• Vehicles on show over the weekend range from Renault’s first major race winner to its F1 car of the future
• 2017 marks 40 years of Renault’s involvement in Formula One
• UK debut for Renault Sport 2027 Vision Concept
• UK debut for Renault ZOE e-Sport Concept
• Renault drivers include Robert Kubica, Jolyon Palmer, Sergey Sirotkin, Jean Ragnotti, René Arnoux, Eric Leroux, Nicolas Navarro and Jean Pierre Prevot
• Renault will be present across the Festival of Speed, including in the First Glance and F1 paddocks, as well as with its own stand opposite Goodwood House
• Renault range also available to drive at
Thursday’s Moving Motor Show
Renault returns to the Goodwood Festival of Speed once again this year, celebrating 40 years since its first Formula One Grand Prix. As well as showing off its first major race-winning car, Renault will have an impressive display of other racing cars ranging from single seaters to endurance and rallying icons that celebrate its racing heritage.
Not only that, but also some very special concept models and production cars will be on show at Goodwood, showcasing Renault’s vision for the future.
This year’s Festival of Speed theme is ‘Peaks of Performance – Motorsport’s Game-Changers’. Renault’s history of motorsport involvement is littered with game-changing race cars. One such example certain to catch the eye of F1 fans will be the historic 1977 Renault F1 RS 01, the very first turbocharged Formula One car. Participating in arguably the most iconic aspect of the Festival of Speed, the Hillclimb, the remarkable car will be demonstrating its performance to motorsport enthusiasts once again.
Representing the very best of current Renault motorsport will be the R.S.17 F1 car, driven this season by Nico Hülkenberg and Jolyon Palmer. The 2017 Renault-e.dams Formula E car joins the R.S.17 on the Renault stand as the current world champions arrive at the Festival fresh from victory at the Berlin ePrix.
Driving last year’s R.S.16 F1 car up the hill – a car that signifies Renault’s return to Formula One as a Constructor – will be current Renault Sport Formula One Team driver Jolyon Palmer, Renault Sport Racing Formula One Team third driver Sergey Sirotkin and former Formula One star Robert Kubica. Having returned to the cockpit to test the 2012 specification, Renault V8-powered E20 last month after a six-year absence, Kubica will take to the 1.6-mile hillclimb on Sunday.
The Renault Sport 2027 Vision Concept will also be on the stand, displaying Renault’s vision for the future of Formula One. Making its UK debut, the car provides a more human-centric centre to the sport. Environmentally respectful it is also safer, yet with higher performance.
Going up the hill
1902 Renault Type K
The Renault Type K was the first Renault to have a major racing victory in the drive from Paris to Vienna in 1902. Marcel Renault was driving the Type K as it crossed the finish line, having covered 808 miles at an incredible average speed at the time of 39mph. It was nimble and lightweight compared to competitors and made Renault a serious motorsport contender.
1977 Renault F1 R.S. 01
At the start of the 1970s, Renault Gordini, with the financial help of oil group Elf, launched a high-performance engine research programme and developed a V6 Turbo. At first it was to be used in the Renault-Alpine prototypes then in Renault Formula 1. After the victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 with the Renault-Alpine A442 B, the Renault Sport team dedicated itself entirely to Formula 1. In 1977 it used, with an in-house R.S. 01 chassis, a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine half the size of the normally aspirated engines. A big part of Renault’s history, the R.S. 01 will be on display on the Renault stand.
1983 Renault F1 R.E. 40
The R.E. 40 was the Renault Formula 1 car to use a carbon fibre tub, this immensely strong, lightweight material and a sizeable set of wings intended to counter the banning of ground-effect aerodynamics for the 1983 season. The R.E. 40’s cause was further aided by Renault’s now long-running 1.5 litre turbo engine, which was by now using twin turbochargers and water injection to achieve a spectacular 880hp. Renault had by now become an engine supplier as a provider to Lotus.
Alain Prost was runner-up in the 1983 World Championship in an RE 40, scoring four wins from 14 races, three pole positions and three fastest laps. He missed the championship by only two points, the winner later found to be using an illegal fuel. However, Renault chose not to contest the result. The still-searing performance of this beautiful car can be witnessed over the Festival weekend.
