GFG Style – the design company run by Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro – is helping to revive the historic Bandini brand with a new concept car. The Bandini Dora is a fully electric all-wheel drive ‘barchetta’ sports car using a spaceframe aluminium chassis and carbonfibre bodywork.
It’s described as “a hedonistic, open, two-seater car, designed for outdoor leisure”. Its most striking feature is the A-pillar design that sweeps from the front wings right to the back of the car. Giugiaro says: “Inspired by the Halo of Formula 1, we thought about creating a car that had a clean windshield as it used to be used with no reinforcements, thus being as linear and light as possible.”
The low-cut windscreen passes under the protective pillars, while behind the cabin is a roll bar that doubles up as a spoiler. ‘Lightning bolt’ shapes appear on the lights both front and rear, with very long headlights that incorporate indicators reaching right up to the windscreen.
Access to the cabin is via electric scissor doors. A substantial structural beam divides the driver from the passenger, while the driving position is adjusted by moving the steering column and pedal set. The completely switchless interior features a steering wheel with a touchscreen monitor. Power comes from two electric motors with a total output of 400kW and torque of 680Nm. Drive is to all four wheels and the performance claims are 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph. The range is 280 miles.
As for the Bandini name, it revives Ilario Bandini’s racing marque, which originally made some 75 cars from 1946 until 1992. Ilario’s great grandson, Michele, has rekindled Bandini Automobili to make cars in limited series. The picture below shows Michele with an original 1950s Bandini 750 Sport Barchetta from the Mille Miglia Museum.
