GOODWOOD - Renault give the UK a number of debuts as well as some seriously brilliant cars from history.

• From the world’s first Grand Prix winner to Land Speed Record Breakers and 21^st Century World Championship–Winning Formula 1 Cars
• Global debut for the exciting new Twingo GT
• UK debut for the Renault Sport Clio R.S.16 concept
• UK debut for the Renault Mégane GT 205 Sport Tourer
• Renault drivers include:
  Jolyon Palmer
  Stéphane Richelmi
  René Arnoux
  Michel Leclere
  Jean Ragnotti
• Extensive Renault presence, from the hill to the paddock to First Glance and the brand’s own stand opposite Goodwood House 

Renault will feature an impressively extensive display of racing cars, land speed record cars and production models at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed as well as having three models making their global and UK debuts.

Plenty of drama will be provided by the Renaults attacking the famous Goodwood hill, from the magnificent Type AK to the Nervasport land speed record car, the slinkily rapid R.S. 01 currently contesting circuits around Europe and small phalanx of some of the Formula 1 world’s most important racers.

The story of Renault’s bold bid to change Formula 1 technology is told with a succession of increasingly successful turbocharged cars, these a welcome reminder of the marque’s glittering pedigree in the year of its return as a Formula 1 constructor.

Many will be at least as thrilled by the new Clio R.S.16 concept car, a 275hp hot hatch built by Renault Sport as a potential hint of excitement to come.

Other road cars include the cheekily appealing Twingo GT, which makes its global debut at Goodwood, while the elegantly dynamic Renault Mégane Sport Tourer and the distinctly sculptural new Scenic make their UK debuts on Renault’s impressive stand. 

1906 Renault Type AK                  

This spectacular machine is the world’s first Grand Prix-winning car. Not that this was a Grand Prix as we know it today. Staged at Le Mans, 110 years to the day of this year’s Festival of Speed, the 64-mile route largely consisted of tarmac roads, the 32 competitors starting at 90-second intervals to drive six times a day over two days. The total race distance was 769 miles.

Renault entered three Type AK vehicles, their 13-litre 90hp engines capable of 93mph, a velocity probably as terrifying as it was impressive 110 years ago.

AK number 3A was driven by Ferenc Szisz, whose first day victory left only 17 cars capable of beginning the second. Szisz lead all the way, winning the competition in 12 hours 14 minutes – 32 minutes ahead of the next driver.  It will run up the hill throughout the weekend.

1925 Renault 40 CV Montlhéry    

In the 1920’s, any self-respecting car manufacturer was involved in the dash for records, a fashion encouraged by the construction of speed circuits. In France the Montlhéry circuit, built in 1924, became the scene of several races against the clock. Renault was a major player, competing with the 40CV that was the pinnacle of its range, this huge and hugely impressive machine propelled by an enormous 9.1-litre engine.

In 1926, Plessier and Gartfield, the engineers responsible for the operation, launched a very streamlined 40 CV with a single-seater body and the radiator placed behind the engine. The car clocked averages of 190.013kph for the 50 miles and 173.649kph for 24 hours. On the way the 40 CV broke several other records, including 1,000, 2,000 miles, and 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 kilometers. The car running up the hill is an exact replica of the record-breaker, built in the 1970s.

1934 Renault Nervasport Land Speed Record Car

An exciting offshoot of Renault’s luxurious Nervastella saloon, the Nervasport emphasised performance and notched up a string of endurance records. It was propelled by Renault's second-generation 8-cylinder in-line engine, whose design was influenced by aviation engineering developments.

With this engine the Nerva series would achieve a distinguished motorsport record across both Europe and Africa. The Nervasport achieved its most spectacular performance at the Montlhéry race circuit in April 1934. A striking Marcel Riffard-designed single-seater version with enclosed bodywork won a clutch of endurance records. The target record was 6,300 kilometres in two days at an average speed of over 132kph (82mph).  On 5 April, after 48 hours, 3 minutes and 14 seconds of driving, the Nervasport crossed the finishing line having broken nine international records and three world records, including: 8,037 km in 48 hours, at an average of 167.445kph (104.068mph).  It will run throughout the weekend. 

