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61-599: The production version is a two-seater, as opposed to the 2+1 seating of the concept car. In February 2012, Renault retired the Wind, Espace , Kangoo Multix , Modus , and Laguna lines in the United Kingdom . For Mainland Europe , the Wind remained available until June 2013. Renault bought the rights to the Ferrari Superamerica's roof, and used it on the Wind. The boot canopy was added later. The Wind

122-499: A Toyota MasterAce , a Mitsubishi Space Wagon , and a Nissan Serena . The Espaces came first and second - although as Jeremy Clarkson pointed out, Richard Hammond was driving a V6 Espace, giving him a performance advantage over the other vehicles. Building upon its success, the Espace was revamped in 1988, with most of the remaining Talbot/Simca content being replaced by equivalent Renault parts. The chassis and mechanical components of

183-458: A 2+1 roadster, and was powered by an inline 4 engine which produced 136 bhp (101 kW) and 141 lb·ft (191 N·m) of torque. Renault Espace The Renault Espace is a series of automobiles manufactured by Renault since 1984. For its first five generations, the Espace was a multi-purpose vehicle/MPV ( M-segment ), but it has been redesigned as a mid-size crossover SUV for its sixth generation. The first three generations of

244-620: A design to put into production, preferring to focus on nursing Talbot back to financial health. The design was returned to Matra, who called it the Matra P23 and took the idea to Renault. Renault adopted the Matra concept as project J11, which was then given the name "Espace." One restraint was that Renault used longitudinally mounted engines whereas the P23 had been designed with the more efficient transverse layout in mind. The design ended up using

305-593: A galvanised independent steel chassis. The Espace III received a facelift in September 2000. In November 1999, a smaller, 1.9-litre turbodiesel had been added to the lineup. The Espace III shared much of its running gear with the Laguna of the same era. Although Renault-badged, the Espace III continued to be built by Matra . A number of third generation Espaces were used as bases for NGV and taxi conversions for

366-485: A hands free parking system. The Espace V is only available in markets with LHD , with RHD vehicles not built nor sold, as with the Renault Talisman . In June 2017, the 1.6-liter petrol engine was replaced by the larger 1.8 TCe. In September 2018, both of the 1.6-liter R-type diesel engines were replaced by larger, more powerful 2.0-liter engines from Nissan's MR engine family . An updated Renault Espace

427-461: A map of Paris . The engine is a 1.6 litre diesel unit. The Initiale Paris is the final installment of Laurens van den Acker 's "cycle of life" six-concept series, with each one representing, according to Renault, a lifetime moment: "love" ( Renault DeZir ), "explore" ( Renault Captur ), "family" ( Renault R-Space ), "work" ( Renault Frendzy ), "play" ( Renaults Twin'Z and Twin'Run ) and "wisdom" (Renault Initiale Paris). Unveiled on 28 March 2023,

488-566: A show car called the Espace F1, which was created by Matra to celebrate both the tenth anniversary of the Espace and Renault's involvement in Formula One racing. Though it resembled an Espace with substantial bodywork changes, the vehicle had more in common with a Formula One car. The vehicle used a lightweight carbon fibre F1 style chassis in combination with a carbon fibre reinforced Espace J63 series body (as opposed to fibreglass on

549-595: A slow start, a mere nine Espaces were sold in the first month, consumers realised the benefits of the MPV concept and the Espace became popular. The introduction of the Espace required the relatively small Matra factory to cease production of the Murena to make room for the Espace. It was sold in the United Kingdom from August 1985. In October 1984 the turbodiesel versions Turbo D and Turbo DX arrived. In 1984, American Motors Corporation (AMC) announced it would begin to market

610-631: A variable vane turbocharger was added to the lineup; thanks to this, power increased from 88 to 92 PS (65 to 68 kW). Production ceased in October 1996, after 316,419 examples had been built. This generation Espace was also "assembled" in China, where Sanjiang Renault Automobile received nearly complete Espaces and sold them as locally assembled product thanks to loopholes in the Chinese CKD regulations. A high performance prototype (P46) called

