RESEARCH PROJECT – DEDICATED TO ALFAROMEO

At the Department of Vehicle Engineering in Modena, a master’s degree thesis is being conducted regarding car bodywork. This is a preliminary study of total bodywork, with the development of a special sunroof opening system.

The starting point is the model of a nearly complete frame of a Ferrari 458 and typical dimensions of the main components of the car. It was decided to develop an overall original body, which would include a sliding door system and a special sunroof opening system.

As for the door, this idea has already been studied in two previous master’s dissertations, and reopened to be slightly updated and included in the context of the new model, to check its compatibility with sunroof opening.

This system is the real technical innovation in this thesis and includes two hypothetical automatic movements to be developed and installed on the car. The first movement concerns the roof, which can be opened and housed in the space between the seats and the firewall. The second movement involves the rear engine cover (including the roll-bar), which can be in two distinct positions: one is aligned with the closed roof and the other hides in the sides of the car.

The two movements are designed in such a way that, when combined, the hypothetical supercar may have three different configurations: the classic super sports coupé in the “all closed” position; when only the roof is opened, it switches to the “targa” configuration; finally, the sunroof is hidden, and the car becomes a real roadster.

In particular, it was decided to dedicate this thesis to Alfa Romeo, assuming total bodywork that may be a 6-cylinder engine supercar and revive the myth of the “6C”.

Eng. Giacomo Puricelli