Today’s cars are pretty damn impressive. Not only are they faster than ever, but it seems like automakers are getting less and less averse to building crazy one-off projects. In my mind though, nothing has been able to top Renault’s Espace F1 – the Formula 1-powered minivan from the 1990s. You can find out more about this V10-powered legend in Jonathan Moore’s excellent story from his visit to Matra
You can also check out this old school French video from ’95, which shows none other than Alain Prost putting the ridiculous minivan to the test. Crazy, yes. But it’s also completely awesome.
Mike Garrett
Instagram: speedhunters_mike
mike@speedhunters.com
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Still prefer the original Ford supervans
The Espace F1 is superior. I love it so much. The show version was at the last Retromobile in Paris, some pics of mine are here http://freeryde.tumblr.com/page/6
Back in the day that french tv show was great...
that glorious sound!
much better then those v6 f1 engines now ..
It's such a jarring video - its like the sound of an F1 car has been dubbed over a speeded-up video of a Renault Espace. The video doesn't match the noise!
Love it!
Just had a massive warm moment of nostalgia.. Anyone else remember driving this in one of the earlier Gran Turismo games? Amazing!
It is the fastest minivan in circuit!!. @Jack I still remember when I chose in the game Gran Turismo and do time I got on the Suzuka circuit
Very fond memories of my own slate grey '89 Mk2 V6 Quadra Espace. Hellishly expensive to run and maintain, appalling build quality but highly tuneable (270bhp from the Matra-sourced three litre) and would lay fwd stripes for as long as you were prepared to hold your foot in. Battling the torquesteer was better than any gym too... awesome in an understated Dad-wagon kind of way as nothing could catch it from the lights across London on the school run... sold it to Williams and regretted it immediately. Still have an Avantime in storage but even it's obvious weirdness doesn't quite match the Quadra's quirkiness.
^^^ THIS.
@Jack Yup. GT2. I remember seeing that tachometer that goes to 18k rpm and having my jaw fall off!
Honeydown cottage You sir have impeccable taste. I would like to buy you a beer, but I suspect you probably only drink something distilled from rarity and filtered through awesome.
Imagine riding this of Ford Supervan, behind some fatty SUV like Hennessey Escalade with face like "get out of my way, grandpa".
Imagine riding this or Ford Supervan, behind some fatty SUV like Hennessey Escalade with face like "get out of my way, grandpa".
Didn't this thing have the active suspension of the Williams F1 car also? Fond memories though. A time when we followed new vehicles via car magazines only...
So if this is a one off why are there 2 in the garage in the video? Did they make 2? Would still love to have one.
Speedhunters_Bryn Honeydown cottage I like the cut of your strides too sunshine! There's a custard T5R wagon wedged against the Avantime just waiting for my current '01 E46 330 touring beagle beach wagon to expire before it sees the light of day again. Everyone needs a longroof...
Robert Hooker Renault made a prototype without engine,and after they made a second Espace with a F1 engine
really wish you did a full feature
Why is the Stig in the passenger seat?
This is what I'd call awesome, just imagine such a thing beating all cars at the traffic light.
Because he's the stig. He is everywhere. Some say he defies the laws of time and space and can be found in pictures or videos of important moments throughout time.
"How dare you, she's a nice lady!" Oh sorry, I was thinking of Hangover when I read that your post.
Yah, I agree... The sound of the new turbo v6 "power unit" leaves a lot of be desired. Kinda sad and kinda funny that when we watch old f1 vids we will think "damn, those old engines sounded a lot better than the new engines... ." However, there is some irony in the fact that we are talking about how the new f1 engines don't sound as nice as their predecessors and that this article is on a Renault F1 minivan. A lot of force and pressure for the engine change came from Renault who championed the change and even went as far as threatening to leave F1 in 2011 if the change was not adopted by the FIA. Their reasoning was that the F1 cars needed to become more closely aligned with the cars that automakers were designing and manufacturing today--synergy. So Renault was integral to the destruction if the iconic sound... Well at least for this year. I'm sure they'll find a way to improve the sound.
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1/f1-engine-debate-rages-on/
I have seen this car many years ago in a Renault showroom in Paris. It was a true beast!
I remember it being a whole rear cradle of a F1 car. Complete with the same suspension, brakes and transmission.
The ONLY minivan I'd ever drive, EVER!
Get my kids to school in style.
this car featured in Gran Turismo 2 for PS1 last time..
You know right off the bat this things sounds way better than any current F1 cars!
JakWhite Really wish we could extract it from the museum to do one... We did ask.
honeydew pottage Dave Gilmour had an early 850T5 saloon that came up for sale locally to me once, but as we all now the estate is just soo much better. As for an Avantime and a T5? Too much obscure goodness in one place.
I never get tired of seeing this video...
It's a truly breathtaking-looking vehicle. Benoit Jacob actually took the hint with the symmetrical radii-encompassing the wheelarches, and applied it on the Renault-Sport Spider (another very crazy-proportioned, totally radical car from Renault).
The same trick (to a less noticable extent) was also used in the rear wheelarch of the Logan Ph.1, a car styled by the same Benoit Jacob...
The Espace F1, IMHO, might easily make it into one of the top-5 concept cars ever made.
@Jack yup. was so eager to get the car and run it on the test track oval.
Senna badge on Posts right arm at the end
haha.. one of my favorite car in Gran Turismo for PS1, where is it now?
Speedhunters_Bryn honeydew pottage T5 was my ex company car. Kept it when I moved on and ragged it for a few years but didn't have the heart to sell it. R-only 17" alloys were refurb'd recently so it's getting closer to tarmac by the week. Like your stable, there's a queue ahead of it though... '73 Winnebago, '66 Land/VW 'hybrid' - all good fun!
...et seul compte le chant du 10 cylindres dans la ligne droite du Mystral !
great simulation mode in gt1, favorite van always
Excuse my French but... DAT FOKIN SOUND!!!
Wow - This is when F1 cars SOUNDED LIKE F1 cars ......
Remember seeing this thing smashing it around Silverstone when I was a kid. The only cars that lapped quicker were the F1 cars. This was quicker than the F3s and the Porsches!
wow. This is so bad ass!! hahahaa
Gran Turismo 2 introduced me to this.
WHY HAVE I ONLY JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS!?!?
I USED TO PLAY GRAN TRUISMO 2 LIKE CRAZY SO WHY DON'T I REMEMBER IT!?!?
I DON'T EVEN CARE IF I WAS FIVE I SHOULD REMEMBER THIS PIECE OF AWESOME!!!!