(from Ermini Automobili Italia Press Release) ERMINI: The Italian style
The famous brand presents its Seiottosei in a world preview at the Geneva Motor Show
“Sport” cars were born on Italian roads, roads of legendary races such as the Mille Miglia (the thousand-mile sports car race) and the Targa Florio.The best car manufacturers at the time (Maserati, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes) used to race side by side with small handcrafted makes such as Osca, Ermini, Stanguellini, Cisitalia, which were often able to be victorious. These small car constructors, which were unable to compete with the most renowned teams due to economic/organizational reasons, had to make use of two essential characteristics: agility and lightness.
Pasquino Ermini used to say: “I have always thought of my cars as being as light as a feather, able to fly away, arm in arm with the wind.”
In order to breathe fresh life into the legendary Italian “Barchettas”, Ermini unveils a world preview of its new prototype Seiottosei at the Geneva Motor Show. The Seiottosei concentrates the characteristics of lightness and agility of the “Barchettas”, reaching high levels of exasperation.
The constructive philosophy of the entire car is a combination between technology, which comes directly from the racing world, and the finest craft-making techniques. The refined electric welded space frame, absolutely of racing nature (integrated with the engine and gearbox, with a single integral structure equipped with a precious, and unusual, front carbon nose-box), weighs less than 40 kg!!
In order to create it, Ermini has worked very closely with Osella for more than three years, summing up the best racing experiences in over forty years on circuits around the world ...
Push-road suspensions are treated with PVD (exclusive and complicated aerospace-derived molecular bombardment process, certainly not so frequently used on a road car). As a result, the Seiottosei weighs less than seven hundred kilos and thanks to its 320 HP engine its power-to-weight ratio is just above 2 kg/hp!
The desire to create a truly unique and exclusive product has, however, led the designer, Giulio Cappellini, to design the soft and sinuous curves of this original car. A master of design, who has never been in the automobile business, hence not influenced by it, who has designed the Seiottosei starting from the simple concept of “beauty”.
To do so, Ermini (thanks to his skilled sheet-metal workers) has created the “aesthetic” part of the hand-hammered all-aluminum body. All this has made it possible to create shapes that are unknown to today\'s market as they are very difficult to achieve with conventional production processes.
The “technical” part of the bodywork (which functions with flows of air to give lift to the car itself and to improve channelling of the cooling air to the engine and brakes) is made of carbon fibre and gives the car a unique and original combination of technology and craftsmanship.
But the new Ermini has more surprises. You might expect anything from a purebred sports car like the Seiottosei except the care and attention to detail that was put into it: the emblems were designed by master Jewelers, made of silver and hot-cast enamel, in accordance with an old Florentine tradition; the front grille, which brings back the family-feeling of historical Florentine cars, is made of hand-finished aluminum.
What’s more, in order to create the silver ERMINI word, written on the hood of the Seiottosei, the original model of a 1955 ‘357 Scaglietti Ermini’ was used, thus emphasizing its link with the past, which is hardly observable today in other cars.
The partnerships necessary to achieve the exclusive components that are essential for the Seiottosei are very important and prestigious. “Pasquino” is the name of the steering wheel which is specially built and marketed by Nardi for the Seiottosei. The rims are exclusively made by OZ whereas the brake system is the result of Brembo’s important collaboration. The interiors are made by Alcantara, which has introduced for the first time ever a new and elegant creation of its fine fabric.
Its development, which began only a few months ago and assigned to Europe’s and Italy\'s multiple champion Simone Faggioli, allows us for now to disclose only some basic official information on performance but it is certain that the Renault 2.0 turbo engine, set up by LRM Motors to give this remarkable car horse power and docility, will give the lucky owner of this super car unexpected driving emotions.