GFG Style’s Bandini Dora Barchetta EV Study Boasts 536 HP, F1-Inspired Halo

The Geneva Motor Show is traditionally the most popular venue for concept vehicles (not this year, though) and GFG Style was supposed to display three of them this year.

The most significant is called the Bandini Dora and it envisions an all-electric four-wheel-drive Barchetta sports car packing a total of 400 kW (536 HP / 544 PS) within the confines of a space frame aluminum chassis and carbon fiber bodywork.

The design company set up by father and son Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro describes the Bandini Dora study as a “hedonistic, open, two-seater car, designed for outdoor leisure, a quintessential of sports cars manufactured by Bandini in the 50’s.”

Interestingly, the Bandini Dora manages to envelop the concept of a classic Barchetta in a modern package that doesn’t compromise on safety. Exterior highlights include the wedge-shaped, long body with very large headlights defining an equally long bonnet, the roll bar that also plays the role of a spoiler, and the wraparound windshield diverges from the A-pillars.

As Giorgetto Giugiaro admits, the latter feature takes inspiration from modern Formula 1 cars. “Inspired by the Halo of Formula 1, we thought about creating a car that had a clean windshield as it used to be used with no reinforcements, thus being as linear and light as possible,” explains the prolific designer.

“To solve this need, I thought of an out-an-out superstructure that would integrate into the style with an accentuated structural and protective function for both the driver and passenger”. The result is what Giugiaro calls the Barchetta of 2020.

Two fully automated scissor doors provide access to the completely “switchless” cockpit, which is defined by a structural bridge that divides the driver’s area from the passenger’s. Highlights include a cloche-type steering wheel with a touchscreen monitor, fixed carbon and leather seats (with adjustable height and backrest) and unique lighting coming from within the dashboard.

The name of the concept pays homage to Ilario Bandini, an artisan from Italy’s Romagna region that produced 75 race cars from 1946 until 1992. The classic car you see alongside the Bandini Dora concept is a Bandini 750 Sport International Barchetta that ran the Mille Miglia road race in 1957, its last competitive edition.