671-548: Is equipped with an straight-4 petrol engine : either the 1.2 litre TCE turbocharged engine producing 100 bhp (100 PS; 75 kW), or a 1.6 litre naturally aspirated engine producing 133 bhp (135 PS; 99 kW) shared with the Twingo Renault Sport. The concept Wind's design is like other Renault vehicles such as the performance versions of the Clio and Mégane . The production Wind, however,

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732-528: Is heavily based on the Twingo , evident in its overall size and stance, as well as its windscreen wiper mechanism, and also its semi-circular door handles exactly the same as those on the Twingo. The steering wheel and pedal assemblies in the concept are adjustable and fold away automatically when the door is opened for easier access. The Wind features a one piece metal roof which rotates 180° backwards (much like

793-547: The Hachette publishing company. Matra invested in several fields of transportation during the 1980s and 1990s. It produced a fiberglass 14 ft sailing dinghy with an innovative double-bottom, self-bailing hull, called "Capricorne". Though several hundred were sold and a class association briefly existed, it was unable to gain much market share against the better established International 420 . During 1983, Matra launched an automatic (driverless) light rubber-tyred metro ,

854-628: The Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transportation hub in Malaysia , rebranded as Enviro 2000s. The third generation Espace was the last Espace to be built by Matra (the short lived Avantime was subsequently produced on the same production line). During 2001, Matra and MG Rover discussed a possible deal to build reskinned Espaces, as well as market them. However,

915-580: The Matra Museum in France. The third generation Espace arrived in December 1996, with the long wheelbase Grand Espace coming to market in the beginning of 1998. The most notable feature of the Espace III was the radically futuristic interior (including an elongated and centrally mounted dashboard, digital speedometer and radio/CD display). Once again, the Espace III featured a plastic ( GRP ) body over

976-548: The National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) and the European Space Agency (ESA) awarded a contract to Matra for the loading bay of the new Ariane expendable launch system . Over several decades, Matra diversified into media , weaponry, aeronautics, automobiles, music distribution, and various other state of the art technologies. During 1981, Matra ventured into media activities via the purchase of

1037-634: The Véhicule Automatique Léger . It later attempted to produce a personal rapid transit system, which it named " Aramis ". Matra also manufactured a range of electric bicycles and electric scooters . Matra i-step Runner, Tourer and Force as well as Matra i-flow in Romorantin . Matra developed and released a personal computer , the Alice . During 1988, Matra was privatised , at which point Lagardère acquired six per cent of

1098-504: The 1970s, Lagardère pursued an overall strategy of merging Matra with various other companies, or acquiring them outright, to build up a conglomerate under the Matra brand. Throughout the 1970s, the company strengthened and grew its position within the aerospace sector, which had been viewed as a core business of Matra. One such company was the electrical equipment manufacturer Électronique Moderne de l’Oise, which became Matra Électronique following its acquisition during 1975. That same year,

1159-466: The 2005 Ferrari Superamerica ), instead of being made of several pieces like many other metal roof convertibles . Renault claims that it takes twelve seconds to fold the roof away, which is comparable to most other convertibles. There were three model trim lines: Dynamique, Dynamique S, and the limited edition "Collection". The Dynamique trim line was the most basic, with 16" alloy wheels and air conditioning as standard features. The Dynamique S trim

1220-648: The Espace Biturbo Quadra was also proposed by Matra in 1990, before the second generation Espace entered production. It was to use the same engine that was later installed in the Safrane Biturbo , which produced around 270 PS (199 kW). However, it never entered production due to the concern of its stability, and only a single prototype remains today. The estimated performance figures of it were: 0 to 100 km/h around 7.5 seconds, top speed above 230 km/h. In 1995, Renault displayed

1281-638: The Espace IV before 2009, which would account for 20% of the European market for an MPV. The fourth generation Espace came third from the bottom in the Top Gear Satisfaction Survey 2005. On 22 June 2012, Renault announced a restyling of the Espace (Phase IV), the second important after 2006, incorporating the "family feeling" design concept of Laurens van den Acker . Also, it introduced new 2.0 dCi (M9R) engines, in order to meet

