Official: Twizy Renault Sport F1 is a racy EV that defies categorization

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Performance, Renault, Specialty, Electric

It recently came out that Porsche mulled a return to Formula One but chose a return to Le Mans instead, citing F1 technology’s lack of relevance to its road cars. Well Porsche, take this: the Twizy Renault Sport F1 concept, “a bridge between the world of F1 technology and that of production cars.” The French Formula One legend took a 17-horsepower electric Twizy and replaced the back seat with an 80-hp KERS unit, just like the ones it produces for its F1 customer teams. Then it added tires from a Formula 2 Renault and a steering wheel derived from a Formula 3.5 Renault, a front splitter, sidepods and open-wheeler mirrors. Yes, it’s absurd – and by absurd we mean outstanding.

There are two KERS modes the driver can use, the first a Recovery mode that uses the Twizy’s main 17-hp electric motor to recoup energy since the city car can’t produce enough energy through braking to repower the KERS unit. The other is Boost mode, which allows a 13-second burst using the combined 97 horsepower available with the two motors. A single-seater-style rain light is affixed out back, and it illuminates when in Boost mode. The result is a Twizy that can dash from 0-60 miles per hour as quick as Renault’s fastest car, the Megane Renaultsport 265, listed by Car magazine at six seconds. The Twizy’s top speed in Boost mode climbs from 53 mph to 68 mph.

It will be shown at various events throughout the year, starting with the World Series by Renault race in Aragon, Spain on April 27 and 28. You can read all about it right now in the press release below.

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Twizy Renault Sport F1 is a racy EV that defies categorization originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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