Few prototypes have fascinated us as much as this madness from Renault in the ’90s. Mixing a Renault Espace with a Formula 1 sounds like real nonsensebut get ready to fall in love with this mechanical monstrosity that no one would dare to make today. The Renault Espace F1 marked an entire generationa minivan that was redesigned to be able to mount the Williams-Renault F1 V10 engineinstall 4 baquets and extract 800 CV to the delight of the most petrolhead.
If, like me, you are one of those lucky ones who had the opportunity to play Gran Turismo 2 on PlayStation, you will surely remember the Renault Espace F1 fondly. That virtual recreation was based on a very real car, a hypervitaminated minivan that arose as a tribute to the successes of the Espace in the market and to Renault in Formula 1.
Alain Prost drives the Renault Sport Espace F1 V10 around the Circuit Paul Ricard. #F1 🇫🇷pic.twitter.com/NTSoC4E4Uo
— F1 in the 1990s 🚦🏎🏁🏆🍾 (@1990sF1) December 8, 2022
Yes, although a priori it doesn’t make any sense, Renault decided to give its Formula 1 engineers a free hand to turn the harmless Espace into the ultimate racing car. For this, an extensive slimming program was used, eliminating any superfluous element, manufacturing a custom-made bodywork in carbon fiber and redesigning the entire interior, since In the middle of this enormous minivan, an atmospheric 3.5 V10 engine inherited from the Williams-Renault FW15C single-seaters had to be installed..
But not content with this, the “wizards” of Renault Motorsport decided to go as far as possible, because by not having to comply with FIA approvals, managed to extract 800 hp from the ten cylinder, they installed a sequential change of 6 relations, specific suspensions and carbon-ceramic brakes. Definitely, the Espace F1 had the name Espace and little elsehiding under such a hypermuscular bodywork a true Formula 1 of the time.
Legend has it that seeing it in action was quite an experience, and that is why today we have brought you this video recovered by the Twitter account “F1 in the 1990s” where Alain Prost himself pushes the Renault Espace F1 to the limit at the Paul Ricard circuit. With a truly deafening sound, a 0-100 km/h time of 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 315 km/h, this mechanical monstrosity is still scary to this day..
