Pininfarina recently released a sketch of an Alfa Romeo-based concept it will unveil at the Geneva motor show, and at the time we reported that Bertone also had an Alfa concept up its sleeve.
Well, here it is. These images of the Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept have leaked onto the web ahead of schedule, revealing an outlandish looking coupe with a pseudo-exoskeletal structure.
Likely to be built on the same underpinnings as the 8C Competizione, the Pandion appears pure flight-of-fancy stuff, as it's hard to imagine virtually any of its design elements translating to a production vehicle.
Incidentally, in case you're wondering about the Pandion name, it's either a reference to a genus of predatory birds (that contains the osprey), or two kings of Athens in Greek mythology (Pandion I and Pandion II).
There's not a whole lot that readily identifies the concept as an Alfa Romeo, other than the Brera-esque nose and Alfa badges on the bonnet and tail.
Its most distinctive element is obviously the curving band of glass/plexiglass/clear plastic that runs between the front and rear wheelarches. Also novel is the mass of exposed bits protruding from the Pandion's derriere.
Bertone and Alfa Romeo have a long history of partnership that dates back to the 1950s. Some of the highlights along the way include the series of BAT (Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica) concepts, the 2000 Sportiva (1954), the Alfa Romeo 2600 (1961-68), the enduring 105 Series coupes (1963-77) and the Alfetta GT/GTV (1974-85).
Bertone's most recent collaborations with Alfa were on the GT coupe (2004-present) and the weird-burger BAT 11 concept (2008).
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