Wolfshark - 2001
T
he organizing committee of the 24 Hours of Le Mans asked Franco Sbarro and Espera Pontarlier for a parade car to open the race in 2001. This is not the first time that Sbarro has responded to such a request to transport a few VIPs to the Sarthe circuit to open the race (Renault Espace Espider in 1998, the Proteus in 1999).
For VIP
The aggressively designed
wolfshark is powered by an Audi eight-cylinder engine
developing 350 hp. That's more than enough power to knock
some VIPs off their feet at close to 200 km/h. For the
Wolfshark is a roadster, with no windscreen, and a cockpit
framed by two roll-bars.
Metamorphosis
It's hard to imagine that
the original car was an Audi sedan. A few images of the
Wolfshark's construction give an insight into the process of
creation by Espera's students. The body is made of
polyester. The design uses a technique that Franco Sbarro
has been employing since his early days, namely a wire
structure that allows volumes to be apprehended. The
structure is then covered with polyester to create the body.
A less costly technique than making a mold from a model, as
the early students at Espera Pontarlier did.
In brief
1- Parade vehicle
2- Designed for the 2001 Le Mans 24-hour race
3- Audi V8 base