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" In 1949 Austrian-born Carlo Abarth (1908-1979) founded an automobile brand focused on motorsport and fast road cars. The brand became iconic. In 1971, Fiat bought the company and revitalized it in 2007, using multiple Scorpion logos, some racing stripes and extra-horsepower to enhance cars such as the 500 and Punto. Some of these Abarth-branded models are well received in Europe, and competitors such as Renault have followed this strategy with their own Gordini-models.   Vintage Abarth fans are less enthusiastic, as recent activities seem more like marketing. Making matters worse: Rumors that Fiat would show an Abarth coup\u00E9 at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show this year were quickly denied by the PR department.    Separating Fact from Fiction   But here&amp;#039;s the truth: Abarth is working on a more authentic line-up. For proof, look at the single-seat ACI CSAI Abarth, which will run its own race series in 2011. What&amp;#039;s more, there is actually another Abarth coup\u00E9 concept\u2014but this one is an another booth.   The Italian styling school IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) received this simple directive from Fiat: &amp;quot;Express the pure unadulterated spirit of Abarth, which is renowned worldwide for compact, intelligent, record-breaking sports cars.&amp;quot; Under the direction of Luca Borgogno (Senior Designer Pininfarina) and Luigi Giampaolo (a designer at Maserati), seven Master of Arts in Transportation Design students developed their own ideas. Finally, the proposal from Emre Husmen of Turkey was chosen. Called the Scorp-Ion (a name that hints at the car&amp;#039;s powertrain), it&amp;#039;s an electric 2-seater with motors each wheels and lithium-ion batteries under the luggage compartment behind the cabin. This life-size model of a future road-going racecar comes with sleek aerodynamic body and covered rear wheels. The Scorp-Ion is 158 in. long, 75 in. wide and 47 in. tall, with a 92.5 in. wheelbase. The cockpit incorporates lots of technologies of tomorrow.   At this point, no further technical information has been announced. The Scorp-Ion is simply a study to test public reaction. We suspect it will be positive, as this car has real potential in a downsized future. This is natural Abarth territory, and we&amp;#039;re keeping our fingers crossed.   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-shows/geneva-auto-show/news/a17052/istituto-europeo-di-design-scorp-ion-concept/>