GTP Cool Wall: Renault Espace F1

[Wiegert]

It's one of those cars where I've always admired the concept, simply for being so unhinged. But at the same time I don't consider it to be cool. Looks like a complete mess which I've never liked.

 

[skynyrd]

It makes me grin.

Cool.

 

[MoLiEG]

A stupid fast minivan, with an F1 engine and 800hp????

Thats sub-zero on my book!!! 👍

And its a Gran Turismo Legend, too

 

[BKGlover]

The cool wall concept is being broken by all these race cars. Just the same as race cars cannot get their times on the power board, race cars cannot go on the cool wall.

Then it's been broken since cars 56 and 61, Bigfoot and the Lancia Delta S4 respectively.

The only real explanation needed is that good cars aren't necessarily always cool, and bad cars aren't necessarily always uncool. Trouble then arises if people don't disassociate their fondness for a particular car from its coolness.

And they don't. Even back to the Honda Jazz kick-off, this was an issue.

I tend to vote mostly on whether I think a car is cool or not, and then add or deduct points depending on whether Average Joe on the street might think I'm cool or a bit of a knob for driving it. If you think a car is cool but the world hates you for driving it, it probably isn't as cool as you'd think.

Hence my Espace vote above. I think it's cool (rare, F1 engineering, completely barmy etc), but if you drove it down the street people not into cars would wonder why you'd painted an MPV gold and put a fart cannon on it...

I actually try to leave practicality out of this, but for the most part you've got the idea.

I vote on whether or not I think the car is cool, and like hfs, add or subtract points based on how others might see it.

With that said I find the Espace F1 to be cool. F1 on its own is seriously uncool and minivans on their own are seriously uncool too, but put them both together and it sort of works in a weird Frankenstein sort of a way. Plus it's a vehicle that was built for the sake of answering a question no one asked, and at times that can be cool.

OK, look at my reasons, then daan, then hfs, now Joey. See the problem?

The problem is that this is an entity on a forum, and therefore cannot proceed like the Top Gear Cool Wall(has it been used since Series 17?). If I, or Joey, or boiltheocean decided that we were now Jeremy Clarkson, therefore it goes where we want it to in defiance of everyone and everything, I'm willing to bet it would die quickly. Hammond and Clarkson make rules on the fly, change things around when the mood strikes them, and while sometimes they make a good point, the rest is outlandish hogwash. Cross-eyed Morgan or Saying 'Wankle' anyone?

But this is a public domain, and therefore needs some ground rules. I understand that the 917, S4, R10, 'Red Pig', etc. aren't allowed on the TG Cool Wall, but we left that behind when voting was introduced. Besides, is the 911 GT3 RS not but a few small steps from race car itself?

I honestly don't know how to appease everyone. We could do the Racing Cool Wall, but were does it end? One for modifieds, one for prototypes, one for people. What the hell am I supposed to do?

 

[Clark]

Uncool, it's not an Espace. If it had all the seats still it would be cool.

 

[Cano]

I honestly don't know how to appease everyone. We could do the Racing Cool Wall, but were does it end? One for modifieds, one for prototypes, one for people. What the hell am I supposed to do?

You can't appease everyone, and you can't do anything really, there will always be whinning from one point of view or another. So just keep on doing what you're doing, sit back once you post a new entry, and enjoy.

 

[zedextreme8177]

Sub-zero from me, pointlessly awesome!

 

[edawg456]

Absolutely Sub-Zero. I've always had a soft spot for this thing.

Same here

 

[Wolfe]

Quirky is usually cool in my book, but this is a mega tryhard in the "quirky" department, to the point that it's just a clown of a car. It's just too obvious of a "HEY LOOK HOW QUIRKY I AM GUYS", it's actually rather well-known/famous, and it has that really stupid spoiler. It's not cool, it's a hipster of a car, and the spoiler is its black thick-rimmed glasses. I vote uncool.

 

[Bopop4]

^It's highly functional though.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

Leave it as is.

A car is a car, no matter what it was designed for.

 

[disinfected]

This one was cool in Gran Turismo 2....but anywhere else it's seriously uncool. I don't know if it's fair to call it a "5-door MPV."

 

[Famine]

Then it's been broken since cars 56 and 61, Bigfoot and the Lancia Delta S4 respectively.

