Renault R.S. 01 ready to race

It weighs just over a tonne and packs the Nissan GT-R's twin-turbo V6 beneath its stunning skin. It's the Renault R.S. 01, and it's finally ready to hit the race track.

To celebrate the occasion, Renault Sport has released a video outlining the RCT15 (as it's know internally) on its journey from the drafting board to reality.

"From the very beginning of the project, our aim was to produce a very high performance car with a carbon chassis and genuine race technology," explains Renault Sport technologies director, Patrice Ratti. "We also wanted it to express the design evolution that is underway at Renault."

It's an interesting statement that suggests Renault will use the R.S 01 not only to compete in this year's nine-round, one-make Renault Sport Trophy series, but as inspiration for the styling of its upcoming models.

Designed to comply with LeMans prototype regulations, the R.S. 01 fits somewhere between a GT3 sports car and a Deutsche Tourenwagen Master (German Touring Car) championship car. It's 1100kg carbon-fibre body is propelled by the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 found powering Nissan's GT-R, which in the R.S 01 provides 373kW and 600Nm. Power is challenged via a seven-speed Sadev sequential gearbox and limited-slip differential, while braking duties fall to carbon ceramic rotors measuring 380mm.

The R.S. 01 is available for purchase in Europe for the equivalent of $AU500,000. Following its public race track debut last October, the R.S. 01 will be delivered to customers in March. It is expected to make its first competitive appearance at the Spa-Francorchamps towards the middle of the year (2015).