Y'ALL REMEMBER THE BONKERS RENAULT ESPACE F1 FROM 1995? SOMEONE JUST TOOK THE COVERS OFF FOR A CLOSER LOOK.
In 1995, Renault decided to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Espace, its iconic family MPV by creating something truly unexpected - a Formula 1-powered minivan. What they came up with was the Renault Espace F1, a concept that fused the practicality of a minivan with the blistering speed of an F1 car. At the core of the Espace F1’s insanity was its 3.5-litre Renault RS5 V10 engine, the very same one used in Renault’s Williams FW15C Formula 1 car. This engine had been dominating the F1 scene, powering the likes of Alain Prost and Damon Hill to multiple victories. The Espace F1 produced a screaming 588 kW (800 hp) at 13,000 rpm, launching this 4-seater family van into supercar territory. Drivetribe’s Mike Fernie travelled to the Matra museum in France to have a look at the Espace F1 that got as popular as it did thanks to the Gran Turismo game. The Espace F1 wasn’t just about slapping a massive engine into a regular Espace. The engineers at Renault Sport and Matra (the company that built the Espace’s chassis) re-engineered the entire car. They replaced much of the bodywork with carbon fibre, reducing weight and giving the Espace F1 the structural integrity to handle the V10's ferocious power. The suspension was adapted from an F1 car, using double wishbones, and the braking system featured carbon-ceramic brakes - a first for a vehicle resembling a minivan. Huge front and rear wings provided downforce, and the rear of the vehicle looked more like a race car than anything designed to take kids to soccer practice. The Espace F1 was bizarre in the best way. It had four racing bucket seats, each equipped with a full harness system. Imagine taking your family out for a ride, only instead of gentle cruising, you’re strapped in and hurtling down the road at F1 speeds.
The driver sat at the front in typical Espace fashion, but the rear passengers? They got the Formula 1 experience too, with open views of the roaring V10 engine, which was mid-mounted where the third row of seats would normally be. Instead of just hearing the engine, you could feel it rumbling behind you as it screamed its way past 13,000 rpm. Perhaps the most insane part of the Espace F1 wasn’t just how fast it was, but how it sounded. The high-pitched wail of the V10 was like nothing a minivan had ever produced. This wasn’t just about performance; it was about theatre. Imagine the sheer confusion of bystanders as this family van howled down the track like an F1 car. It was, and still is, one of the most dramatic engine notes in automotive history. The Espace F1 remains a legend to this day, for those with a keen memory. It’s the perfect example of what happens when carmakers let their imaginations run wild and push the boundaries of what’s possible without the constraints of the bean counters keeping check on budgets.
Key Specs:
Engine: F1-spec 3.5-litre Renault RS5 V10
Horsepower: 800 hp @ 13,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed semi-automatic (F1-style paddle shift)
0-100 km/h: 2.8 seconds
Top Speed: Over 300 km/h
Brakes: Carbon-ceramicTake a look at the YouTube video from Drivetribe that shows Mike Fernie travelling to the Matra museum in France to take a look at this absolutely insane F1-powered concept van that every kid in the late 90s wished would become a real thing: This Renault Espace has an 800bhp F1 V10 engine! | Drivetribe
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