Renwoo Merci? Sure, but not too much is left of it, honestly speaking.
The heavily modified body is remade out of carbon fiber, and put on an all new space frame. There is now double wishbone suspension all around, as well as ventilated disc brakes and a rack and pinion steering. The engine is now from a Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS, of course with a six speed transmission. Combined with spoilers and semi slick tyres on 16 inch magnesium wheels, this means that a cornering performance of 1.18 Gs is possible, while it stops in 32.1 metres from 100 km/h. It accelerates from 0-100 in 4.3 seconds and tops out at 210 km/h - this car is after all about being exciting to drive, not about beating land speed records.
Yes, we admit that it is not about relaxed long distance driving either. Forget electric windows - because there are no windows. Forget air conditioning - because what would it even be good for. Forget carpeting, sound insulation and anything else that adds weight. Forget the radio, you have a roaring triple to listen to. After all - we had one goal, to make this the most fun you will ever be able to have in a…ehm “Renwoo”.
Featuring over 400 horsepower and tons of torque from a ‘Heavy Hank’ 3l inline four, a helical LSD and AWD system from later Renwoo models, and a brake and suspension setup to take on harsh terrain at speed, the Dune Runner is at home on rally stages, desert racing, and can hold its own on the stretches of regular roads in between.
Space might be at a premuim, and the rear seats might have been replaced by a fuel cell, and it’s less forgiving of mistakes, but this little devil can take on basically anything. Whether or not it wins is another matter entirely…
Point it in a direction; it goes there. Stop somewhere; you're home.
Cars are neat. Simple, reliable machines that’ll gladly take you places at incredible speed and comfort. But the average car is just that: Transport. and not very versatile as such, since they’re only any good along limited, specially-prepped paths; there’s so much more world out there than what you find on the path.
That’s the goal of the Go-Anywhere Mini R-Vi (pronounced “RV,” rhyming with “Merci”), we’ve taken one of France’s most iconic, dependable vehicles and upgraded it into the ultimate offroad recreational vehicle.
Our most obvious change is the conversion to this sturdy van/wagon canopy; providing not only more living space indoors, but is sturdy enough for a substantial cargo area on top. You yourself could climb up there, set out our provided table and chair, and enjoy the view; we recommend you don’t do this for risk of falling, but we’ve no structural rigidity concerns.
The powertrain has received a major overhaul to enhance it’s offroad capabilities, while making it incredibly livable inside. A fresh, 1.8L VTEC V6 sends its instant torque through a 6-speed column shift, to a locking 4-wheel drive system. Though our R-Vi is no racer, it’s good for a healthy 9.3s 0-100, and would average over 30mpg if it were ever taken on asphalt. Inside, the driver’s seat has been fitted with a state-of-the-art HUD system, and a radio that supports a wide array of physical and digital audio formats.
Rest assured you’ll be comfortable on your getaway. Behind the lone driver’s seat, the rest of the cabin is taken up by a plush, prideful bed to lounge and sleep on, with various cabinets and shelves lining the edges to cover all your living needs.
The bed may be a bit short for some; but not to worry, we’ve included a folding bed extension to slot into the would-be “passenger seat,” to let your legs make the most use of this efficiently-organized space.
Indeed, you’ll find everything you’ll need to thrive in the wilds. Lights, microwave, mini fridge and mini-er freezer, shotgun, radio, additional storage space options, toilet paper, folding chair, folding table, bicycle, and…
A TV built-in to the ceiling, so you can watch content your favorite content while lying in bed! Comes with the ability to fold down, if you’d prefer to sit against the driver’s seat, and built-in HDMI/VGA/AV ports for external devices!
What’s the Mini R-Vi for, you ask? Whatever you damn well want it to be! You can, quite literally, take it wherever you want; it is just as competent on the highway as it is in the mud. And once you get there, you have you’re own remote home, to be tricked out and enjoyed however you see fit. The Go-Anywhere Mini R-Vi does not just everything a car can; but also everything it should and everything it could.
-Generic Tuning Company With A Very Long Name That Isn’t Just Long Because I Can’t Be Bothered To Create A Proper One Because Of Course Not Silly That Would Be Weird No This Is A Perfectly Mundane And Professional Name For A Company To Have I Think It’s Basque Or Something But Don’t Quote Me On That Because I’m Not A Professional Linguist.
