Fiat Turbina. Thanks to Roarington and Mauto, it can be driven.

With the arrival of jet aircraft, initially for military purposes and later for commercial use, such as the British Comet, the first to enter service, car manufacturers became fascinated by this new technology and imagined its potential for road vehicles. The three notable examples in automotive history were General Motors, Renault, and Fiat. Their approaches were quite different. In 1953, General Motors unveiled the Firebird, the first of three prototypes that essentially transformed a jet into an automobile.

The following year, Renault introduced a turbine-powered car called the Étoile Filante (Shooting Star), aiming to break the speed record for jet-powered cars. Meanwhile, Fiat took a different route and successfully developed a genuine turbine car boasting an impressive 300 horsepower.

The project, coordinated by engineer Dante Giacosa, aimed to explore the feasibility of utilizing the immense power of jet engines for practical road use. To achieve this, they started with Fiat's famous sports model, the 8V, and equipped it with a gas turbine manufactured by Fiat Avio. At first glance, the work of the designers appeared magnificent, both in terms of stylistic and chromatic harmony, while simultaneously ensuring optimal efficiency. Developed in the wind tunnel of the Politecnico di Torino, the car achieved an aerodynamic coefficient, known as CX, of just 0.14.

However, it soon became clear that the jet engine's characteristics were not conducive to practical road use. The turbine's high rotational speed of 22,000 RPM (later reduced to 4,000 RPM), coupled with a two-stage centrifugal compressor and a torque converter replacing the traditional gearbox, made driving complex and the technologies used posed significant compatibility challenges for road vehicles.

Nevertheless, the performance proved excellent, thanks in part to the outstanding road-handling qualities of the underlying 8V model's chassis. The recorded top speed of 260 km/h served as concrete evidence.

Fiat turbina

For Fiat, the "Turbina" was an excellent showcase of Italian technology and style, celebrated worldwide. However, the project was abandoned, and the car was destined for the National Automobile Museum, now known as Mauto. As a result, it could no longer evoke the emotions experienced by its driver back in the day.

Engine fiat turbina Fiat turbina inside

But thanks to the cutting-edge technologies of Roarington simulators and the Roarington Metaland, today the Fiat Turbina comes back to life, and driving it with the Pininfarina and Zagato simulators at the museum is far more than just an emotion.