Auto Z

Marussia Motors (Russian: Маруся [ma´rusja]) is a Russian sports car manufacturer founded in 2007. Its cars are notable for being the first sports cars to be made in Russia.

Marussia is the first Russian manufacturer of premium-class vehicles. It designed, developed and produces the B1 and the B2 sport cars in Russia. The Marussia B1 was launched on the 16 December, 2008 in the new Manege hall in Moscow, with the companys first showroom following in the city on the 10 September, 2010.

Marussia is led by Nikolay Fomenko. In 2010, it acquired a "significant stake" in the Virgin Racing Formula One team, which was renamed Marussia F1 Team from 2012.

The first Russian sports car and first car made by Marussia Motors. It has a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. Marussia has announced they will build only a limited run of 2999 units.

The B2 features a more aggressive and "brutal" design and is available with the same engines as the B1. The list price of this model is the same as the B1 - about 250,000 Euro. The B2 is officially out of production. It also features in Need For Speeds Most Wanted(2012) video game.

The Marussia F2 is an SUV model. According to Marussia it can be used as a mobile command center, as a military vehicle or as an emergency vehicle. The prototype was shown on May 2, 2010. The SUV model will be made 300 units in 2012 by Valmet Automotive.

The Marussia B1 and B2 models are based on the same semi-monocoque chassis with a steel spaceframe covered by carbon fiber panels - differing only in body shape.

Both Marussia sports models are mid-engined, with the engine mounted transversally on the back axle. The English company Cosworth supplies Marussia with two different V6 engines. One is a naturally aspirated 3.5 liter producing about 300 horsepower and the other is a 2.8 liter turbo-charged engine offered in 360 or 420 horsepower variants. The 420 horsepower engine allows Marussia cars to reach a claimed top speed of 250 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

The B1 and B2 use a six-speed automatic gearbox. A six-speed manual gearbox is in development.

The energy-absorbing cockpit is a three part space frame of steel tubes of different sections. The front and rear subframes are attached to a central cell. In an impact, the subframes are designed to absorb energy by deforming. The B1 and В2 vehicles have passed Russian safety tests and obtained their certification.