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Renaultsport RS 01 Race Car - Is Renault Missing a Trick?

Topics:  Renaultsport R.S. 01

Renaultsport RS 01 Race Car - Is Renault Missing a Trick?

Matt Hubbard
Speedmonkey
August 29, 2014

Renaultsport has released photos and information about the new RS01 race car, but surely a road car would make more sense.

This is the Renaultsport RS 01. It has a carbon fibre monocoque with a steel roll cage and is designed exclusively for racing.

The RS 01 weighs 1,100kg and has a twin-turbo 3.8 litre V6 engine derived from the Nissan GT-R which produces 493bhp and 443lb ft of torque. It's rear wheel drive and the gearbox is a 7-speed semi-automatic sequential unit.

The car has been designed for the track, indeed Renaultsport's Design Director, Éric Diemert, says: "...the reach of Renaultsport R.S. 01 had to extend beyond the range to make it an iconic brand model. This is why it looks nothing like a production vehicle."

Well it will be an iconic brand model but it does look like a production vehicle. Surely it would have been better designing a road car that looked and went like the RS01.

It wouldn't be beyond the bounds of reason for Renault to bring a very similar looking car to the road, after all many car companies like Audi and Lotus have managed it. Take a look at the Alfa Romeo 4C to see how much a reasonably expensive sportscar with a carbon monocoque can do for a brand's profile.

Renault is missing a trick if the RS 01 remains a track-only car.