Renault has announced that it will be bringing its 2017 Formula 1 contender, the RS17 car to the Auto Expo 2018. The carmaker's display at the Auto Expo, however, will centre on electric mobility. As reported earlier, the Zoe electric hatchback will be present at the stand and we believe the French carmaker will also have the Trezor electric autonomous car concept on display.
Here are a few details on the show cars.
Trezor concept
The electric high-performance two-seater GT concept will demonstrate the company’s future design language. It was first unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show and has been displayed at several such events since.
The Trezor is 4,700mm long, but is just 1,080mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,776mm with a short rear overhang. The concept rides on 21-inch wheels in front and 22 inches at the rear and gets carbon-fibre scoops to control brake temperature. The Trezor chassis has a central carbon-fibre spine that connects to steel frames and is equipped with an all-round independent suspension. It is powered by a Formula-E-sourced 350hp electric motor that sends power to the rear wheels. The motor derives its power from two large batteries – one at the front and one at the rear – and the car tips the scales at 1,600kg. It takes less than four seconds to clock 100kph.
The Trezor also gets a selectable autonomous mode, and on the inside, the entire instrumentation is screen-based with two large displays on the dashboard and three small displays on the rectangular steering wheel. The bucket seats are wrapped in leather and it gets a wooden-framed luggage compartment good for two suitcases. The highlight of the concept, however, is that instead of traditional doors, it gets a single-frame canopy that lifts up vertically.
RS17
The RS17 is powered by Renault’s new RE17 range of engines which is a turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 mill mated to an eight-speed titanium semi-automatic gearbox with quickshifters. The car is equipped with carbon discs and pads from Brembo and brake cylinders from AP Racing.
The chassis is a composite moulded carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb monocoque designed by Renault’s Formula1 team. On the inside, similar to other Formula1 cars, the seat of the car is shaped according to driver’s body structure. The steering wheel is equipped with shift paddles, clutch paddles and adjustment for the rear wing.
Renault Zoe
Although it's the only car of the three to be commercially available, the Zoe will be shown in India as a technology demonstrator only. It derives power from a new 41kWh battery, up from the 22kWh unit that was used in the outgoing model. It has a driving range of up to 400km (under the European driving cycle) and takes 65min for an 80 percent charge via a quickcharger. Renault claims a real-world driving range of 300km and also a full-charge time of 8-9 hours using a standard 7kW charger.
Also see:
Auto Expo 2018 preview: Cars and SUVs
Auto Expo 2018 preview: Scooters and bikes