Sunday, June 14, 2009

When Ferrari Builds Trains

Leave it up to the Italians to make a TRAIN sexy. A new privately-held company is doing just that. The company, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV), will be using these cherry red trains known as Italos to carry fashion-conscious riders between Naples and Turin.

The trains can travel up to 225 mph, or somewhere between the top speeds of a Scuderia Ferrari F1 car and a Bugatti Veyron. The trains are supposedly 15% more fuel efficient than similar high-speed trains and 98% of their materials can be recycled. They also supposedly cost 15% less to maintain. I have my doubts about that last claim.

The train was designed by none other than Giorgetto Giugiaro, formerly of Isuzu Piazza/Impulse fame. It is a stunner. Only the Italians would put a train in a photo studio and take glamour shots.

The venture is backed by SNCF and Fiat/Ferrari's Luca di Montezemolo. This train distraction may explain the disastrous state of the Ferrari F1 team.

CKY

No comments: