Stunning triangular rearlights
Talk about making an entrance. Over a decade on from the Renault Avantime making its debut, it still looks like a concept car that could so easily be unveiled in 2015. The Avantime is Le Quement's edgiest design. It is a two-door sportminivan with sliding glass roof whose shape is assembled from triangles: a triangular finned area above the headlights, a triangular back end, even triangular tail and side marker lights. Nothing about the Avantine is on the square. “Modern and daring," Renault's literature described it.
COUPESPACE
Renault Paris first presented at 1999 Geneva Motor Show its idea for a uniquely French "Coupéspace" and the styling of the Avantime was the height of modern design. Remember, this is the same country that brought us the 'Citroën SM'.
MATRA
The minivan involved was the Espace III, Europe's original multipurpose vehicle, which is made for Renault by Matra Automobile. The Avantime is front-wheel drive and shares most of its parts with the Espace. As three-door cars go, it is spacious. Its doors are astonishingly long (and have to be double-hinged to allow entry and exit in confined spaces), and the pillarless sides, frameless windows, and huge glass sunroof give it an unusually light and airy feel.
CURIOUS
I'm interested in the Avantime. I'm curious about it! Perhaps I am one of those odd customers Renault was hoping to target, right? So let's find out if there's anything of value here.
EXTRAORDINARY
The Renault Avantime is an extraordinary car: no doubt about that. Renault was rather unhappy its excellent and very stylish Avantime of 2001 was badly received. Thierry Metroz, Matra design project manager, said, "We wanted someone walking around the car to be continually astonished. Avantime plays on opposites, between the animal, almost feline front end and the stronger, squat and propulsive rear."
IMPRESSIVE
Can something this shape and this tall be even slightly sporting and satisfying to drive? Surprisingly, it can. This is an impressive achievement and makes the Avantime fun for the driver and calm and secure for the passengers. Matra's engineers have avoided the top-heaviness of a minivan by fitting a lightweight aluminum superstructure to the Espace chassis. The track has been widened, the suspension lowered, and the wheels and brakes enlarged.
DIFFERENT
Whatever your view, in an increasingly uniform world, I give Renault credit for daring to be different. I'd rather see someone take a chance with something radical, instead of offering yet another boring design.
FORWARD-THINKING
What exactly the Avantime is supposed to be? What is its purpose? Who's going to buy it? Its name actually lends us a clue. "Avant" is the French word for "ahead", and Avant is followed by "time". The English word "time" is self-explanatory. Renault (and original Avantime designer Matra) thought they had a futuristic product, basically. One that in press-releases "forward-thinking, maverick types who go against the grain" (my words) would buy.
TODAY
Today the avant garde style of the Avantime (2001-2003) associates perfect with my minimalist House (photo). As you can see, my 2002 Avantime still looks striking, modern and uncluttered yet with a marked character of its own. If you compare the 2001 Avantime and the new 2015 Espace V you can see echoes of the former in the latter: the window line, proportions and stance. Personally, I would argue the 2001 Avantime is the more appealing of the two. It was futuristic and still so while the Espace V, seems very much a sideways move.
YOUNGEST CLASSIC-CAR EVER
Renault Avantime is a guaranteed classic, with strong values hopefully ensuring many of them survive. Our children need to know what the French were capable of at the turn of the millennium. The sleek lines of the body, bright glass roof with two hatches, original air intakes above the headlights, futuristic design of the rear allow the Renault Avantime to be one of the most exciting new products early XXI century.
TOMORROW
Perhaps, when a small number of carefully preserved, vaguely familiar and unusual-looking cars emerge from padlocked garages and appear at various Concours d'Elégances, ever-larger amounts of money might begin to change hands as the value of these once-ridiculed big French coupés climbs steadily higher.
Surely not? Two words: 'Citroën SM'.
HDRtist HDR - www.ohanaware.com/hdrtist/
Stunning triangular rearlights
Talk about making an entrance. Over a decade on from the Renault Avantime making its debut, it still looks like a concept car that could so easily be unveiled in 2015. The Avantime is Le Quement's edgiest design. It is a two-door sportminivan with sliding glass roof whose shape is assembled from triangles: a triangular finned area above the headlights, a triangular back end, even triangular tail and side marker lights. Nothing about the Avantine is on the square. “Modern and daring," Renault's literature described it.
COUPESPACE
Renault Paris first presented at 1999 Geneva Motor Show its idea for a uniquely French "Coupéspace" and the styling of the Avantime was the height of modern design. Remember, this is the same country that brought us the 'Citroën SM'.
MATRA
The minivan involved was the Espace III, Europe's original multipurpose vehicle, which is made for Renault by Matra Automobile. The Avantime is front-wheel drive and shares most of its parts with the Espace. As three-door cars go, it is spacious. Its doors are astonishingly long (and have to be double-hinged to allow entry and exit in confined spaces), and the pillarless sides, frameless windows, and huge glass sunroof give it an unusually light and airy feel.
CURIOUS
I'm interested in the Avantime. I'm curious about it! Perhaps I am one of those odd customers Renault was hoping to target, right? So let's find out if there's anything of value here.
EXTRAORDINARY
The Renault Avantime is an extraordinary car: no doubt about that. Renault was rather unhappy its excellent and very stylish Avantime of 2001 was badly received. Thierry Metroz, Matra design project manager, said, "We wanted someone walking around the car to be continually astonished. Avantime plays on opposites, between the animal, almost feline front end and the stronger, squat and propulsive rear."
IMPRESSIVE
Can something this shape and this tall be even slightly sporting and satisfying to drive? Surprisingly, it can. This is an impressive achievement and makes the Avantime fun for the driver and calm and secure for the passengers. Matra's engineers have avoided the top-heaviness of a minivan by fitting a lightweight aluminum superstructure to the Espace chassis. The track has been widened, the suspension lowered, and the wheels and brakes enlarged.
DIFFERENT
Whatever your view, in an increasingly uniform world, I give Renault credit for daring to be different. I'd rather see someone take a chance with something radical, instead of offering yet another boring design.
FORWARD-THINKING
What exactly the Avantime is supposed to be? What is its purpose? Who's going to buy it? Its name actually lends us a clue. "Avant" is the French word for "ahead", and Avant is followed by "time". The English word "time" is self-explanatory. Renault (and original Avantime designer Matra) thought they had a futuristic product, basically. One that in press-releases "forward-thinking, maverick types who go against the grain" (my words) would buy.
TODAY
Today the avant garde style of the Avantime (2001-2003) associates perfect with my minimalist House (photo). As you can see, my 2002 Avantime still looks striking, modern and uncluttered yet with a marked character of its own. If you compare the 2001 Avantime and the new 2015 Espace V you can see echoes of the former in the latter: the window line, proportions and stance. Personally, I would argue the 2001 Avantime is the more appealing of the two. It was futuristic and still so while the Espace V, seems very much a sideways move.
YOUNGEST CLASSIC-CAR EVER
Renault Avantime is a guaranteed classic, with strong values hopefully ensuring many of them survive. Our children need to know what the French were capable of at the turn of the millennium. The sleek lines of the body, bright glass roof with two hatches, original air intakes above the headlights, futuristic design of the rear allow the Renault Avantime to be one of the most exciting new products early XXI century.
TOMORROW
Perhaps, when a small number of carefully preserved, vaguely familiar and unusual-looking cars emerge from padlocked garages and appear at various Concours d'Elégances, ever-larger amounts of money might begin to change hands as the value of these once-ridiculed big French coupés climbs steadily higher.
Surely not? Two words: 'Citroën SM'.
HDRtist HDR - www.ohanaware.com/hdrtist/