Renault

TTXGP - electric motor company Agni blitzes in first clean emissions Grand Prix

By Mike Hanlon

19:05 June 12, 2009 PDT

Joint Indian-English company Agni Motors’s claim of making quality, high efficiency and high performance electric motors gained massive credence today when it clearly bested the world’s fastest electric motorcycles to win the first clean emissions (AKA electric) motorcycle Grand Prix at an average speed of 87.434 mph. It’s place in history is assured by the landmark win, but it was the team’s dominance that was most surprising. It averaged 10 mph faster around the 37 mile course than its closest rival and established itself as the first superstar company to emerge in a fledgling giant industry. Read More

Formula One Double Deck Diffuser explained

By Paul Evans

06:59 April 7, 2009 PDT

Only two rounds into the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship and the largest number of rule changes in the history of the sport have well and truly reshuffled the deck. We took a close look at the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) before the opening round got underway in Melbourne, Australia, but it turns out the biggest news in Formula One at the start of the season is the rear diffusers being used by the Brawn, Toyota and Williams teams. The diffusers in question were cleared by the FIA as long ago as January but the matter will again be considered by the FIA's International Court of Appeal on April 14. Paul Evans investigates. Read More

Dacia Duster Concept with innovative interior

By Mike Hanlon

01:38 March 7, 2009 PST

Dacia, Renault’s Romanian brand, launched its first-ever concept car at Geneva, an innovative leisure vehicle that revives the Duster nameplate. Designed largely in Romania by the Renault Design Central Europe studio in Bucharest, it’s a coupe Multi Purpose Vehicle crossover with three doors – a single door on the driver’s side and two doors, including a rear-hinged ‘suicide’ door, on the passenger side. The innovative interior is extremely functional – the passenger seat slides below the driver’s seat, allowing a large, 2-metre long load bay capable of accommodating a bicycle or even a small motorbike. A tailgated box structure also slides out of the rear of the car, creating an extra pick-up load bed. Read More

New Mégane Coupé to get video game introduction

By Darren Quick

00:05 October 21, 2008 PDT

Move over motor shows, it seems that video games are becoming the platform of choice for manufacturers wanting to throw a spotlight on their shiny new wares. Citroen is using this tactic to showcase its latest concept car and now Renault has announced that video game fans will be the very first to get behind the wheel of its new Mégane Coupé in the latest installment of Electronic Arts’ popular Need for Speed series: Need for Speed Undercover. Read More

2008 Paris Motor Show round-up

By Noel McKeegan

19:37 October 19, 2008 PDT

As the curtain falls on the Paris Motor Show for 2008 we take a look back at some of the biggest surprises and brightest innovations to emerge from this massive global automotive extravaganza. As a starting point it's hard to go past Lamborghini, which emulated its 2007 most-talked-about crown by showing its Estoque concept. As a mid-engined four-door coupé with a V10 55 bhp motor and permanent four-wheel drive, it's not really eco-inspired but a weapon to behold for the family man. Mazda definitely made our short-list for the most striking design with the aerodynamic Kiyora Urban compact and Citroen also floated some compelling concepts including the colorful Hypnos luxury hybrid crossover and the virtual-meets-real-world GTbyCITROEN which will appear on-screen in the next installment of Gran Turismo. Read More

Renault's all-electric Z.E. Concept Car

By Noel McKeegan

17:46 October 3, 2008 PDT

Renault has taken a holistic approach to energy saving with its latest concept car. Based on the new Kangoo be bop, the Z.E. (Zero Emission) Concept incorporates a number of innovations across all aspects of the vehicle to ensure optimum range is achieved from the lithium-ion battery powered 70kW (95hp) electric motor. These include the use of heat-reflective paint, acid green-tinted glass and air-insulated body panels designed to reduce reliance on energy-sapping climate control systems, along with roof-mounted solar panels, extensive use of LEDs and aerodynamic enhancements like the replacement of drag-producing exterior mirrors with low-energy cameras. There's also an on-board electric scooter that uses the car's charging system and provides an even greener option for short city trips. Read More

