What If Renault Reinvented The Iconic F1-Powered Espace For The 21st Century?

In 1995, Renault wanted something special to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Espace MPV, so it created a Formula One-powered one-off.

The vehicle was built on a carbon fiber chassis, which included parts lifted straight from the 1993 Williams FW14 F1 car (Renault was the team’s engine supplier back then). Placed on top of this chassis was an Escape body made entirely from carbon fiber.

Powering the Espace F1 was the naturally-aspirated 3.5-liter V10 Renault F1 engine that had proved so successful for the Williams team in the early 1990s. This powertrain delivered 800 hp and 520 lb-ft (705 Nm), revved to over 13,000 rpm, and was mated to a six-speed semi-automatic sequential transmission. Unbelievably, this engine was placed directly between the two rear seats.

Fast forward to 2018, and the Renault Formula One team is slowly returning to form and recently signed Red Bull ace Daniel Ricciardo as its lead driver for the next two years. So, here’s a thought: why not promote the revived racing outfit with a modern version of the Espace F1?

This creation from Marco van Overbeeke depicts just that and it looks absolutely wild.

For starters, Formula 1 wheels and tires have been fitted alongside a host of aerodynamic parts lifted directly off Renault’s 2018 racer. These include the rear wing, as well as a bespoke rear diffuser, front splitter and a shark fin running down the roof. An eye-catching black and yellow livery just like the race car completes the looks.

While it’s hard to imagine Renault spending valuable money and resources on such a concept, we would love to see it come to fruition.