Renault Étoile Filante
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1954 |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Gas turbine-powered automobile |
The Renault Étoile Filante (translated as Shooting Star) represents Renault's only venture into gas turbine-powered automobiles and stands as their exclusive effort to establish a land speed record within this specific category.
History
In 1954, the French turbine manufacturer Turbomeca, specializing in aeronautical engines, suggested that Renault create a gas turbine vehicle to demonstrate the capabilities of this technology and to aim for the land speed record in the turbine car segment.
Between 1954 and 1955, Renault developed and subjected the vehicle to wind tunnel testing. By 1956, driver Jean Hébert alongside the Renault team carried out speed runs at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where they recorded an average velocity of .
During the mid-1990s, Renault undertook a restoration project at its Billancourt facility, refurbishing both the chassis and engine. The vehicle was successfully restarted and operated under its own power for the first time since its initial runs. Presently, it is preserved within Renault’s Historical Cars Collection.
Another example of the Étoile Filante is held privately within a Mexican sports car collection.
Return to Bonneville
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of its original record in 2016, the Étoile Filante was retrofitted with an electric motor and brought back to Bonneville Salt Flats. Nicolas Prost, son of Alain Prost, piloted the vehicle. Although no new record attempt was made by this turbine car, Prost established a fresh speed record of while driving a Renault Dauphine during the event.