Matra Murena

Matra Murena
Company type	Sports car
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor	Matra Bagheera
Founded	1980; 46 years ago
Fate	Discontinued in 1983
Headquarters	Romorantin-Lanthenay, France
Products	Sports cars

The Matra Murena is a sports car featuring a mid-engine layout and rear-wheel drive, manufactured between 1980 and 1983 by the French engineering firm Matra. Production occurred in Romorantin-Lanthenay, situated in central France.

Development history

Taking its name from the Italian term for "Moray," the Murena was introduced as the successor to the Matra Bagheera, maintaining Matra's partnership with Simca. The development phase was identified by two project codes: "M551" corresponding to the 1.6-litre variant and "M552" for the 2.2-litre model. Early prototypes, labeled P-551, underwent multiple design iterations. While preserving the Bagheera’s mid-engine configuration and hatchback style, the Murena aimed to resolve previous shortcomings such as inadequate power output, absence of a 5-speed gearbox, and susceptibility to corrosion in the chassis. Matra assumed full responsibility for engineering, with Greek industrial designer Antonis Volanis—who had contributed to the Bagheera’s interior and was the chief designer of the Matra Rancho—spearheading the styling.

The Murena incorporated parts sourced from a range of vehicles within its corporate group: engines were derived from the Simca 1307#Talbot Solara and Talbot Tagora, while a transaxle developed by Citroën, also utilized in the Citroën CX and selected Lancia Beta models, was employed. Tail lamps originated from the Talbot Horizon but featured bespoke lenses; steering rack and front suspension components were borrowed from the Talbot Solara; front indicators and running lights came from the Renault 12, and door handles were adapted from the Peugeot 505.

Chassis

The Murena introduced an innovative chassis design that closely resembled a full unibody structure. Differing from the Bagheera’s framework, it featured a redesigned rear cradle accommodating an updated suspension system and was fully galvanised to combat rust—marking it as the first production automobile with all chassis elements made from galvanised steel. The vehicle was produced exclusively in left-hand drive configuration, with only a small number of right-hand drive conversions performed by Wooler-Hodec.

Bodywork

The Murena showcased completely new aerodynamic styling, achieving a drag coefficient of 0.328. The rear hatch allowed access both to the mid-mounted engine bay and luggage compartment. A notable design element was its three-seat arrangement aligned in a single row; the center seat could fold down to serve as an armrest. Unlike the Bagheera’s 2+1 seating format, the Murena offered three individual seats.

Its twelve principal body panels were constructed from fibreglass epoxy using the "sheet moulding compound" technique. Combined with its galvanised chassis, this made the car almost impervious to rust except for some vulnerability in the rear suspension trailing arms. The Murena was available in ten different paint options such as platinum metallic, coral metallic, Hudson green, mephisto red, titanium gray, cinnamon metallic, mimosa yellow, along with two variations of Colombia blue.

Suspension

The front suspension system was carried over from the Bagheera, featuring upper and lower transverse A-arms paired with longitudinal torsion bars, hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar. At the rear, suspension was enhanced by replacing torsion bars with semi-trailing arms mounted on coil springs combined with telescopic shock absorbers; this setup also included an anti-roll bar.

Powertrain

Two engine options were offered: a standard 1.6-litre Poissy unit and a higher-performance 2.2-litre Type 180 engine. The 2.2-litre variant could be upgraded with the "Préparation 142" performance kit, which boosted power from 118 PS to 142 PS. Initially, this enhancement was installed by dealers, but for the final 480 vehicles, it became a factory feature under the Murena S designation. The regular 2.2-litre engines featured a single Solex down-draught carburetor, whereas the S models were equipped with twin Solex side-draught carburetors.

The Murena utilized a 5-speed manual transaxle sourced from either the Citroën CX or Lancia Beta, depending on the production year. Although final-drive ratios varied between models, the transaxle design remained consistent.

