Renault Avantime Dynamique 2002 - World Of Classic Cars -

Renault Avantime Dynamique 2002

Renault's 2+2 Coupe GT MPV concept wowed the crowds as well as the motoring press when revealed as a styling exercise at the Paris Motor Show in 1998. So much so that the concept, by Patrick Le Quement, was boldly taken into production largely unchanged. With design 'ahead of its time' the Avantime (French word "Avant" meaning "ahead" with English word "time") this flagship was packed full of luxuries, safety features and advanced engineering. Highlights included unique double-hinged 'kinematic' pillarless doors allowing easy access to the front and rear seats (even when tightly parked), the world's largest opening glass sunroof at the time featuring strengthened heat-reflecting tinted glass, theatre seating (rear positioned higher than the front), galvanised steel chassis with aluminium upper structure, cavernous 530 litre boot, xenon headlights, and a 'grand air' button which simultaneously opens all pillarless windows and sunroof at the press of one switch.

Renault Avantime Dynamique 2002

Following extensive delays in launching, just ten months after Avantime production started in 2001, Matra announced that they would cease all vehicle manufacturing.  Renault elected not to continue the Avantime themselves when Matra stopped assembling cars in 2003 so across 18 months only 4,557 Avantime's were built.
BBC's Top Gear positioned the Renault Avantime at 'Sub Zero' on the 'Cool Wall' stating it was cooler even than the Aston Martin Vanquish and "the coolest car money can buy".

Renault Clio V6 2001 - World Of Classic Cars -

Renault Clio V6 2001

When Renault launched the V6 Sport Clio in 2001, it was broadly based on the Renault Clio Mk. II; however, the V6 variant actually shares very little with its standard counterpart. The 3.0-Litre V6 engine was taken from the Renault Laguna and tuned to 227bhp before being placed into the middle of the Clio, replacing the rear seats, and turning this car into a 'very hot hatch'.  Capable of accelerating to 0-60 in just 6.2 seconds with a top speed of 146mph, the Clio V6 Sport was, in many ways, the spiritual successor to the wild, rally based mid-engine Renault Five Turbo of the 1980s. The Clio Mk. II had to be extensively reworked structurally to accommodate the transition, transforming the car from a front-engined, front wheel drive car, to a mid-engine, rear wheel drive machine. This is certainly not a car for the faint hearted; built in limited numbers and mainly driven by only the true enthusiasts of the day.

Renault 5 Turbo 2 1984 - World Of Classic Cars -

Renault 5 Turbo 2 1984

In 1980 Renault introduced the new R5 Turbo as a pure homologation special to compete in Group 4 racing and international rallies. The 5 Turbo was based on the production Renault 5 Alpine, but Renault engineers scrapped the standard front-engine, front wheel drive layout in favour of a mid-engine, rear-drive set up. In 1981 Jean Ragnotti and his co-driver Jean-Marc Andrie won the Monte Carlo Rally outright for Renault, and the following year Ragnotti won the Tour de Corse. In 1984 Group B homologation was sought for the Renault 5 Maxi Turbo to enable it to contest the World Rally

Renault 5 Turbo 2 1984

Championship. Ragnotti added another Tour de Corse win with the 5 Maxi Turbo in 1985. After the first batch of 400 road cars had been made to satisfy Group 4 homologation volume requirements, a second generation, known as the Turbo 2 was to follow.

Renault Avantime 'Privilege' 2002 - World Of Classic Cars -

Renault Avantime 'Privilege' 2002

Renault wowed the crowds and the motoring press with their 2+2 Coupe GT MPV concept when they revealed their Matra inspired styling exercise at the Paris Motor Show in 1998. The concept by Patrick Le Quement was boldly taken into production largely unchanged. Featuring design ahead of its time the Avantime (French word "Avant" meaning "ahead" with English word "time") was packed full of luxuries, safety features and advanced engineering. Highlights included unique double-hinged 'kinematic' pillarless doors allowing easy access to the front and rear seats (even when tightly parked), the worlds largest opening glass sunroof at the time (a full 1m/sq of opening roof) featuring strengthened heat-reflecting glass, theatre seating (rear positioned higher than the front), galvanised steel chassis with aluminium upper structure, cavernous 530 litre boot, xenon headlights, a 'grand air' button which simultaneously opened all pillarless windows and sunroof, and finally a choice of powerful engines (3.0 V6 or 2.0 turbo) giving a grand tourer driving style and claimed lowest 0-62mph of 8.6 seconds.

Renault Avantime 'Privilege' 2002

Delays in the launch prompted sudden competition from within when Renault themselves elected to put their concept Vel Satis model into production. Just ten months after Avantime production started in 2001, Matra announced that they would cease all vehicle manufacturing, with much of the facilities going on to be sold to Pininfarina in 2003.  Renault elected not to continue the Avantime themselves. Across 18 months only 4,557 vehicles were built, half of those sold in France.
BBC's Top Gear positioned the Renault Avantime at 'Sub Zero' on the 'Cool Wall' stating it was cooler even than the Aston Martin Vanquish and "the coolest car money can buy". Despite this just 450 cars sold in the UK, of which nearly half were optioned as 3.0 Privilege models.


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Renault RE30B Formula One 1982 - World Of Classic Cars -

Renault RE30B Formula One 1982

Following a long absence in international motor racing, Renault entered Formula One in 1977. The first two years proved to be focused on development, as their first win came on home turf at the 1979 Dijon Grand Prix, with Jean-Pierre Jabouille driving. The following year, Renault secured two victories with driver René Arnoux, who was in his first year with the team. Alain Prost secured three wins for the team in 1981, and by 1982, the team was ready to be even more competitive.
The formidable driver pairing of Prost and Arnoux would stay on with Renault for 1982, and Renault presented a much improved version of the RE30, renaming the car RE30B. The car featured a redesigned nose and a new rear wing for better aerodynamics, and engineers coaxed an additional 20 horsepower from the 1.5-litre twin-turbocharged engine. However, the field definitely became more hotly contested, as Ferrari, Toleman, Brabham, and Alfa Romeo teams all introduced cars with turbocharged 1.5-litre engines for the new season.

Renault RE30B Formula One 1982

Chassis RE30B/F1 B7, the car shown here, was used by René Arnoux from the Brazilian Grand Prix until Zandvoort, accumulating to a total of eight races. Within those races, Arnoux’s best result was 10th place at Detroit, where he put in a series of impressive performances in both qualifying and the race itself, and he also landed pole positions at Imola, Monaco, and Zandvoort.
That year’s Monaco Grand Prix was perhaps Arnoux’s best performance with this car. After posting the fastest time in qualifying, Arnoux sat in pole position on the Circuit de Monaco on the morning of 23 May 1982, which would surely be a memorable moment for any driver. Arnoux held the lead off the start, putting in an excellent first lap and keeping some of Formula One’s all-time greats in his rearview mirror. Arnoux would hold that position until the 15th lap, where he spun out and stalled exiting a corner, watching teammate and fellow countryman Alain Prost take the lead. Renault achieved pole position for an incredible 10 out of 16 races in 1982.

Renault RE30B Formula One 1982

The RE30B is perhaps one of the most desirable Renault cars of Formula One’s turbo era, and this is believed to be the only example of its type in race-ready condition.