1994 - Espace SBarro

Oxalys - 1994

The second Espace Sbarro class worked on two projects. A vision of what an Alfa Romeo 155 station wagon could look like, and the creation of a concept car: Oxalys. Meanwhile, Franco Sbarro was off to Morocco to open his second school, CREA, where some of the students working on the Oxalys and Afa Romeo would become trainers. Everyone's been busy!

(photography by Dingo for the french magazine Option Auto)

Roadster M

In 1997, BMW presented its sporty roadster, the Z3M, powered by the M3's 321 hp engine. Three years earlier, Sbarro and his students had already proposed an interpretation of what a BMW Motorsport roadster could be: the Oxalys. The approach was obviously not the same, but the result, presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1994, caused a sensation.
The Sbarro Oxalys is a roadster through and through. No soft top, no side windows. Only the small, steeply raked windshield offers a semblance of protection from the elements. Like the Isatis, the Oxalys uses a Dual Frame chassis. The lightweight composite body enables the Oxalys to weigh in at just 800 kg

You can't see it, but there are four seats (photo by Dingo for Option Auto magazine).

Four seats

The special feature of the Oxalys is that it offers four seats: the two rear seats are concealed under a removable cover. The two-tone seats are in alcantara. The dashboard is slightly curved towards the driver to facilitate reading of the gauges and various meters. The CD audio system is "driven" by a huge amplifier located in the central tunnel, under transparent Plexiglas, just in front of the gearshift lever.
The Oxalys is powered by a BMW M5 engine, painted yellow (photo by Dingo for Option Auto magazine).

M5 engine

Once aboard, the driver is struck by the surprisingly poor visibility of an open car. The small windscreen, massive dashboard and long hood are the main culprits. All this is quickly forgotten, however, once the 315 horsepower of BMW's six-cylinder engine kicks in. This engine is derived from the M5 sedan. With so much horsepower, the power-to-weight ratio is 2.54 kg/horse. By way of comparison, the Z3M roadster, far from being anemic, is "only" 5.88 kg/horse. To stop the beauty, the braking system, without ABS, has been borrowed from the Porsche 911 Turbo, a benchmark in the field.
The driver is wrapped up in the cockpit (photo by Dingo for Option Auto magazine).
A roadster in the great tradition of spartan but captivating open-top sports cars, the Oxalys is a car for enthusiasts, the only ones able to accept its shortcomings and enjoy the sensations it provides.

In brief
1- Second concept car from Espera Center students
2- BMW M5 engine, Dual Frame chassis
3- Spartan comfort
  • BMW M5 six-cylinder engine
  • Displacement 3535 cm3
  • 315 horsepower
  • 5-speed manual gearbox
  • Brakes: 4 ventilated discs (original Porsche 911 turbo), no ABS
  • 18-inch Antera wheels
  • Dunlop 235/40 ZR 18 front, 280/40 ZR 18 rear tires
  • Weight approx. 800 kg