Autoblog

Sbarro Réact' E.V. isn't electric, could be very fast

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Racing

The Espera Sbarro Montbéliard School of Design has followed up its 137-horsepower Intencity EV concept and 360-hp V8-powered Eight concept with this, the Réact' E.V. Note the periods between the "e" and the "v" - this isn't an electric vehicle, it's an "Ecological Vehicle" with a hybrid powertrain.

In back, underneath the reptilian-scale-like cover, is a Peugeot-sourced V6 with 210 horsepower that turns the rear wheels. Turning the front wheels are two DC brushless motors that are each worth 100kW and 553 pound-feet of torque. They get juice from a 24-kWh battery pack and combined grunt is said to be 484 hp.

Rumor is that it took the students just 13 weeks to get it all together and that the two-seater coupe actually runs, something we haven't seen the other two concepts do. We'll find out soon enough since they have plans to run the Réact' E.V. in the 14th Monte Carlo Rallye of New Energies later this month. There are a few more details in the press release below to go with the high-res gallery above.

Continue reading Sbarro Réact' E.V. isn't electric, could be very fast

Sbarro Réact' E.V. isn't electric, could be very fast originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Espera Sbarro Eight Concept is the best student project car in history

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Performance, Technology, Paris Motor Show, Maserati, Specialty, Design/Style, Infotainment

Here's a showstopper. Tucked away in a corner of the Fourth Pavilion here at the 2012 Paris Motor Show was this carbon fiber hot rod from the Espera Sbarro Montbéliard School of Design. Known simply as the Eight, cribbed from the Maserati-sourced V8 engine, this machine was reportedly designed and built in just eight weeks. We also hear that it's powered by the impure thoughts of heathens, or maybe just gasoline.

The Sbarro Eight Concept was built to help showcase some of the latest technology available to automakers, including a driver-facing tablet computer that occupies the spot normally housing the dash. Applications such as navigation, internet, and Read & Go for books, Liveradio and Deezer for tunes and Cinéday for movies keep the driver connected while on the go. But hopefully not while actually, you know, driving.

The Eight also features a Parrot Asteroid Smart car radio powered by Android that features a 6.2-inch screen and can connect to the online Asteroid Market, cellular phones via Bluetooth, or display videos through auxilliary inputs. An onboard wireless charger and a mobile stereo system round out the tech package.

Though we truly love its distinctive style, this pony has the go to back up its considerable show. The aforementioned V8 engine spins out 360 horsepower to the rear wheels. We've got to hand it to the auto design students that penned the Eight - this is one concept that quite literally stopped us in our tracks. See our full photo gallery above.

Espera Sbarro Eight Concept is the best student project car in history originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sbarro surprises Geneva with Intencity Concept

Noah Joseph — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Technology, Specialty, Design/Style

Among all the automakers unveiling their new wares in Geneva every year are a handful of independent designers and schools that aim to change the way we think about the automobile. They range from mainstream design houses like Pininfarina and Bertone to the zany obscurity of the IED Torino and - most especially - Sbarro.

Not to be confused with the Italian fast-food chain, Franco Sbarro has a history of creating off-the-wall show cars for the Geneva show. But while we were expecting to find the F1for3 concept created for Delphi, instead we found the vehicle you see above.

Called the Intencity, this vehicle is less a design of Franco himself and more that of his students at the Espera Sbarro school in Montbéliard, France. Details are few and far between, but what we can tell you is that the innovative design packs an electric powertrain into a 1+1 body-style with a giant front-hinged canopy.

Power (whether theoretical or otherwise) comes from a 100-kilowatt electric motor fueled by a 96-cell lithium-phosphate battery good for about 180 kilometers fitted in a tubular frame chassis for a package that weighs a lithe 980 kg overall. OZ provides the wheels and Recaro the seats, and you can check out the whole package in our high-resolution live images from the show floor.

Sbarro surprises Geneva with Intencity Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Delphi will debut F1FOR3 concept in Geneva

Zach Bowman — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Technology

Delphi is headed to this year's Geneva Motor Show with a concept of its own. Details on the F1FOR3 Concept are slim at the moment, though the company says the vehicle will be a platform for demonstrating "high speed connectivity and user experience features." While that sounds about as thrilling as belly button lint, we're bolstered by the fact that the concept was created with input from Franco Sbarro. Sbarro has had a hand in creating some of the most beautiful and oddball concepts we've ever seen, which means the F1FOR3 should be plenty entertaining when it hits the show room floor.

The good news is that the technology on display inside the concept will likely be Delphi products that are currently available. While we were hoping to see a street-legal F1 car with seating for three, innovative on-board tech will simply have to do. Look for the vehicle to debut next month, and hit the jump for the brief press release.

