renault espace F1

  • Thread starter morganhead
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morganhead

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have any of you guys in this forum driven the renault espace F1? you know, the world's fastest minivan? I love how they said that seeing it on a track was like seeing a "sped-up movie":lol: :lol:
 
morganhead
have any of you guys in this forum driven the renault espace F1? you know, the world's fastest minivan? I love how they said that seeing it on a track was like seeing a "sped-up movie":lol: :lol:
Click to expand...

Yeah..that was one of the first cars that made go WTF??? What the HELL is THAT? Funny thing is, I didn't actually race it for the next 2 years. I got all caught up in hundreds of other cars.

But yeah, I just did the World Cup in an Espace...it looks unbelievable in replays
 
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i loved the espace f1. it was the first car other than the escudo that i bought when i figured out how to get good money. i wonder what racing class renault made it for though because ive never heard of a van class.

 
TEAMDiablo3
i loved the espace f1. it was the first car other than the escudo that i bought when i figured out how to get good money. i wonder what racing class renault made it for though because ive never heard of a van class.
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They made it just because they could.
 
TEAMDiablo3
i loved the espace f1. it was the first car other than the escudo that i bought when i figured out how to get good money. i wonder what racing class renault made it for though because ive never heard of a van class.

Click to expand...

I'm reciting this from memory so don't quote me or anything, but the Espace was partially developed by a Formula 1 driver. It wasn't a race car so far as I know, it was one of those concept/show cars, but it does have an F1 engine and therefore can go very fast. :D Renault only made one example.
 
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oh, it would be a wicked cool race car though. it would be hilarious and amazing seing it at an f1 race. actually, i remember i used to have a hotwheels car of the espace and i thought it was wicked cool, but i never knew what it was
 
TEAMDiablo3
oh, it would be a wicked cool race car though. it would be hilarious and amazing seing it at an f1 race. actually, i remember i used to have a hotwheels car of the espace and i thought it was wicked cool, but i never knew what it was
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Yeah it would be cool, but unfortunately it's not dispensible. :) Which is why we get to race it in a videogame that costs $14.00 used. ;)

I had hotwheels & matchbox cars, too, but I barely remember any of them. This would have been in the early to mid 70's :embarrassed:
 
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Here's a pic of the inside of it:



No room for groceries in the back!
 
Parnelli Bone
I"m reciting this from memory so don't quote me or anything, but the Espace was partialy developed by a Formula 1 driver. It wasn't a race car so far as i know, it was one of those concept/show cars, but it does have an F1 engine and therefore can go very fast. :D Renault only made one example.
Click to expand...

Not a driver, by the Williams F1 Team. At the time Renault powered their F1 cars, so williams did the Espace F1 with the engine and gearbox.
 
sucahyo
From what I remember Espace is used as safety car in some racing
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An Espace maybe, though I've never noticed, but not an Espace F1 that's for sure.
 
Sorry DQuaN but the Espace F1 wasn't built by Williams at all.
It was a concept car build in 1995 for the 10th anniversary of the joint-venture between Renault and Matra, and it's true that is was equipped with the Renault RS4 V10 3.5l engine. The same engine the Williams F1 team was using when they had won the Championship in the previous years.

Some figures :
power : 800hp
0 - 100 km/h : 2.9 sec
0 - 200 km/h : 6.3 sec
top speed : about 312 km/h
300 - 70 km/h : 80 m (braking distance)

A rumor says it was supposed to be given to the FIA as a pace car, but it eventually wasn't since starting the engine requires the help of a mechanic. Another urban legend IMO.

And don't you find that it looks like the Clio V6 when viewed from behind ?
46257389.jpg
 
Flat-out
Sorry DQuaN but the Espace F1 wasn't built by Williams at all.
It was a concept car build in 1995 for the 10th anniversary of the joint-venture between Renault and Matra, and it's true that is was equipped with the Renault RS4 V10 3.5l engine. The same engine the Williams F1 team was using when they had won the Championship in the previous years.

Some figures :
power : 800hp
0 - 100 km/h : 2.9 sec
0 - 200 km/h : 6.3 sec
top speed : about 312 km/h
300 - 70 km/h : 80 m (braking distance)

A rumor says it was supposed to be given to the FIA as a pace car, but it eventually wasn't since starting the engine requires the help of a mechanic. Another urban legend IMO.

And don't you find that it looks like the Clio V6 when viewed from behind ?
46257389.jpg
Click to expand...

so what is that top speed in mph?
 
Flat-out
Sorry DQuaN but the Espace F1 wasn't built by Williams at all.
It was a concept car build in 1995 for the 10th anniversary of the joint-venture between Renault and Matra, and it's true that is was equipped with the Renault RS4 V10 3.5l engine. The same engine the Williams F1 team was using when they had won the Championship in the previous years.
Click to expand...

Didn't the Espace F1 also have the gearbox, suspension, brakes and tyres from Williams F1 cars? You don't just get those those type of major components without some kind of involvement with the F1 team.
 
In GT2, the Espace has alot of power, but tends to be nervous in the corners. It's not very reliable as a winner unless you have tha skillz.
 
The pic I posted came from a recent sighting of the Espace; but I'm not sure where.


Edit: It's from the 2004 Goodwood Festival of Speed. One example (if there's more than one?) of the Renault Espace F1 is currently in the Matra museum in Romorantin, central France, according to a member of the Autosport Nostalgia Forum.
 
I imagine the 4 seat configuration is just for press pictures and was never intended to be run. There are no harnesses in the rear seats and the passengers would be sitting within a couple of inches of a 140dB F1 engine, with the injectors spraying fuel just below their legs.
 
The car was run around a track with the rear seats fixed in place, there was two people in the car, both up front though.
 
Rumour has it that there were THREE Espace F1s. One was a two seater, as shown by Pupik. One had "more" seats (likely four, but there's many references to it being a 200mph seven-seater). I've got nothing on the other one.

But I can't back any of this up right now.
 
Here's what I know/remember.

It was built using the engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes & wheels of the williams. It was built to give VIPs a near F1 experience (this was way before the McLaren/Minardi/Arrows 2 seat F1 cars.) I've seen photos of it with the 4 seats (never 7) and Alain Prost driving it with a passenger. I don't remember seeing photos of it with anyone in the back. I'll check my Autocourse annual for that year when I go home just incase there's any info in that.
 
I see, maybe it is different build, since the inside is also different.
It still look cool though 👍



I try this car again in GT2, and I just can stop the rear from hopping in trial mountain, I end up using 20.0/2.0 spring rate :P.
 
I love this car, our family used to own one of the older Espaces and I wanted to 'pimp it out' like the F1 for a school project. Man I love that car, oh wait, I already said that...
Danisfast
 
i know about the espace F1 well limited knowledge so no qoutes and from what i remember from a program about it there were 3 made and the four seater actually had 4 people in when i saw it going around the track and all the seats where filled up, it was rally going for it and it does look like a clio V6 from behind, this car is amazingly fast if you know how to drive it well but it has 1 problem.test course and any other banked corners are its worst enemy lol and dont you think it should be in GT4?
 

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