If you’re planning a romantic evening, each component must work well together to create one memorable experience: The lighting has to work with the environment; the music has to match the mood; the right wine should be paired with the right food. This perfectly describes Alfa Romeo’s “bellezza necessaria” (necessary beauty) design philosophy that’s showcased with the Italian automaker’s Cuorerosso concept car, which combines aesthetics, functionality, technology, and quality while paying homage to the brand’s heritage.
“Alfa Romeo has always created cars that are capable not only of moving people, but of arousing something within them. It is this human-machine connection, fueled by a unique culture of the Italian spirit, sportiness and passion, which makes each of our cars an Alfa Romeo,” says Santo Ficili, Alfa Romeo and Maserati CEO. “With Cuorerosso, we bring this identity into the future, one open to different energy solutions, in which technology, function and quality are always at the service of emotions and driving pleasure.”
Image courtesy of Alfa Romeo
The model name Cuorerosso is a compound of two different Italian words: “Cuore” means heart and “rosso” means red. For Alfa Romeo, red is the hue of passion; because the concept is a red-on-red, it brings to mind that this car is meant to combine driving passion while offering its heart towards the brand’s roots.
The Cuorerosso is at the intersection of a gran turismo and a supercar. From its “Coda Tronca” (truncated tail) to its grille featuring symbols of the cross and the biscione, the Alfa’s bodylines work in conjunction with each exterior component to achieve an aerodynamic coefficient of 0.28.
Image courtesy of Alfa Romeo
Under the hood is a 565-horsepower biturbo V-6 working in tandem with lithium-ion batteries. Underneath, an air suspension system and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes come in handy on track day or every day.
Image courtesy of Alfa Romeo
At about six feet, six inches wide, this 2+2 coupe houses a unique driver-focused interior. The reimagined bucket seats flank a skinny center beam with a design inspired by molten rock that holds pertinent controls such as drive mode selector, climate control, and entertainment. The Magma console helps keep controls out of sight for the driver until they are needed. Behind the Con-tatto Volante (Alfa’s take on the three-spoke steering wheel) is what the Italian automaker calls the “living centrepiece of the cockpit.”
Image courtesy of Alfa Romeo
The “Cannocchiale Vivente” (the configurable instrument cluster) has two settings depending on what drive mode is selected. In “Focused,” the cluster is pared down to one instrument that holds all pertinent information. When you switch to “Cruising,” it folds back into two screens for a more conventional driving experience. The idea with Focused is that it becomes all about the connection between person and machine, as if a bond so intimate is created that Alfa Romeo should have a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the window. Maybe with its next concept, Alfa Romeo can include a branded tie that can hang on the driver’s door handle.
Image courtesy of Alfa Romeo
There’s a bit about the romantic evening that I previously left out: First impressions are everything. With its high-performance drivetrain, red-on-red appearance, and luxurious features, the Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso certainly makes a statement while picking up your date. For now, that will have to be part of a fantasy as this is strictly a concept — Alfa told Car and Driver that the Cuorerosso is less of an anticipatory look at the future lineup and more of a “manifesto destined to inspire.”
