New Fiat concept designed by Bertone

Italian coachbuilder Bertone will unveil a new concept car wearing Fiat badges at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, continuing a tradition that has lasted for almost 80 years. The futuristic looking sports car will be based on Fiat’s new 100hp Panda, and uses aluminum for construction of the chassis and transparent plastic for some of its body-panels. This image, which turned up on Winding Road, shows the sporty two-seater also features contoured bucket-seats and a wrap-around windshield.

Beneath the stylish body sits the same running gear found in the Fiat Panda, including the 1.4L 16v FIRE engine developing 100hp at 6,000rpm and maximum torque of 131Nm at 4,250rpm. Top speed for the Panda is only 185km/h, while the 0-100km/h dash takes roughly 9.5 seconds. We suspect the concept car will be slightly quicker considering its lighter design.

There were previous reports that Fiat was developing a rescue plan for the struggling Bertone, which could have seen the creation of an all new company to build a low-volume coupe convertible to be sold under the Lancia brand, with the coachbuilder offering its expertise and production facilities. Perhaps this concept is more confirmation of the future car.