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1342-501: The Espace was kept fairly intact both times, but the dummies in the older Espace and the Discovery were smashed between the seats and the dashboard, leaving no survival possibilities. The Renault Espace IV has received decent to good reviews from motoring journalists and is often cited as one of the best vehicles in the large MPV class. The fifth-generation Espace was unveiled at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in October 2014. It abandons

1403-418: The Espace were amongst the first contemporary minivans or MPVs, and were manufactured by Matra for Renault. The fourth generation, also an MPV, was manufactured by Renault. The Renault Grand Espace is a long wheelbase (LWB) version with increased rear leg room and boot size. The fifth generation is introduced with a crossover SUV -styled while keeping its MPV classification and body style. Renault described

1464-465: The Espace, Matra Automobiles went on to manufacture the next two generations as well; however, the fourth iteration was manufactured inhouse by Renault instead. The loss of the Espace business quickly proved detrimental to the firm's finances. During 2001, production of the Renault Avantime , which was co-designed and built by Matra Automobiles, commenced; this vehicle did not sell well and

1525-620: The French and European championships. Matra competed as a constructor in Formula One from 1967 to 1972 and as an engine supplier between 1975 and 1982 , winning the drivers' and constructors' championships in 1969 . Matra also competed in sports car racing from 1966 to 1974 winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright in 1972 , 1973 and 1974 and the World Championship for Makes in 1973 and 1974 . However, at

1586-595: The French regulations regarding the limitations on CO 2 emissions. The car continued in production until the launch of a new generation. The Espace IV passed the Euro NCAP car safety tests with following ratings: The 2003 Espace featured in British motoring television show Fifth Gear twice, once when it was crashed into a J63 Espace, and again when it was crashed into a 1990s Land Rover Discovery, both at 64 km/h (40 mph). The passenger compartment in

1647-450: The Matra production lines. Early prototypes used Simca parts, and hence featured a grille reminiscent of the Simca 1307 (Chrysler Alpine). In 1978, six years before the Espace went into production, Chrysler UK and Simca were sold to the French company PSA Peugeot Citroën , which phased out Simca within a decade because of falling sales. PSA decided the Espace was too expensive and too risky

1708-532: The acquisition of vehicle manufacturer Automobiles René Bonnet , the company founded Matra Automobiles during the 1960s, which produced a limited range of racing and sports cars. Its car division worked closely with other vehicle manufacturers, most significantly Renault , prior to the decline and sale of Matra Automobiles during the early 2000s. In addition to road cars, Matra entered into a wide range of businesses, eventually diversifying into media , weaponry, aeronautics, automobiles, and music distribution. Matra

1769-412: The car remained largely unchanged. The most obvious cosmetic exterior difference, between the very first Espaces and the revamped post 1988 models, were the changed headlights: the forward-slanting lights with orange indicator casing of the original Espace were replaced with backward-slanting lights, with a clear indicator casing. Along with the changes in design, a four-wheel-drive version called Quadra

1830-691: The car's raison d'être , the Futura came to an end in the end of 1991, after 159 cars had been built. A heavily revised Espace was launched in January 1991, adopting the Renault family look, to replace the Talbot themed styling of the original. This was essentially a reskin of the original car, with a new dashboard and other interior improvements. The chassis was left unchanged. Matra's facilities still limited production and deliveries were highly allocated during

1891-663: The company had claimed this entity to have been the leading aerospace company in the European market at the time. Six years later, Matra Défense and British missile manufacturer BAe Dynamics merged to form Matra BAe Dynamics , a leading weapons manufacturer in Europe as well as the third largest in the world at the time. During February 1999, MHT merged with French aerospace conglomerate Aérospatiale to form Aérospatiale-Matra . On 10 July 2000, Aérospatiale-Matra merged with Spanish aircraft company CASA and German aerospace firm DASA to become part of EADS , which subsequently became

