Renault has released a new racing car that delivers excellent performance and looks very stylish on the track too: the Renaultsport R.S. 01.
This car was designed with top aerodynamic downforce in mind and is very light. With its carbon monocoque, the car weighs in at under 1,100kg. It can also get to a top speed of 300 kph.
The R.S. is hoped to perform well when it is entered in the World Series by Renault in 2015. Here it will take part in the Renaultsport Trophy, which could then springboard it into professional GT and Endurance championships.
Powering the R.S. 01 is a 3.8 litre V6 twin-turbo engine that was inspired by the Nissan GT-R and is bolted to the monocoque on the distribution side and also the roll cage at the top. It can deliver 500 hp and its maximum torque exceeds 600 Nm. Where it differs from the production model is that it has a dry sump system that is intended to stop oil surges when the car drifts around long corners. What’s more, it has a Pectel electronic unit that has a traction control function.
Watching over the design was Laurens van den Acker, who has been responsible for many Renault designs and was characteristically sure to have the logo as a prominent feature on the front end.
The car is 2,000 mm wide, 1,116 high and is reinforced by daytime-running LED lights that are positioned along the brake cooling scoops.
In the middle of the grille, air gets sucked in and channelled by the stem of the chassis towards two water coolers. From there, it is expelled through the extractors on the hood. This helps to increase the downforce on the front of the car.
Adding to the aerodynamics of the vehicle is a large blade on the lower splitter and stepped flat bottom. What’s more, there are two fins on the side of the bumper to generate vortices to limit the turbulence from the wheels.
Describing the car, chief executive of Renault Sport Technologies Patrice Ratti said: “Renaultsport R.S. 01 is a racing car of extraordinary design, symbolising Renault’s passion for motor sports. The spectacular design lines reflect in themselves the ambitions of this exceptional car, thanks to the efforts and enthusiasm of Laurens van den Acker and his team. Under the bodywork, it is packed with cutting-edge systems from Renault Sport Technologies. The aim is to achieve an advanced level of performance, delivering thrills for both the driver and the public. If we had to sum up Renaultsport R.S. 01 in a few words, we could describe it as a marriage between the beauty of Renault DeZir and the performance of Formula Renault 3.5!”
It is the sculpted lines of the Renaultsport R.S. 01 that are reminiscent of the DeZir concept car, which was presented in 2010. This car, in turn, was inspired by the Renault Etoile Filante, which broke records as it surpassed 300 kph in 1956 at Bonneville Salt Flats.
For more articles like this, receive our weekly e-newsletter, including partner deals and all things motoring, register your email below.
Please note: You cannot subscribe to Smart-Motoring unless you put a tick in the checkbox below to indicate have read and agreed to our privacy policy.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.