Rinspeed Presto History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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Revealed at Geneva 2002, the Rinspeed Presto explored the idea of a single vehicle that adapts to different passenger and cargo needs. A central electric motor drives two mechanical screw-and-nut gears that stretch the Pre-Peg Composite body by exactly 746 mm — expanding from a 2.7-metre two-seat convertible to a 3.74-metre four-seater in seconds. The rear-seat backrests fold flat to convert the added length into a small pick-up bed.
The Presto ran on compressed natural gas, reflecting Rinspeed's recurring interest in alternative fuels throughout the 2000s. Like all Rinspeed concepts, it was a one-off prototype; the morphing-body idea influenced later research into flexible urban mobility but never reached series production.
Body styles
- Convertible
- Microcar
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