Fioravanti Skill (Fiat Punto Pickup/Convertible) @ 2006 Geneva Show

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Fioravanti Skill (Fiat Punto Pickup/Convertible) @ 2006 Geneva Show

Fioravanti to Unveil Punto Pickup/Convertible at Geneva

GENEVA, Switzerland — Italian design studio Fioravanti has built a prototype coupe-convertible based on the new Fiat Grande Punto. The twist? It also converts into a baby pickup truck.

It'll be on display at the Geneva Motor Show, which starts on February 28. The prototype features a metal folding hardtop roof and a fold-down tailgate. Fiat actually is planning to build a Grande Punto cabriolet, but it's unlikely to go so far as to use the edgy Fioravanti design. Instead, the production model might have a traditional canvas top, like the previous Punto cabrio, or it could have a vogueish retractable hard top, like the Peugeot 206 and the Nissan Micra.

The concept is really a showcase for Fioravanti's roof technology. The Italian firm supplies folding roofs to manufacturers. One of its clients is Ferrari, for the Superamerica's carbon-fiber roof. Using carbon fiber makes the roof lighter and less bulky than a metal roof. The same material allowed Fioravanti to create the extra trunk space in the Grande Punto to allow for the pickup bed and tailgate.

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