The V10 family hauler is back in Photoshop
Renault’s ludicrous minivan was the hit of the 1994 Paris Motor Show. The Espace F1 was a unique minivan that has a lot to offer. The impressive minivan was built to mark the 10th anniversary. It features a V10 engine taken from a Formula 1 car.
A talented artist revived the Espace F1’s spirit 27 years ago. The 3.5-liter engine produces up to 820 horsepower. The original concept used a powertrain sourced from 1993 Williams-Renault FW15C Formula 1 vehicle and a carbon fiber body to reduce weight to a mere 2,866 pounds (1.300 kilograms).
The next rendering is based upon the Espace, an endangered model from Renault’s lineup. As the minivan may become a victim to the SUV boom, the render was created. The digital design exercise, which we believe is faithful to the 1994 concept, has been adapted to the current Espace’s modern styling and combined with fresh original cues.
After Renault’s decision for the next season to change the name on its Formula 1 team, a true Espace F1 successor would have the Alpine designation. The team was originally known as Williams-Renault. They won the 1994 season with 118 points beating Ferrari (71) and Benetton-Ford (103) respectively.
A revival of F1 would be a great way to end the Espace. It would replace the screaming V10 NA engine with an electrified, 1.6-liter turbo V6 turbo that produces approximately 1,000 horsepower. Fun fact: The original concept’s longitudinally mounted V10 was located between the rear bucket seats.
Last note: The Espace F1 wasn’t the only rear-wheel-drive, mid-engined minivan in its day. In fact, the Toyota Previa, which was launched in 1990, had the supercharged engine below the front seats. This quirky minivan was also available with AWD, but it was replaced by the second generation in 2000 with an FWD front-engine setup.