The Italian trendsetters at Fiat have come up with a revolutionary new idea: After determining that the Lotus Elise’s extruded and bonded aluminum chassis is a singularly perfect platform, they’ve struck a deal to use it to underpin their next sports car, the 2011 Fiat Dino. But, unlike the Tesla Roadster and the Dodge EV, Fiat intends to use a propulsion method that guarantees good performance, thrifty economy and quick recharges: the internal combustion engine.
The news comes via CAR magazine, which reports that the new Dino will stay true to the Bertone-styled 1966 original’s capable, but basic and affordable, sportscar mantra. Think of it as the Italian take on GM’s Vauxhall VX220, which was built from 2000-2005 and is widely considered one of the brand’s best-ever vehicles.
While it's likely that the 2011 Dino will use one of Fiat’s many four-cylinder powerplants, we’d like nothing better than to see a miniscule 2.0-liter V6 shoehorned into the Elise’s too-small engine bay.
