In celebration of their 75th anniversary, Pininfarina has chosen to rekindle the spirit of road racing in the sixites. The Birdcage 75th is an extreme concept and an extension of the Maserati brand. It revives the story of a true dream car, a synthesis of exclusive design, sports DNA and technological innovation.
   As a futuristic extension of the great Maserati race cars of yesteryear, whose bodies stemmed from a simple extruded fuselage onto which the independent fenders were grafted, it is no coincidence the name of the prototype directly recalls the legendary Birdcage Tipo 63. Nicknamed the birdcage due to the radically triangulated tube construction of its chassis, these cars were truly unique in that the chassis and mechanicals were left in view under unusually large transparent front wind screens.
   The Birdcage 75th, in homage to the spirit of the dream car era, is based on the road racing chassis of the Maserati MC12. While the main goal of the Birdcage 75th was to push new stylistic boundaries and techniques, the Maserati?s over 700 horsepower V12 engine signified that the design concept had to be true to certain race car ideals. Without limiting the project's creative potential, the design began with the study of the mechanicals themselves, and how they themselves could relate, and thus communicate with the impending exterior design to create a coherent and seamless object.
More ...