Wednesday 27th August 2014

Renaultsport R.S. 01 revealed

Renaultsport launches stunning new one-make racer but does it have ambitions beyond? PH investigates

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In a word, wow. Renault has been dropping teaser shots of its new mid-engined racer for a while, but none that prepared us for just how good the car that's just been revealed at the Moscow Motor Show looks. It's stunning.

Well, if you're trying to attract wealthy privateers...

It's called the R.S. 01 and underneath the swoopy bodywork - which has more than a hint of the R8 LMS about it - is a Dallara-built carbon fibre tub. Power comes from a mid-mounted version of the Nissan GT-R's twin-turbo V6 propelling an all-up weight of under 1,100kg. The car will be competing in a new one-make Renaultsport Trophy championship as part of the World Series by Renault next year. Meaning that, if you're in the market for some senior one-make racing, you can buy one for £282,000.

Although it's a racer, Renault clearly wanted it to look good. The preliminary design was done by Akio Shimizu, a Japanese designer working at the company's Guayancourt studio, with his work then adapted by the engineering and aerodynamic teams. The carbon shell has been built to deliver LMP1 safety standards, and includes both a 150-litre fuel tank with an integral crash box at the front and another mounted to the gearbox at the rear.

Will it break out of its one-make series into GT racing?

The GT-R engine is bolted directly to the carbon tub and 'semi stressed'. We're told it produces 'over 500hp' - as all road-going GT-Rs now do - which should deliver highly reliable power. The engine gets a dry sump system and bespoke traction control, but otherwise it's pretty much standard. Transmission is via a seven-speed Sadev sequential transmission with fixed gearing to limit costs. Renault claims the finished car is somewhere between DTM and GT3 in terms of overall performance.

The 2015 season will be open to up to 20 'Pro-Am' teams and is being explicitly pitched as a gateway to more senior racing. The winning 'pro' driver will get a test with the official NISMO team for Super GT in Japan while the winning amateur will get a chance to compete in Le Mans 2016 driving an LMP2 car.

The high standards the car has been built to mean it could potentially race outside its one-make championship. A Renault spokesman admits the company hasn't ruled out adapting it to compete elsewhere. Let's hope that if that does happen it also spawns a road-going homologation version...

 

[Kookanoodles]

Everything about this car screams Alpine. I wouldn't even be surprised if it's a ruse and they rebrand the car and the championship somewhere down the road.

In any case, I'll eat my hat it this racer isn't a first look at how the new Alpine berlinette will look. Well, I'll have to buy a hat first, but you know what I mean.

[V8 FOU]

Yes, very Alpine.

Pleease do a road version of this.

[lamboman100]

Looks like it has been designed by a GCSE Design student who picked up a few racing car brochures and then mocked it up on his home PC the night before his boss wanted the final product.

No doubt the handling will be immense, however. Renaultsport is easily the FWD equivalent of Porsche's RWD, these days.

[soad]

Looks like something taken straight from the racing game!

[tbc]

lamboman100 said:

Looks like it has been designed by a GCSE Design student who picked up a few racing car brochures and then mocked it up on his home PC the night before his boss wanted the final product.

No doubt the handling will be immense, however. Renaultsport is easily the FWD equivalent of Porsche's RWD, these days.

Not many GCSE renderings look like this

[Adrian W]

And then they screw it up by putting a Sadev box in, so we will see lots of broken ones at the side of the track

[gumsie]

Goodybye Audi, hello Renault.

[dom9]

More than a hint of R8 GT3 to my eyes but that is no bad thing!

Carbon tub, mid-engine, GTR motor - sounds like the Gran Turismo generation's wet dream!

Well done Renault - Let's see a road car or the new Alpine, based on this

[cybersimon]

Is this why they ran away from Caterham?

[DaveL485]

Hubba hubba!

[j90gta]

Change the rear wing for something more discreet, provide some sort of rearward vision, and that would make an absolutely stunning looking "halo" model for the road.

[xRIEx]

cybersimon said:

Is this why they ran away from Caterham?

It does seem a bit odd. I was quite surprised that Caterham weren't mentioned in the article.

[thatguy11]

A whole field of these will look absolutely fabulous! Can't wait to see that, hope folk get their chequebooks out for them!

[k-ink]

I'm sure this will help sell lots of clios and megane people van things.

[Dr3w]

That is absolutely stunning.

[Slb89]

i like it alot, bar the naff looking mk1 audi tt esque exhaust exits. just some hardcore straight pipes would of been great here.

[TaylotS2K]

R8/P1

[ukaskew]

A bit OT, but what happens to these things when the series finishes? The Megane Trophy racers were bonkers, but surely it's a little limiting that they have no obvious life elsewhere after (that I'm aware of).

[smilo996]

Looks like a compelling proposition. Renault seem to be getting their mojo back and exploiting the Godzilla powertrain which can only be good.

Acording to the F1 journos, the hybrid and harvesting elements to their F1 engine are the absolute best on the grid, they just need another 40BHP from the petrol engines. So stap the hybrid to the Nissan GT/R drivetrain does that equate to a decent Le Mans Car after dropping this body on.

Seems they have build many options into this.

Renault Megane Godzilla Edition perhaps.

[BREMBOV6]

Please do another crazy road car!