Renault 5 Turbo

Group B has a lot to answer for, mostly all good, for turning run of the mill family hatchbacks into mid-engine race fuelled supercars!!!! And the Renault Turbo s no exception.

Renault Vel Sartis

We don’t normally do more modern cars on here usually because most manufacturers know what they’re doing and make cars deliberately to attractive to the masses which usually means slightly dull!!!! The same was true of Renaults line up of Megans and Lagunas 15 years ago. It then decided to break its self-inflicted mould and create a brand new executive hatch back to replace its already discontinued executive car the Safrane. To be fair a few manufacturer’s where at it including Vauxhall with the Signum. In both counts the public wasn’t really ready for the concept, unlike today with the masses of fastback Audi’s and BMW’s.

Capesthorne Hall Classic Car Show

I had this on the radar for the last week but hadn't planned on going until Sunday evening when I saw some pictures of that days show over on Retrobeutes. With rare cars a distinct possibility, weather looking good for at least the morning (not bad for a Bank Holiday Monday in the UK) and my little one suitably bribed with the promise of ice cream and sweets we loaded the Scirocco and made the hours’ drive over to the stunning Capesthorne Hall first thing in the morning. This was not only a place I’ve never been too but also a show I'd never been too so I was looking forward to it.

Renault Clio V6

There were some crazyly built hot hatched built in the 80's with the onset of Group B rallying, built in order to fill the quota needed to holomogate them. However by the 00's Group B was no more and the need for mad mid engined small shopping cars for manufacturers to go "racing". This didnt stop Renault dusting of the concept that had worked for the 5 and building a version for the next generation.

Not your average F1 car!!!

I’ve already covered some unusual F1 cars on here like the 6 wheeled ones but this time it’s a little different. From a marketing point of view the best way to get sponsors is to let them experience the race usually this is from the hustle and bustle of the pit to give a true feel for the team etc, at one point that was all you could do, the ultimate way would be to take an F1 car out on the track. But that would probably end up with either a damaged car or at worse having to look for another living sponsor!!!!!

Highway Aircraft Corporation Fascination

This is another one of those “future” cars from the 1930/40’s taking inspiration from Buck Rogers right? Well no, this car was actually built in 1974, which would explain the 1960’s jet engine style rear wings and the velour interior. Created by Paul Lewis as follow up to a car built in 1937 Airomobile.

Renault 900

Not so much information on this one, it’s a prototype from Renault built in 1959, from what I gather it was fitted with a V8 (built from 2 more conventional V4’s bolted together from another of Renaults models) slung out the back. Yes that is the back and not the bonnet. Its unconventional, looking awkward, almost like it’s backwards and about to tip forward. 

Renault 4CV Service

The 4CV had been around for a number of years when an economic crisis lead to a cut price version called the “Service” in 1953. Unfortunately the limited buying public didn’t take well to the reduction in the standard equipment, which considering this was 1953 meant even standard equipment was sparse at best, resulted in it only being on sale for a very limited period. So what equipment did Renault strip out of this version, well the grill, indicators, hubcaps, internal door handles (it was replaced with a pull cord, opening rear door windows and it only came with matt paint and the most basic of seats. At the time the French joked that the only way the spec could be reduced was to remove the wheels!!!!! So this is a rare car due to no one wanting it at the time. But as with most models the base models are always the rarest in the future as why would you keep one. On its plus side it had front suicide doors.

Renault Sport Spider

I was at work the other week in Manchester with the sun beating down sat at my desk looking out when to my surprise a Renault Spider drove up Deansgate. Whoever was driving it must have been confident on the weather as this is a convertible that didn’t come with a roof!!!! So it’s more a permanent sports car than daily driver. That’s not the only thing it didn’t come with, the windscreen also had a low level option.

Devised by Renault to run as an image making race series and sold to the public as a drivers car built around a lightweight aluminium chassis, the car only ran through half its planned production life. The Spider Championship however ran for longer supporting the British Touring Car Championship from 1995 till 1999 and no doubt other Touring Car Championships throughout Europe. Powered by 150bhp for street vehicles this was upped to 180bhp for track use. As a concept to production it shows it can be done with little compromise, including retention of its gullwing doors, however the lack of roof would have made this a very expensive weekend/track toy.










For more information-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Spider

Renault Avantime

There are times when a car goes through the design process gets the thumbs up from the public and then gets the final approval for production and for some reason either the general public just doesn’t get it or simply doesn’t warm to the concept. One of these was the executive hatchback , the Sigmun, that Vauxhall decided to replace the Omega with!!!!!! Another one was the Avantime, looking back on it it’s hard to see why as it’s not to dissimilar with the new crop of cross over cars being produced. But in 2001 the “cross over” concept was relatively unknown to the public, a large 3 door car with softroad clearances and could comfortable seat 4 adults wrapped in a coupe style body should have been a winner, particularly when it can with a large range of engine options right up to a V6. But the public stayed away, I remember one report at the time saying at one point less than 90 had been bought in the UK, and when you take into account the dealers were forced into buying at least one as a demonstrator that didn’t leave much room for the buying public!!!!

Personally I love the look of it but why wouldn’t I buy one even now, well with having a family easy access to the rear is a must. I have no doubt with those huge doors this would be easy but I would shy away from it as a main car and go after its big brother the Espace. Before I had a family it looked a little to “grown up” which is a shame as this was the market Renault was after. So despite being forward thinking and by all accounts a great car it seemed to miss the mark or rather not do well together the things that alternative cars did perfectly individually.








For more information-

http://www.renaultavantime.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Avantime