For the first time in Germany: Renault Espace F1
The Renault Espace F1 is on display in Germany for the first time. The high-speed van from the 1990s will be on display at the PACE (Performance And Car Education) automobile museum in Dortmund until the middle of the year. It is one of the highlights of the current hypercar exhibition there.
The Espace F1 is a prototype developed by Renault together with the manufacturer Matra and Formula 1 partner Williams. The vehicle was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1994 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Espace and combines the basic shape of the second model generation with a V10 engine from Formula 1. The engine was also used in the Formula 1 racing car with which Williams-Renault won the Constructors' World Championship in 1993. Two examples of the Espace F1 were produced: a ready-to-drive vehicle and a stationary model.
While the static model was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in the fall of 1994, the ready-to-drive version celebrated its debut on the Magny-Cours race track the following year. At the wheel: Formula 1 world champion Alain Prost. The almost 800 hp V10 from Renault accelerated the van from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds and enabled a top speed of around 310 km/h. The Espace F1 was built by the French manufacturer Matra, which also produced the series version of the Espace until fall 2002.
Painted in the brand's typical yellow, the Espace F1 has four bucket seats inside, also in yellow. A transparent cover provides a view of the V10 placed between the rear seats. The dashboard, center console and door panels are made of carbon fiber. The instrument panel corresponds to that of the Williams Formula 1 racing car, and the steering wheel with integrated gear knobs is also a modified original.
On the outside, the V10 van features special skirts and air intakes as well as a striking rear wing. The flashing lights attached to the side of the wing are a reminder that the Espace F1 was intended for use as a safety car in Formula 1.
The model gained additional popularity with the racing simulation Gran Turismo 2 for the Playstation. The vehicle can also be driven in the current version of Gran Turismo 7 since an update from December 2025.
The static model of the Espace F1 is part of the Renault collection in Flins near Paris. For Jean Pierre Kraemer from the tuning company JP Performance GmbH, which operates a car museum, the German premiere of the high-performance van is "a dream come true".
When it made its debut in spring 1984, the Espace set standards on the automotive market with its unique space concept, plastic body and up to seven seats - five of which can be removed individually - and went on to shape the mid-size van segment for several generations. With the fifth generation, the MPV turned into a crossover, and today the Espace is an SUV.
The PACE Automobile Museum is one of the most visited automobile museums in Germany. It is located at Westfalendamm 106-108 in Dortmund and is open Wednesdays to Sundays from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm. The Espace F1 will be on display until the end of June. (aum)
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Photo source: Renault via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Renault via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Renault via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Renault via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Renault via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Renault via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Renault via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Renault via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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The Renault Espace F1 and of the current generation of the Espace.
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