Latest news with #MotorValley
Forbes
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
New Italian V12 Hypercar Brand Debuts With More Than 2000hp
Italian hypercar newcomer Giamaro Automobili has debuted a rolling version of its Katla. Photo: ... More Giamaro Automobili Italy's Motor Valley has given birth to another high-horsepower, high-cost protagonist with the launch of the Giamaro Automobili brand. The same region that gave the world Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Dallara and Pagani has just seen the unveiling of the four-turbo, 7.0-liter V12 Giamaro Katla hypercar with more than 2126hp. Weighing a claimed 1450kg, the Giamaro Katla is based on a carbon-fiber chassis, with all of that power driving only the rear wheels via an seven-speed gearbox, with an 11-speed, paddle-shift transmission also under development at Cavezzo, near Bologna. A four-turbo V12 powers the rear-drive Katla hypercar. Photo: Giamaro Automobili But Giamaro also revealed an upcoming second model, the Albor, which will share the Katla's V12 engine and carbon-fiber tub, but use them in a different way, with a different philosophy. The unfortunate-looking Giamaro Albor will share its engine and carbon-fiber chassis with the Katla, ... More but has a more crossover SUV stance. Photo: Giamaro Automobili Named after the Albor Tholus volcano on Mars, the Albor will follow the Katla into production after at least a year's wait, with a slightly more crossover-SUV stance than the inaugural Giamaro model. The Giamaro Albor looks even more confused from the rear, but will be quick. Photo: Giamaro ... More Automobili So far, the Giamaro brand, founded by Italian bedding specialists Giacomo and Pierfrancesco Commendatore, has launched only one model and has focused on its incredible V12. After developing an astonishing two-stroke V12 just to see if it could be done, Giamaro turned its attention to a more conventional four-stroke V12, with four turbochargers nestled inside the 120-degree hot vee between the cylinder banks. The quad-turbo V12 shares nothing with any other internal combustion engine on sale today, and even a 7.0-liter capacity is enormous by Italian standards. The engine revs to 9000rpm and Giamaro insists it doesn't need electric boosting because its 1481 foot-pounds of torque is more than enough to propel its light chassis towards the horizon. The schematics show the 7.0-liter V12 barely squeezing in to the carbon-fibre tub of the Giamaro ... More Katla. Photo Giamaro Automobili. It's so powerful that Giamaro promises to deliver the Katla with three keys: a white one for between 396hp and 790hp, a black key to deliver up to 1647hp and a red key to punch out the maximum of 2126hp. Giamaro has yet to make performance claims for the Katla - named after Iceland's most potent volcano - but the two-seater is expected to easily top 250mph. 'This engine represents everything we stand for — a passionate love letter to pure engineering ,' Giacomo Commendatore said. 'There's a spirit in the V12 that no other configuration can replicate. It speaks a visceral language, straight to the heart. It doesn't just move — it takes hold of you, ignites your senses, and leaves a lasting impression." Giamaro has gone for an interior of conventional design but high-quality materials. Photo: Giamaro ... More Automobili. Beneath the Katla's body is a carbon-fiber monocoque that weighs 170 kg and Giamaro claims it delivers over 40kNm/deg of torsional rigidity and more than 16 kN/mm of flexural stiffness to put it on a par with neighboring Pagani. It runs custom Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires and all the significant suspension components, from the double wishbones to the uprights and arms and the rear suspension supports, are machined from solid 6062 T6 aluminium alloy. It uses both active aerodynamics and active suspension, with electrically adjustable dampers that continuously fine tune the road holding, and it also constantly adjusts its ride height to match the aerodynamic targets at every speed. Each axle has its own central third spring to deliver almost infinite suspension adjustment and fine tuning. It stops with 420mm carbon-ceramic front brakes and 10-piston calipers, while the rear is anchored by 410mm carbon-ceramic discs with four-piston calipers. The Katla will be 189 inches long, 79.8 inches wide and just 46.8 inches high, riding on a 108.3-inch wheelbase. 'We founded Giamaro Automobili to create something rare, authentic, and unrepeatable — something with soul, courage and clarity of purpose,' Giacomo Commendatore said. 'For us, a car must be more than fast or beautiful. It must stir something deeper — it must transcend. It must connect with the person who lives it, becoming an extension of their identity. Our goal was never to chase trends or numbers, but to create machines that evoke feeling, provoke thought, and leave a lasting mark. "Giamaro is for those who believe a car should move the heart before it moves the wheels.' The company is based around its R&D center in Cavezzo, but is officially in Castelfranco Emilia, within 30 miles of Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini. It is also restoring the decrepit 17th-century Villa Pietramellara to house the ambitious Palazzo Giamaro as a welcome space for clients.
Top Gear
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Here's everything you need to know about the 2,137bhp Giamaro Automobili Katla
Like you, TG couldn't believe the claims of an unknown hypercar startup, so we went to the reveal event in search of answers Hopefully you've read the news about the 2,137bhhp Giamaro Automobili Katla by now. Heck, if that headline power figure didn't make you click on the initial story, we don't know what would have done. Of course, you'd be right to treat its claims with a healthy dose of skepticism given how regularly new companies pop up declaring that they're the next big thing in the world of hypercars. There are usually some renders of a car, outlandish performance figures and limited detail on who will actually build the thing or when deliveries to customers could feasibly begin. Yes, we're looking at you Dendrobium D-1, Devel Sixteen, Vencer Sarthe, TranStar Dagger GT etc. As a result, when an invitation landed in our inboxes to attend the launch of the latest 'thrilling new chapter in the annals of automotive excellence', we very nearly dismissed it without a second thought. Then we slapped ourselves on the wrists for not being giddy at 2,000bhp and jumped on the next plane to Italy. So yes, was there as Giamaro Automobili unveiled the Katla to the world. 'In Modena, at the heart of the Motor Valley,' said the invitation, which turned out to mean 'on a small industrial estate in Cavezzo, still in the province of Modena but roughly 40 minutes from the city's centre'. Still, the glitzy launch event was held in a genuine factory where the smell of fresh paint still lingered, and TG rubbed shoulders with local dignitaries (it wouldn't be an Italian event without the local police chief showing up), prospective customers and interested dealers. Given how little we knew about Giamaro from the initial press release, it was an enlightening evening. So, we're going to treat this like one of those Frequently Asked Questions sections that the internet seems to love. Here goes… Well, the claims are indeed wild, but the company's launch event did seem pretty legit. It turns out that Giamaro was actually born back in 2021 and is the work of father and son team Giacomo and Pierfrancesco Commendatore. Giacomo describes himself as an entrepreneur and seemingly made his money from a mattress company and through telesales in the 80s and 90s, but he was also one of the first investors in a little-known company called Pagani. Aha! 'This was a fantastic project,' he says. 'Horacio was an amazing man, but in the end, we had different ideas. He prefers aesthetics while I adore functionality.' Interesting. Commendatore Sr also tells TG that the reason we haven't heard of Giacomo until now, despite the company being four years old, is because 'we don't like to talk, we like to build cars'. And yes, he does have the perfect surname to be running a car company in Modena. Well, near Modena.
