The Michelotti Pura 1988
The Michelotti Pura
A 650kgs 155-220bhp Roadster from 1988.
Capable of 220+kph and 0-100kph in less than 5s. The Pura is the only example of a road going car based on the world championship winning Albatech group C2 racers (1983/4) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_World_Sportscar_Championship and Alba AR2 and AR3. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alba_AR2
https://www.facebook.com/Alba-AR3-254498751234938/
Effectively a F3 road car.
Project work by Alfa & Abarth's Ing Mario Colucci, Renzo Avidano and most importantly Georgio Striano's company Albatech (winner of 2 world championships).
Built in carbon fibre and aluminium (carbon-fibre composite chassis) with ground effect body styling offering a power to weight ratio of 4,2-3kgs:HP. Barge boards.
With Colucci, Avidano and Stirano's input the Pura has a real race pedigree.
Tested and developed in the Fiat wind tunnel, the aerodynamics of the Pura were very ahead of its time for a road car.
Displayed as a working prototype of a road going mini race car well before the Lotus Elise or Renault Spider, it was proposed just a little ahead of its time.
The last (and only one) Roadster produced under the Michelotti banner.
"Built for the Motorshows, it is a road going (one off) prototype"
In fact it is probably the first ever road going car built in carbon fibre composite completed 4 years before the McLaren Hyper car of 1992.
Although hi spec, the Pura being very low is a suprisingly small call which could really be classified in the 'etceterini class' of Italian small run cars that were primarily home brew and used for privateer racing.
Chassis
Carbon-fibre & aluminum monocoque, rear subframe integrated structural tubular suspension with engine and gearbox forming part of the structure, balanced to 60:40(R:F).
Reinforcements and crumple-zones for front, rear impact.
Suspension
Double-A-arm wishbone suspension with adjustable transverse bell crank and dampers with active ride-height.Engine
Supplied by Abarth as used in the Alfa 75 Turbo track car.
Gearbox and drive
ZF 25% LSD gearbox as used on the Lancia 037 rally car as well as the Maserati Bora and the De Tomaso Pantera.
Styling
Styled by Michelotti with design overseen by Tateo Uchida.
Aerodynamic high efficiency with ground force effect (Venturi) creating approximately 40% downforce. Design includes flat bottom with rear diffuser, side skirts and barge boards to rear intake fins,
front intake spoiler with deflectors feeding radiators and brakes creating ground effect.
Braking
Cooling vents to all round Brembo race spec vented disks.
Controls
Direct steering 1.1/4 lock to lock.
Formula race spec pedal set, rose jointed for adjustable braking balance.
Fueling
FIA centrally & horizontally mounted soft fuel tank as per the group C2 racers with feed pump and swirl tank to Jetronic system.
These technical specs were designed and collated by Albatech Giorgio Stirano's team, ex Alfa F1 and C2 Endurance racer World championship design engineer and Alba AR2/3 cars and it was intended to be a mini road rocket.
Provenance
The car was obtained directly from the Michelotti family over 24 years ago and in the years the owner has collected all the 4,000 technical drawings and designs used to produce the Pura, the magazine articles for the motorshows, the design model, testimonies and even a TopTrumps playing card, from the supercars series. The owner has formed close relationships with the design team and has organised several team reunions.
Official Motorshow Flyer
Auto Italia (UK)
October 2002
Motor Magazine (UK) 88
Pre MotorShow
Enchapment (FR)
June 1988
Pre Motor show articles and tests
Alfa 75 Turbo engine supplied by Abarth as Group A.
ZF 25% LSD Gbox same as Lancia 037 rally car
Car Magazine (UK) October 1988
AutoItalia Magazine (UK) February 2022
Cover of Spiderama Magazine (NL) March 2022
Spiderama Magazine (NL) March 2022
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