central console running down the middle that houses the infotainment controls and other switches. It also contains an organizer and a refrigerated mini-bar large enough to fit a bottle of wine and two glasses.
Gallery: Italdesign Quintessenza Concept
You’ll want a drink when you flip around the rear seats and remove the rear hardtop, opening the cabin to the outside world. The center console can slide back, bringing the mini bar right to you as you recline the rear seats and enjoy the sights.
At the front of the cabin, a floating central dashboard at the base of the windshield blends into the doors and wraps to the rear of the car. Italdesign made the dashboard out of a marble-based fabric that hides the controls underneath until needed, using a projection-based system to display them. It sounds fancy and fussy.
The primary vehicle interface is located behind the steering wheel, which is nothing more than a dock for your smartphone, which connects with the car through a unique app. Users can control various vehicle settings through the phone, which can also display vital information when it’s docked, such as battery level, speed, turn signals, and more.
The minimalist interior is serene compared to the rugged exterior. The Quintessenza has chunky fender flares over 24-inch wheels, sharp vertical and horizontal lighting elements front and rear, and a fastback roof that hides the truck bed. It can adjust its ground clearance from 7.9 to 11.0 inches. There are even full-length scissor doors and an electronically powered tailgate.
Powering the EV is a 150-kilowatt-hour battery feeding three electric motors—one front-axle drive unit and two in-wheel rear-axle motors. The total output is 777 horsepower, and it can reach 62 miles per hour in less than three seconds, but Italdesign doesn't mention anything about towing or payload capacities.
Either way, this thing is cool. While it probably won't ever see production, we're glad it exists.
