The original car inherited the Disco Volante name – which is Italian for ‘Flying Saucer’ – due to its space-age shape, which made it one of the most aerodynamic cars ever when launched in 1952. Now, a Milan-based coachbuilder has reimagined the legendary curves (which many believe inspired those of the Jaguar E-type) with a modern twist.

Fear not; Touring Superleggera (the company with which Alfa Romeo collaborated on the design of the original) hasn’t taken the meaning of the car’s name too literally – the sketch above simply hints at the basic forms of the car. The Geneva show car will actually be based on the space-frame underpinnings of an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.

The 4.7-litre V8 from the 8C is also retained, while the chassis is dressed in hand-beaten aluminium panels with carbonfibre elements. At last year’s Geneva show, the company performed a similar exercise by creating the Gumpert Tornante from the mechanical package of the madcap Apollo.

The car on display in Geneva will be a static model, but Touring Superleggera has confirmed that production of a limited number of coachbuilt examples has already been given the green light.

Photos: Touring Superleggera