Columbus

For years Giugiaro had been looking to build a major vehicle that would fit into the American landscape - not to mention the stateside sales context. His idea was for a tastefully appointed prestige vehicle, capable of turning heads and offering much more than the laughable, overlong, top-heavy limousines American executives and VIPs invariably use on the occasions that count. Columbus, then, is a rangetopping single-box van with a carbon body, 4-wheel steering, permanent 4x4 traction and a 12-cylinder BMW engine. It boasts the most generous ride space and a distinctly idiosyncratic line. Its most innovative feature is the ease with which it exploits the one-box typology's innately multifunctional potential. It was presented as a 7-seater space wagon, an alternative to traditional limousines and the official cars of the latest generation. With just a few simple changes to the interior trim, though, it turns into a 9-seater people-carrier or, removing the seats altogether, a commercial van.