Renault Avantime Concept - AllCarIndex
1999
A new take on the luxury coupé
1999
Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1999
Winner of the Janus de l'Industrie prize
Concept
With the Avantime Concept car, Renault's aim was to develop a completely new-look architecture to mark the close of the millennium: a new top-of-the-range coupé concept. Sporty, dynamic, aesthetic, comfortable, elegant and ever so slightly "alternative", this vehicle is the most eloquent possible illustration of Renault's capacity and culture for innovation.
Features
SOURCE: Renault
The concept car AVANTIME heralds the arrival of the "CoupÈspace"
As the dawn of the new millennium lights the sky ahead, Renault, in partnership with Matra Automobile, has opted to develop a coupÈ of ground-breaking design. This "CoupÈspace", revealed in the lines of the AVANTIME concept car at the forthcoming Geneva Show, fuses the thrill and passion of a GT coupÈ with the unique quality of life on board a monospace. AVANTIME is the coupÈ for the 21st century, carrying within its genes an undiluted passion and urge for innovation so distinctly Renault.
AVANTIME, the new "CoupÈspace" concept to be unveiled at the Geneva Show, illustrates in a forthright manner Renault's ability to shape the future of the motor car. The manufacturer is convinced that there is room in the market for a new breed of coupÈ, targeted at a customer group seeking driving enjoyment plus versatility in a concept far removed from the family car.
AVANTIME's priority is to win over three main target groups:
In such groups, AVANTIME will kindle the flames of driving passion and enjoyment, due principally to the power of its 24 valve, V6 engine, pumping out 250 bhp through a manual, 6-speed gearbox. The owner of a "CoupÈspace" will rediscover the fundamentals of the true GT (performance, safety, dynamic handling and on-board comfort) but they will also cross the threshold of a novel style of driving thrill, courtesy of even greater cabin space, in-coming light and the ever-changing landscape unfolding beyond the vehicle's windows. Truly, an elegant way to stand out, to savour the pleasures of the motor car under a different light.
AVANTIME symbolises Renault's desire to take bold steps from a structural and design point of view at every level in the range, shunning the dominant, accepted thinking of the time. This quest to be different has already found clear expression in the INITIALE and VEL SATIS concept cars, both brimming with fresh ideas. AVANTIME, the fruit of a cooperative effort between Renault and Matra Automobile, goes one step further, being the precursor to the actual vehicle due to be launched in the Year 2000, alongside the Safrane and Espace.
AVANTIME symbolises the power of innovation driving Renault ever forwards. The three core values of enthusiasm, intuition and daring that have merged to give birth to this "CoupÈspace" constitute the very essence of the marque. This same cultural inheritance will yet again makes its mark in future models in the range, innovative in their design and body style and offering unique enjoyment in driving and life on board. A niche vehicle designed for customers looking for something different and out of the ordinary, AVANTIME is a prelude to Renault's ambitions at the top end of the range.
"CoupÈspace": a new breed of GT coupÈ
Occupying the middle ground between coupÈ/estate and the monospace, AVANTIME achieves a fusion of hitherto incompatible features. It marries the good looks and prestige of the GT coupÈ with the raised, dominant driving position associated with the monospace. Drawing on the VEL SATIS' twin door body structure as well as its wide openings with their innovative mechanisms, AVANTIME offers easy access for all its occupants.
Providing four plush seats, a powerful yet flexible engine and the latest in auto technology, AVANTIME invites you to travel in a degree of comfort and safety normally reserved for top-of-the-range saloons.
Design credentials drawn from the VEL SATIS
A worthy descendent of the VEL SATIS, AVANTIME is a coupÈ of non-traditional design exuding dynamism and unabashed modernity. With its straight body lines and ridged pillars and waistline, AVANTIME sets out in contemporary format the shape of Renault's forthcoming models.
With its thrusting front end, packed with restrained aggression, AVANTIME espouses a dynamism underscored by its V-shaped headlamps and air-intakes. The vehicle's "forward motion" is accentuated by the VEL SATIS-inspired large, vertical, rounded rear window, shifted forward with respect to the luggage compartment.
AVANTIME boasts an exceptional level of visibility and luminosity. The panoramic glass roof further enhances the feeling of luminosity. Engendering, at the same time, a sense of unfettered freedom, it adds an extra dimension of pleasure to the journey at hand. With roof open and side windows fully retracted, AVANTIME brings the sky flooding in, unleashing the hedonistic delights of the cabriolet.
Inside: record levels of spaciousness, plus an elegant, discreet luxury that is unmistakably French
The concept of adding a coupÈ to a one-box foundation gives rise to features and characteristics hitherto unknown in the world of the traditional coupÈ. The spacious interior provides four real "armchairs" with built-in safety belts, plus an excellent level of in-car comfort, particularly for rear-seated passengers. Their freedom of movement into and out of the vehicle is facilitated in two ways: by the door's large angle of opening with its "2-step mechanism" and by the automatic lowering of the quarterlight linked to the folding forward of the front seat. The impression of space is far beyond that usually encountered in a 2+2 coupÈ.
The AVANTIME's rear portions incorporate a luggage compartment of innovative design and versatile function. A special section for small items of luggage has been designed beneath the loading sill. A further neat touch: the boot is fitted out with a luggage lashing system using retractable straps.
AVANTIME expresses most fluently the Renault philosophy. A subtle blend of "high tech" and "high touch", the interior's simplicity of line and quality of trim are a tempting invitation to travel and experience the combined enjoyment of driving and life on board. The combination of leather, aluminium and cloth, free of any hint of extravagance, embodies the elegant, discreet luxury that is so unmistakably French.
The very latest in engine design, plus high-tech equipment for greater safety and comfort
For this vehicle, Renault Sport has developed a high performance version of the 3 litre, 24 valve V6 engine already powering the Laguna and Espace, with its 6-speed manual gearbox. Just like the VEL SATIS, AVANTIME comes fitted with four large (245) PAX system tyres from Michelin. They allow the driver to journey on with a flat tyre, maintaining a speed of 80 kph over a distance of more than 200 km, in total safety.
Again, as on the VEL SATIS, the hands-free badge automatically unlocks doors and disengages the engine immobiliser as you approach the vehicle. The wide hinge and swing doors afford easy access to the cabin whilst still maintaining limited travel.
Blending perfectly with the AVANTIME's underlying philosophy, travel support in the form of the latest on-board telematics is also on offer. With a Pioneer DVD at its heart, the system provides those on board with guidance and navigation backed up with a multimedia array of tourist and cultural information. Travel, with AVANTIME in charge, takes on a whole new dimension.
To complement the above system, rear-seated passengers also have access to a portable DVD player which can be detached from the central rear console, plus two wide-format screens positioned in the backs of the front seats. With this arrangement, they can, if they wish, follow the same information as the front passengers, or take in a film with sound and picture quality worthy of the cinema.
SOURCE: Renault. Please mention www.allcarindex.com if you use this text.
