We don’t see builds like this much at all…
Usually, when we see a brutal, highly-specialized build it’s not something like a Renault Dauphine. To be brutally honest, we don’t sit up at night dreaming of owning any Renault, even the Clio V6. That’s great if the French cars really float your boat, but the fact they don’t for us has made this La Brute Dauphine with a VR6 engine swap all the more astounding to behold.
Check out a Chevy Tri-Five with LS power here.
Documented by AutotopiaLA, which usually profiles exactly the kinds of American muscle cars we absolutely love, this Renault looks hilariously aggressive at first glance. After all, it seems like the Frenchie is just trying to hard to be cool and failing miserably at it, especially with the bespoke, huge front splitter and the aggressive stance with fat tires and fender flares.
But as they say, looks aren’t everything, as clearly evidenced by many production cars which appear to be a lot of fun but leave much to be desired. This thing goes in the opposite direction. The guy who built it realized that as lightweight as the Renault was, it would make for a fun ride if he stiffened things up and dropped in a much bigger engine.
Topping the 848cc engine which was mounted in the rear wasn’t too difficult, although it required placing the VR6 in the backseat area. The chassis, frame, and pretty much everything else is bespoke. The owner put a lot of effort into this car and it shows.
Ultimately, this build is all about being weird and different, which we can totally respect. While insane custom Mustangs, Camaros, and Barracudas are great to see and really get our hearts thumping, it’s also cool to see someone take a total dog car and turn it into something enjoyable.
You really need to see this Renault in action to appreciate what it is, so check out the video.
