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Cars and Transportation

Vintage: 1966 Matra Djet 6 BJ

August 8, 2012

Half a century ago, a sportscar designed by Frenchman René Bonnet caused a sensation at the Paris Motor Show with both its eccentric design and innovative technology. The Djet had a fiberglass body, but what was really unusual about it was the location of the engine right behind the driver under a bump in the trunk.

https://p.dw.com/p/15lEu
Until then, the mid-engine concept had only been used in racing cars. The specifications of this first volume-production mid-engine model also reflect its motorsports inspiration: zero to 100 km/h in just eight seconds with a top speed of 210 km/h, powered by a relatively small 1300 cc engine.