1993 - Espace SBarro

Isatis - 1993

The first twenty-six students at Franco Sbarro's very first school, Espace Sbarro in Yverdon-les-bains, had three projects to complete in one year: a sociological vehicle (Urbi), the restyling of a production model (Citroën ZX Onyx) and the design of a concept car, the Isatis.

It's hard to see in this magnificent drawing the work of students in just a few months (photo by Dingo for Option Auto magazine).

Concept-car

According to Le Petit Robert dictionary, the Isatis is a blue fox from the Arctic regions. According to Sbarro and his students at Espace Sbarro, the Isatis is a cut-up villain whose common denominator with the previous fox is color. Blue.
It's just a non-running model, despite the presence of a superb BMW V12 engine. According to Franco Sbarro, the choice among the sketches proposed by the students was a delicate one. Once the design was decided, the students built a 1/4 scale model which was sent to Chausson in Reims to create a life-size polyurethane foam master. From this master, the students will make a polyester mold of the monocoque body, from which they will cut all the openings: doors, hood, windows, air intakes..

The Isatis has often been compared to a Corvette (photograph by Dingo for Option Auto magazine).

Dual Frame

The Isatis has no orbital wheels, but uses Franco Sbarro's other major innovative project, the Dual Frame chassis, like the Helios two years earlier in 1991. The Dual Frame consists of two distinct parts connected by pneumatic spheres. The first part is the body, the second the mechanical part: BMW V12 engine, gearbox, suspension, rear axle. Importantly, the spare wheel and water radiators act as a crumple zone in the event of a collision. The turn signals are positioned on the rear-view mirrors, which are themselves high up on the door pillars.
Two side air intakes highlight the profile of the Isatis (photo by Dingo for Option Auto magazine).

Instrument cluster

Inside the Isatis, you'll immediately notice the instrument cluster in the center of the steering wheel, housing the speedometer and rev counter. The instrument cluster is fixed: it doesn't turn with the steering wheel. The interior is sober and luxurious, with an attractive white leather center console.
The handset in the center of the steering wheel is one of the Isatis's major features. The upholstery is magnificent.
For the record, the names of the students who designed and built the Isatis are inscribed under the hood. These include a certain Lazareth, who has now set up his own company and is responsible for some superb quads, motorcycles, a V8-powered mini pick-up and even a flying motorcycle!
It's also interesting to see the name of Franco Sbarro's wife, Françoise Sbarro, who has been by her husband's side in all his projects from the very beginning and without whom, I think, Franco Sbarro would never have succeeded in his automotive dreams.

The Isatis may only be a non-running model, but it's awe-inspiring in the face of the hard work of the twenty-six students at the Centre Espera, who have integrated innovative technical solutions into a magnificent showcase.
In brief
1- First concept car designed by Espera Center students
2- Innovative technical solutions, including Dual Frame
3- Designed in record time
  • Presenting the technical specifications of a model is a little incoherent. But we can always give the specifications of the BMW engine used in the Isatis.
  • BMW twelve-cylinder V engine
  • Displacement: 5379 cm3
  • 326 horsepower