The Challenge came close to being a mass-production car by Sbarro’s to date. This uncompromising wedge-shaped car, first seen in 1985, looked like a slice of Gruyere cheese and was claimed to have a Cd figure of just 0.25. The doors folded forward for entry. Initially, die Challenge was offered with a twin-turbo Mercedes V-eight engine, but later cars had Porsche engines mounted in the rear. All were capable of storming speeds — up to 180mph (290km/h) was claimed.
Engine & performance:
Position: mid-mounted
Type: Mercedes-Benz V8, twin-turbo
Capacity: 4973 cc
Power: 360 hp
Drive: 4WD
Dimensions:
Length: 4220 mm
Width: 1980 mm
Height: 1000-1050 mm
Wheelbase: 2720 mm
Weight: 1400 kg
Source: www.is-it-a-lemon.com; allcarindex.com
Images: Sbarro; Peter Vann; www.louwmanmuseum.nl