Renault Wind - Misplaced Pages Continue

1952-543: The company was subsequently named Matra Automobile Engineering. On 13 January 2009, Pininfarina sold its share in Matra Automobile Engineering to Segula Technologies . Matra Hautes Technologies ( MHT ) was the defence arm of the firm. The division was involved in aerospace , defence and telecommunications . During 1990, Matra Espace and the aerospace division of British electronics specialist GEC Marconi merged, creating Matra Marconi Space ;

2013-552: The company's stock; by 1992, his stake in Matra had risen to 25 per cent. That same year, the Lagardère Group was radically restructured; acquiring more shares in Matra from Floirat, Daimler Benz and GEC, and Hachette from Floirat, Crédit Lyonnais and Aberly. Lagardère merged Matra and Hachette to form Matra Hachette, of which the Lagardère Group held 37.6 per cent. Following a share swap in 1994, Lagardère held 93.3 per cent of Matra Hachette's stock. During 1996, Matra Hachette

2074-536: The conglomerate's aerospace, defence and telecommunications arm, was merged with the French aerospace corporation Aérospatiale to form Aérospatiale-Matra (now Airbus ). Several former assets of Matra continue to operate under the Lagardère name. Privatization, bleeding through the Lagardère Group, sell-off of its profitable enterprises, and failure of its automotive division caught up and Matra went bankrupt in 2003. During 1945, Matra (Mécanique Aviation Traction)

2135-688: The conventional large MPV design of previous generations, instead having crossover SUV styling. The car is based on the Renault–Nissan Common Module Family architecture developed by both Renault and Nissan . The Renault Espace has radar adaptive cruise control as an option, and active emergency braking . It is offered with the latest version of Renault's R Link 2 information system (voice control, navigation, Bluetooth and radio), engine stop start, emergency brake assist, lane departure warning and road sign recognition with speed limit alerts, 360 degree sensors, reversing camera and

2196-505: The deal failed to happen. Production ended in September 2002, with the final production number being 357,120. The fourth generation Espace arrived in November 2002, being the first entirely Renault developed and produced model. This model is 90% recyclable, and contains numerous weight reducing materials, thus cutting fuel consumption. The aluminium doors and bonnet are 20 kg (44 lb) lighter than steel equivalents. Its styling

2257-414: The end of the 1974 season, Matra announced that it had decided to withdraw from all motorsport involvement. During the early 1970s, Matra sold its car division to American -owned car manufacturer Chrysler Europe . Matra Automobiles was subsequently sold by Chrysler Europe to French car company Peugeot ; during 1983, Lagardere arranged to buy the division back. Shortly thereafter, a strategic partnership

2318-529: The fifth generation Espace as a 'crossover-style MPV' which combines elements of saloon, SUV and MPV, while retaining interior space and practicality of the latter. The sixth generation debuted in 2023 as a 7-seater SUV based on the Austral . The name " espace " means "space" in French. In February 2012, the Espace was retired in the United Kingdom, as part of a cost-cutting plan. The Espace concept

2379-462: The first few years. New was the option of a V6 engine, the company's 2,849-cc PRV V6 with 153 PS (113 kW). Four-wheel-drive ("Quadra") was only available with the 2.2-litre petrol four; an automatic transmission was initially not offered. The second generation saw mostly minor changes during its lifespan. A four-speed automatic option was added to the V6. In 1995 a version of the turbodiesel with

2440-470: The front wheel drive Espace in the United States. The minivan was exhibited to consumers at the 1985 Chicago Auto Show , but AMC's negotiations with Matra continued over the vehicle's import pricing. Plans for the Espace to be launched in the United States ended with the purchase of AMC by Chrysler. In 2004, BBC 's motoring show Top Gear set up a race between two Espaces, a Toyota Previa ,

2501-438: The grille. The compact installation necessitated an extended front end for turbodiesel models as this engine was longer; these have a protruding grille and a correspondingly larger front bumper. Renault improved on Matra's original design by insisting on an entirely flat floor in the entire area behind the front seats. The design featured a body of fibreglass , mounted on a warm-galvanised steel monocoque spaceframe , using

