Most insane familiy van EVER?! – Renault Espace F1 HOT WHEELS FEATURETTE
More than insane...
It simply was a crazy story. In the mid-1990s, Renault launched a one-off version of the Espace. With an 811 hp naturally aspirated V10 engine from Formula 1, which accelerated the family van to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds. Now it is finally coming to us as a Hot Wheels Mainliner base model. We take another look back at one of the most extreme vehicles that has ever existed.
A Renault Espace can do a lot, for example packing up the extended family and taking them on holiday in comfort. But accelerating to 100 km/h as fast as a current Porsche 911 GT2 RS with 700 hp, a McLaren 765LT with 765 hp or a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ with 770 hp? It sounds absurd, but an Espace can actually sprint just as fast. And exactly one. The story is now a quarter of a century old, sounds like fiction, but actually happened. In the mid-1990s, Renault, the Williams Formula 1 team and the French company Matra, which mass-produced the Espace, turned the family van into a real monster. Externally and technically.
Renault with a V10 in the back!
Williams and Renault had been working together in Formula 1 since 1989, with the English team building the chassis of the racing cars and taking care of the mechanics and aerodynamics. The French contributed the engine. To mark the 10th anniversary of the Espace in 1994 - and after three joint constructors' titles in a row in Formula 1 - the partners produced a one-off car based on a carbon chassis and fitted with a ten-cylinder engine. To achieve this, the interior was stripped out and fitted with four carbon fibre bucket seats.
In the Espace prototype, the 40-valve engine in the mid-engine position even produces 811 hp and develops a maximum torque of 705 Newton metres, according to Renault. Power transmission is handled by a six-speed semi-automatic transmission from Williams. It sits behind the engine in the boot. The driver changes gears using buttons on the steering wheel. Passengers are exposed to insane driving performance. The Espace F1, which weighs around 1.1 tonnes, should not only accelerate to 100 km/h in under three seconds, but also break the 200 mark in less than seven seconds. There are various rumours about the top speed. Sometimes it is said that the Formula 1 Espace is capable of 300 km/h. Other sources speak of over 310 km/h. Despite traction control, there is an acute risk of burnout. The driver has to stroke the accelerator rather than spin. With slick tyres from Michelin, which are 27 centimetres wide at the front and 36 centimetres wide at the rear, the one-off is said to have generated lateral acceleration forces of up to 2G in bends. This also required aerodynamic modifications. The front of the vehicle has enlarged air intakes with an integrated front wing. A diffuser spreads out at the rear. And half of the roof is covered by a large wing that generates downforce. Gearbox in the boot, wing on the roof: the holiday luggage had to stay at home.
The ten-cylinder engine screeches in the interior at around 160 decibels. Of course, the concept car did not make it into series production. But it proved that even a rather staid family car with a high centre of gravity can be turned into a rocket on four wheels. Whether it is drivable or undrivable remains to be seen. Huge gills are slotted into the driver and passenger doors, but they serve no purpose and are just for show. Which brings us to the actual purpose of this vehicle: actually none at all. But show and shine was a must. Incidentally, the engine comes from last year's world champion car, the Williams FW15C from 1993 with Alain Prost as world champion. For comparison, we have brought its successor into the picture, the 1994 FW16 driven by Damon Hill and Ayrton Senna, in order to make a direct comparison with its predecessors.
The manufacturer Aoshima produced some of the most legendary Williams F1 models, including the FW16 from 1994. The Renault Espace F1 from Hot Wheels was a big surprise from Hot Wheels, because we haven't seen a French car as a mainline model for ages. You won't find the normal Megane either, but who cares when you can get a very successful mainline model of the 800bhp F1 for just under $2? Hot Wheels mainliners were and still are an absolute must in terms of price/performance. A few corrections such as colouring the large roof spoiler black are only minor cosmetic improvements that bring the Espace F1 closer to the original.
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