As many of you know Axel Braun (Vee designer) was at Mas du Clos and chatted to a few of us at length and, amongst other things, mentioned some details about the Vee ... A couple I remember are ...
1. The lines of the production Vee were originally intended to less aggresive than they turned out to be - I think this was due to time constraints as Renault wanted the Trophy car in development very quickly. This was the original motivation behind the Vee design and programme.
2. The original concept was also for 'gull wing' doors. We did see a Vee with gull wing doors at Mas du Clos but I didn't take pictures. So we can't really laugh anymore at the idea as we may have done in the past.
3. The Clio V6 would have had bucket seats as this was recognised but at the time they could not be produced with air-bags to meet Renaults safety-concious attitude so we didn't get them. Later Renault Sport models have Recaros in as, in the mean time, Renault essentially engaged with Recaro to make OEM seats to their requirements with air-bags - as we have seen with the later models.
4. The prototype Vee (in some of the Mas du Clos posts) was basically cobbled together by taking a stock Clio and hacking it about and 'glueing', 'welding' and 'bolting' bits on to prove the concept.
5. Renault may very well have lost money on the Vee programme (figures not available) but the intention was not for it to be a profitable, it was more directed as a Marketing exercise and, from what I recall, to shift the 'image' of the Clio perhaps to a broader more male orientated market.
6. Axel has a preference for Black Vees - well that is what he told me, before he knew I had a Black one !
I may remember other stuff or if anyone on the trip has stuff to add then feel free ...
Martin
1. The lines of the production Vee were originally intended to less aggresive than they turned out to be - I think this was due to time constraints as Renault wanted the Trophy car in development very quickly. This was the original motivation behind the Vee design and programme.
2. The original concept was also for 'gull wing' doors. We did see a Vee with gull wing doors at Mas du Clos but I didn't take pictures. So we can't really laugh anymore at the idea as we may have done in the past.
3. The Clio V6 would have had bucket seats as this was recognised but at the time they could not be produced with air-bags to meet Renaults safety-concious attitude so we didn't get them. Later Renault Sport models have Recaros in as, in the mean time, Renault essentially engaged with Recaro to make OEM seats to their requirements with air-bags - as we have seen with the later models.
4. The prototype Vee (in some of the Mas du Clos posts) was basically cobbled together by taking a stock Clio and hacking it about and 'glueing', 'welding' and 'bolting' bits on to prove the concept.
5. Renault may very well have lost money on the Vee programme (figures not available) but the intention was not for it to be a profitable, it was more directed as a Marketing exercise and, from what I recall, to shift the 'image' of the Clio perhaps to a broader more male orientated market.
6. Axel has a preference for Black Vees - well that is what he told me, before he knew I had a Black one !
I may remember other stuff or if anyone on the trip has stuff to add then feel free ...
Martin