What Do You Think About Renault Espace F1 Revival Rendering?
by AutoExpert | 26 February, 2021
The rendering is based on the endangered Renault’s 1994 Espace F1 Concept. The designer stated that he tried to keep the Espace’s theme while adding modern styling of the current Espace and some new details. The real Espace F1 successor will be released as a Renault Alpine, the concept that shows a Renault renaming the Formula 1 team.
The original Espace F1 was a van with the powertrain from a 1993 FW15C Formula 1 car and a carbon-fiber body to sustain the minivan’s weight down to a low 2,866 pounds. The engine was coupled to a six-speed semi-automatic transmission with a rear-wheel drive.
The built of this apparently insane concept was great cooperation with Matra as a mid-engine family hauler with a V10 engine from the 1993 F1 car. The F1-powered van was indeed a revelation. The main purpose was to complete the 0-168 mph task at a distance of fewer than 600 meters. This is what Renault managed to prove - a minivan can achieve the impossible if combined with a Formula 1 screaming engine.
Almost three decades later an artist decided to resurrect the rear-wheel-drive minivan. The minivan was powered by an impressive for the 90s 3.5-liter engine which able to produce up to 820 hp. A Renault without other Espace minivans means that any choice for the F! concept would become a huge success. A replacement for the usual loud V10 NA engine with an electrified one – a 1.6-liter V6 turbo delivering 1,000 hp.
Back in 1994 Renault actually was the bright star of the Paris Motor show with the Espace F1 and was built as the minivan’s ten years of celebration. The Espace F1 was initially offered with all-wheel-drive which later was replaced with a second-generation with a traditional front-engine, front-wheel-drive setup. The minivan impressed and was called “the most ludicrous minivan ever build.”