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- Rivera
- Tsukishima-TDUDT
The Bertone Birusa is a concept car that reinterprets a theme which is part of the company's genetic code: the most elegant, dynamic embodiment possible of the Italian sports car, an exclusive object and the source of supremely enjoyable driving. These are important features, acknowledged in the car's ironic name, derived from the adjective 'biross' which in Piedmontese dialect describes a brilliant, extremely resourceful person.
Like all Bertone's concept cars, the Birusa incorporates innovative features and technologies, which Bertone has developed with companies that are all leaders in their respective fields, and have succeeded in rendering the ideas and concepts developed by Bertone both credible and sustainable. These features include: voice controls (Loquendo) to open the doors and the double sunroof (developed with Inalfa) made of heat-resistant glass (Socar ICS) laminated with PVB film (Solutia), a Stereo Sound System (Bose), semiadaptive headlights and an infrared night-time vision system (Valeo), and a Segway (HT) stored in the boot. Like the tender of a boat that takes passengers to places inaccessible to the big boat, the Bertone Birusa's Segway is a perfect way of reaching the centre of town, or a pedestrian precinct, after you have parked the sports car.
The Bertone Birusa gives us an idea how a typical interpretation of the high performance GT car (front engine, rear drive, two seats) could evolve stylistically in the near future. In structural terms, the Bertone Birusa borrows the alluminium chassis and engineering of the BMW Z8, with a 400 hp V8 engine and 6-speed manual gearbox. This design choice is also reflected in the interpretation of certain design details that are typical of the BMW brand identity.
