Picasso Cup - 2002
Franco Sbarro seems to have a soft spot for MPVs. In 1998, he began a series of special models with a Renault Scénic featuring some classic tuning touches. That same year, another, much more radical Renault was presented at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: the famous Espider, a beheaded Renault Espace that welcomed hand-picked passengers for a few laps of the famous Le Mans circuit. In 2000, it was the turn of a VW Sharan Sahara to undergo an identical operation (transformation into a spider), with the added bonus of a series of adaptations for driving by paraplegics. 2001 saw the birth of the Citroën Picasso El Bicho, a short-lived response to the Renault Scénic RX4. And now, quite naturally, a WRC version!
Body building
Aesthetically, this compact MPV doesn't do discreet! Outrageously wide sills, large front air intakes, two small ones for the brakes, an air extractor and a roof spoiler. And of course, the four doors have been replaced by two huge gullwing doors, with the result that the central pillar has been eliminated. The composite body has been lowered by 10 cm. It's not easy to rework the lines of a unibody, but here the students of the Sbarro school have produced a beautifully homogeneous design, proving, if proof were needed, Sbarro's mastery of design. For the record, it took less than three months to achieve such a result, from initial sketches to presentation at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2002.
Racing ambience
The interior is treated in the same way, with a racing ambience featuring a roll bar, four Cesam bucket seats, carbon pedals and a dashboard worthy of the DTM championship, with a special gearshift (including a small lever for engaging reverse gear). The instrumentation, set back towards the center, is original Peugeot 306 S16. The steering wheel (Cesam) is covered in turned leather. All original plastics have been covered with alcantara. The spare wheel has found a place of honor at the rear, as if on display under the rear window, highlighting the superb 3-piece 19" OZ Superleggera wheels.
Underpowered
The Achilles' heel of this extraordinary Picasso remains: the powertrain. Of course, there's nothing ridiculous about the engine. Borrowed from the Peugeot 306 S16, this 2-liter engine has been fitted with a direct intake and a specific exhaust system that is very... liberated! But even though power now reaches 250 hp, the few journalists who were able to drive the Picasso Cup all emphasized the car's exemplary handling (roadholding, chassis rigidity, powerful braking), which would deserve a much more powerful engine. There's nothing exhilarating about driving the Cup, apart from the pleasure of being behind the wheel of a unique prototype. But Sbarro had to meet precise specifications imposed by Citroën, limiting the choice of powertrain to the PSA catalog. Nothing prevents us from imagining what this Picasso would become with 400 horsepower...
- Peugeot 306 S16 four-cylinder engine
- Transverse front position
- Displacement: 1998 cm3
- Direct intake
- 250 horsepower
- Six-speed manual gearbox (original Peugeot 306 S16)
- 3-piece 19" OZ Superleggera wheels
- Michelin Pilot Sport 255/40 ZR 19 tires (front and rear)
- Xsara Kit Car brakes
- Width 2.05 metres
- Weight approx. 1400 kg
In brief
1- Official Citroën order
2- Enlarged body with gullwing doors
3- 250 hp engine