1985 Renault 5 Maxi Turbo
By the mid-1970s the sun had finally set on the Alpine A110’s glittering rally career, Renault’s rival Lancia dominating the scene with its mid-engined Stratos. Renault’s surprising answer to this Ferrari-powered supercar was an urban supermini, its hugely successful 5 chosen as the unlikely basis for a small, light and ferociously fast new mid-engined weapon. The idea was to move its engine from the front to the middle of the car to improve its traction and handling. The result was a rather strange looking 5, its rear wings distended by swollen wheel arches, its rear seats sacrificed to a box housing a highly tuned, turbocharged 1.4 litre engine of 162bhp. The Rally Championship rules required that this weirdly appealing little car enter production, in the process creating one of Renault’s many legendary performance machines and a highly collectible car today. The Renault 5 Maxi Turbo scored its maiden win on the 1981 Monte Carlo rally, and remained a potent force until the all-wheel drive Group B cars arrived. The Maxi Turbo’s extraordinary proportions, and power, can be seen in action over the Festival weekend.
2016 Renault R.S.16 – 2016 Renault Sport Racing Formula One car
The Renault R.S.16 signified Renault’s return to Formula One as a constructor after an absence of five seasons. The outfit launched the new car with new drivers, Briton Jolyon Palmer and Dane Kevin Magnussen – both former champions in lower formulae – in February 2016. The team finished their first season back in the Championship with eight points and ninth in the constructors standings.
2017 ZOE e-Sport Concept
The Renault ZOE e-Sport Concept car was first revealed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show and highlights Renault’s commitment to the ongoing development of electric vehicles. Based on the all-electric ZOE’s supermini platform, the ZOE e-Sport Concept draws on Groupe Renault’s three years of success in the FIA Formula E Championship. The two-seater echoes the styling of the latest Renault single-seater race cars, and its blue and yellow colour scheme reflects the livery of the Renault e.dams Formula E team. The lightweight body structure is made of carbon fibre, and the car tips the scales at just 1,400kg, including the battery (450kg). This minimal weight in addition to excellent aerodynamics and power close to 460bhp and torque of 640Nm, helps the car to accelerate from standstill to 62mph in 3.2 seconds.
On display
2027 Vision Concept
The Renault Sport 2027 Vision Concept is Renault’s vision of Formula One ten years from now and places people at the centre – one of Renault’s core values – as a vital cornerstone of F1 experience. It envisions Formula One cars propelled by high-powered engines with the drivers showcasing their qualities as top athletes. It imagines a safer sport with better protection for participants and a more active responsibility towards the environment The concept’s total amount of power is 1 megawatt with its weight limited to 600kg and the level of power generated by the Kinetic Energy Recovery System is fixed at 500kW. The 2027 Vision Concept is also four-wheel drive, delivering an unprecedented level of traction for a single-seater racing car. The concept has features such as autonomous driving functions during race incidents, a closed cockpit to protect the drivers from flying debris and two titanium ‘pop-up’ roll-over bars that emerge from their unobtrusive location in milliseconds should the car overturn. The Renault Sport 2027 Vision Concept will be on display on the Renault stand all weekend as part of Renault’s 40 years of involvement in Formula One celebrations.
Renault R.S.17 – 2017 Renault Sport Racing Formula One car
As part of Renault’s 40 year involvement in Formula One celebration, the Renault R.S.17, as driven by Nico Hülkenberg and Jolyon Palmer this season, will be on display on the Renault stand. The R.S.17 marks the second year of Renault’s return to Formula One as a Constructor.
Renault Z.E.16 – 2016/17 Renault-e.dams Formula E car
Renault e-dams – current world champions and the most successful team in Formula E’s short history – will have its current Formula E car on display on the Renault stand. Driven by current world driver’s champion, Sebastien Buemi and Nico Prost, the team are currently first in the standings. The chassis is built by SPARK and made of carbon fibre – it has been crash-tested to the same stringent standards of Formula One. All teams in Formula E use the same battery to avoid inciting a development race and one battery must last a season. The motor outputs the equivalent of 270bhp.
2005 Renault F1 R25 World Champion Car
By 2005, Renault’s Formula One expertise had developed to the point that could realistically mount an attempt on winning the world championship. It invested immense effort in this goal with drivers Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella.
Its new car featured highly effective aerodynamics, an innovative front suspension system and a 3.5 litre 800bhp V10 engine capable of running for two successive races without needing replacement.
Despite facing huge pressure from Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari and McLaren Mercedes’s Kimi Raïkkonen and Juan-Pablo Montoya, Alonso finished as World Champion with seven wins, eight podium finishes and six pole positions. Renault won the constructors championship with eight wins and 10 podium finishes, making this the first time ever that a volume car-maker had won both Formula One championships.
Renault ZOE
A ZOE with 250 mile (NEDC) range was first shown at Paris Motor Show last September. Having gone on sale in the UK in January 2017, the ZOE offers the best range of any mainstream electric vehicle thanks to its new Z.E.40 battery. The all-electric city car can be charged 0-100 per cent full in around six hours with its optional Quick Charge facility. It is now offered with a choice of two batteries – the new Z.E.40 battery and the existing 22kW battery enabling owners to choose a ZOE that suits their individual requirements. Also new for 2017, ZOE receives upgrades to the interior and exterior specification, whilst a top-of-the-range Signature Nav trim level was also added to the line-up.
