Geneva 2012: Bertone Nuccio Concept

No Geneva motor show would be complete without a concept from the Italian styling house, Bertone. Last year at Geneva we saw their idea of a Jaguar saloon and the year before they designed an Alfa Romeo coupe called the Pandion to celebrate the mark's 100 year anniversary. So what work of art have they got for us this year?

This is the Nuccio, an "extreme" sports car designed around the firm's favourite body style, the mid-engined berlinetta. It's a rather special concept which commemorates the centenary of the Bertone design studio and is named after the son of the founder, Giovanni Bertone, who took over the company in 1950 and designed vehicles such as Lambretta GP/DL scooters and the Alfa Romeo BAT concepts.

This one was designed by Bertone's current boss, Michael Robinson, an American designer who has worked at Fiat, Ford, Volvo and Ghia. The car displays a styling language of strong emotional impact and a glimpse of the studio's future brand identity, even though it's heavily influenced by the Lancia Stratos Zero from 1970.

Apparently, the Nuccio has a 4.3 V8 underneath it that produces 483bhp. Whether it gets onto the road or not is unknown but the chances are very slim. Mind you, it's reported to be 1220mm tall which is 61mm taller than a Lotus Exige and people can fit in those, just.