Bertone Birusa

The Bertone Birusa concept from 2003 was a design for a high performance GT car with innovative features and clean lines.

Based on a BMW Z8 roadster platform, the Birusa was powered by a 400 horsepower V8 running through a six-speed manual gearbox. BMW-esque styling can be seen in some of the details, however with the new and radical 'flame-surfacing' design style seen on all new BMW's the resemblance is not immediately apparent.

The wedge-shaped profile of the Birusa is emphasised by the graphic treatment of the windscreen, whose upper crossbeam is linked to the roof, and thus to the rear window, by a single pencil stroke. The side window is sculpted like a diamond and protrudes from the side like a dihedral of light cut through by an aluminium blade. This solution is both decorative and functional because this element, which is actually an engine bay air outlet, also hides the door release pushbutton. The gull-wing doors of the Birusa concept are made entirely of carbon fibre and hinged just below the windscreen, with electrical power assist.

The interior of the Bertone Birusa has very simple, linear styling, like the exterior. The central tunnel passes between the two seats, linking up to the facia in a 'T', and creating two separate, superimposed elements between the actual facia and the central instrumentation.