Continue reading Delphi will debut F1FOR3 concept in Geneva

Delphi will debut F1FOR3 concept in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 Sbarro Gullwing is an eyepopper

Aaron Richardson — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:04:00 EST

1976 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL Sbarro Gullwing Coupe - Click above for high-res image gallery

Franco Sbarro apparently had a lot of orders for these wide-bodied modern gullwings back in the late '70s. According to the eBay listing, Sbarro made 28 Gullwing Coupes in total, most based on a two-door chassis with either a naturally-aspirated or twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8.

The car you see before you, however, is among the rarest of these rare supercoupes. It's based on a four-door 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 chassis. Apparently one of six built for the new wife of an Arab prince, this car spent part of its life in the hands of an NBA star. (Shocker, we know.)

The custom gullwing doors look more than a little heavy and cumbersome, and must have taken weeks of careful figuring to get right. The details, however, are what really set this car apart. For starters, it's been updated with chrome 20-inch Giovannas, to make add a contemporary to its bling. Then there's the original-equipment Sbarro horizontal 'phantom' bar grille hiding the big Benz's stock headlamps and marker lights.

Top all that off with a set of ridiculously-wide fender flares and a lowered roofline, and you have a delicious recipe for 1970s-style excess. The price for all this exclusivity and opulence? The "Buy It Now" option lists $49,995. Thanks for the tip, Csaba!

Gallery: 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL Sbarro Gullwing

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 Sbarro Gullwing is an eyepopper originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 19:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Find of the Day: 1999 Sbarro GT1 show car

Noah Joseph — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars

1999 Sbarro GT1 show car - Click above for image gallery

GT1 road cars are hard to come by. Manufacturers are required by some motorsport sanctioning bodies to homologate their racecars with production versions, but these often fetch millions of dollars and are only made in extremely limited quantities. All the more so for Sbarro's GT1 show car.

Built to celebrate Mercedes' victory at Le Mans in 1999, the GT1 is a one-of-a-kind (well, two of a kind if you could the twelve-cylinder GT12 that followed the next year) concept built using many Mercedes components. The biggest is the 7.4-liter V8 engine producing 450 horsepower - which may not seem like much for such a big engine, but a huge amount of power by any other measure... especially over a decade ago.

The engine sits as a stressed member of the competition-style chassis, with a composite monocoque acting as its centerpiece, propelling the GT1 to sixty in 4.9 seconds and on to a 200+ mph top end. The cabin features two seats moulded directly into the body and covered in Alcantara (the pedals adjust to compensate) and are accessed through gullwing doors - another Mercedes tribute. And of course the styling is pure Sbarro. But the best part is that this one-off is up for sale. A million euros is the asking price, and if you're interested you can check out the listing here.

Gallery: 1999 Sbarro GT1 concept

[Source: The Car Experience via autoblog.nl]

Find of the Day: 1999 Sbarro GT1 show car originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2010: Sbarro Autobau Concept is a Geneva classic

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe

Sbarro Autobau Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Some of us were just barely mastering our Big Wheels back in the 1970s, but we imagine most of the concepts at those Salon de Geneves all looked hairy and wild. You know what we're talking about. Star Trek meets George Barris design language, lower than your waist, nonsensical ingress/egress mechanisms, $5 afterthought interiors and colors pulled from the center of only the finest quaalude trips. Kinda like SEMA cars actually, but with European sensibility and sophistication.

Meet the Sbarro Autobau, a concept car we know almost nothing about but really enjoy looking at. Yes, it's totally non-conventional (hey, it's a Sbarro), and according to the Francais-only marketing material the Autobao is a tribute to Swiss racing stud Fredy Lienhard. It's also (supposedly) packin' 12-cylinders, 500 horses and weighs about 3,200 pounds. What a concept.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Sbarro Autobau

Geneva 2010: Sbarro Autobau Concept is a Geneva classic originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flight of the Alcador: Franco Sbarro unveils Ferrari Testarossa-based Lista Office in Essen

Noah Joseph — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari

Sbarro Lista Office - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you thought that last remaining piece of lasagna at the food court looked iffy, remember that's not even the most suspicious concoction to bear the Sbarro banner. Franco Sbarro rivals even his fellow Swiss coachbuilder Rinspeed for his, um... "originality." Recent examples have included a six-wheeled Citroen crossover, a leaning quadricycle and a vintage Rolls-Royce equipped especially for bird-watching. But as bizarre and unusual as most of Franco Sbarro's creations have been, the Swiss designer also has a long history in radically modifying Ferraris.

Based on the 308 GTB, the Super 8 made our Top 10 Mid-Engined Hatchbacks list, but that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Sbarro's done everything from converting a 365 GT4 into a Mille Miglia spyder to giving the 550 Maranello the wide-body treatment. Among the most intriguing of his projects, though, has been the Alcador series. The first Alcador, based on the Testarossa, debuted at the 1995 Geneva salon. The second, called the Alcador GTB, came a baker's-dozen years later at the 2008 Geneva show, borrowing its chassis and engine from the 348. Sbarro tweaked the design and came back to the Palexpo the following year with a new Alcador GTB based on the 360 Modena.