Renault Wind - Misplaced Pages Continue

2562-467: The longitudinal layout, which allowed for more flexibility in engine fitment and also made developing a four-wheel-drive version easier. Installing the PRV V6 had been considered from early on but ended up having to wait until the introduction of the second generation. To make the engine installation as short as possible, the radiator was placed to the left in the engine compartment, with the engine reaching

2623-738: The media and aerospace sectors. Matra had been involved in car manufacturing since the acquisition of Automobiles René Bonnet in 1963. The first road car to be sold under the Matra marque was the Renault -powered Matra Djet (pronounced "jet"), which was an update of the Bonnet Jet; the Djet was subsequently replaced with the Matra 530, Bagheera , the Murena and the Rancho , an early type of sport utility vehicle (SUV). At its peak, Matra Automobiles

2684-463: The rear wheels via a six speed semi automatic gearbox, also used in the Williams FW15C. The engine and transmission allowed the Espace F1 to accelerate from 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 2.8 seconds, 0–200 km/h (0–124 mph) in 6.9 seconds and carry on accelerating to a top speed of 312 km/h (194 mph). With the use of carbon ceramic brakes, the Espace F1's deceleration

2745-567: The same technique and assembly line at the factory as the Talbot Matra Murena . The galvanization process increased torsional rigidity by 60 per cent and bending resistance by 20 per cent, at a cost of a 30 kg (66 lb) weight gain. Weight distribution was rather front heavy, with 62.9 per cent of the weight being over the front wheels (original petrol version). The Espace was eventually launched by Renault in July 1984. After

2806-432: The sixth-generation Espace is heavily based on the Austral , sharing most of the body panels including the front end and the interior. Matra Matra (an acronym for M écanique A viation Tra ction) was a major French industrial conglomerate . Its business activities covered a wide range of industries, notably aerospace , defence , automotive , motorsports , transport and telecommunications . Following

2867-454: The standard model). Powering the Espace F1 was an 800 PS (588 kW; 789 hp) (upgraded from its original rating of 700 PS (515 kW; 690 hp)) 3.5 litre, forty valve Renault RS5 V10 engine , as used in the 1993 Williams-Renault FW15C . As with an F1 car, the V10 engine was mid engined (as opposed to the conventional front-engined layout ) and the power was transmitted to

2928-401: Was above this, with 17" alloy wheels and climate control. The Limited Edition "Collection" trim had the biggest range of features, including a gloss black retractable roof and red and chrome dashboard inserts. In the United Kingdom , trim levels included: Dynamique, Dynamique S, GT Line, and the top of the range Collection. The Wind concept car was unveiled at the 2004 Paris Motor Show as

2989-696: Was also introduced. Brazilian Ford Concessionaire Grancar, in cooperation with Toni Bianco, developed a faithful copy of the original Espace in Brazil in 1990. Called the Grancar Futura , it was powered by four-cylinder engines (AP1800/AP2000) from Ford/Volkswagen's local lineup, while using the dashboard from the Ford Del Rey and the Escort 's fuel tank. With Renault upset about intellectual property infringement and market liberalization undercutting

3050-542: Was appointed CEO of Matra; he would be a key figure at the company for the following three decades. At the time of Lagardère's appointment, the firm had a workforce of 1,450. During 1964, Matra became the owner of car manufacturer Automobiles René Bonnet . For a time, Matra was largely centred around its vehicle division, Matra Automobiles . However, within a decade, Matra had sold its road car division to American-owned car manufacturer Chrysler Europe , having shifted focus onto its other growing business activities. During

3111-635: Was at one point owned by the Floirat family. Throughout much of the company's existence, French businessman Jean-Luc Lagardère served as the CEO of Matra. In 1988, Matra was privatised ; Lagardère's stake in the company grew considerably over the following years. In 1994, Matra became a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and in February 1999, Matra Hautes Technologies ( MHT ), which represented

