Fiat will present a brand new, technology laden, highly innovative micro-citycar, to be called 'Meta' at the Bologna International Motor Show early next month. Italy's leading motor show - since the demise of the famous Turin Motor Show half a decade ago - Bologna's fest of road and racing activity will offer Fiat the ideal platform to turn in a strong, vibrant performance in front of its home market. Alongside the very well received new Grande Punto - with its rapidly bulging order book - they will also present the new 'crossover Sedici - created in conjunction with Suzuki - for its world debut, while rumours circulate around the appearance of an Iveco MLV-based off-road rival to the huge American Hummer H2. At the other end of the scale though will come the tiny Meta.

The Meta, which features swages of highly innovative new technology, has been designed to provide an alternative to the classic two-wheeled and four-wheeled methods of city transport and has been entirely designed and made in Italy. Meta can use diesel, petrol and electricity with a 4-15 kW powerband, which is enhanced by high-tech novelties such as an integrated gear system which replaces the traditional gear lever and an electric engine which promises long-lasting performances and saves the owner maintenance costs thanks to its clever diagnostics control panel. The chassis made out of tubular cells which aim to guarantee maximum protection to the occupants in the case of both lateral and frontal impact.

The Fiat Meta project has been realised in conjunction with specialist firm Dainese, an Italian company that is a world leader in the manufacture of protective clothing for motorcyclists and other dynamic sports. Its headquarters are at Molvena, a province of Vicenza, where the Management, Research & Development, and Production Departments' are all located. They boast a total of twenty-one thousand square metres accommodating 310 employees and a company turnover of around 83 million euros, with 60 percent of these revenues coming from exports.
 

In addition to its leadership its home market, today Dainese has a top-ranking position in many countries including Germany, England, France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Holland and the United States. Dainese can count bike stars Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi and Troy Bayliss amongst its clients.  The validity of protective concepts perfected in the world of biking though has permitted Dainese to earn itself an important position in other sports disciplines as well, such as skiing, mountain biking, snowboard and in-line skating, and it has collaborated with world champions in these sports, such as the skiers Kristian Ghedina, Luc Alphand and Deborah Compagnoni.

Dainese have also co-operated recently with Fiat on the design of male and female leisure jackets, one of branding ideas pushed by Fiat's marketing boss Lapo Elkann, leading to strong branding synergies developing between both the parties. Dainese's research and development arm, D-TEC, are leaders in lightweight materials and can have been expected to have brought this expertise to the project. D-TEC is constantly developing international projects, ably supported by a network of collaboration with research institutes, such as the CNR (National Research Council), and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), with architects and designers, specialists in the definition of technological platforms, such as the Israelian Merhav AAP, with whom Dainese perfected the D-AIR project, a revolutionary Air Bag for motorcyclists.

The Fiat Meta has recently been approved by the Italian Transport Ministry, and complies with all safety requirements, despite its small size, and guarantees full passenger protection from crashes. The project should be able to come to market early next year.