And daan voted both... uncool because race car

However, I have a numerical issue here...

Renault Espace F1 nominated by rallymorten

Stats that Matter:
Status: Concept
Built: 1 (1995)​

The rumours still remain that there were three, but there were very definitely at least two. And you can see both of those two together here:

​

 

[playnthru]

Didn't one have four seats, or the capability to add two more seats?

zero headroom!

 

[Famine]

Kind of, yes. One was a two seater and one a four seater.

I recall the third was built the following year, but I've only got my memory of 17 years ago when I was doing A-Levels as any kind of information on that.

 

[BKGlover]

I noticed he voted that way. Consistent for sure.

As for number, I hadn't read about more than the one, so I'll change that asap.

 

[Doodle]

It's a van with an 800hp V10. Sub zero.

 

[Crash]

Uncool. Lose the wings and the ridiculous body kit, and add the seats back in, then sub zero.

 

[Yauma9]

I'd love to bring one of these to a drag strip, be called a ricer by some dude, and then smoke him.
Sub-Zero for the possibilites.

 

[Roo]

I tend to vote mostly on whether I think a car is cool or not, and then add or deduct points depending on whether Average Joe on the street might think I'm cool or a bit of a knob for driving it. If you think a car is cool but the world hates you for driving it, it probably isn't as cool as you'd think.

I vote on whether I think it's cool, and that's it. I don't care what other people think is cool.

Uncool. Lose the wings and the ridiculous body kit, and add the seats back in, then sub zero.

It needs the wings, otherwise it's got F1 power without any downforce. The wings aren't just for show.

In terms of seats:

Personally, I love this thing. It's pointless, but crazy pointless (as opposed to the BMW X6, which is dull pointless), so sub zero for me.

 

[Lotus Exige S]

sub cool! as it's so different..👍

 

[Lotus Exige S]

I vote on whether I think it's cool, and that's it. I don't care what other people think is cool.



It needs the wings, otherwise it's got F1 power without any downforce. The wings aren't just for show.

In terms of seats:

Personally, I love this thing. It's pointless, but crazy pointless (as opposed to the BMW X6, which is dull pointless), so sub zero for me.

BINGO!!!👍

 

[RDF97]

1 - There's no point to it what so ever!

2 - What were they thinking of?

3 - Why have an F1 dressed up in the body of a Renault Espace?

It's would be like having Miranda Kerr dressing up as Robin Williams as Mrs Doubtfire for halloween. Madness!

 

[playnthru]

I knew I recalled a four seat version.

I'm glad Famine's memory isn't as shoddy as mine.

 

[BKGlover]

Out of curiosity, how the hell does that engine get enough air to work, and how do the "passengers" in the back not have their lungs explode when said engine is at full tilt?

 

[RDF97]

Uncool. Lose the wings and the ridiculous body kit, and add the seats back in, then sub zero.

But what would be the point of having a car which is used to ferry usually children around to school with an engine which is going to rendered useless. Why would you put an 800hp V10 in a Renault Espace?

Think of it like this. When you're a kid, you look up to supercars; Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. Yes. Who has ever looked up to that when they were a kid?

 

[Joey D]

Think of it like this. When you're a kid, you look up to supercars; Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. Yes. Who has ever looked up to that when they were a kid?

Kids who played GT2 I'd imagine.

 

[Murcie_LP640]

Think of it like this. When you're a kid, you look up to supercars; Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. Yes. Who has ever looked up to that when they were a kid?

And yet according to the traditional Cool Wall, which are the cars that still tend to be Uncool?

 

[AudiMan2011]

Why would you put an 800hp V10 in a Renault Espace?

Probably the same reason why VW put a 650hp W12 in the Golf GTI. In essence to answer questions nobody asks, or would want to ask.

 

[NFSCARBON1]

Kids who played GT2 I'd imagine.

Agreed here. I was amazed how many hybrid Avantime F1's appeared in GT5 after it was mentioned on these forums. Most people said they just wanted a replica of the Espace F1 from GT2!

 

[Panoz]

Out of curiosity, how the hell does that engine get enough air to work, and how do the "passengers" in the back not have their lungs explode when said engine is at full tilt?

Hard to tell from the picture, but the air intakes on the roof might been for the engine. As for the back seat passengers lungs exploding by the engine, not a bad way to go out with the sound you hear.