Inspired by the 2012 Renault Alpine A110-50 concept vehicle and set to compete in a dedicated racing series dubbed the 2015 Renault Sport Trophy, the Renault Sport RS 01 is one hyperspeed machine that follows FIA LMP1 2014 safety standards. Hiding under curvaceous hood of this black and yellow racer is a detuned version of the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that makes over 500hp and more than 600Nm of torque, which slots it between a GT3 racecar and a DTM race machine.
That twin-turbo tower-of-power is handled by a seven-speed paddle-shift sequential gearbox supplied by Sadev. It uses a clutch developed by ZF Race Engineering. With that sort of power comes great responsibility. That’s why the RWD racer from Renault Sport is fitted with a limited slip diff, double wishbone / pushrod suspension, Ohlins two-way adjustable dampers and PFC six-piston caliper brakes with 380 mm discs. If that wasn’t impressive enough, the race engineers at Renault say that all this kit adds up to a curb weight of under 1100 kilograms, including 150L of fuel.
“Renault Sport RS 01 marks the start of a new line. For this reason, it was named in tribute to Renault’s very first Formula 1 car. We wanted to design the best racing car in order to bring to light the best talent and prepare the next generation of drivers. Renault Sport RS 01 is a vehicle of exceptional performance and the World Series by Renault will be its showcase,” explains Patrice Ratti, Renault Sport Technologies CEO.
Renault Sport Technologies design director Eric Diemert added that the project was completed in just five months and will cost from USD470,000 to race.
