Renault seriously considered badging this Matra-built coupe as an Infiniti for America, then dropped the idea.
Median 100 hp across 11 similar cars
Lead trim: Avantime 2.0 F4Rt turbo I4 (163 PS) · up to 204 hp
Renault Avantime D66D66 · 2001–2003
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Renault Avantime D66 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactRenault seriously considered badging this Matra-built coupe as an Infiniti for America, then dropped the idea.
The Renault Avantime was marketed by Renault but designed and built by its affiliate Matra at Romorantin-Lanthenay between 2001 and 2003 (8,557 units): a one-box, pillarless design styled by Patrick Le Quément that combined the space of an MPV or estate (shooting brake) with a 2+2 coupé's style and elements of a convertible, described by Renault as a grand tourer. Conceived by Philippe Guédon, head of Matra's automotive division, for the grown-up children of Espace owners, it borrowed the first-generation Espace's space frame (a load-bearing galvanised structure with composite non-load-bearing panels), had an aluminium greenhouse (giving a two-tone look), a full sunroof of strengthened heat-reflecting glass, four seats with built-in seatbelts and Bridge of Weir leather, and long doors with a "double kinematic" hinge (front windows dropped automatically when a front seat folded forward, and a "grand air" button opened all windows and the sunroof). It was first shown in concept form at the Louvre in February 1999 and at Geneva a month later as the "Coupéspace", and reached production two years later after engineering the pillarless roof to meet safety standards. Power came from the 2.0-litre F4Rt turbo four (163 PS), the PSA-derived 24-valve 3.0-litre V6 (207 PS) with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic, and a 2.2-litre dCi common-rail turbodiesel (147 PS, left-hand drive only). Sales were poor (779 in 2001, 5,037 in 2002 and 2,226 in 2003 in Europe), hurt by the Vel Satis launched around the same time; Renault considered selling it as an Infiniti in the US but dropped the idea, and it discontinued the car when Matra left car production in 2003, making it one of the worst-selling cars of all time. A D67 facelift planned for 2004–2005 would have lowered the boot lip.
Collectors Spotted in the Renault Avantime Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Renault Avantime yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avantime 2.0 F4Rt turbo I4 (163 PS) | 2001–2003 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 161 hp | 184 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Avantime 2.2 G9T dCi turbodiesel I4 (147 PS; LHD only) | 2001–2003 | 2.2 L Inline-4 | 145 hp | 236 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Avantime 3.0 ES9 A V6 (207 PS) | 2001–2003 | 3.0 L V6 | 204 hp | 210 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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