The 2013 Shanghai Auto Show->ke2470 saw the arrival of the 2013 Icona Vulcano concept, an Italian-penned Chinese supercar->ke177 that sought to create a paradigm shift in the supercar segment. That didn’t turn out as planned, though, as the Vulcano’s moment in the sun was short-lived. The car that promised almost 1,000 horsepower of hybrid->ke147 technology left the scene as soon as it arrived, remaining dormant ever since.

But all that’s about to change now that Icona->ke3825 has confirmed the Vulcano will return with a vengeance and spew hot lava at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance->ke2839 on August 16, 2015.

Volcanic references notwithstanding, the return of the Vulcano is a welcome sight at Pebble Beach. Since its show-stopping cameo at Shanghai->ke2470, the Vulcano has evolved closer to a production car. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll see Icona start taking orders at the Concours, but as far as progress goes, the new iteration, called the Vulcano Titanium, looks much more prepared to erupt (sorry) into the exotic->ke177 scene than its predecessor ever could.

Updated 08/17/2015: The 2016 Icona Vulano Titanium was revealed during the Monetery Car Week and we were one to capture its updated design. Check out the images we took in the adjacent photo gallery.

Continue reading to learn more about the Icona Vulcano Titanium.

2016 Icona Vulcano Titanium

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2016 Icona Vulcano Titanium
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 670
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The overall design of the Vulcano didn't change much from the concept->ke169 version. The dramatic departure comes in the form of the material used for the body of the car.

As the name implies, the Vulcano Titanium’s body is made primarily out of hand-crafted titanium and carbon fiber. According to Icona, the titanium body took 1,000 hours to complete, proving that if nothing else, dedication runs rampant within Icona’s workforce.

The bodywork of the Vulcano was done by Turin-based coachbuilder Cecomp, known in the business as one of the best at developing prototypes, having previously worked with the likes of Toyota->ke88, Maserati->ke51, and Lancia->ke45 in the past. Quick trivia: the Lancia S4, regarded as one of the finest vehicles Lancia has ever built, was designed by the same creative thinkers from Cecomp.

The Vulcano's body has a little bit of shooting brake influence in it, but not obvious enough to confuse it as one. The swooping shoulder lines make sure of that, creating a muscular side profile that enhances the car’s athletic design.

The front end showcases depths of aggression with the vented hood dropping nicely into the nose. The headlights and the intakes also have a little Lamborghini->ke44 flavor to them. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since those Lambo intakes have become iconic in the supercar world. Speaking of Lamborghini influences, the butterfly doors on the Vulcano are straight out of the exotic book, too.

It’s not a perfect design by any means, because the oversized front fenders look a little out of place and the rather stunted front bumper kind of disrupts the side profile balance of the car. But overall, Cecomp did fine work in creating the look of the Vulcano.

The company will be showcasing the Vulcano Titanium in all its glory at Pebble Beach, inviting everyone to see what naked titanium looks like when it takes the form of a sleek and sensual supercar.

Interior

I’ve yet to see a clear image of the Vulcano Titanium’s interior, but a quick look at the accompanying teaser reveals a few hints about what we can expect. At the 00:12 part of the teaser, you’ll see a pair of designers working on what looks to be a design rendering of the driver’s side of the Vulcano.

I don’t see much other than a sporty steering wheel with Icona’s logo embedded in the center, and a digital instrument display flanked by what appears to be air-conditioning vents. A handful of toggle switches also appear just below them.

A more recent photo shows the same steering wheel with a handful of buttons on it, including a red button that may be related to traction control. Oh, and that thing sticking out just behind the steering wheel? That's a paddle shifter.

Noticeable by its absence from the initial design renderings of the concept is the driver-facing digital center console. Unless it’s not seen in this particular photo, don't be surprised if Icona decided to do away with it in favor of a more conventional design.

Other than these amateurish attempts at investigation, expect the Vulcano to also feature a pair of leather-covered sports bucket seats and splashes of carbon fiber throughout the cabin.

Drivetrain

So much for being a hybrid->ke147 supercar, right? The Icona Vulcano Titanium’s powertrain is, without question, the biggest departure from the first prototype we saw at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show.