1956 Etoile Filante                       

‘Etoile Filante’ is both a romantic and entirely appropriate name for this record breaking shooting star that will also run throughout the weekend. It was inspired by turbine expert and founder of Turboméca Joseph Szidlowski, who was keen to widen public understanding of the technology, which came from the aviation world. He persuaded Renault’s first post-war chairman Pierre Lefaucheux to trigger the development of an experimental turbine car, the project lead by director of study and research Fernand Picard, engine specialist Albert Lory and Jean Hébert, an engineer who would also drive this record chaser.

Based around a 270hp turbine engine, the Renault featured a tubular, polyester-clad body whose shapely contours were the result of two years of wind-tunnel testing. On September 5 1956 the Etoile Filante whistled across the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States, breaking the world land speed record at 306.9kph over a kilometre, and 308.85kph over five kilometres.

1976 Renault F1 A500 

Renault’s first steps towards Formula 1 were wisely tentative, and began with development work on a competition engine based on executive class Renault 30 V6. The result was the V6 Renault-Elf-Gordini, which excelled in road and Formula 2 track events. Suitably encouraged, a Formula 1 engine was investigated. The regulations of the time offered two choices: 3 litres with normal aspiration or 1.5 litres with turbocharger. Renault’s existing turbocharging experience lead it to choose the 1.5 litre turbo solution, development engines soon approaching a spectacular 500bhp. Initially fitted in an Alpine-Renault prototype, the engine later powered a single-seater tested by Jean-Pierre Jabouille in March 1976. This car was presented to the press in April, as the experimental A500. Three months later Renault’s new boss Bernard Hanon gave the go-ahead for a Renault racing squad, marking the start of a long and triumphant era in the company’s history.

1977 Renault F1 RS 01            

At the start of the 1970s, Renault Gordini, with the financial help of oil group Elf, launched a high-performance engine research programme and developed a V6 Turbo. At first it was to be used in the Renault-Alpine prototypes then in Renault Formula 1.  After the victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 with the Renault-Alpine A442 B, the Renault Sport team dedicated itself entirely to Formula 1. In 1977 it used, with an in-house RS 01 chassis, a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine half the size of the normally aspirated engines. Over the weekend, this remarkable historic F1 car will be demonstrating its performance again.

1979 Renault F1 RS 10           

This was the first turbocharged car to win a Formula 1 race. Victory came two years after Renault’s first turbocharged foray into F1, at the 1977 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. While all the other cars on the grid ran 3.0 litre normally aspirated engines, the Renault used a blown 1.5 litre which was lighter but harder to control and less dependable. It took two years for the Renault Sport engineers to overcome these issues, but their commitment was rewarded in July 1979 at the French Grand Prix in Dijon-Prenois, with victory for Jean-Pierre Jabouille. René Arnoux, finished third in the RS 12 chassis. Renault’s first victory in F1 was also the first win for a single-seater with a turbo engine. Rival teams reacted quickly, turbos soon dominating the grid. Renault had made the right choice.

Four RS 10 type chassis were developed (RS 10, RS 11, RS 12, RS 14), the example here an RS 14.

1981 Renault F1 RE 27B                  

The Renault Formula 1 RE 27B was an intermediate model between the RE 20 and the RE 30 driven by René Arnoux. At the wheel of the RE 27B, René Arnoux finished fifth in the Grand Prix of Argentina. The car was fitted with fixed skirting, a turbocharged Elf engine producing 520hp at 10,500rpm.

1982 Renault F1 RE 30        

Having fired the gun on turbo boosted Formula 1 cars, Renault now faced competition from similarly-equipped rivals. It was the RE 30 that would do battle with them. By 1980, five years after its first turbo F1 car competed, Renault had scored three victories with the RE 20, and the following year the first rival turbo F1 car appeared in the shape of a Ferrari. The RE 30 that the Ferrari battled proved extremely fast, claiming six pole positions that season with Rene Arnoux and Renault newcomer Alain Prost. During 1982 the RE 30B would claim ten pole positions and four race victories, in South Africa, Brazil, France and Italy. Meanwhile Renault’s bold technological lead was followed not only by Ferrari but Toleman-Hart and Brabham-BMW.

1983 Renault F1 RE 40                

The RE 40 was the Renault Formula 1 car to use a carbon fibre tub, this immensely strong, lightweight material and a sizeable set of wings intended to counter the banning of ground-effect aerodynamics for the 1983 season. The RE 40’s cause was further aided by Renault’s now long-running 1.5 litre turbo engine, which was by now using twin turbochargers and water injection to achieve a spectacular 880hp. Renault had by now become an engine supplier as a provider to Lotus.

