Renault is restating its passion for motor sports with the RenaultSport R.S. 01, a racer that will compete in a new one-make RenaultSport Trophy championship in the World Series by Renault from next year.
The R.S. 01 sets out to be one of the world’s most efficient GT racers. The cutting edge design is aerodynamically focused, emphasised by a prominent logo at the front, flanked by LED daytime-running lights positioned along the brake cooling scoops.
At the centre of the grille, the air is “sucked in” and channelled by the stem of the chassis towards the two water coolers. It is then expelled through the extractors positioned on the hood. The negative pressure thereby created increases downforce at the front of the car.
The large blade of the lower splitter and the stepped flat bottom also contribute to aerodynamics at the front. The two fins on the side of the bumper generate vortices that limit the turbulence of the rotating wheels.
At the back, the rear diffuser “pushes”’ Renaultsport R.S. 01 to the track, extracting the air flow sweeping under the flat bottom. The diffuser is topped by a twin exhaust and LED lights.
Shifting the 1,100kg GT car with a carbon monocoque chassis is a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine sourced from the Nissan GT-R. Further tweaked by Nismo including the change to dry sump lubrication, the engine develops over 500hp and 600Nm. This positions Renaultsport R.S. 01 between a GT3 and a DTM in terms of performance.
The Nismo engine is mated to a longitudinal seven-speed gearbox with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.
Grip is provided primarily by aerodynamic downforce and this is reflected in suspension design.
In the same way as on sports prototypes, a conventional double wishbone layout has been adopted with pushrods and Öhlins dampers. Adjustable for compression and rebound, the systems are positioned on either side of the body at the front, and longitudinally above the gearbox at the rear.
“Renaultsport R.S. 01 is a racing car of extraordinary design, symbolising Renault’s passion for motor sports. The spectacular design lines reflect in themselves the ambitions of this exceptional car, thanks to the efforts and enthusiasm of Laurens van den Acker and his team,” said Patrice Ratti, CEO of Renault Sport Technologies.
“Under the bodywork, it is packed with cutting-edge systems from Renault Sport Technologies. The aim is to achieve an advanced level of performance, delivering thrills for both the driver and the public. If we had to sum up Renaultsport R.S. 01 in a few words, we could describe it as a marriage between the beauty of Renault DeZir and the performance of Formula Renault 3.5!”
RenaultSport R.S. 01 technical specification
CHASSIS | |
Type | Dallara carbon monocoque and steel roll cage |
Safety | Monocoque, roll cage and crashboxes compliant with FIA LMP1 2014 standards, collapsible steering column, Sabelt seat FIA 8862/2009 standard |
Bodywork | Composites |
Aerodynamic features | Front blade and splitter, stepped flat bottom, rear diffuser and rear wing |
ENGINE | |
Type | Nismo V6 – 24 valves – 3,799 cm3 |
Layout | Longitudinal central rear |
Feed | Injection – 2 turbochargers |
Max power | > 500 hp |
Max torque | > 600 N.m |
Max engine speed | 6,800 rpm |
Electronic management | Pectel SQ6M with traction control |
Data acquisition | Cosworth ICD Pro |
TRANSMISSION | |
Type | Rear wheel drive |
Gearbox | Sadev sequential, 7 speed+ reverse |
Control | XAP semi-automatic with steering-wheel paddles |
Differential | Limited slip |
Clutch | ZF Race Engineering, long service life with anti-stall function |
RUNNING GEAR AND SUSPENSION | |
Suspension | Double wishbone + pushrods |
Dampers | Öhlins 2-way adjustable |
Brakes | PFC Brakes 380 mm carbon discs, 6-piston calipers, Bosch ABS system |
Steering | Hydraulic power steering |
WHEELS | |
Wheels | Braid wheels, central mounting |
Tyres | Michelin 30/68 R18 (front) and 31/71 R18 (rear) |
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES | |
Length | 4,710 mm |
Width | 2,000 mm |
Height | 1,116 mm |
Wheelbase | 2,744 mm |
Front/rear track | 1,675 / 1,624 mm |
Fuel tank | 150 litres |
Weight | < 1,100 kg |