Now, a Swiss collector by the name of Lienhard has commissioned the coachbuilder to craft him another example, and the result was unveiled to the public this past weekend at the Essen tuner expo in Germany. Strangely called the Lista Office, Sbarro's latest is underpinned once again by the 80s-era Testarossa, packing its 450hp 5-liter boxer 12. Say what you will about the styling, but one thing's for sure: it doesn't look anything like a 512TR. See for yourself in the image gallery below.

Gallery: Sbarro Lista Office

[Source: Sbarro and Autoblog.nl]

Flight of the Alcador: Franco Sbarro unveils Ferrari Testarossa-based Lista Office in Essen originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rolls-Royce Camargue prepped for the hunt

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Tuners, Convertible, Coupe, Etc., Rolls-Royce

Click above for full gallery of this Rolls-Royce Camargue Custom Falconry Sporting Vehicle

This unholy marriage of a Rolls-Royce and possibly a Jeepster is the product of Swiss mad-scientist Franco Sbarro. Apparently, it was commissioned by an Arab sheik (natch) who was a huge fan of falconry. While the chassis and amenities remain, the doors have been removed, the windshield drops down to give a clear view of the road ahead, and a special falconer's platform has been built into the trunk area that extends out to provide an elevated place to stand on.

What started out as a 1978 Rolls-Royce Camargue, has turned into a butch Fiat Jolly in 1980. Dubbed the "Rolls-Royce Camargue Custom Falconry Sporting Vehicle," it is also referred to as "Hunting Car of His Royal High Ness," or just "Hunting Car" or "Falconry sporting vehicle." The price of the conversion was about twice what it cost new (£83,122), so figure around $400,000 in 1980 prices, for this one-off Roller.

Gallery: Rolls-Royce Camargue Falconry car

[Source: Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow]

Rolls-Royce Camargue prepped for the hunt originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2008: Sbarro Pendolauto leaning motorcycle

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Motorcycle

Last October, when Yamaha showed off its Tesseract concept, we had trouble deciding how to classify the vehicle other than as extremely awesome. We are left scratching our heads yet again as Swiss automobile and motorcycle customizing company Sbarro unleashes its Pendolauto concept. Like the Tesseract, the Pendolauto leans into turns like a motorcycle would, yet features four wheels, like a car or a quad. With most of the excitement of a motorcycle, the machine would certainly be a blast to ride, but perhaps a bit more stable due to the addition of the two extra contact patches. Piaggio has seen a great deal of success with its MP3 scooter, but that machine features three wheels and is classified as a motorcycle. Because the Tesseract and Pendolauto have four wheels, nothing quite like them will be available in the U.S. any time soon. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be have yet to understand that a machine like the Pendolauto can offer similar benefits as motorcycles while perhaps adding a few degrees of safety. Click one of the sources below for more pics.

[Source: Yahoo, Salon Auto]

Geneva 2008: Sbarro Pendolauto leaning motorcycle originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva Motor Show: Sbarro students produce Turbo S20 Concept

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Porsche

Although the primary attraction at Sbarro's booth in Geneva was the Citroen-based Cruise Crosser, the vehicle that caught our attention was this student-developed Turbo S20 Barchetta concept car. A group of 20 Espera Sbarro design school students pooled their resources, and in cooperation with the French TV show "Turbo," built this one-off concept in close to three months.

Powered by a 300 HP, 5-liter V8 pulled from a Porsche 928, this mid-engine track car tips the scales at just over 2,500 pounds - not quite a lightweight, but considering the lump behind the driver, a noble feat indeed. The ponies are harnessed by a five-speed manual and power is sent to a set of 11x20 inch OZ Botticelli wheels, wrapped in 335/30/20 Michelin PS2s.

Whether or not the Turbo S20 will make it off the show floor and onto the track remains to be seen, but regardless, it's a testament to what focused minds can create, with limited funding.

Gallery: Sbarro Turbo S20 Concept

Geneva Motor Show: Sbarro students produce Turbo S20 Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva preview: Sbarro Cruise Crosser

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show

When we first saw the Sbarro name on the list of manufacturers due to present during the second day of the Geneva show, it took us a few minutes to recall the name, beyond our bad experiences at the mall pizza joint. We don't remember the last time we saw one of their concepts, since the last one that stuck out was their 2001 Christelle that was, shall we say, not so aesthetically pleasing. After some digging, we came across their website which has vehicles that date as far back as 1960, with the latest concepts coming out in 2004.

Well, this year they're coming back big, orange and weirder than ever with the unveiling of the Sbarro Cruise Crosser, a six-wheeled truckish thing based off the Citroen C-Crosser/Mitsubishi Outlander. Little is known about this particular concept, but since Sbarro has a tendency to bring a few different cars to the show, we'll have to check it out and see what other oddities are on display.

[Source: Autoweek.nl]

Geneva preview: Sbarro Cruise Crosser originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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