Alain Prost was runner-up in the 1983 World Championship in an RE 40, scoring four wins from 14 races, three pole positions and three fastest laps. He missed the championship by only two points, the winner later found to be using an illegal fuel. However, Renault chose not to contest the result. The still-searing performance of this beautiful car can be witnessed over the Festival weekend.

2005 Renault F1 R25 World Champion Car 

By 2005, Renault’s Formula 1 expertise had developed to the point that could realistically mount an attempt on winning the world championship. It invested immense effort in this goal with drivers Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Its new car featured highly effective aerodynamics, an innovative front suspension system and a 3.5 litre 800bhp V10 engine capable of running for two successive races without needing replacement.

Despite facing huge pressure from Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari and McLaren Mercedes’s Kimi Raïkkonen and Juan-Pablo Montoya, Alonso finished as World Champion with seven wins, eight podium finishes and six pole positions. Renault won the constructors championship with eight wins and 10 podium finishes, making this the first time ever that a volume car-maker had won both Formula 1 championships. 

2006 Renault F1 R26 World Champion Car 

In 2006, Renault’s goal was to replicate its double-championship success, with the additional challenge of adapting to Formula 1’s new V8 engine regulations.

Renault F1 entered V8 R26s for defending champion Fernando Alonso and team mate, Giancarlo Fisichella.

The team had a superb start to the season, Alonso snaring six wins, three runner-up finishes and five pole positions from the opening nine races, whilst Fisichella scored one victory, one pole and one third place.

Michael Schumacher and Ferrari responded to make the duel for the title a tense one, but by adding another win and four second places to his tally, Alonso successfully made it back-to-back Drivers’ world championship titles, Renault achieving the same in the Constructors’ chase. Fisichella, meanwhile, secured fourth position in the Drivers’ standings. It was a magnificent pair of doubles for the Renault team, which had become the most potent force on the Formula 1 grid.

2016 Renault R.S.16 Formula 1 Car

In 2016, Renault created a new entity, Renault Sport Racing, consolidating all Renault’s motorsport activities.  At the summit of the motorsport activities is the Renault Sport Formula One Team. The name underlines Renault’s plans to increase awareness of the Renault Sport brand and the links it intends to further explore between track and road.  2016’s Renault F1 car is the R.S.16 chassis developed and manufactured in the former Renault F1 Team base at Enstone, powered by the R.E.16 power unit developed at Renault Sport Racing’s facility in Viry-Châtillon.  Briton, Jolyon Palmer competes in the season this year alongside Kevin Magnussen.  Jolyon will be driving the R.S.16 up the famous hill.

2016 Renault-e.dams Formula E Car        

Renault has been directly involved in the new Formula E championship since its launch in 2014. It was appointed Technical Partner to the inaugural championship season, contributing massively to the architecture and electric integration of the first generation Spark-Renault SRT01E single seaters and going on to win the constructor’s prize in the first 2014/2015 season with Renault-e.dams.

Renault redoubled its commitment in the second season of competition by building a second generation engine/gearbox assembly and developing cutting-edge technologies that will both directly and indirectly benefit the production vehicles in the Z.E. range. The latest Renault-e.dams Formula E car will be (almost) silently running up the hill over the weekend.

2015 Renault Sport R.S.01                 

If you want dramatic confirmation of Renault’s commitment to motorsport, look no further than the Renault Sport R.S.01, a race car of spectacular styling and exceptional performance. The R.S.01 is the star of the Trophy championship, which provides drivers with a springboard for professional GT and Endurance championships. Its design has been driven both by the need to generate plenty of downforce, and the inspiration of concept cars, most notably the 2010 Renault DeZir, and the land speed record-breaking Etoile Filante.

Powered by a 3.8 litre twin turbo V6 producing 550hp, key features of the R.S.01 include a carbon fibre tub that contributes substantially to its low weight of 1150kg, pushrod-actuated suspension, carbon fibre brake discs clamped by six-pot calipers and 18in centre-lock alloy wheels. The result is a racing car that’s not only dramatic and hugely fast, as will be demonstrated during the weekend, but beautiful too, making it the perfect flag-bearer for Renault’s 116-year old motorsport track record.

