Classic: Renault Espace
Posted on 04-06-2014 at 22:30 by JordyS – 28 Comments”
The Renault Espace is now thirty years and that is not for nothing, because no matter how you look at it, or returns: this MPV has the European autolandschap a lot on his head.
Peugeot wanted MPV not
The Espace was, in 1984, the first MPV to European roads, but was nevertheless a gevalletje ‘Better well stolen, than bad invented’. In the United States reported Chrysler has a few years of success, with spacious family-sized vehicles and eventually blew that trend over to us. Matra developed the first prototype, and was hoping to wear it to Peugeot, but they saw nothing in the plan of their fellow countrymen.
Figures first year: only 3,000 sold
In retrospect it is easy to Peugeot there ridiculous to make, but as crazy as it seemed their attitude in the first instance. Renault picked up the project of Matra on and built the Espace, but sold it in the first year of production is still not as 3,000. Europe clearly had some time necessary to to the idea of a 7-seater to get used to. Eventually grew the Espace is still a huge success and was there in 1987, an additional factory is to be turned on to meet the demand.
We all know how the Espace then it is gone. There followed three more new versions, on their turn, each with the necessary facelifts. As shocking as the entrance of the Espace was, however, not more, because who looks at the current model, sees that in thirty years, little has changed to the concept. That is also not necessary, because there are now more than 1.2 million from the factories rolled.
Espace F1
However made Renault was still a small shock wave with special versions of the Espace. Think of the above depicted F1-version, which, due to the ten-year anniversary, in 1994 was equipped with a V10 engine and rear suspension of a Formula 1 car. That brought a sound where the drivers anno 2014 only yet dream of. Not to mention the acceleratiesnelheid: from 0-100 kilometers per hour in 2.8 seconds. And that with an Espace, perhaps the degelijkste car ever.
Espace Spider
Another, very special Espace-edition was the Spider. The students of Espera Sbarro designed this Space without roof, in honor of the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1998. They worked closely with the design department of Renault and asked Matra for the production to take care of. As spectacular as the F1 was not and Renault built the concept never went any further. A pity, because who knows they had at the time, just as with the first Espace, a completely new class launch: the MPV-cabriolet.
Gallery: Renault Espace 30 years
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