Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
To be truly successful, an object needs just enough material to serve its purpose. In the case of a car, and particularly a sports car, removing material not only makes it lighter and therefore faster, but can also save on cost. A light yet robust structure was done to great effect in the 1880s by Gustave Eiffel, it was Colin Chapman’s watchword, and Renault strove to do the same on four wheels with the Renault Sport Spider. When a car with a shorter wheelbase and less weight than a VW Up! is married with a 148hp engine from the Clio Williams, you know it’s going to be fun! No wonder then that Road & Track described it as a “croissant designed for hand-to-hand combat”! Just why did Renault, a company who was focused on trying to reclaim a decent share of the family car market, make a limited-run out-and-out sports car?
Link to Patrick's book "Luckyman": https://lignesautoeditions.fr/?p=905
Patrick's previous book "Design Between The Lines": merrellpublishers.com/9781858946764
Link to the full interview with Patrick: youtu.be/o-zlJ13v_Ic
Solo Lap's video about the oscillating hinge: youtube.com/watch?v=x_0j4z8UM-A
If you'd like to support what I do, and get early access to advert-free videos and exclusive channel updates, please consider supporting the channel from just $1 or 80p a month: patreon.com/bigcar
Support me using PayPal: paypal.com/paypalme/bigcartv
Big Car merch: teespring.com/stores/bigcartv
Twitter: twitter.com/bigcartv
My second channel - Little Car: youtube.com/littlecar
Sources:
Patrick le Quément interview.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobiles_Alpine
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Sport_Spider
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Laguna
topgear.com/car-news/classic/tgs-guide-concepts-renault-laguna-concept
car-revs-daily.com/2017/09/25/concept-flashback-1990-renault-laguna-roadster
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_World_Rally_Championship
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaus
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_doors
formtrends.com/bmw-i-head-of-design-benoit-jacob-leaves-for-chinese-ev-startup
renaultsport.com/the-25th-anniversary-of-the-renault-sport-spider-a-concept-in-its-own-right.html
renaultalpineclub.com/cars/spider
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Motor_Show
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Spider
renaultsport.com/-renault-spider-1995-.html
renaultsport.com/the-25th-anniversary-of-the-renault-sport-spider-a-design-in-a-class-of-its-own.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Clio
kgfclassiccars.co.uk/vehicles/2580
roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a29981/renault-sport-spider
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Up
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_Paul_Armagnac
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Prost
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Motor_Show
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobiles_Alpine
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Plato
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Priaulx
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Fiftie
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V6_PRV_engine
#bigcar
To be truly successful, an object needs just enough material to serve its purpose. In the case of a car, and particularly a sports car, removing material not only makes it lighter and therefore faster, but can also save on cost. A light yet robust structure was done to great effect in the 1880s by Gustave Eiffel, it was Colin Chapman’s watchword, and Renault strove to do the same on four wheels with the Renault Sport Spider. When a car with a shorter wheelbase and less weight than a VW Up! is married with a 148hp engine from the Clio Williams, you know it’s going to be fun! No wonder then that Road & Track described it as a “croissant designed for hand-to-hand combat”! Just why did Renault, a company who was focused on trying to reclaim a decent share of the family car market, make a limited-run out-and-out sports car?
Link to Patrick's book "Luckyman": https://lignesautoeditions.fr/?p=905
Patrick's previous book "Design Between The Lines": merrellpublishers.com/9781858946764
Link to the full interview with Patrick: youtu.be/o-zlJ13v_Ic
Solo Lap's video about the oscillating hinge: youtube.com/watch?v=x_0j4z8UM-A
If you'd like to support what I do, and get early access to advert-free videos and exclusive channel updates, please consider supporting the channel from just $1 or 80p a month: patreon.com/bigcar
Support me using PayPal: paypal.com/paypalme/bigcartv
Big Car merch: teespring.com/stores/bigcartv
Twitter: twitter.com/bigcartv
My second channel - Little Car: youtube.com/littlecar
Sources:
Patrick le Quément interview.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobiles_Alpine
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Sport_Spider
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Laguna
topgear.com/car-news/classic/tgs-guide-concepts-renault-laguna-concept
car-revs-daily.com/2017/09/25/concept-flashback-1990-renault-laguna-roadster
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_World_Rally_Championship
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaus
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_doors
formtrends.com/bmw-i-head-of-design-benoit-jacob-leaves-for-chinese-ev-startup
renaultsport.com/the-25th-anniversary-of-the-renault-sport-spider-a-concept-in-its-own-right.html
renaultalpineclub.com/cars/spider
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Motor_Show
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Spider
renaultsport.com/-renault-spider-1995-.html
renaultsport.com/the-25th-anniversary-of-the-renault-sport-spider-a-design-in-a-class-of-its-own.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Clio
kgfclassiccars.co.uk/vehicles/2580
roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a29981/renault-sport-spider
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Up
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_Paul_Armagnac
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Prost
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Motor_Show
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobiles_Alpine
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Plato
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Priaulx
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Fiftie
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V6_PRV_engine
#bigcar
