In 2011, Renault celebrated the 50 years of its 4L with an unprecedented speed record for such a car: 237 km / h on the salt lake of Bonneville, in the United States. Take a look back at the world’s fastest 4L.
237 km / h in Renault 4L? Yes, you read that right. This is not a joke but a speed record set by the R4! In 2011, Renault wishes to celebrate the 50 years of its 4L in a rather special way. The Classic division of the brand therefore joins forces at the Bonneville Triplets, a group of friends from the Ile-de-France region who set speed records on the Bonneville salt lake in the USA. To establish this record, a basis of Renault 4L van from 1983 is used. Entirely modified to adapt to Speed Week regulations, it is called “Saline 4 fun”.
237 km / h in 4L on a salt lake
The 4L Saline 4 fun adopts a reworked chassis with specific running gear (hub carriers, knuckles, brakes and suspension), Good Year Long Speed Racing tires and a gearbox based on those of the Renault 21 Turbo and Renault 25 GTX. The ground clearance is reduced to the maximum, and the car receives some appendages such as an air intake on the hood, an exhaust coming out through the front left fender or a braking parachute on the girafon at the rear. The weight is approximately 720 kg due to the safety equipment requested by the American organizer of the event, such as buckets and roll bars on board.
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Despite everything, the Cx of the van remains that of a Norman cabinet … Fortunately, the engine is that of a Renault 5 Turbo, prepared to reach 285 hp. What greatly exceed the 127 km / h of the original 4L, which provided 34 hp at most. The team of Bonneville triplets, led by Jean Caillou, Gilles Pujol, Frank Figuls and Bernard Canonne, hoped to reach 280 km / h on the salt lake. It is finally the figure of 237 km / h which was validated by the committee.
A nod to the Shooting Star record
This record is reminiscent of the Étoile Filante in 1956. On September 5 of that year, Renault took a new prototype to the salt lake in Bonneville, Utah. Jean Hébert, vehicle tuner, takes the wheel for a series of “runs” to attempt a historic record. After just a few minutes, it exceeds 300 km / h with a peak at 308.85 km / h! The Shooting Star thus becomes the fastest car in the world …