VW Group Building Helicopters With Russian Tech Firm CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News VW Group Building Helicopters With Russian Tech Firm

VW Group Building Helicopters With Russian Tech Firm

Dec. 15, 2018 8:10 PM ET by Noah Joseph / Comments VW's Italdesign worked with Russian Helicopters on the new VRT500. When the Volkswagen Group took over Italdesign, it surely had its eyes on the studio's automotive expertise. But as it turns out, the House That Giorgetto Built can do a lot more than just cars. Like helicopters, for example. Russian aerospace concern VR-Technologies tapped Italdesign to help it develop the new VRT500, a new six-passenger, single-engine whirly bird just revealed. And from what we can see, it looks like a rather handsome set of rotors – just as we've come to expect from the design studio founded by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro. Italdesign Italdesign The VRT500 represents the first foray from state-owned parent company Russian Helicopters into the light-helicopter category, which accounts for some 18 percent of copters sold around the world each year. The company hopes to gain 15 percent of that market, and to that end has developed an aircraft with the biggest passenger and cargo cabin capacities in its class. With its counter-rotating blades, the VRT500 has a payload capacity of 1,609 pounds (for a total takeoff weight of 3,527 lbs), reach speeds of up to 155 miles per hour, and travel as far as 534 miles. It'll be offered in a number of configurations as well, for passengers, cargo, training, and medevac applications. And of course its styling doesn't hurt, either. "Our Industrial Design Division has a wide-ranging and transversal know-how and is able to combine design skills and stylistic sensibilities together with technology and engineering in creative ways, which is why it remains a constant reference point worldwide," said Italdesign CEO Jörg Astalosch. "Over the years we have demonstrated we love facing new challenges and working with a technical, pioneering partner such as VR-Technologies is a stimulus to keep setting the bar of innovation pretty high."

Join The Discussion

Add first comment

Gallery

10 Photos Tags: #Volkswagen News #Design

Related Cars

Volkswagen Jetta LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top