The best looking people carrier ever made?
It really didn't get the respect it deserved because of the high price.
Renault wowed the crowds and the motoring press with their CoupéSpace (2+2 Coupe GT MPV) Avantime concept when they revealed their Matra inspired styling exercise at the Paris Motor Show in 1999. The concept by Patrick Le Quement was boldly taken into production largely unchanged. Featuring design ahead of its time the Avantime (French word "Avant" meaning "ahead" with English word "time") was packed full of luxuries, safety features and advanced engineering. Highlights included unique double-hinged 'kinematic' pillarless doors allowing easy access to the front and rear seats (even when tightly parked), the worlds largest opening glass sunroof at the time (a full 1m/sq of opening roof) featuring strengthened heat-reflecting glass, theatre seating (rear positioned higher than the front), galvanised steel chassis with aluminium upper structure, cavernous 530 litre boot, xenon headlights, a 'grand air' button which simultaneously opened all pillarless windows and sunroof, and finally a choice of powerful engines giving a grand tourer driving style. Delays in the launch prompted sudden competition from within when Renault themselves elected to put their concept Vel Satis model into production. Just ten months after Avantime production started in 2001, Matra announced that they would cease all vehicle manufacturing, with much of the facilities going on to be sold to Pininfarina in 2003. Renault elected not to continue the Avantime themselves. Across 18 months only 8,557 vehicles were built, half of those sold in France. BBC's Top Gear positioned the Renault Avantime at 'Sub Zero' on the 'Cool Wall' stating it was cooler even than the Aston Martin Vanquish and "the coolest car money can buy". Despite this just 229 cars sold in the Netherlands. Our car is a 2002 2.0 16V Turbo Expression in 'Noir Nocturne 268' Violet/Black with silver aluminium roof rails and 'beige hoggar' upholstery. The car is production number 137 in the sequence of cars built for the NL market. The Avantime combines bold styling with exceptional comfort and a host of highly attractive features that would appeal to most car enthusiasts. When you overlay the GT flare and performance with such limited production numbers, I believe that the Avantime possesses all of the hallmarks of a highly collectable classic.
The best looking people carrier ever made?
It really didn't get the respect it deserved because of the high price.
Renault wowed the crowds and the motoring press with their CoupéSpace (2+2 Coupe GT MPV) Avantime concept when they revealed their Matra inspired styling exercise at the Paris Motor Show in 1999. The concept by Patrick Le Quement was boldly taken into production largely unchanged. Featuring design ahead of its time the Avantime (French word "Avant" meaning "ahead" with English word "time") was packed full of luxuries, safety features and advanced engineering. Highlights included unique double-hinged 'kinematic' pillarless doors allowing easy access to the front and rear seats (even when tightly parked), the worlds largest opening glass sunroof at the time (a full 1m/sq of opening roof) featuring strengthened heat-reflecting glass, theatre seating (rear positioned higher than the front), galvanised steel chassis with aluminium upper structure, cavernous 530 litre boot, xenon headlights, a 'grand air' button which simultaneously opened all pillarless windows and sunroof, and finally a choice of powerful engines giving a grand tourer driving style. Delays in the launch prompted sudden competition from within when Renault themselves elected to put their concept Vel Satis model into production. Just ten months after Avantime production started in 2001, Matra announced that they would cease all vehicle manufacturing, with much of the facilities going on to be sold to Pininfarina in 2003. Renault elected not to continue the Avantime themselves. Across 18 months only 8,557 vehicles were built, half of those sold in France. BBC's Top Gear positioned the Renault Avantime at 'Sub Zero' on the 'Cool Wall' stating it was cooler even than the Aston Martin Vanquish and "the coolest car money can buy". Despite this just 229 cars sold in the Netherlands. Our car is a 2002 2.0 16V Turbo Expression in 'Noir Nocturne 268' Violet/Black with silver aluminium roof rails and 'beige hoggar' upholstery. The car is production number 137 in the sequence of cars built for the NL market. The Avantime combines bold styling with exceptional comfort and a host of highly attractive features that would appeal to most car enthusiasts. When you overlay the GT flare and performance with such limited production numbers, I believe that the Avantime possesses all of the hallmarks of a highly collectable classic.