Ahhh, the infamous Renault Dauphine, plague of the American highways in the very early 1960s. Happily they died quickly and so were not often seen by the late '60s. They were to be avoided by anything with 8 cylinders.

THAT one looks like it might (might) be able to move out of its own way. Not sure what performance modifications would have been necessary to make them 'competitive' (with ANYthing), but I would have started at the front and worked my way backwards, with a large bank account.

They also made a very limited number of a 2-seat 'sportscar' (sort of) on that same chassis, with the same engine. I have vague memories of visiting my local sports car repair shop when I was about 17, and taking a newly-repaired Renault 'sports car' just around their lot ~ I broke the distributor shaft immediately and they had to pull the engine all over again to fix it.

The customer would not have made it off the property, either.

Renault made some world-record-setting cars in their days (very long ago and very recently), but the Dauphine was certainly NOT one of them.

Here's one which has been built (probably has the popular Porsche engine swap in it):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbQ5VijZwDA&NR=1

Not sure why they have an American flag flying at a Belgian drag strip, but I'm happy with that....

Frank

_________________
1970 240Z

Le Dauphine, properly applied:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRKvXDET ... re=related

_________________
1970 240Z

In std form, the Dauphine isn't really an exiting piece of kit. But you can easily turn it into a potent time beater! You can bolt up most of the Alpine A110 good bits on it and have a Go-Kart on steroids weighting no more than a shoe box. As long as your plan is to race it and not crash it
This thing is feather light, less than 500KG in race trim with the 1600cc of 150hp But this isn't the place to talk about that I guess and I hate most of the French cars anyway. Never had any... hopefully never will!
They are 90% perfect but they always manage to give the last 10% a repellent effect on me Most of the time is their dashboard. It's not the most important part but it's the one you have to face everyday! The German got that right! Sometimes I seat in the Z3 just to look at the dashboard!

Are some of you guys coming over from time to time? Would you like to assist a French meeting? Just ask all that needed is planing! Next Le Mans Classic is in 2012 start saving and you will have the time of your life.

Hey Fred and welcome! good to have another member from france in this club! I'm from France although I'm not french. looking forward to meeting you!
merry Christams all!

_________________
http://kingofapes.blogspot.com/

Hi King, Joyeux Noël a bit late to you and all the members and their family!
Boomer

It's been too long. To make a long story short overbooked!
So I am back and plan to end the build of the 280ZX this winter in time to enter a few hill climb and classic race before Le Mans Classic.

If skip can make it to the Race he would have 2 280ZX IMSA replica on his side on the paddock. One of my fellow member is finishing his.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn3yUoIlYJ8

Needs a good setup on a rolling stand so.

Zee ya, Fred

Ahhh ~ a turbo Z on French backcountry roads!
What a happy way to start the morning!

During a too short trip to Corsica with my wife and the Z3 I tasted 3 full stages of the WRC stage with no-one on the road. Pedal to the metal with the moutain wall on one side and... nothing on the other. It keep s you awake. Epic, one of the best memory I will have.

Far from that but you get the idea :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... L0wO0_ml6o

I watched that on big-screen!

I will now wake up screaming in the night, mashing both feet on an imaginary brake pedal!