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3172-529: Was commercialized from Summer 2020. This update comprises a new interior, additions to assisted driving options, an updated EasyLink infotainment system and a new dashboard. The petrol-engined models were taken out of production in October 2020, leaving only two-liter diesels. The lower powered diesel was discontinued in January 2022 and currently the Espace is only offered with the Blue dCi 190 EDC engine with 189 PS (139 kW). Vehicle production of this model

3233-486: Was established, immediately beginning development of an ambitious twin-engine aircraft intended to be the fastest propeller -driven plane in the world. In 1951, the sound barrier was broken in horizontal flight for the first time in Europe by an aircraft using a Matra-built engine. During 1961, Matra became involved in the early European space programme, having been appointed as the first prime contractor for satellites . During 1963, French businessman Jean-Luc Lagardère

3294-443: Was formally merged into the Lagardère Group. In February 1999, the firm's defence wing, Matra Hautes Technologies, was merged with French aerospace conglomerate Aérospatiale to form Aérospatiale-Matra . During 2003, following poor financial performances within the sector, Matra Automobiles became bankrupt and its assets were sold off once more. Instead, Matra decided to concentrate its resources on its remaining interests within

3355-526: Was formed between Matra and French vehicle company Renault , leading to the development of the Espace minivan . During 1984, the Matra-built Espace was launched onto the market; this car proved to be a commercial success over multiple decades. Due to this success, this single vehicle type became extremely impactful to the fortunes of Matra Automobiles. Following on from the first generation of

3416-627: Was halted in March 2023. The fifth-generation Espace was preceded by the Initiale Paris concept car , which is similar to the production version. The concept was unveiled in September 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show . It has crossover SUV styling and various luxury elements, previewing also the new Renault's Initiale Paris luxury sub-marque. The car incorporates an aluminium– poly(methyl methacrylate) roof, which has

3477-660: Was manufacturing 60,000 vehicles per year at its plant in Romorantin-Lanthenay . Lagardere, recognising the promotion value of the motorsport sector for garnering sales, decided that the company ought to be involved, leading to the creation of Equipe Matra Sports , which entered the French Formula 3 during 1965. Throughout the mid-1960s, Matra enjoyed considerable success in Formula 3 and Formula 2 racing with its MS5 monocoque -based car, winning both

3538-401: Was no less impressive than its acceleration, and could accelerate from 0–270 km/h (0–168 mph) and brake to a complete halt in under 600 metres (1,969 ft). This version of the Espace was featured in driving simulator game Gran Turismo 2 . Frank Williams was a noted passenger of the Espace F1, chauffeured by Williams driver David Coulthard . The Espace F1 currently resides in

3599-540: Was originally conceived in the 1970s by the British designer Fergus Pollock , who was working for Chrysler UK , at its design centre at Whitley in Coventry . Matra , spearheaded by Greek designer Antonis Volanis , developed the design for Simca , the then French subsidiary of Chrysler, with the intent of marketing the vehicle as a Talbot . It would replace the Matra Rancho leisure activity vehicle on

3660-597: Was reflective of a new design direction at Renault, symbolised by the radical Vel Satis and Avantime models, marking a major departure from the previous model, which also saw the range moved upmarket. In 2006, the Espace received a thorough facelift (Phase II) and added new 2.0 litre and 3.0 litre dCi engines. In October 2010, a slight redesign was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show (Phase III), with minor cosmetic changes, LED lights and improved equipment. In 2002, Renault goals were to deliver 450,000 units of

3721-584: Was widely regarded as a failure. By the early 2000s, Matra was reportedly keen to end its involvement with the automotive industry. Following the discontinuation of the Avantime, on 27 February 2003, Matra Automobiles announced its intention to close its Romorantin vehicle factory just one month later. The dismantling of the division was necessitated by Matra Automobiles having been declared bankrupt . During September 2003, Pininfarina SpA acquired Matra Automobile's engineering, testing and prototype businesses;

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