GFG Style Peralta D Brings Hand-Hammered Copper to a Maserati
A one-off Maserati GranTurismo rebodied in hand-hammered copper, penned by Fabrizio Giugiaro, is drawing attention for its striking, retro-futurist look.
According to Road & Track, GFG Style has unveiled the Peralta D, a one-off grand tourer built on a Maserati GranTurismo platform and wrapped in bodywork made from actual copper. The design was penned by Fabrizio Giugiaro, who leads the studio, and the outlet describes the car as drawing its inspiration from the work his father, Giorgetto Giugiaro, produced during the late 1960s and 1970s.
Auto Express reports that the body panels are made exclusively from copper that has been hand-hammered, a process that gives each surface its own texture and shape. The outlet describes the result as a wild-looking supercar, though the two reports frame the vehicle primarily as a styling exercise rather than a production model.
Both outlets published their coverage within hours of each other on October 28, 2026. The reports focus on the design and materials, and neither offers detailed performance figures, pricing or a production timeline in the material available here.
The car's appearance is the main story. Its copper skin sets it apart from the painted and carbon-fiber bodies typically seen on limited-run grand tourers, and the link to a famous design lineage gives the project an added layer of interest for collectors.
Whether the Peralta D will ever move beyond a single example is not addressed in the reporting. For now it stands as a showcase piece from a design house working with an established Italian platform.
Background
GFG Style is a design and engineering studio based in Italy, and its work has centered on bespoke vehicles and concept cars built on existing mechanical foundations. Coachbuilding, the practice of creating a custom body on a manufacturer's chassis, has a long history in Italy, where studios have produced one-off and small-batch cars for wealthy clients since the early twentieth century. Many of the most celebrated examples were made by hand, with panels shaped over wooden forms or metal buck frames rather than stamped in large presses.
The Giugiaro name carries particular weight in automotive design. Giorgetto Giugiaro worked for several major Italian houses and later founded his own firm, and his designs from the late 1960s and 1970s are widely admired for their crisp lines, flat planes and angular proportions. Those years produced many influential sports cars and road cars that still shape how enthusiasts think about modern styling. When a designer draws on a parent's body of work, the result often sits somewhere between tribute and reinterpretation.
Maserati's GranTurismo, a grand tourer built in Italy, has served as a base for a number of special projects over the years. Using a production car as a starting point lets independent studios concentrate on bodywork and design rather than engineering a complete vehicle from scratch, which is one reason so many low-volume projects follow this path. Such cars typically exist as prototypes, exhibition pieces or very small runs.
Copper is an unusual choice for automotive bodywork. It is a soft, malleable metal that can be shaped by hand, and it develops a patina over time as it oxidizes. Working it into curved panels demands considerable skill, and the finished surfaces tend to show the marks of the maker. Materials like this are rarely used on series production cars because of cost, weight and the difficulty of repairing or replicating panels at scale.
Why it matters
For enthusiasts, the Peralta D is a reminder that the car as an object still has room for individual expression. In an era when many new models share similar silhouettes and digital interfaces, a hand-shaped body in an unexpected metal stands out. It shows what a small studio can do when it has the freedom to set aside production constraints and focus on craft and form.
The project also highlights the continuing relationship between design families and the wider industry. Fabrizio Giugiaro's work with a design inspired by his father's era invites comparison between generations of Italian styling, and it gives collectors and historians a new reference point in that conversation.
There is a broader question about the role of one-off cars in the modern market. Limited-run specials can generate attention, press and interest in a brand's platform without committing the manufacturer to production. For the studio, a striking showcase can help attract future commissions. For the platform owner, association with a dramatic design can keep the base model in the spotlight.
Finally, the choice of copper raises practical questions that the early coverage does not answer. Durability, maintenance and how such a body would be serviced over years of use are all relevant to anyone considering a bespoke car of this kind. Those are the details that will determine whether a project like this remains a display piece or inspires further work.
What to watch
The most important open question is whether GFG Style plans to build more examples or keep the Peralta D as a single showpiece. Any production announcement would bring pricing, specifications and a clearer picture of how the copper bodywork would be made repeatable.
Further detail on the car's mechanical specification would also be useful. The reports so far focus on the body, so readers should watch for information about the powertrain, performance and any changes made to the GranTurismo underneath.
Public appearances will show how the car looks in different light and settings. Copper changes color as it ages, and early photographs cannot show how the surfaces will evolve.
Finally, watch for reactions from collectors and other design houses. Interest from buyers or commissions for similar work would indicate whether the approach has a market beyond this single example.
Viewpoints
Commentary from our columns: three angles on this story.
The Driver's Seat the enthusiast's take
Every so often a car arrives that reminds you why you fell for the hobby in the first place. The Peralta D is one of those. Seeing a grand tourer skinned in hand-hammered copper, with lines that nod toward the sharp, geometric work of the 1970s, is the kind of thing that makes you slow down and stare at the photographs. It does not look like anything else on the road, and that alone is worth celebrating.
What I find most appealing is the honesty of the material. Copper shows its working, with tool marks, subtle waves and a surface that will shift color as it ages. A painted panel hides its story; a hammered one tells you someone spent long hours shaping it by hand. That kind of imperfection is exactly what the mass-produced world has engineered out.
I hope this car is not the last of its kind. Even if the Peralta D stays a one-off, it proves that a small studio can still produce something bold and personal. Enthusiasts should cheer that, and keep an eye out for what comes next.
The Accountant price, value and running costs
Let us be realistic about what a project like this costs. Hand-hammered copper panels, one-off tooling and bespoke design work add up quickly, and none of that is reflected in the price of the base car. The reporting does not disclose a figure, and that silence is itself informative: this is a showpiece, not a product you can order from a dealer.
For anyone thinking about the running costs of a car like this, the questions multiply. Copper repairs require specialist skills, replacement panels may not exist, and insurers will want to know how the body would be valued after damage. Each of those factors can quietly add thousands to ownership costs over time.
Still, there is value in watching the market for limited-run specials. Some bespoke cars hold or increase their worth when they have a documented design lineage and a clear story. If GFG Style ever announces a production run, buyers should look closely at the terms, the warranty and how the studio plans to support its cars for the long haul.
The Skeptic open questions and weak points
The images are striking, but a few questions deserve answers before anyone gets excited. The reports describe the copper bodywork in glowing terms, yet they say little about how the car performs, how it handles or whether its underpinnings have been changed in any meaningful way. A rebodied car is still a car, and the mechanics matter.
There is also the matter of repeatability. A hand-hammered body suits a single example, but it is far harder to turn into a series. Without information on how the panels were made, how many hours each took or how they could be reproduced, the project remains an exhibition piece rather than a proof of concept for a broader market.
None of this diminishes the design work. It simply means readers should separate admiration for the craft from judgments about what the car could become. The most useful next step would be detailed specifications, not more renderings.