1985 Renault 5 Maxi Turbo

By the mid 1970s the sun had finally set on the Alpine A110’s glittering rally career, Renault’s rival Lancia dominating the scene with its mid-engined Stratos. Renault’s surprising answer to this Ferrari-powered supercar was an urban supermini, its hugely successful 5 chosen as the unlikely basis for a small, light and ferociously fast new mid-engined weapon. The idea was to move its engine from the front to the middle of the car to improve its traction and handling. The result was a rather strange looking 5, its rear wings distended by swollen wheel arches, its rear seats sacrificed to a box housing a highly tuned, turbocharged 1.4 litre engine of 162bhp. The Rally Championship rules required that this weirdly appealing little car enter production, in the process creating one of Renault’s many legendary performance machines and a highly collectible car today. The Renault 5 Maxi Turbo scored its maiden win on the 1981 Monte Carlo rally, and remained a potent force until the all-wheel drive Group B cars arrived.  The Maxi Turbo’s extraordinary proportions, and power, can be seen in action over the Festival weekend.

2016 Renault Clio R.S.16

The Clio R.S.16 concept car is the highest performance Renault Sport road-going model yet. Built to celebrate 40 years of Renault Sport and Renault’s return to Formula One as a constructor, the R.S. 16 was developed in record time.

“Our aim was to produce a concept car with genuinely outstanding performance credentials”, explains Patrice Ratti, Managing Director of Renault Sport Cars and project leader. Using new techniques drawn from motorsport and road car design, the R.S.16 project took just five months to realise despite its complexity.

Housing the 275hp engine, six-speed manual transmission, suspension, brakes and cooling system of the bigger Mégane R.S. 275 Trophy-R was a significant challenge, the Clio’s chassis, cooling system and exhaust suitably reworked. No small task was widening the Clio’s body by 60mm to accommodate 19-inch wheels on a wider track.  This dramatic Clio is finished in Renault Sport’s trademark Liquid Yellow – combined with gloss black details, it mirrors the Renault Sport Team’s R.S.16 F1 single-seater livery.

British Renault Sport Academy driver, Oliver Rowland, will drive the Clio R.S.16 concept car up the hill over the weekend. The Renault Sport Academy is a key element of Renault’s strategy investing in the performance of young drivers, training them from an early stage of their careers to take them to the highest level of competition.   

2017 Renault Twingo GT

Making its world debut at the 2016 Festival of Speed, the new Twingo GT mixes the inherent agility of Renault’s rear-wheel drive city car with Renault Sport’s development expertise to deliver even more driving pleasure. Its 898cc Energy TCe turbo engine now delivers 110hp and 170Nm torque thanks to a revised air intake system and modified engine mapping, revised gearing also contributing to the GT’s free-revving performance.

Complementing the extra go is a chassis featuring revised suspension, specific ESP calibration and variable-rate steering. The result is sharp handling and responsive steering feedback for precise cornering and outstanding road holding, providing Twingo GT drivers with notably affordable driving pleasure.

Easily identifiable by its lowered ride height, 17-inch wheels, lateral air intakes, twin exhausts and NACA aircraft duct style graphics, the GT’s sporty credentials and heritage are immediately obvious.  The Twingo GT’s interior features Renault Sport-badged doorsills, aluminium pedals and an alloy gear lever knob. It will be available in the UK this winter.  

2017 Renault Mégane GT 205 Sport Tourer                

The Mégane Sport Tourer, which makes its first UK appearance at the Festival is both elegant, dynamic and effortlessly practical. Featuring an easily configured modular interior with a choice of boot arrangements, it also provides the segment’s longest maximum load length.

The Mégane Sport Tourer’s design blends dynamism and an elegance satisfyingly enhanced by the chrome trim outlining the side windows and C-pillar, while its low-set stance and wide track increase the feeling of security on the road.

This is underpinned by Renault’s unique-in-class 4Control four-wheel steering technology, which is specifically tailored to the Sport Tourer to endow it with precise, dynamic handling on twisty roads, and exceptional agility in built-up areas.

2017 All-New Renault Scenic   

Renault invented the compact multi-purpose vehicle or MPV, and with this latest Scenic, which makes its UK debut at Goodwood, it has thoroughly revitalised the idea. This latest version is striking for its fresh proportions, svelte silhouette, a two-tone paint option and a number of ingenious features. Among these are the standard fitment of visually appealing 20-inch diameter wheels and underfloor storage compartments, as found on the original Scenic.

