The Thesi Uno Concept project, recently covered by Virtual Car in an exclusive report, was originally started in 1999 by designer Emanuele Nicosia.

Nicosia worked in partnership with Anna Visconti from BeeStudio, an advanced styling and trends research company, and Mauro Forghieri from Oral Engineering, a company specialized in vehicle mechanics, from the frame structure to the chassis and powerplant.

The innovative modular frame structure - designed to be made of steel or aluminum depending to cost requirements - enable to obtain three different vehicle layouts.

Forghieri developed a new modular chassis concept which enabled to change the engine position by moving a single frame module. This way, three different vehicles can be based on the same production platform:

• A 2/3-box sedan with front engine and FWD / AWD system
• A passenger transport vehicle with rear engine AWD system.
• A mid-engine 2-seat sportscar with rear-wheel drive or AWD system.

The side sills are high enough to integrate a methane fuel tank in the inner volume.

The lighting system was developed in partnership with Ilti Luce, a Turin-based company specialized in optics fibers and LEDs.

"By using LEDs and fiber optics, especially in the rear end, enabled me to place the lights 'inside' the rear door, thus leaving very clean surfaces without interfering with the rear volumes" explains Emanuele Nicosia.

The hood was originally designed in a soft-touch material and with a a minimum clearance between the engine and the inner surface of about 100 mm, in order to increase the pedestrian safety; a particularly remarkable feature, considering that the project is dated back 1999.

The design of the vehicle side was inspired by cut-diamonds shapes with dynamic lines that underline the importance of preciousness and movement.

The shape and direction of the door handles were the result of a careful ergonomics study.

The Thesi Concept was not developed for a particular automaker - apart from a few exploratory sketches - because the designers wanted to express a general concept without the modifications and influences that a "branded" car would have suffered of.

The interior design of the Thesi Uno was not completed, but just sketched in order to give a "real car" appearance to the prototype.

The instrument panel is separated from the dashboard and consists of a unique piece which integrates a single circular gauge that is based on the "Turbillon" clocks' concept.

Its visibility is improved by a light-sensitive polycarbonate cover.

Above: Nicosia and Forghieri at work (left); Nicosia sketching (center) and with the clay model

A comprehensive set of 38 images is available on Virtual Car's image gallery.

(Source: Virtual Car)