Renaultsport RS 01 racecar
Published Date: 4th Sep 2014
The Renaultsport R.S. 01 racing car was unveiled at the 2014 Moscow Motor Show
Renault has been busy revealing a new 493bhp race car at the 2014 Moscow Motor Show called the Renaultsport R.S. 01. This new model is built around a carbon monocoque, weighs less than 1,100kg and can hit top speeds of over 185mph.
The Renaultsport R.S. 01 will take part in the Renaultsport Trophy starting from 2015, as part of the World Series by Renault. It will be touted as ‘a springboard for the professional GT and Endurance championships.’
This new masterpiece is not based on any of Renault’s existing production cars, there’s a familiarity to the Renault DeZir all-electric concept car, first revealed back at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. In fact, CEO of Renault Sport Technologies Patrice Ratti explained that the R.S. 01 is “a marriage between the beauty of Renault DeZir and the performance of Formula Renault 3.5.”
The similarities are no coincidence, either, with both cars being designed by Renault’s Vice President of Design, Laurens van den Acker. But the low-swing design doesn’t just look great; it also plays a huge part in deflecting air around the car. It flows through the centre of the grille before being channelled towards the two water coolers and then released out of the two vents in the hood, creating mesmerising downforce to the front end.
At the rear, that huge wing clearly plays its part in boosting downforce, but so does the rear diffuser nestled at the bottom of the car. Sitting just above it are stylish twin exhausts and a flowing LED light design that stretches across the back of the R.S. 01.
As for what sits underneath the body, it’s a carbon fibre tub designed by Dallara, featuring a steel roll cage and a 150-litre fuel tank. The suspension is a double wishbone set-up, featuring pushrods and Ohlins dampers, while the brakes are 380mm carbon discs.
The Renaultsport Trophy championship itself is a Professional-Amateur event, offering prize money for the best drivers and teams in each round. The champion of the Pro category gets the chance to have a rookie test with the official Nismo team in the Super GT championship in Japan. In the Amateur category, the champion has the chance to drive in the prestigious 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours in an LMP2 prototype.