A slightly higher ride height, a shorter rear overhand, a rising, subtly muscular waistline and a wider track all contribute to a design that’s considerably more shapely than most vehicles of this kind. A three-piece wraparound windscreen provides a particularly panoramic view ahead, the feeling of airiness further enhanced by an expansive, unobstructed, optional glass roof. This latest Scenic is preceded by three generations going back 20 years with their combined sales closing of five million.

Renault Clio Renault Sport 220 Trophy EDC

The latest in an illustrious line of Renault Sport Clios, the 220 Trophy EDC provides an exciting 220bhp and 280Nm of torque and rev peak of 6800rpm. Yet its standard-fit Stop & Start system helps contain emissions to a modest 138g/km.

There are no less than seven gear ratios to feed with its substantial power output, either automatically or via the Clio’s quick-acting paddleshifts. Multiple down-shifts, known as ‘Multichange’, can be achieved merely by holding the left-hand paddle, and the system also provides Launch Control, in addition to the R.S. Drive system’s three dynamic modes.

2016 Renault Captur       

Spacious, versatile and satisfyingly distinctive, the highly stylish Captur is a distinct hit among the fast-growing market for small crossovers. Sporty looks, a high seating position and the scope for extensive customisation complement advanced engines, the Energy dCi 90 diesel manual offering up to 78.5mpg (combined NEDC) and CO₂ emissions of only 85g/km. On top of this, sophisticated touchscreen technology makes this car a pleasure to occupy. The Captur is now available with a two top-of-the-range trims. Both feature R-Link 7-inch touchscreen navigation and heated front seats, the Signature building on this with TomTom LIVE traffic info, Bluetooth and a DAB radio, as well as Grip Xtend advanced traction control with mud and snow tyres. The Iconic Nav special edition provides two-tone Cappuccino Brown paint, 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and dark-tinted rear glass.

2016 Renault Kadjar                    

An SUV, estate and saloon packed into a single, handsome package, the Kadjar crossover is robust, elegant, powerful and very efficient, besides offering the latest safety, infotainment and connectivity systems.

It is powered by small-capacity Renault dCi diesel and TCe petrol engines that provide fulsome performance and exceptional efficiency. Fuel economy and CO₂ figures are as high as 74.3mpg (combined NEDC) and as low as 99g/km, matching the best-in-class. The Kadjar is available in two- and four-wheel drive forms, and with manual and automatic transmissions. Two-wheel-drive versions are available with Renault’s traction control system enabling them to venture further off-road.

All these features underline the Kadjar’s adaptability to any environment. Its compact size and command-post visibility make it ideal in busy urban areas, while its estate car-like driving position and quiet, comfortable interior ensure the driver remains relaxed and alert.

2016 Renault Twizy

The charming Twizy is among the most radical electric cars on the market. A tandem two-seater, its agile performance, slender body and keen handling make for a practical and highly enjoyable urban machine that’s very stylish with it. Available with al fresco open sides or optional scissor doors, the Twizy is as safe as it is pleasurable, providing an integral steel roll-over cage and a driver’s airbag as standard. It also features an on-board computer, an econometer and an energy recovery system to maximize its range. The Twizy is also available in Cargo form, with a 180-litre lockable boot instead of a rear passenger seat.

Over 16,000 of these charming zero-emissions-in-use machines have been sold worldwide, each of them a miniature transport revolution. The two Twizys on display are in Renault Formula e and Formula 1 liveries.

2016 Renault ZOE      

ZOE is a very affordable, purpose-designed pure electric five-door hatchback of particularly appealing lines. A 65kW (88hp) electric engine provides the ZOE with strong low-speed acceleration thanks to its instant 220Nm of torque, and a top speed of 84mph.

ZOE is available in two trim levels called Expression and Dynamique, the latter also available with a rapid charge facility enabling the car to be recharged in as little as 30 minutes. ZOE has an official range of up to 149 miles (NEDC) – Renault estimates that this equates to around 106 miles in real world conditions.  A domestic charging wall-box is supplied and installed at a ZOE purchaser’s home for no extra cost with every new retail customer.  With the Chameleon™ Charger that ZOE comes with as standard, the car is compatible with various power sockets and sources, providing a range of charging options and always optimising the charge available to ensure more convenient charging.