Espace F1 anyone ?

Lennart Sorth · January 09, 2004, 12:32:30 AM

If anybody want to sell me an Espace-F1, please contact me :-)

Anders Dinsen · January 15, 2004, 09:09:50 AM

Me too, I'd like to have two.

- Anders

Philip · January 18, 2004, 06:24:24 PM

There is only one! I don't think it is for sale, but if you have not got around 1 million euros then forget it!

Lennart Sorth · January 18, 2004, 07:39:23 PM

True, - even Christian Fourrier, whom I believe worked on some of the electrics on the car, has not been allowed a trip in it :-(

I dream about a late Espace JE 2.2dci with chiptuning, which gives 160HP and 350NM torque, - which makes it a little rocket, - but still nowhere near the Espace-F1 :-)

Abe · March 27, 2005, 09:29:27 PM

Why not ask for the Murena 3 liter F1 V12 Prototype?.. that's the one i'd like to have!!

Lennart Sorth · March 27, 2005, 10:59:46 PM

Quote from: Abe on March 27, 2005, 09:29:27 PM
Why not ask for the Murena 3 liter F1 V12 Prototype?

Obviously! :-)
And being a 3-seater, the Murena (and Bag) were downsized MPV's :-)

Unfortunately I only have one single picture (yet) of that pet-project (I believe two engineers did that more or less by themselves)

(http://www.matrasport.dk/Cars/Murena/Gallery2/Medium/mur_V12.html)

Anders Dinsen · March 16, 2006, 01:58:29 PM

Here's a better pic of the V12:

Looks like there's little left of the chassis except the cockpit. Was it ever given a body?

Lennart Sorth · March 19, 2006, 07:49:35 PM

Quote from: dinsen on March 16, 2006, 01:58:29 PM
Looks like there's little left of the chassis except the cockpit. Was it ever given a body?

cool picture (courtesy of MatraPassion).
No, I don't think it was ever given a body, or even driven.

The middle seat was sacrificed in favour of extra space for the engine, and reinforcement of the chassis bahind the the seats.

My guess would be that the intended body would look somewhat similar to the 180hp Murena 4S - with extra scoops added, to cool both engine AND the brakes, which were mounted on the ZF gearbox, rather than adding weight to the wheels.

Quite a substancial part of the chassis is in fact there, but everything over and behind the engine obviously had to go - to be replaced by something else later (which never happened, as far as I know)

The wheel-base has grown quite a lot , but considering the Murena is such a small car, its a good job fitting a V12 longitudinally there ! :-)

And, Matra have previously done a great job, designing a body for an extended wheelbase version (the Bagheera U8)

Now, in the 1980'ies, Matra produced the V6 (turbo) for Ligier and /or Shaddows - without turbo that would have been a great engine to fit in a Murena.

oh well, I'd better turn that "dream-button" off now.