Vittorio Alfieri

Count Vittorio Alfieri (Italian: [vitˈtɔːrjo alˈfjɛːri]; 16 January 1749 – 8 October 1803) was an Italian dramatist and poet, considered the "founder of Italian tragedy."

Early life

Alfieri was born at Asti in Piedmont.

His father died when he was very young, and he was brought up by his mother, who married a second time, until, at the age of ten, he was placed in the academy of Turin. After a year at the academy, he went on a short visit to a relative at Coni (mod. Cuneo). During his stay there he composed a sonnet chiefly borrowed from lines in Ariosto and Metastasio, the only poets he had at that time read. At thirteen, Alfieri began the study of civil and canonical law, but this only made him more interested in literature, particularly French romances. The death of his uncle, who had taken charge of his education and conduct, left him free, at the age of fourteen, to enjoy his paternal inheritance, augmented by the addition of his uncle's fortune. He began to attend a riding-school, where he acquired an enthusiasm for horses and equestrian exercise that continued for the rest of his life.

Maserati Alfieri

Maserati Alfieri is a 2+2 grand tourer from the Italian car manufacturer Maserati. It was first shown as a concept car at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, and is scheduled for a 2016 release.

It is named after Alfieri Maserati (1887–1932), one of the five Maserati Brothers, and marks the 100 year anniversary of the car maker, which was established 1914 in Bologna. It has been developed at the Maserati Centro Stile in Turin. The chief overall designer was Marco Tencone, while the exterior chief designer was Giovanni Ribotta. The project was managed by Lorenzo Ramaciotti (born 1948), who has been Centro Stile director since 2007 and in 2014 was the head of Fiat-Chrysler Global Design.

The Alfieri uses design elements of the Maserati A6 GCS/54 designed by Pininfarina in 1954. It is based on the chassis of the lighter Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale with a shorter wheelbase of 24 cm, with locking transaxle and Ferrari-derived V8 engine of 4.7 liter 460 hp and 520 Nm at 4750 rpm.

The Alfieri was confirmed for production in 2016 at a Fiat Chrysler event on May 6, 2014. The production version will receive three V6 engine choices, producing 410 bhp (306 kW; 416 PS), 450 bhp (336 kW; 456 PS), and 520 bhp (388 kW; 527 PS), with a 560 bhp (418 kW; 568 PS) V8 appearing in 2018. The 450-horsepower and 520-horsepower versions will only have an all-wheel drive system. The Alfieri will be joined by a convertible variant in 2017.

Concept car

A concept car (also known as concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not be mass-produced. General Motors designer Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing the concept car, and did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s.

Concept cars never go into production directly. In modern times all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety, regulatory compliance, and cost. A "production-intent" vehicle, as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose. They are also known as prototype cars, but should not be confused with prototype race cars such as the Le Mans Prototype.

Design

Concept cars are often radical in engine or design. Some use non-traditional, exotic, or expensive materials, ranging from paper to carbon fiber to refined alloys. Others have unique layouts, such as gullwing doors, 3 or 5 (or more) wheels, or special abilities not usually found on cars. Because of these often impractical or unprofitable leanings, many concept cars never get past scale models, or even drawings in computer design. Other more traditional concepts can be developed into fully drivable (operational) vehicles with a working drivetrain and accessories. The state of most concept cars lies somewhere in between and does not represent the final product. A very small proportion of concept cars are functional to any useful extent, some cannot move safely at anything above 10 mph.

Maserati

Maserati (Italian pronunciation: [mazeˈraːti]) is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The Maserati tagline is "Luxury, sports and style cast in exclusive cars", and the brand's mission statement is to "Build ultra-luxury performance automobiles with timeless Italian style, accommodating bespoke interiors, and effortless, signature sounding power".

The company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993. Maserati was initially associated with Ferrari S.p.A., which is also owned by Fiat, but more recently it has become part of the sports car group including Alfa Romeo and Abarth (see section below). In May 2014, due to ambitious plans and product launches, Maserati sold a record of over 3,000 cars. This caused them to increase production of the Quattroporte and Ghibli models. In addition to the Ghibli and Quattroporte, Maserati offers the Maserati GranTurismo, the GranTurismo Convertible, and has confirmed that it will be offering the Maserati Levante, the first Maserati SUV, in 2016, and the Maserati Alfieri, a new 2+2 in 2016. Maserati is placing a production output cap at 75,000 vehicles globally.

Fastlane

Fastlane or fast lane or Fast Lane may refer to:

Transportation and technology

Music

Television