Gran Turismo 7 will add fan-favourite F1-powered minivan

• The Renault Espace F1 was a real-world promotional vehicle that put a V10 engine from a Williams in the middle of an MPV
• It was famed for its extreme design, raucous engine noise and being in Gran Turismo 2
• In December 2025, it will be added to Gran Turismo 7

Insanity. That’s what you get when a French car company plumbs in an actual Formula 1 engine into a people carrier. In 1995, Renault thought this was a great idea, and to drum up publicity for both its F1 involvement and its humdrum Espace family car, it made a functioning demonstration car.

This, in turn, was immortalised in Gran Turismo 2. Costing a whopping two million in-game credits, it quickly placed on a pedestal alongside other GT greats such as the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak monster.

But then, nothing…

Five subsequent games were released in Polyphony Digital’s driving series, and yet the boxy V10-powered machine was absent.

That is set to change next month, when it will be added to Gran Turismo 7 in 4K form as part of a free Spec III update.

Using the same 3.5-litre V10 as mounted in the 1992 championship-winning Williams FW14 single-seater – designed by Adrian Newey and driven by Nigel Mansell to that season’s drivers’ title – it was showcased in a new trailer for the Yas Marina circuit, also part of the same patch.

That powerplant, like the F1 car, is mid-mounted, requiring large air-dispensing louvres on the Espace’s side. Paired with the wide-body kit and incongruous rear wing, these elements provide a distinct look that is part of the prototype’s lasting appeal. That, and the screaming wail of the V10.

The real-world, and functioning model, currently resides in a Romorantin-Lanthenay museum, central France. There’s even the option to have four racing seats for three passengers to enjoy the ride.

Spec III for Gran Turismo 7 does not have a firm release date yet, other than December 2025. It will add the aforementioned Abu Dhabi circuit alongside Canada’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, plus eight cars. Of those, alongside this Renault, will be the Polestar 5 electric super-saloon, a fictional F3500-B open-wheeler and several much-requested quality-of-life changes.