All-New Renault Koleos
Having made its European debut at the Paris Motor Show last autumn, the All-New Koleos will be on display, making its UK public debut at the Festival. The All-New Koleos is Renault’s first foray into the large SUV segment and expands Renault’s crossover line-up alongside Kadjar and New Captur. Offering Renault’s warm and sleek design language, All-New Koleos offers the rugged capability of an SUV with the elegant refinement of a large executive saloon. Assured handling, excellent interior comfort and quality as well as a host of advanced technology and convenience items ensure an exceptional experience for driver and passengers alike.
New Renault Captur
The New Renault Captur made its global debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show featuring more distinctive styling and new advanced technologies, without sacrificing any of its user-friendliness. Captur was Europe’s best-selling urban crossover in 2016 with sales of 215,679 vehicles. The New Captur builds on the model’s original success, including its striking two-tone colour scheme. There will be 36 potential combinations enabling customers to tailor the appearance of their New Captur to match their personal taste.
Renault Twizy
The charming Twizy is among the most radical electric cars on the market. A tandem two-seater, its agile performance, slender body and keen handling make for a practical and highly enjoyable urban machine that’s very stylish with it. Available with al fresco open sides or optional scissor doors, the Twizy is as safe as it is pleasurable, providing an integral steel roll-over cage and a driver’s airbag as standard. It also features an on-board computer, an econometer and an energy recovery system to maximize its range. The Twizy is also available in Cargo form, with a 180-litre lockable boot instead of a rear passenger seat.
Over 16,000 of these charming zero-emissions-in-use machines have been sold worldwide, each of them a miniature transport revolution. The two Twizys on display are in Renault Formula E and Formula One liveries.
At Moving Motor Show
Renault Twingo GT
Made its world debut at the Festival last year, Twingo GT mixes the inherent agility of Renault’s rear-wheel drive city car with Renault Sport’s development expertise to deliver even more driving pleasure. Its 898cc Energy TCe turbo engine now delivers 110hp and 170Nm torque thanks to a revised air intake system and modified engine mapping, revised gearing also contributing to the GT’s free-revving performance.
Complementing the extra go is a chassis featuring revised suspension, specific ESP calibration and variable-rate steering. The result is sharp handling and responsive steering feedback for precise cornering and outstanding road holding, providing Twingo GT drivers with notably affordable driving pleasure.
Easily identifiable by its lowered ride height, 17-inch wheels, lateral air intakes, twin exhausts and NACA aircraft duct style graphics, the GT’s sporty credentials and heritage are immediately obvious. The Twingo GT’s interior features Renault Sport-badged doorsills, aluminium pedals and an alloy gear lever knob. It will be available in the UK this winter.
Renault Mégane Dynamique S dCi 130
Renault’s fourth-generation Mégane was unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, and blends Renault’s design language with features and technologies from the executive segment above, into the family car C-segment for the first time. All versions provide drivers with a comprehensive standard specification, rising to the truly luxurious or sporty at the top-of-the-range, including unique-in-class technologies such as 4Control four-wheel-steering and an 8.7-inch portrait touchscreen infotainment system.
Renault Mégane GT 205 Sport Tourer
The Mégane Sport Tourer is both elegant, dynamic and effortlessly practical. Featuring an easily configured modular interior with a choice of boot arrangements, it also provides the segment’s longest maximum load length.
The Mégane Sport Tourer’s design blends dynamism and an elegance satisfyingly enhanced by the chrome trim outlining the side windows and C-pillar, while its low-set stance and wide track increase the feeling of security on the road.
This is underpinned by Renault’s unique-in-class 4Control four-wheel steering technology, which is specifically tailored to the Sport Tourer to endow it with precise, dynamic handling on twisty roads, and exceptional agility in built-up areas.
New Renault Clio Renault Sport 220 Trophy EDC
The latest in an illustrious line of Renault Sport Clios, the 220 Trophy EDC provides an exciting 220bhp and 280Nm of torque and rev peak of 6800rpm. Yet its standard-fit Stop & Start system helps contain emissions to a modest 138g/km.
There are no less than seven gear ratios to feed with its substantial power output, either automatically or via the Clio’s quick-acting paddleshifts. Multiple down-shifts, known as ‘Multichange’, can be achieved merely by holding the left-hand paddle, and the system also provides Launch Control, in addition to the R.S. Drive system’s three dynamic modes.