Renault to reveal high-end Ondelios concept (UPDATED - NEW IMAGES)

By Noel McKeegan

20:53 September 10, 2008 PDT

Renault has placed the emphasis on style, interior space and long-haul comfort in its new luxury crossover concept offering which is set to debut at the Paris Motor Show next month. The 15.7 feet (4.8 m) long, 5.2 feet (1.6 m) high Ondelios - the name being an amalgam of the French 'onde' (wave) and 'helios' (the Greek god of the sun) - is powered by a by a hybrid system combining a 205hp (150kW) version of the 2.0 dCi engine with two 20kW electric motors at the front and rear which give it the capability of a 4WD vehicle. The initial pics reveal the standout elements of the design - a striking inset aluminum-finish grille, inwardly curved tail lights, seven-spoke, 23-inch aluminum alloy wheels and butterfly-style side doors hinged to the roof to enable easy access to the three rows of seats. There's also plenty of technological goodies on show including a collaboration with Samsung that lets the driver use a cell phone to unlock the door and engage personal settings like seat-adjustment and music. Read More

Electronic four-wheel steering from Renault

By Mike Hanlon

16:38 April 8, 2008 PDT

April 9, 2008 Renault is set to introduce its new electronically-controlled Active Drive chassis with four-wheel steering next month in new GT versions of the Laguna Hatch and Sport Tourer. Four-wheel steering systems of the 1980s were essentially mechanical, with the wheels linked at pre-determined angles to make up for a vehicle's tendency to understeer. Such systems were gradually superseded by the advent of ESP. In recent times some manufacturers have begun developing electrically- and even hydraulically-operated actuators, enabling handling to be fine-tuned even further. Read More

A new type of car door? – the dragonfly wing

By Mike Hanlon

20:23 March 4, 2008 PST

The common car door has seen many designs in the century-long history of the automobile, with distinctive looks such as the gullwing, scissor, suicide and butterfly each conjuring a landmark car. Now Renault has a new variation and perhaps a new landmark car - its Megane Coupe Concept showcar released in Geneva last night, has twin, two-part “dragonfly wing” doors. The quite beautiful design - which will form the basis of an upcoming model - also incorporates a wide array of technological features including mobile-phone operated ignition and door locks, plus four-zone climate control, touch-screen multi-media players and ‘stop and start’ system. Read More

Logan Renault eco² achieves emissions of 71g/km

By Noel McKeegan

16:07 November 18, 2007 PST

The Logan Renault eco² Concept has achieved emissions of 71g/km while traveling a distance of 172.2km on just 4.69 litres of biodiesel at the 2007 Challenge Bibendum in Shanghai – an event created by Michelin in 1998 that promotes sustainable transport and the development of fuel-efficient, clean automotive technology. In NEDC combined cycle homologation tests for the eco² it achieved a result of 97g CO2/km and finished second out of 74 vehicles in a combined criteria test involving an acceleration test, a slalom test, noise emissions and a regularity run. To put the emissions results in perspective, a compact diesel achieves around 130g CO2/km and the exceptionally green smart fortwo diesel comes in at 88 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Read More

Renault Laguna Coupé Concept

By Noel McKeegan

19:09 September 10, 2007 PDT

September 11, 2007 Described as embodying Renault’s vision of a top-of-the-range grand tourer Coupé, the Laguna Coupé Concept strives to exude a mix of power and refinement through its flowing profile, long-nose and very short rear overhang backed by a newly developed 170-195kW (230-265hp) V6 dCi powertrain and Four-wheel Active Drive chassis. Read More

Renault’s Twingo communicating city car concept

By Mike Hanlon

October 2, 2006 After previewing its spectacular Nepta Concept with motor-driven gull wing doors in the weeks leading up to the Paris Show, we figured Renault had played all its cards, but we were very wrong. At the opening of the show, Renault trotted out the youth-culture-inspired Twingo Concept, the most wired and desirable city car we’ve yet seen. The centre console features a USB port as well as sockets for devices like an Apple iPod and the Nokia Smartphone. A mixing deck built into the dashboard is ideal for partying with friends. The tiny city car is no slouch – powered by a turbocharged 1.2-litre engine delivering 73kW (100hp), the Twingo combines efficiency, response, power and environmental friendliness. Read More

