At the start of the '90s, Renault enjoyed great success in Formula 1 thanks to its partnership with the Williams team and won the world title thanks to Nigel Mansell in 1992.
A completely crazy idea is brewing in the minds of executives, engineers and marketing executives at Renault and Matra, the company that produces the Espace minivan (minivan). Since 1994 will mark the tenth anniversary of the launch of the Espace, Renault and Matra decide to create the fastest and craziest minivan of all and which could perhaps even serve as a Safety Car during the Grands Prix .
The idea is to graft a Renault Formula 1 engine – the same one that powers the Williams – into a special Espace chassis. We're talking about a V10 engine with more than 800 horsepower and which screams at 14,000 rpm!
Passionate engineers from Matra, Williams and Renault are working on this crazy project. The design is entrusted to Thierry Métroz, the chassis is reviewed by Jean-Louis Caussin while Gérard Ducarouge is appointed project manager.
After months of work, the Espace F1 prototype was presented to the general public at the Paris Motor Show in 1994.
The monster, whose suspension has been lowered and reinforced, has a body widened by 25 centimeters. Two side air intakes supply the V10 with fresh air. At the rear, there is a huge spoiler. The front bumper houses two large radiators.
The chassis, designed by Philippe Moch's team, consists of a carbon monocoque which incorporates an aluminum honeycomb core. The hull is reinforced by a tubular aluminum structure. The V10 is placed in the central rear position and braking is provided by four carbon discs, like on an F1 car. The tires are Michelin.
Breathtaking performances!
The four occupants (the pilot and three lucky passengers) are seated in bucket seats, strapped in by three-point harnesses. Between those sitting in the back is the 3.5-liter, 40-valve naturally aspirated V10 from F1's Williams-Renault FW15C.
This fabulous engine develops 820 horsepower and is bolted to a Williams TG3 semi-automatic six-speed gearbox with steering wheel controls, operated not with paddles but with two buttons. Empty, the weight is relatively low at just 1,300 kilos.
Former F1 driver Éric Bernard is responsible for developing this truly unusual minivan. Its performance is astonishing: 0 to 100 km/h in 2”9, 0 to 200 km/h in 6”9, a maximum speed of 310 km/h and a staggering braking capacity which allows it to slow down from 300 to 70 km/h in just 80 meters.
Only three pilots had the chance to pilot this rocket: Éric Bernard, Alain Prost and Jean Ragnotti. Prost, the 1993 World Champion at the wheel of a Williams-Renault, was the luxury chauffeur for journalists and guests aboard this Espace on European circuits during the summer of 1994.
Two examples of the Espace F1 were produced. This is a rolling vehicle and a static model. The Espace which ran on the track is now kept at the Espace Automobiles Matra located in Romorantin. The second copy, the model, is stored in the Renault collection in Flins.
