Talbot Matra Murena
| Matra Murena | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Matra |
| Also called | Talbot-Matra Murena |
| Production | 1980–1983 |
| Designer | Antonis Volanis |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback |
| Layout | MR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.6 L Poissy engine ohv I4 2.2 L Type 180 ohc I4 |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,435 mm (95.9 in) |
| Length | 4,070 mm (160.2 in) |
| Width | 1,752 mm (69.0 in) |
| Height | 1,220 mm (48.0 in) |
| Curb weight | 930 kg (2,050 lb)-1,030 kg (2,271 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Matra Bagheera |
| Successor | None |
The Matra Murena is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports car that was produced from 1980 through 1983 by the French engineering group Matra. The factory was located in the commune of Romorantin-Lanthenay in the department of Loir-et-Cher in central France.
The Murena, whose name is Italian for "Moray", was the successor to the Matra Bagheera, a similar vehicle that resulted from an earlier collaboration between Matra and Simca. Development proceeded under two project names; "M551" for the 1.6 litre version and "M552" for the 2.2 litre version. The prototype received designation P-551 and was accompanied by a series of mockups. The Murena inherited the Bagheera's mid-engined layout and hatchback body shape, but substantial changes were made to address some of the problems with the previous model, among which were a lack of power, absence of a 5-speed transmission option, and a chassis extremely prone to rust. Engineering of the car was done entirely by Matra. Greek industrial designer Antonis Volanis, who had contributed to the interior of the earlier Bagheera and been principal designer for the Matra Rancho, headed up the design.
The Murena drew heavily from the corporate parts bin, using engines from the Talbot Solara and Talbot Tagora, a transaxle from the Citroën CX, taillights steering rack and front suspension from the Talbot Horizon, front indicator and running lights from the Renault 12, and door handles from the Peugeot 505.
The Murena's steel chassis was similar to the Bagheera's although it was a new design. In appearance it was very close to a full unitary body. The chassis did differ from the Bagheera's in two significant ways. One was that the rear cradle was reconfigured to accommodate a new rear suspension system. The second change was that the entire chassis was galvanised to prevent the Murena from falling victim to the rust problems that plagued the Bagheera. The Murena was actually the first production car to use galvanised steel for all chassis parts.
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