Renault Nepta joins Citroen C-Metisse in the French Ballet of the doors

By Mike Hanlon

September 8, 2006 Paris is renowned for the beauty of its springtime, but in autumn the spectacular sites around the beautiful capital are enhanced by the French automotive industry showcase, the Paris Motor Show. And this year the French have debuted some spectacularly elegant egress solutions offering doors that open in new ways. Yesterday we ran news of Citroen’s C-Metisse Concept – a diesel-electric, 4-seater coupe with a spectacular four door ballet command performance when the doors open to present the passengers to the pavement - the front doors open gull-wing style while the rear doors spin round. Now comes Renault’s Nepta concept car, a four-seater cabriolet with an equally dramatic and elegant egress solution in the form of motor-driven gull wing doors that open to reveal the interior and the engine. The doors pivot so high that they are fitted with electronic obstacle detectors. As is befitting the current F1 championship status of Renault, the Nepta is seriously fast with a 3.5-liter V6 powering a seven-speed automatic gearbox via F1-style steering flick-shift. The 420hp direct injection petrol engine combines outstanding performance, with low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Read More

Renault presents research into fuel cells

By Mike Hanlon

June 14, 2006 Renault will be presenting the progress it has made in fuel cell research at the 16th World Hydrogen Energy Conference in Lyons, France this week. The presentations will illustrate Renault's decision to opt for vehicles powered by fuel cells with reformers in order to apply hydrogen energy to the automobile. This technology directly produces the hydrogen on demand and on board the vehicle, solving the problem of very high-pressure or cryogenic storage. Since 2002, Renault, Nissan and Nuvera Fuel Cells have been working together on this solution, which can be used immediately, without waiting for a hydrogen distribution network to be established. Read More

F1 Round 3: Renault F1 streets the field again in Melbourne

By Mike Hanlon

April 3, 2006 Reigning World F1 champion Fernando Alonso may be beginning to rue his decision to move to McLaren next year as the Renault F1 team again displayed complete dominance in yesterday’s third round of the Formula One World Championship in Melbourne. Alonso took his tenth career victory after starting from third position on the grid in an action-packed race which featured no fewer than four safety car periods. The Spaniard took the lead on lap 4 at the end of the first safety car period, in a perfectly-judged manoeuvre on pole-sitter Jenson Button’s Honda, and only relinquished it briefly during the first round of pit-stops. It was not so much the win that was scarey about the Renault peroformance – it was the ease with which Alonso drove away from the best of the rest whenever the safety car pulled off the track – the advantage is so great that Renault’s world championship already looks safe. Giancarlo Fisichella was forced to start from the pit-lane after his R26 stalled on the grid, but a determined, forceful drive saw him claim fifth position right on the line, overtaking Button’s stricken Honda on the finishing straight. The result leaves the Renault F1 Team with a nineteen point championship lead over its nearest rival, and Alonso leads the individual title by 14 points from his teammate Giancarlo Fisichella and McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen. Read More