Technical details

Model:	Murena 1.6	Murena 2.2	Murena 2.2 "Préparation 142" and Murena S
Engine	1.6-litre Poissy	2.2-litre Type 180
Orientation	Transverse
Cylinders	4 cylinders
Valves	8 valves (2 per cylinder)
Camshaft	Single cam-in-block with overhead valves (OHV)	Single overhead camshaft (SOHC)	Single overhead camshaft (SOHC), custom profile
Displacement	1,592 cc (97.1 cu in)	2,155 cc (131.5 cu in)
Bore x Stroke	80.6 mm x 78 mm	91.7 mm x 81.6 mm
Compression ratio	9.35:1	9.45:1	9.5:1
Power	92 PS (68 kW; 91 hp) at 5600 rpm	118 PS (87 kW; 116 hp) at 5800 rpm	142 PS (104 kW; 140 hp) at 6000 rpm
Torque	132 N⋅m (97 lb⋅ft) at 3200 rpm	181 N⋅m (133 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm	183 N⋅m (135 lb⋅ft) at 3800 rpm
Catalyst	No
Fuel grade	RON 97
Carburation	One Weber 36 DCNVA two-barrel carburetor	One Solex Carburetor 34 CIC F two-barrel down-draught carburetor	Two Solex 40 ADDHE two-barrel side-draught carburetors, intake manifold with separate runners
Transmission	5-speed Manual transmission manual

Driving impressions

In May of 1981, automotive writer LJK Setright commended the Murena’s suspension system as being "so superb that it need never go slowly." Although it was not designed for rapid acceleration, the Murena demonstrated exceptional capability in maintaining elevated speeds on curvy roads, surpassing the entry-level Porsche 924, equaling the Lancia Monte Carlo, and only being outmatched in nimbleness by the Fiat X1/9. Setright observed that it exceeded the Porsche 911 in terms of balance and steering responsiveness, calling it "one of the most sweetly responsive cars that ever offered a driver a choice of how to steer through a bend." He also suggested that an increase in power would enhance its performance further.

Model year changes

1981
Launch of the Murena with the introduction of the 1.6 model, quickly followed by the release of the 2.2 version.

1982
The "Préparation 142" upgrade became available for the 2.2-litre engine. New colors were added along with a black interior option; however, bordeaux was discontinued.

1983
Interior updates for the 2.2 model included striped velvet upholstery and seat designs that matched those of the 1.6 version.

1984
Production of both the 1.6 and standard 2.2 models ceased, leaving only the Murena S in production.

Production figures

Manufacture of the Murena 1.6 model commenced in November 1980, with the 2.2 version launching shortly thereafter. Production ceased in July 1983 when Matra transitioned to producing the initial generation of the Renault Espace minivan.

Murena 1.6: 5,640 units produced
Murena 2.2: 4,560 units produced
Murena S: 480 units produced
Overall production total: 10,680 units

Prototypes and special editions

The "4S" prototype incorporated a 16-valve cylinder head on its 2.2-litre engine, delivering power output at 6,000 rpm and torque at 4,500 rpm, alongside broader wheel arches and more pronounced spoilers.
A singular Murena was adapted to house a longitudinally mounted 3-litre Matra MS81 Formula 1 V12 engine.
Politecnic engineered four-wheel-drive versions of the Murena tailored for French rallycross events, utilizing a longitudinal ROC engine coupled with a Hewland FT200 gearbox.
Group 4 rally variants featuring Sodemo-enhanced engines for Rallye Monte Carlo were also developed by Politecnic.
Maurelec created a rallycross-specific Murena equipped with a turbocharged 1150cc engine.
In partnership with driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise, Politecnic crafted racing kits and a specialized Matra-Politecnic-Beltoise model featuring unique bodywork, interior alterations, and a Group 4 engine rated at 184 hp.
German company Saier designed a body kit transforming the Murena’s appearance to resemble the BMW M1; this led to successful legal action by BMW against Saier.
Coachbuilder Henri Chapron presented the Murena Chapron Chimère, notable for its detachable roof panel, at the 1982 Paris Motor Show.

Motorsport involvement

In 1981, a Politecnic-prepared Murena powered by an engine built by Bernard “Nanard” Mangé and Dany Snobeck (SODEMO) participated in Rallye Monte Carlo but retired prematurely.

The same vehicle also competed in the 1981 1000 Pistas Rally with Jean-Pierre Beltoise as driver and singer Véronique Jannot as co-driver, withdrawing due to failure of an engine mount.

Both Marcel Morel (Maurelec) and Politecnic developed vehicles for the French Rallycross championship; Morel utilized a Murena 1.6 platform whereas Politecnic concentrated on modified 2.2 models powered by ROC or SODEMO engines.

Murenas tuned by Politecnic achieved:

Three French Rallycross championship titles
One European Championship (second division)
One French Mountain Cup title

Prominent competitors included Jean-Pierre Beltoise, Max Mamers, Rémy Julienne, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, Johnny Servoz-Gavin, Jean-Claude Andruet, Marcel Morel, and Philippe Wambergue.

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