You are no strangers to rebuilding cars and we are no strangers to rebuilding cars, so let’s cut to the chase. After receiving the old Renwoo in our shop, it didn’t run well. So we fixed up the old three-banger, put some new oil into the car, checked the parking brake cable, and did some slow-speed drifting in the parking lot. After not a long while we burned through the clutch and brakes, and the third hop onto the curb broke the suspension and bent the chassis. We took this as a test to see which parts of the old Renwoo were sturdy enough to keep. Needless to say, the only part of the car we could keep was the shell. So we took out our torches, grinders, saws and duck-tape and got to work, and well… let the results speak for itself:
That’s right. Who doesn’t think MONSTERTRUCK when looking at a Renwoo Merci? We didn’t. But after we took the shell off the broken fame and it was just sitting on its belly on the shop floor, we had an epiphany. We attached it to the shop hoist, raised it 8 ft into the air, and voila! The bare shell floating in midair screamed “Monstertruck”. We just had to get the right ingredients for it.
We looked around the shop to see what we could use. First and foremost, the car needed a custom chassis that could withstand monstertruck duty abuse. We gathered a bunch of scrap metal and welded a chassis together. Then we scavenged an old Mons 8.1L V8, polished it up a bit, and mounted it in the chassis. It is mated to a modern sequential 6-speed with ultra-low gear custom 4x4 drive. Should be no problem pulling a wheelie with this one! The only piece we had to source outside the shop are the tires. We debated mounting tractor tires, but opted to get the real deal, and mount spec monster truck tires instead.
Hahahahahahaaaa!!! Oh, you mean, like seriously? Ok. Well, we have a racing bucket for your bum, steering wheel for your hands, and three bare metal pedals for your feet. Your hands also have alternate resting places, including the sequential shifter, hand brake, a few electric dials, and - in an emergency - a fire extinguisher. What more do you need?
In terms of the old Renwoo:
10x more engine capacity
30x more power
20x more suspension travel
5x more interior space per occupant
-5x occupancy
1000x more fun
In closing, we’d like to thank our sponsors who sustained us with ample chicken wings and duck-tape. Without them, this project would not have been possible.
In order to create the Taz Devil, TSX Performance takes a humble Renwoo Merci, chops it up and plops it on top of a short-wheelbase Fujimi Roamer Campo chassis, with a solid rear axle, two-speed transfer case and locking differentials. It also gets a 4.7 litre turbodiesel V8 from the larger Roamer, tuned up to 251 kW and 884 Nm of torque. For ultimate off-road performance, it gets upgraded dampers and coil springs, along with chunky 35 inch tyres and beadlock rims. Up front, the interior gets a full makeover, with modern seats and a pair of digital displays, while on the outside there are extending side mirrors, new fenders, high-intensity headlamps, rock sliders, a steel front bar, a skidplate and an electronic winch. The star of the show is in the rear – a custom, all-aluminium tray bed that finishes off the build.
With a custom chassis and front end, this car goes from a french family car to a mod-bod straight from Ed Roth’s garage. That’s not where all the changes were, though…
You’ve got over 750 horses underneath you, fitted under a cartoonishly large air filter. This monster will send you flying down the highway at 230 miles per hour, hitting 9000 RPM while doing so. If you wanted safety, however, boy do we have something for you…
A chrome rollcage, and one singular racing seat. What more do you need?
Also, don’t even think about doors; they’re welded shut. To get in, you’ve gotta do what the non-wing drivers do: step on the back wheel, step on the roll cage, then lower yourself in.
The word “symposium” nowadays refers to professional conferences of sorts, but its literal and original meaning in Greek is “drinking together”, and refers to a particular institution in ancient Greece: a post-dinner drinking party that was meant to be a mix of revelry and discussion. A drinking conference, if you will.
The Symposiarch was the leader of the Symposium, deciding what was to be drunk and how strong, what the discussion themes were to be among the symposiasts (attendees), and so on.
What do you do if you want to enjoy the carefree open-air cruising in inimitable Gallic style of a Renwoo Merci, but are burdened with things like friends, legs, friends with legs, standards, friends with standards, or worse, all of the above? Merci beaucoup? De rien! We take a Merci, and… -evil mustache-twisting honhonhon laughter-… modify it.
Mercilessly (if you’ll pardon the expression) drawn and quartered, it shall be! Or- er… the other way around: quartered and drawn. Stretched and widened, the space between the quarters filled in with sheetmetal and various weld/brace/rivet/ducttape contraptioneering, the result now actually has room for four. Of course, you can’t just throw a high-quality handmade interior into any old tub and call it a luxury car, so we dressed up the outside to match.
On the way to your symposium, relax as the butter-smooth, whisper-quiet turbo flat-6 propels this living room on wheels, riding on a well-tuned double-wishbone/multilink hydropneumatic suspension.
Once you’ve arrived, deploy the Symposiarch - open up the roof, turn the front seats around, pop open the refrigerator in the center console, and enjoy your time.