Renault F1 takes 1-2 in round 2 and rockets to championship favoritism

By Mike Hanlon

March 20, 2006 A day can make a big difference in any form of sport, but perhaps none as pronounced as in Motorsport. Just a week ago, in the first round of the championship, the rule changes that will define a new era in Formula One appeared to have levelled the competitiveness of the field. Renewed pace from Ferrari, reliability from McLaren and Honda, and promise from Williams and BMW looked to have made for a season of intruige and a broadly contested title. But following the application of the Malaysian blowtorch, Renault now appears set to successfully defend its Formula One dual crown. The French team that gave Fernando Alonso his first Formula One crown last year has already demonstrated in 2006 that it has the speed and the reliability to run two cars at the front all year and yesterday was the first one-two for the blue and gold since Renault returned to the sport as a works manufacturer in the 2002 season and only its second in history. It was a day for technology too as Ferrari debuted a new brake cooling drum (technical details here) - an evolution of similar devices seen on cars last year, but Ferrari have taken it to its extreme. The cooling drum not only covers the brake disc and calliper, preventing heat being transferred to the wheel rim, it also completely fills the space inside the wheel rim, not only improving brake cooling, but also dramatically reducing the vortices generated by the rotation of the wheels, hence making this area more aerodynamically efficient. Other news included the coolest new helmet for some members of the Renault pit-crew and young lion Nico Rosberg who was once again the talk of the paddock with third fastest in qualifying before an engine failure wrecked his race. Read More

Formula One season gets underway - Renault, Ferrari, McLaren and Honda on the pace

By Mike Hanlon

March 13, 2006 The 2006 Formula 1 season erupted to life yesterday with strong indications that four teams will contest the win at each Grand Prix, and three, maybe four drivers will contest the title. 2006 champion Fernando Alonso won the race narrowly in his Renault but it was the renewed pace of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher that gave everyone heart, with an all red front row on the grid for the first time since the 2004 Hungarian Grand Prix as the Scuderia Ferrari driver equalled the record of 65 pole positions set by the late Ayrton Senna. The performance of the day though was that of Kimi Raikkonen who drove through the field from dead last in his McLaren Mercedes to take third. Honda’s 2006 challenge appears credible after a year from hell in 2005, with Jenson Button missing the podium by just six tenths of a second. Finally, the first race performance of seventh place by Nico Rosberg (son of Keke) was a ripper, particularly considering the rookie cut the fastest lap of the race in a Williams Cosworth which was nowhere near the fastest car. Read More

Renault Altica sporty estate concept car

By Mike Hanlon

February 4, 2006 Renault has taken the wraps off its latest concept car, Altica, a sporty estate car with a spacious interior. Described by Renault's Senior Vice President, Corporate Design, Patrick le Quement, as “a successful balance between flowing and sporty lines,” the Altica is designed to combine the practicality of an estate car, the sports appeal of a coupe and a high standard of travelling comfort. The interior of the car is where most of the advanced concepts are employed, with a suspended drive station held in place by four profiled rods that hint at the world of Formula 1. Similarly, the seats are fixed, and the drive station and pedal assembly adjust to match the driver's physique via a motorized mechanism. Altica's sports pedigree is reinforced by its scissor doors, the form of which ensures easy access to this low vehicle. Read More

Renault F1 Team launches 2006 championship campaign in Monaco

By Mike Hanlon

January 31, 2006 The Renault F1 Team today launched its 2006 world championship challenger, the R26, in Monaco with the promise of an aggressive defence of the team’s double 2005 world championship. In front of world-wide media and VIP guests in Monte-Carlo, the world champions officially launched the 2006 championship campaign with a clear objective: defending the world championship with an aggressive approach to the 2006 season. “In terms of performance objectives, there can be only one: to be fighting for the world championship in the final races,” explained Renault F1 Team President Patrick Faure. “We enter the year with an unchanged line-up in our management, our drivers and our technical team. Everybody at Viry and Enstone has been working to prepare a technical package capable of keeping us at the top. Complacency has no place at Renault. We are focused on repeating our successes.” Previous 2006 Formula One team launch reports can be found here: Ferrari's 248 F1, Toyota's TF-06, Honda's RA106 and Williams' F1 FW28. Read More

Formula One HANS device inspires Renault’s "Sleep Safe" head restraints

By Mike Hanlon

November 16, 2005 Over the last decade, the chance of surviving a serious crash in the front seats of a car has risen dramatically. So much so, that 70% of adult deaths and injuries are now suffered by those seated in the rear and it's not just adults at risk as more often than not it's children that are traveling in the rear seat. Renault has unveiled several new initiatives to improve rear seat safety, including one inspired by its World Championship winning Formula One team. Read More

