The two-box was studied at the same time in the 3- and 5-door versions; three-dimensional models in fact were asymmetrical. Giugiaro resumed the feeling of the Piazza and gave this two-door a long, highly raked C-pillar. The resulting shape was most interesting as the car looked very sleek, to the point of giving the idea (and taking the name) of coupe.

This vehicle aimed at occupying a top-notch position among the most sophisticated super-cars. Called Etna by Giugiaro, this study was greeted enthusiastically by the Lotus management who launched its development. However, the grave financial problems that beset the British manufacturer resulted in the majority interest being bought in 1986 by General Motors. This and other designs were put on ice and were later abandoned. The look of the super-car of the Nineties requires soft and rounded lines. Thus, so as not to turn his back on a typical theme in the sports car world and a specific feature of the British manufacturer, Giugiaro repeated the wedge-shape flow in his model, but made it softer.

The Ibiza was based on the SEAT Ronda, a small family car, which in turn was based on the Fiat Ritmo. By the time Giugiaro was assigned to the Ibiza project, his previous proposal for the second generation of the Volkswagen Golf had been rejected by Volkswagen. So when SEAT approached him with the proposal for a spacious supermini-class contender, that particular project was reincarnated as the first generation of the SEAT Ibiza. Despite the thousands of ifs and buts, the overall result is noteworthy. Giugiaro's design is low and sleek, a bit sporty and with a personality of its own. In the end it proved to be a success for the Spanish manufacturer, as it sold 1,342,001 units prior to the launch of the second-generation Ibiza in 1993.

This cooperation was to lead to the birth of four cars: the Saab 9000 (1984), the Lancia Thema (1984) and FIAT Croma (1985), designed by Giugiaro, and the Alfa Romeo 164 (1987) by Pininfarina. The first car to be designed was the Thema, at the end of 1979. But Saab, which entered the joint venture at a slightly later date, requested that a moderate increase be made to the length and width. Thus Giugiaro had to start from scratch for the Thema and, on the basis of these new dimensions, began to lay out the Saab. Saab's first three-dimensional (polystyrene) model had a three-box layout. Giugiaro "knew" (but couldn't say) that Lancia, too, had chosen the same architecture and therefore proposed in his sketches a different approach. Taking from the previous Swedish sedans the tailgate and "Combi" philosophy, he proposed a full two-box architecture that included a sill at the bottom of the rear window.