When it first graced us with its presence in Shanghai, the Vulcano came with two different engines: a twin-turbocharged V-6 or a 6.0-liter V-12. Both engines were combined with electric->ke1030 motors.

The twin-turbo V-6 version, dubbed the H-Competizione, was accompanied by a pair of electric motors, combining to produce 870 horsepower, allowing it run 0 to 60 mph in three seconds to go with a top speed of 217 mph, estimated. The V-6 and the electric motors also worked together to give the Vulcan all-wheel drive.

Meanwhile, the V-12 version, called the H-Turismo, only came with one electric motor. It only had rear-wheel drive. But with the bigger engine, the H-Turismo Vulcan could reach up to 950 horsepower, pushing its 0 to 60 mph time to 2.9 seconds with a top speed that remained at 217 mph.

But that was then. Now, Icona has completely taken out any vestiges of being environmentally conscious in favor of a gas-guzzling, Chevrolet->ke199-sourced, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 that was once found in the previous-generation Corvette ZR1->ke1280. The output may have dropped to 670 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque, but Icona has promised performance modifications that could bring the power level up to well over 1,000 horsepower.

The current iteration now utilizes a paddle-shifted gearbox from Automac Modena to send the juice to the rear wheels, helping the Vulcano reach 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, 0 to 120 mph in 8.8 seconds, and a top speed of 220 mph.

Prices

Icona hasn’t released any pricing details on the Vulcano, but if its most recent form ever hits dealerships, expect the price to be well entrenched in the six-figure territory.

If Icona does push a titanium-bodied Vulcano into the streets, the price for one of these bad boys could be $500,000.

Competition

2015 Lamborghini Aventador Superveloce

Back when it was being touted as a worthy adversary to the ultra-exclusive hybrid supercar trinity -- the 2014 Ferraari Laferrari, the Porsche 918 Spyder and the McLaren P1 GTR -- it was easy to toss the Vulcano into that group.

But now that Icona has traded hybrid technology for the more conventional supercar engine setup, the Vulcano now finds itself competing against a lot more fishes in this fuel-injected pond. Among them is the 2015 Lamborghini Aventador, Sant'Agata’s resident snorting bull.

By sheer name value alone, the Icona Vulcano still has a lot to prove when compared against the exponentially more established Aventador->ke3624. But Icona can take full advantage of its mysterious aura by touting its all-titanium body, something the Aventador, or any other supercar for that matter, can't boast of. That said, it’s not like the Aventador was built from scrap-metal. It’s also incredibly lightweight, thanks in large part to a body that mainly consists of aluminum, carbon fiber and SMC. But that shouldn’t dissuade Icona because let’s give credit where it’s due -- a titanium-bodied car is pretty awesome.

Plus, even with a smaller engine than the Aventador’s 6.5-liter V-12 powerhouse, the Vulcano can still go toe-to-toe with the Aventador. The Lambo->ke44 has the slight edge in horsepower with 700 ponies at its disposal, but the Vulcano’s edge in torque -- 620 pound-feet of torque to the Aventador’s 507 pounde-feet of torque -- makes it extremely competitive in both 0 to 60 mph time (the Aventador can hit that number in 2.9 seconds, one-tenth of a second slower than the Vulcano) and the top speed benchmark ( the Lambo’s 217-mph top speed is a little short of the Vulcano’s 220-mph top speed).

The Aventador’s price of $379,700 could be well within the ball park of what the Icona Vulcano Titanium might cost, but until we hear from Icona about the pricing details for its supercar, it’s hard to say.

Read more about the 2015 Lamorghini Aventador Superveloce here.

Conclusion

The Icona Vulcano Titanium has a lot of promise, but in some ways that’s where some of its problems lie. It’s nice to see Icona make some strides with the development of the Vulcano, but it also came at the cost of overhauling its entire powertrain. That’s the kind of change that’s significant enough to question whether this particular iteration is what we’re going to see if Icona does send the Vulcano to production.

So until we know more about Vulcano’s long-term future, it’s hard to place what to really make of this machine.

For now, there’s reason to be excited.