Renault Wins Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship for 2005

By Mike Hanlon

October 18, 2005 Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix was the last Grand Prix of the season, and with the drivers championship decided, the duel between the two outstanding teams of the season for the constructors crown was the highlight of the event. In the end, the script ran as it had done all season, with the mercurial McLarens failing when it counted and Fernando Alonso performing flawlessly when it mattered most, and the Renault F1 Team winning the FIA Formula One World Constructors’ Championship. A dominant team performance saw Fernando Alonso take his seventh win of the season, while Giancarlo Fisichella finished fourth, only missing a podium finish through a questionable penalty from the FIA late in the race. But the day was dominated by the joy of Renault's win: the constructors’ championship coming alongside Fernando Alonso’s drivers’ championship to leave Renault as double world champions, an historic first for the French company. Read More

Alonso and Renault take World F1 title

By Mike Hanlon

September 26, 2005 Fernando Alonso today became the youngest world champion in Formula One history, after his thirteenth podium finish of the 2005 season in the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. Starting from pole position, the Spaniard drove a consistent race to claim third position and a championship lead of 23 points with two races remaining in the 2005 season - he therefore has an unassailable lead in the drivers’ championship. At 24 years old, he is the youngest world champion in F1 history. While Renault celebrated, McLaren-Mercedes wondered what might have been had the team found consistency to match its speed. Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen scored a dominant one-two in the race and last year’s champ Michael Schumacher finished fourth for Ferrari. With teammate Rubens Barrichello in sixth place, Ferrari consolidated their third place in the Constructors’ championship, the lead of which was taken by McLaren, now two points ahead of Renault with two races to go. With the title safe, an all-out fight for the constructors’ crown will be the centre of attention of the final two races of the season. Read More

Italian F1 Grand prix: McLaren 1-4, Renault 2-3

By Mike Hanlon

September 4, 2005 McLaren once again showed it had the fastest cars and the worst luck of the leading Formula 1 teams at the weekend when its drivers won the race, but Renault and its champion-elect Fernando Alonso continue to fight an effective rear-guard action – Alonso increased his championship lead while Renault only conceded one solitary point in the manufacturers championship and maintains an eight point lead. The race was only the third time in F1 history that all cars have completed a race, and the first time since the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix. It was also the official end of an era – Michael Schumacher and Ferrari came away without points and neither have any chance of retaining the titles they have owned for half a decade. Read More

Renault Egeus concept car: the elegance of a saloon, the dynamic personality of a coupe

By Mike Hanlon

August 10, 2005 Renault will show a new Egeus concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, a resolutely upmarket 4WD SUV with the seductive elegance and luxurious, comfortable interior of a saloon. Thanks to its SUV size, Egeus offers a spacious interior while its exterior promises solidity and a dynamic personality. The longer bonnet highlights a soft, flowing design worthy of an upper-segment coupe. Egeus is about how Renault sees the high-end SUV segment. Patrick le Quement, Senior VP of Corporate Design at Renault describes the Egeus thus - an SUV for city driving and the open road, a sort of tall coupe that combines driving pleasure with elegance and sportiness. Read More

German F1 GP: Alonso's sixth win, Renault's seventh

By Mike Hanlon

July 24, 2005 Fernando Alonso took his sixth win of the season and the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team took its seventh win of the season at this afternoon’s 2005 German Grand Prix in Hockenheim. Fernando Alonso converted his third position on the grid into a comfortable victory after another McLaren DNF led to Kimi Raikkonen’s retirement from the lead halfway through the race. The Spaniard’s run to the chequered flag was uneventful, and he controlled his pace throughout the final stint. Any doubts about Alonso not becoming the youngest F1 champ in history were dispelled with the win – he now leads the drivers’ championship by 36 points with seven races to go. At 10 points for a win and six points for a second place, he could conceivably win the title if he didn’t turn up for the remainder of the season given the unreliability of his main adversary’s car. McLaren has had the fastest car at the last half a dozen races, but has failed to take advantage of its speed. Read More