For some years now, ecology has been a major image-booster for carmakers. Electricity is set to become the dominant energy source for cars in the future, although this does not address all the issues raised by automobile pollution. In 1977, Franco Sbarro designed an electric car, the Pilcar, at a time when exploring electricity was just a whim of engineers and researchers... or golfers!

Product specifications

In 2011, Sbarro seems to be giving less credence to electricity, and is focusing its work in three directions: reducing vehicle weight, adopting smaller and therefore more fuel-efficient internal combustion engines, and improving aerodynamics. The Two For 100, presented in Geneva in 2011, perfectly meets these specifications: weight is limited to around 500 kg, the engine has a displacement of just 600 cm3 and the car can be driven either in a low position to enhance aerodynamics and performance, or in a high position for better visibility in town, where aerodynamics are less important. This all adds up to a theoretical fuel consumption of 2 liters of petrol per 100 kilometers, hence the car's name.

Common sense

What surprised visitors to the Geneva show was the design of the Two For 100, far removed from the usual criteria. Extremely short (3.5 m), its bubble-shaped interior offers unrivalled 360° panoramic vision. The car's technical side was overshadowed by the eternal quips to which Franco Sbarro must be accustomed. Which is a pity, but it doesn't matter. The Two For 100 is an interesting concept, by no means revolutionary, but it does offer a synthesis of what could be done in mass production to make cars less polluting, without resorting to expensive technologies.

Transparent wheels

The Two for 100 breaks new ground in an unexpected area: its wheels, made entirely of polycarbonate. This makes them light and transparent. A system already seen at Sbarro on a motorcycle, the superb 2008 Pendocar.

The Two for 100 is an atypical creation that offers a different vision of the automobile. It bears the Lista Office trademark, the sponsor of most of Sbarro's products in recent years (LO, Autobau).