Suzuki Misano Concept Imagines A Motorcycle-Inspired Roadster

Suzuki and Master in Transportation Design students at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in  Torino worked together to craft a gorgeous roadster concept that they named Misano. The idea was to blend Suzuki's prowess in building motorcycles and automobiles into a single machine.

The Misano takes its name from an Italian racetrack. The vehicle is fairly compact at 4 meters (157.5 inches) long, for comparison the latest Miata is 3.9141 meters (154.1 inches), but sits just 1 meter (39.37 inches) high. In a motorcycle-inspired touch, the two occupants sit in tandem rather than side by side.

The car's design is a mix of curves and hard edges. The headlights are S-shaped to evoke the  Suzuki brand emblem. Copper accents add a flourish to the dark body, including the roll hoop behind the rear passenger. The dark wheels also feature this color scheme.

The occupant space is asymmetrical, and the other side of the body holds a battery pack and storage area. Unfortunately, IED and Suzuki don't provide a good view of the cabin. However, they report that there is a control stick for maneuvering the vehicle, rather than a steering wheel.

"Thanks to the collaboration between IED and the brand Suzuki, a new concept vehicle was created looking both at the compact car and motorcycle Suzuki’s manufacturing," Suzuki Design Center Director Kimihiko Nakada said. "Misano is a thesis born out of the passion of young designers and developed as a project in a design center to offer the next generation a new lifestyle experience."

As a design study, the Misano isn't going into production, and there are no powertrain details about it. Still, looking a Suzuki's current lineup, the company has a hole in the range for a sporty roadster. Maybe, it could even revive the Cappuccino moniker.